Over the past few years, I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to take a vacation. You might be thinking ‘Aren’t you always on vacation?’, but the truth is, that no matter where in the world I am, I always find myself working. Writing articles, answering emails, working on freelance projects, pitching ideas, being active on social media, dealing with the technical side of running an online business, and so on. I am always connected, always checking my emails, and a true vacation is rare.
So when I welcomed my first visitor to Thailand and her visit was 100% vacation time for her, I saw this as the perfect opportunity for me to get some R&R, too, instead of working on my laptop until I fall asleep with my head on the keyboard (happens more often than I’d like to admit). The plan was to take some time off together, to splurge on tasty food, take time to relax and to explore together, lay on the beach and enjoy sunset beers.
And Koh Tao turned out to be the perfect place to do exactly that. I’d long wanted to visit Koh Tao, the smallest of the three most popular islands in the Gulf of Thailand. It is less touristy than the other two (Koh Samui and Koh Phangan), known for great snorkeling and diving spots, pristine beaches and a clientele of independent and younger travelers. While Samui largely attracts a resort clientele and Phangan is the backpackers haven with now not only a full moon party but also a half moon party, black moon party and I’m sure several other moons to celebrate, Koh Tao attracts mainly divers as it is known to be home to some of the best diving sites in South East Asia.
By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls
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Iowa City has often been referred to as the “Athens of the Midwest” because of it’s rich cultural and educational offerings. Two of Iowa’s certified cultural and entertainment districts are positioned in the heart of Iowa City. The University of Iowa campus, intertwined with Downtown, showcases the Old Capitol Museum, the Pentacrest Museums and other cultural attractions throughout their community.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized Iowa City as the world’s third City of Literature joining Edinburgh, Scotland and Melbourne, Australia. It is THE only city of Literature in North America! That designation provides additional international luster to the community and serves to validate the area’s long history of nurturing the literary arts and those who appreciate them. Pound for pound, this area constitutes the most literate community in the world!
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Barangay is a Filipino word meaning small village. Our tropical decorated Amsterdam bed and breakfast guesthouse was built in 1777 on the former coastline of Amsterdam and still has her original facade.
The rooms are decorated in nostalgic colonial style with a tropical accent. Each room has cable tv, refrigerator, digital radio alarm clock, coffee/tea making facilities (and video per request), and a private bathroom. Don’t worry – we also have nice beds!
The rooms are non-smoking but 2 rooms have garden doors to a small patio where smoking is allowed.
One street behind is the longest shopping street in the Netherlands, but Droogbak itself is very quite. All tourist attractions are within walking distance.
The Central Station for all kind of public transportation is a short 3 minutes walk. Bars, restaurants, (coffee) shops, canals, bike rentals, and more, you will find just around the corner. It will only take you 20 minutes from Schiphol Airport by car/train.
The guesthouse is next to the famous Jordaan quarter, where you can also find Anne Frank’s house.
The Area is called ‘the Golden Reaal’it, and is right in the old centre 200 meters southwest from the Central Station. Parallel with ‘Droogbak’ (our street) you will find the Haarlemmerstraat’ and the ‘Brouwersgracht’ (brewery canal). The Haarlemmerstraat is a former sea dike, now a very nice street with restaurants,(coffee) shops, barbers, laundry, and an art-deco cinema etc.
The Brouwersgracht is one of the most beautiful canals connecting the 4 main canals. Our B&B is next to the famous Jordaan quarter where you can also find Anne Frank’s house, and markets on Saturday and Mondays. Within easy walking distance:
We may have just sprung forward, but winter continues to linger throughout much of the U.S.-a fact that may be causing you to dream about getting away to somewhere warm and tropical. In the summer we like to hit up the sandy shores of Provincetown but this time of year is the perfect time to visit Key West. If you haven’t been to visit America’s original gay getaway, you’ll want to check out our 10 reasons why Key West, Florida is the Provincetown of the south plus 1 sexy way Key West stands on its own.
10. Artists Galore
TnFrankFence2Like Provincetown, Key West is also known as an artist’s colony. Key West has long been a favorite among gay authors, including playwrights Tennessee Williams, Jerry Herman (Hello, Dolly, La Cage Aux Folles), Terrence McNally, poet Elizabeth Bishop, and novelist Truman Capote. Williams in particular has the distinction of being Key West’s most famous gay denizen and also its gay godfather of sorts. Williams famously wrote of living in Key West, “there is almost nothing to do at all but drink or swim or -.” He also reportedly said of why he loved the island, “I work everywhere, but I work best here.” Williams (far right) lived in Key West for years with his partner Frank Merlo (pictured left of Williams) in a tiny house on Duncan street, which still stands today. Writers seeking inspiration can pay homage to Williams at an exhibit set up here in his honor.
One of the things I say on my About Page is I make mistakes so you don’t have to – and I actually made a big mistake in Iceland. Well, it wasn’t actually a mistake, because I knew I had to hit up one of the big grocery stores before leaving Reykjavik – big supermarkets are sparse on the island, and we wanted to pick up food to make picnic lunches during our road trip – restaurants in Iceland are pricey. And that’s what we did, we went to the first Bonus supermarket we came across, ready to load up the car with groceries. Only that the supermarket didn’t open until 11am (!), and we were there at 9am. So we decided to head off on the first leg of our road trip, assuming we’d be coming back through Reykjavik after driving the Golden Circle. But we didn’t. We headed straight south. And were stuck with a small town grocery store in Vik, with a very limited selection.
I put together some other things I’ve learned on my road trip through Iceland to help save you money during your trip, to give you an idea what to expect as for how much things cost, and last but not least some thoughts on renting a car for your trip vs. using public transportation or hitchhike.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay.
The Old Granite Inn Bed & Breakfast, located in the national historic district of Rockland, Maine, is a Federal Colonial built of gray granite quarried nearby in St. George. Local craftsmen fashioned the beautiful structure that still stands today. In the early 1900s, the building was purchased by the ELKS for their clubhouse.
In 1984 John and Stephanie Clapp bought the building and through renovation and restoration created the lovely, comfortable Old Granite Inn. In 1997, Ragan and John Cary of St. George, an educator and an engineer respectively, purchased the Inn as their gracious home, continuing the tradition of a fine Bed & Breakfast.
Rockland is a wonderful place which we call the, “Gateway to the Penobscot”. Ferry boats depart daily for North Haven and Vinalhaven Islands, which are part of the Fox Islands. There is fresh water swimming on Lake Chickawaukie about two miles from the Inn. Rockland is minutes from the Knox County Airport which has daily commercial air service from Boston, Massachusetts.
Explore the city: Rockland is becoming a name in art circles with the opening of the Wyeth center, at the renowned Farnsworth Art Museum. There are interesting and diverse galleries and intriguing shops:
of NH’ they wrote, “The Granite State may have more famous comedians than you can shake a stick at (Seth Meyers, Sarah Silverman and Adam Sandler to name a few) but no one really ‘gets’ New Hampshire humor like Juston McKinney.” He’s been using the state as his comic muse since he was humoring perps as a deputy sheriff on the NH/ME border in the 1990s. Juston has two Comedy Central Specials including his own one-hour special and multiple appearances on the Tonight Show and on Conan O’Brien, but there’s no place like home! Don’t miss a terrific evening of comedy at the Capitol Center for the Arts April 2.
The romantic Glynn House Inn – situated in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains and Lakes Region – offers guests and exceptional experience. A full gluten free breakfast menu is always available. Bring your four-footed canine pal on holiday too. Reserve one of five pet friendly rooms. Venture away from the Inn and enjoy antiquing, art galleries, boating, fine dining, fishing, golf, hiking, historic sites, skiing, snowmobiling, ‘tax free’ shopping and scenic drives along tranquil country roads. Visit the Glynn House website 
This week, I finally visited Colombia’s coffee region, which I had been anticipating since arriving in Colombia a couple of months ago. However, I must admit that I couldn’t enjoy the zona cafeteria as much as I had hoped for… which was partly because I was still battling my sickness (to which a stomach parasite was added) and partly because the weather didn’t fully collaborate.
I spent most of my time in the little town of Salento, known to be the heart of Colombia’s coffee region. The town itself, where almost all houses have colorful balconies or brightly painted wooden doors, was a fabulous place to base myself, with a number of cozy coffee shops to while away during the daily downpours, delicious restaurants to eat my way through, and enough artisan shops to make sure my backpack is now fuller than before!
For most people, the main attraction is not Salento itself though, but its surrounding: the lush green mountains, and the dozens of coffee plantations that make this region famous. And then there’s the region’s showstopper: the Valle De Cocora, a valley filled with giant wax palms which are unique to this area. These wax palms are the tallest palm trees in the world and can grow up to nearly 200 feet (60 meters) tall – it’s quite a sight to see these giants towering high above you while walking through the valley.
I visit Mykonos every year in June or July for the guaranteed sun, the clear cool water and for the smell of fresh chargrilled fish that seems to hover in the warm air all over the island in the summer. Hot bright days linger into balmy evenings and the party atmosphere is evident on every beach. There is enough going on all over the island from April through to October to satisfy even the hardest party person – and that’s without even venturing into the town to find the restaurants, clubs and bars in the maze of labyrinthine alleys and streets.
Over the years I’ve watched some of the beaches go through various stages of trend and style. All of them have had their high and low times when it comes to being on-trend, something very important on a hedonistic Greek island.
When I first discovered the restaurant and bar on a crest at Super Paradise Beach it was the place to be seen, buzzing with energy and colour and fun. The following year it was so out of fashion it was empty of a single person. It all depended on the different owners and various name changes and management styles.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay.
The Williams River House bed and breakfast has established itself as one of the most beautiful and charming gay owned country inns in the state of Vermont. Built in 1780 this historic guesthouse is set on 46 secluded and private acres conveniently located in southern/central Vermont.
This classic gentleman’s farm provides an ideal setting for a perfect New England getaway. There are 18th century style gardens and lush expansive grounds with rolling green pastures, shaded woodlands and moss covered field stone walls.
You’ll find rushing rivers, lovely mountain views an old train trestle and a large stone riverside terrace with a fire pit. There is even a private swimming hole.
The proud owners and gracious hosts of the Williams River House, Geof Brown and Mark Martins have created a truly warm and friendly atmosphere that rings true with sincerity and heartfelt generosity. Their dream and vision is to make their inn a destination for all visitors to relax and share good times and experience fine living. A place to return to again and again…
The entire home is tastefully decorated with period furniture, oriental carpets, beautiful art work, antique photographs and fascinating collections. Each of the three guest suites has a full private bath and comfortable sitting areas.
Canopied beds, feather comforters, decorative fireplaces and a private tavern are just a few of the many amenities this fine bed and breakfast has to offer.
Groups are always welcome! Williams River House offers romantic weekend getaways all year long including their elopement and small wedding packages. Please come and relax.Be yourselves at the Williams River House.