
Courtesy of Paravel
Jun 5, 2020
Photo by Shutterstock
These gifts will keep dad entertained at home for now and help him plan ahead for future travels.
Father’s Day is on June 21 this year. Here’s how to celebrate the men who instilled a love of travel in us from a young age.
For many, the COVID-19 pandemic means we can’t visit our dads in person this Father’s Day. And while sending a physical gift doesn’t replace your physical presence, receiving a thoughtful present will surely brighten your dad’s day in these socially distant times. Here are 14 of AFAR’s favorite Father’s Day gifts, selected with supporting small businesses in mind.
Donate Now: blackvisionsmn.org, blacklivesmatter.com, bailproject.org, aclu.org, unicornriot.ninja, knowyourrightscamp.com, sonofasaint.org, and many others
Before you purchase a physical gift off this list, consider making a philanthropic donation in his name first. Black Visions Collective, Black Lives Matter, the Bail Project, ACLU, Unicorn Riot, and Know Your Rights Camp, and Son of a Saint are all great causes to champion and support right now. If you can, a recurring monthly donation in your father’s name will have an even greater effect on the work these organizations do.
Buy Now: From $17, redbaycoffee.com
To give your dad’s at-home coffee an upgrade, set him up with a monthly—or weekly—coffee subscription. There are many options to pick from on the Internet, but if you’re looking to consciously support more Black-owned businesses moving forward, consider setting up a recurring subscription from Oakland’s Red Bay Coffee Roasters. Its founder Keba Konte not only champions using high-quality and sustainable beans, but also seeks to hire and serve people of all backgrounds, including people of color, the formerly incarcerated, women, and people with disabilities.
Buy Now: $180 for an annual membership, masterclass.com
An unlimited Masterclass membership will allow the man of many interests to brush up on his gardening skills with Ron Finley, hone his cooking with tips from Alice Waters, or even learn about space from Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Buy Now: $55, tourparavel.com
Made from 10 recycled plastic water bottles, this set of two compressive packing cubes save up to three vertical inches of suitcase space each when zipped down. It may be awhile before dad can use these packing cubes on a trip, but in the meantime he can use them to store his winter sweaters away for the summer.
Buy Now: $36, bookshop.org
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A cookbook from your dad’s favorite restaurant is a great way for him to revisit that spot without having to leave home during quarantine. Fans of Korean food in particular will adore Hooni Kim’s new My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes (W.W. Norton, 2020), which includes 90 recipes that will transport you straight to Danji, Kim’s Michelin-ranked New York restaurant.
Buy Now: From $39, goldbelly.com
If your dad is the type of traveler who plans entire vacations around a destination’s food, give him the gift of Goldbelly. This online marketplace ships iconic regional foods from around the United States via UPS and FedEx so ice cream arrives intact and meat arrives unspoiled. Be inspired by AFAR’s favorite small-food businesses on Goldbelly, browse its curated Father’s Day collection, or search by region to see if your dad’s favorite pizza place or barbecue spot is on there.
Buy Now: $25, printworksmarket.us
This 500-piece Dusk puzzle is from a series featuring photographs of the sky at a particular time of day. If you need more convincing of its awesomeness, Oprah included it in her Favorite Things list in 2019.
Buy Now: From $18, goldbelly.com
You can’t go wrong with chocolate as a gift for anyone with a serious sweet tooth. But instead of delivering just any old bar to your dear old dad, give your gift a travel angle and put together a selection of goodies made in his favorite city. Left his heart in San Francisco? Consider sweets from the likes of Dandelion or Recchiuti. Missing Memphis? Phillip Ashley Chocolates and Shotwell Candy Co. are still shipping. Not sure where to start? Goldbelly has dozens of options from America’s best gourmet chocolate shops and organizes them all by region on its website to make searching easier.
Buy Now: From $25, brownestate.com
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The best gift for a wine lover is an actual trip to wine country. But the next best thing is sending wine directly to his door. Right now Brown Estate Vineyards—Napa Valley’s first Black-owned estate winery—is shipping wines by the bottle starting at $25. If you feel like truly treating your dad, you can sign him up for one of its monthly or quarterly wine clubs that start at $125 (plus tax and shipping) per allocation.
Buy Now: From $69, artifactuprising.com
If your dad is anything like mine, the photos in his office have long faded from sun damage since my sister and I gave him them circa 1990-something. Artifact Uprising will not only print out a favorite travel memory from your past trips together, but also will frame it in a variety of sizes saving you the hassle of DIY.
Buy Now: $70, vsslgear.com
Whether your dad is itching to head into the backcountry or plotting out a road trip for this summer, this miniature version of VSSL’s aesthetically pleasing first aid kits will easily fit into his backpack or glove box. Each kit includes three tins of supplies like bandages, antiseptic wipes, burn cream, and much more.
Buy Now: From $50 for 3 months, bookofthemonthclub.com
Know that your dad loves to read, but don’t know what he wants to read next? Choose from one of Book of the Month Club’s three gift plans—3, 6, or 12 months—and your dad will get to pick a new book each month from five new releases. There’s a variety of genres to select from, including literary fiction, historical fiction, thrillers, and more. For more literary inspiration, shop AFAR’s reading lists on Bookshop.org.
Buy Now: $219, thegrommet.com
Created by two industrial designers from Sweden, this sleek sparkling water maker will help your dad eliminate his plastic bottle waste and will look great on his countertop. It comes in stainless steel and matte black (our favorite) options and doesn’t require batteries or electricity to operate.
Buy Now: $110, us.rains.com
A little rain and a global pandemic can’t keep your dad from spending most of his time outdoors? To keep him dry, give him a brand-new rain jacket from the Danish company Rains in a fun color. To keep him safe, send him AFAR’s guide to getting outside while social distancing.
Products we write about are independently vetted and recommended by our editors. AFAR may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which helps support our independent publication.
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