There are those nights when you're in the mood for throwing on a jacket, ordering a $13 cocktail and meeting an execu-chick you can have some intelligent conversation (and possibly more) with. Then there are those nights when you just want to throw on your least foul-smelling t-shirt, a hat and grab a beer at the local dive bar. Where the pretentious bullshit goes out the door, and you can kick back, relax and watch the game.

Playboy.com scoured the country to find the diviest of the dive bars. The ones with the most personality, the most character, and the best vibe, no matter how run-down or dust covered.

Here are their top ten picks, and a quick reason why. To read their entire reviews, click here.

Bar 107, Los Angeles
Dive points: Blocks from the original Skid Row. Once the site of the city's oldest Mexican tranny bar. (That locks it in right there.) Rampant taxidermy.

Billy Ray's Neighborhood Dive, Portland OR
Dive points: Pints of PBR are $1.50. Jukebox stocked with country classics and punk. Six different pin-ball machines.

The Clermont Lounge, Atlanta
Dive points: Strip club operating since 1965... with some of the original dancers. Cheap booze. Regulars include local bohemians and miscreants, Mexican day workers and lipstick lesbians, rednecks and rock stars.

The Dispensary Lounge, Las Vegas
Dive points: Like "walking inside Tony Orlando's brain." Decor from 35 years ago. Lawn furniture. ...There's more

Think of it as the Cannonball Run for tree huggers.

Starting today, two guys plan to drive from New York to Los Angeles, in 40 hours, without a single stop. And on a single tank of biodiesel.

Nik Bristow and Brian Pierce, a couple of copywriters from Atlanta looking to bring more attention to the alt fuel issue, are departing from Manhattan this afternoon on what they are calling the Willie Run '08 - named for Willie Nelson's own BioWillie biodiesel. "We want to educate people that biodiesel is superior to other biofuels such as ethanol," says Pierce. "And in the end, of course, we want to make Willie proud."

The pair will take turns piloting the “Willie One,” (Willie's not riding along?), a diesel Volkswagen Jetta, outfitted with an additional 60 gallons of fuel capacity. They're counting on getting 45-50 mpg, which should be plenty to get them across the country. Or strand them in the desert.

The plan is to arrive in LA on the 24th, completing the run in under 40 hours. No word if Willie will be there to give a big green hug to the two bio-heroes.

You can get more info on the ride on their site, www.willierun.com. Donate $25 or more to the cause and get a commemorative t-shirt. (Made of 100% organic cotton, of course.)

And you can follow the ride, live on ustream.tv, where you'll either get to see history made, or two guys driving around lost in a cornfield.

www.willierun.com

Ask any of us to name a couple of our favorite things and I'll bet you a classic Favre Packer's jersey that "Food" and "Really Hot Chicks" land in the top three or four on most guys' lists. (We're easy to please.) And since Las Vegas is packed to the crystal-chandeliered rafters with both, I asked Courtney Mills from BestofVegas.com for a list of places where a guy could go to get good food and really hot chicks in one location. And she came up with five of the best - along with links for more info, just in case you get tired of the ensuing winter weather - and its bundled up women - and need a skin-baring break in the desert.

Cat House
The CatHouse at the Luxor is modeled after a 19th century bordello, serves some of the best food in Vegas, and has lingerie-clad ladies that'll wait on you hand-and-foot to make sure that you leave full. And satisfied. The menu includes Maine lobster tail, prime rib, oysters, and more. Late night, after the restaurant closes, it turns into one of the best ultra-lounges in town.
BONUS: Live vanity stations are scattered throughout the club where you can watch the ladies in lingerie getting ready for the night.

Hawaiian Tropic Zone
Hawaiian Tropic Zone is an indoor beach party with island music, tiki torches, and world famous food by Chef David Burke. And hottest waitresses on the strip - bikini-clad models who wait on your table and strut their stuff on the built-in catwalk runway throughout the restaurant. Located in ...There's more

September 26-28, I'll be at the exclusive Sheraton Cable Beach in the Bahamas, partying with the 30 incredibly sexy finalists of the Shirley of Hollywood Lingerie Cover Model Contest, along with a bunch of celebs and pro athletes, E! and ESPN. And I'm going to bring one of you with me.

Tell me in 100 words or less, why you deserve to go, and the guys over a Shirley's and I will pick one of you to fly in, stay at the resort with us, and give you VIP passes to all the events.

You'll go to the photo shoots (sorry, the position of Oil Boy is taken), hit the Grand Finale show, play some beach volleyball and hang by the pool with the models, and spend a day with us at the incredibly exclusive Nygard Cay. You'll also party with me and the models at Atlantis nightclub. (I might even buy you a drink.)

Roundtrip airfare is covered for you, but you'll be getting a double room and two tix to all the events, in case you want to bring a buddy along. Just to have someone to take pics of you and the models on the beach.

Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to party with 30 of the sexiest lingerie models you've ever seen, on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and all you have to do is email me at giveaway@thebachelorguy.com, put "SHIRLEY'S CONTEST" in the subject line (or I'll delete it), and tell me why you should be the guy. The most deserving wins.

The contest ends this Friday, Sept 12, and I'll notify the winner by email. So be looking.

And if you don't win and want to come join us anyway, there are special rates available. Get info on the resort and trip here.

Read the Terms and Conditions of the contest here.

I flew back across the country yesterday to Phoenix/Scottsdale for a little golf, a little partying, and to attend the Bob Bondurant Racing School. (I'll be posting daily updates and pics Monday - Thursday from Bondurant.)

They've got me staying at the Hotel Valley Ho, a throwback to the late 50's heyday of the Rat Pack, that's been completely updated with a retro-chic look that's so cool I half expected to see Frank and Dino throwing back drinks and chasing skirts in the huge lobby bar.

After checking in, I headed out for lunch with friends. I came back to find a full-on, old-school pool party raging - complete with loud music, chicks in bikinis as far as I could see, and a bucket of cold Coronas on ice in my room.

It's gonna be a good week.

www.hotelvalleyho.com for pics and info.

In 1915, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson made a decision. Every year, they would take one of the motorcycles built at the motor company they founded 12 years earlier, off the assembly line and put it in an archive. Along with anything else they felt was important to the company's heritage.

A century later, and just three miles from the 10-by-15-foot shed where their very first bike was built, that archive has become the Harley-Davidson Museum, the new mecca for die-hard bikers, gear heads, nostalgia nuts, and anyone else who appreciates a little two-wheeled history.

What they've got, housed under 130,000 square feet of brick and steel sitting outside downtown Milwaukee, is a collection of over 400 vehicles, rare memorabilia and interactive displays, including artifacts like the famous Serial Number One, the first motorcycle built by H-D in that shed in 1903. For a biker, that's like standing in front of the first telephone, Edison's lightbulb, and the Mona Lisa all rolled into one.

There's also a collection of rare custom bikes, military bikes, old racers, and some of the original leather jackets and uniforms worm by early enthusiasts. Some short lived H-D vehicles are also there, including a couple of scooters, a boat and a golf cart, for those hardcore outlaw golfers. And no collection would be complete without Elvis' first ride, a 1956 KH he bought right before "Hound Dog" ...There's more

If you're a guy whose idea of a vacation is grabbing a backpack and kayaking down white-water rapids or hiking through the mountains for a week, it's likely you'll be in areas where there are no roads or guideposts. And getting lost is a real possibility. Not the good lost where you forget about work and your pain in the ass boss. The kind of lost where search parties are sent out and your mug is on the nightly news.

If you're going to do any hiking, fishing, hunting, boating, skiing, or anything where you're outside the safety of roads and cell signals, you can avoid the embarrassment of being that guy by taking SPOT with you.

SPOT Satellite Messenger is a lightweight personal GPS tracking device that let's you stay connected - and call for help - even when you're miles from a cell signal.

It's got four function keys that transmit messages depending on how much trouble you're in. Pushing the Track Progress button sends and saves your location every 10 minutes for 24 hours, plotting where you've been on Google Maps. Anyone you give the password to can also watch your progress live online, complete with virtual views.

Check-In keeps you in contact with friends and family by letting them know where you are and that you haven't killed yourself yet. Every time you push it, they'll get ...There's more

Sure jumping in your car - and loading up with a few buddies, some energy drinks, a half dozen bags of trail mix, and driving a few hours to the coast, or the mountains, or the lake - is a big summer road trip. But a few guys are on trips this summer that are making even your cross-country roll look like a soccer mom driving her kids to practice.

First up, meet Steve Shoppman and Steve Bouey. A couple of guys who figured just driving across the country was for pussies. So they decided to drive around the world. 60,000 miles around the world. In a pair of 4x4s provided by Toyota.

Starting in New Zealand last year, and aided by a crew of six, they've been on the road for one year and 127 days, logging over 44,000 miles on four continents and leaving tire tracks in over 25 countries. Right now they are attempting to drive north through the Congo, (definitely a windows up/doors locked neighborhood) while working out some visa problems. There's money problems too. They'll need to raise another $20-$30,000 in order to hit their target date later this year in New York City.

I don't know what makes their trip more extreme: the grueling conditions and dangers they encountered. Or ...There's more

If you really, really love your dad, he really, really loves his scotch, and you roll like Trump, Chivas Regal has a once in a lifetime trip for you.

After jetting first class to Scotland, you and the man who gave you life will stay at an invitation-only, private mansion with a full-service staff and world-class hospitality. You'll eat privately prepared meals from one of Scotland’s most acclaimed chefs. (Tip: skip the haggis.) And you'll play a round of golf at the world-famous St. Andrew’s Links. A limo and helicopter will take you wherever you need to go. And a private butler will make sure you have everything you need.

You'll also be treated to a dinner with The Duke of Argyll (is he the guy who invented the socks?), at his home, Inveraray Castle. After dining in the State Dining Room, you and dad will get a VIP tour of the castle and its historical relics - not the dungeon - and access to the formal gardens and tea with the Duke in the castle tearoom. (I wouldn't tell dad about the tea until right before.)

Then it's onto the good stuff: learning to create a customized blended Scotch whisky with guidance from Chivas Regal’s Master Blender, Colin Scott, including five days of specialized whisky tastings where you'll have the opportunity to sample never-before tasted ...There's more

With airlines reeling from shrinking passenger loads and soaring fuel costs they're looking for ways to make back some of the money they're hemorrhaging. And one of those ways, besides not giving you the whole can of whatever you're drinking, is to charge big for overweight bags.

Watching people frantically shuffle stuff from one bag to another to avoid the $50-$100 overweight luggage fee has become the new spectator sport in airports. You can avoid becoming a participant if you know how much your bag weighs before you leave the house.

The Balanzza is a compact digital scale that'll give you the poundage of your overstuffed overnighter, up to 100 pounds. Clip the strap onto your bag's handle, lift, and wait for the beep. The digital readout tells you whether your traveling fee free, or repacking. And it's only 10 ounces, so you can pack it for the return trip to see if those souvenirs and gifts, or brochures and samples from a business trip, will tip the scale in the airline's favor.

$24.99
www.balanzza.com