Dynamite Travel, LLC – Lesbian Owned Travel Agency

Dynamite Travel, LLC Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: ABOUT US Dynamite Travel, LLC was founded by Dr. Terika L. Haynes in 2008. Our goal is to assist all customers with creating unique travel experiences. Over the years Dynamite Travel’s LGBT client base has grown and with new laws being passed we are excited to work with couples not only on vacation planning but also destination wedding planning as well! Dynamite Travel is a company dedicated to creating unforgettable vacation experiences and the team at Dynamite Travel has the credentials, experience, and expertise necessary to make sure that your travel adventures are a blast! At Dynamite Travel we are committed to providing personalized service to each customer. WHAT WE PROVIDE Dynamite Travel works with clients to plan their vacation while keeping them involved in the planning process. We provide vacation planning assistance services for vacation packages, cruises, tours, destination weddings, honeymoons, group travel, and more! We also assist customers with excursion planning, dinner reservations, and anything else that will make their vacation experience unforgettable! OUR MISSION AND VISION Our mission is to provide high quality travel planning assistance to each client, ensuring that they have an unforgettable vacation experience. Our vision is to become a leading travel consultancy for clients around the world.

See the Dynamite Travel, LLC Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

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Eating Out: Houston

Houston - Jeff Heilman Since first learning about the Menil Collection 12 years ago, I’ve hungered for its “spiritual” showcase of art. No admission fee; no public tours; no descriptive plaques. Just the late Dominique and John de Menil’s gift to Houston, housed in a celebrated structure from preeminent museum architect Renzo Piano, of their supreme art collection. It was a feast beyond expectations. Spanning time and genres, from Byzantine to Pop Art, these treasures are rotated in convention-defying juxtaposition–expressly to invite individual, personal contemplation and interpretation. In the tranquility of Piano’s triumphant design, with tall trees and garden atriums integrated in wraparound porticos and the sun dancing through his ingenuous skylight system, I realized the intended effect that had originally inspired the young de Menils of the museum as a place to “lose your head.”

By Jeff Heilman – Full Story at Passport Magazine

Houston Gay Travel Resources

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The Best of LGBT New Jersey

LGBT New Jersey New Jersey is known for welcoming gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer folk with open arms. Beachside towns like Atlantic City and Asbury Park offer vibrant and exciting destinations and events for the LGBT community. With so many gay bars, clubs and nightlife spots throughout the state, why would you want to go anywhere else? Where are the best gay hangouts in NJ? What about resource groups for the LGBT community and its allies? If you’re looking for a place to meet more members of the LGBT community, New Jersey has plenty of places to do so. Beyond nightlife, New Jersey also takes care of its LGBT community by providing resources, groups and outreach for the community and its allies. Whether you’re seeking the hottest place to party this weekend or lookingto get more involved with organizations in your area, we have a comprehensive guide for New Jersey’s LGBT community. Not only will you find drink specials and theme nights, you might just find your new favorite place to go out. We’re also featuring upcoming festivals, pride events and resources for New Jersey’s LGBT community. Out and About It’s fun to go out when you’re out. It’s even better when you can find places to go that cater specifically to LGBT clientele. From Hoboken to Atlantic City, New Jersey offers a vibrant social scene for LGBT folk. Not only are these spots known for welcoming NJ’s gay community, they host awesome pride events and specials throughout the week. Check out some of our favorites below. FunNewJersey.com has a comprehensive guide to New Jersey’s LGBT scene. In addition to highlighting the best venues, festivals and events, they’ve also featured local community groups, resources and organizations for the LGBT community. See the full article here.]]>

Athens: The Greek Capital

Athens - Sergio Scardia Usually Athens is the starting point of many trips around the Aegean sea and its beautiful islands: not many visitors decide to give a go to a tour around the city. Wrong choice: the Greek capital is definitely worthy to go around and enjoy! A visit to Athens should start with a visit to the Acropolis: the heart of the millennial history of the city! It is also the best point to enjoy an amazing view over the metropolis! Only from the Acropolis and its Parthenon you can realize the majesty of the Greek Capital, a really huge city surrounded by both the sea and the mountains! Despite being such a big city, the center of Athens is definitely walk-able! Soon after visiting the Acropolis my suggestion is to get the underground and start a walking tour of the center of the Greek Capital from Omonia Square. Walking along Panepistimiou road, you will find a few of the main sights of the city: the Huge Adrian’ s National Library of Athens, the beautiful Academy of Athens, the National History Museum.

By Sergio Scardia – Full Story at the Scruffy Italian Traveler

Greece Gay Travel Resources

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What's New in Gay Bangkok

mango-tree - gay Bangkok Innovative craft cocktails, hip vintage shops, authentic Neapolitan pizza, futuristic shopping centers, fourth-wave coffee, efficient sky rail and subway lines, and talented drag queens; we’re not talking about Los Angeles, Seattle, or London here: this is gay Bangkok! I’ve been to this city at least a dozen times since 2005 and its evolution of late reminds me what happened to Shanghai: a proliferation of shiny modern buildings, developments, and efficient infrastructure, at the cost of heritage sites, old-time character, and historic districts. Gay Bangkok’s world-famous street food strip, Sukhumvit Soi 38 (a handful of Thai restaurants around the world, including in Washington D.C. and Adelaide, Australia, are named after it) saw most of its longtime hawkers forced to evacuate in March when a new condominium tower began construction. Pak Khlong Talad flower market, a centuries-old institution, was largely cleared out in April, and May signaled the end for night market stalls along famed gay nightlife destination, Silom. “I have mixed feelings about the development,” admits Stuart, a college friend who moved here about 13 years ago when he fell in love with Thailand and a beguiling Thai lawyer. “On one hand, progress and modernization has its benefits, but I also miss the quirkiness, local ingenuity, and sense of community the old markets represent. Soi 38 was hot and sweaty, but it was delicious, cheap, and customers came from all walks of life, from movie stars to construction workers. Same for the now- demolished old Sam Yan market, which sat on top of a MRT subway station.”

By Lawrence Ferber – Full Story at Passport

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

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Serengale Retreat – Gay Friendly Retreat in Victoria, Australia

Serengale Retreat Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: Beautifully placed, stylish luxury is the promise of this self-contained accommodation nestled within 14 private acres adjoining Serengale Vineyard. Perfect for couples, getaways, groups and families for up to 10 people, this is an invitation to turn off the fast pace of life and slow down for a while. Serengale Retreat has been meticulously renovated with two spacious living areas, five generous bedrooms, two bathrooms, contemporary furnishings, original artworks and a gourmet kitchen that would gratify the discerning chef. With every room framing a captivating view of rolling pasture, native garden or the Australian bush it is the ultimate in space and privacy. You can stay at home and relax by the log fire, share meals and wine under the veranda or in the large dining room, stroll through the native garden, explore the forest walk, arrange a pamper package or enjoy a private wine tasting at Serengale Vineyard. For those wanting to explore further, cycle the rail and mountain bike trails, explore the National Parks, historic Beechworth and the Milawa Gourmet Region all only a short drive away. Whether you are looking for a weekend retreat, time with friends or family or a holiday experience to remember, Serengale Retreat is the ideal destination.

See the Serengale Retreat Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in Victoria

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Rehoboth Beach an Evolving LGBT Family Destination

Rehoboth Beach There’s no denying that Rehoboth Beach has a certain reputation. The city has become known for two things: fine dining and being LGBT-friendly. But Steve Elkins, executive director of CAMP (Creating a More Positive) Rehoboth, remembers a time when that was not the case. “Things here really started to change in the 90s,” he said, recalling the large influx of LGBT-inclined vacationers. “There was this bumper sticker that read, ‘Keep Rehoboth a family town’ and we all knew what it meant. “But the fact of the matter is that families come in all shapes and sizes. Rehoboth is more gay-friendly than ever, and it’s still a family town.” Rehoboth Beach recently earned online recognition for the city it has become. A survey named the city as one of the world’s top travel destinations for gay visitors, just behind Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Tel Aviv, Israel. SCRUFF, a gay dating app with more than 10 million members, collaborated with The New York Times to survey members about their off-the-beaten-path travel destinations, as well as their impressions about safety in places with a history of anti-LGBT discrimination.

By Hannah Carroll – Full Story at Delmarva Now

Delaware Gay Travel Resources

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Courting Transgender Tourists

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been courting gay and lesbian travelers for nearly two decades, an effort that most recently included a marriage-equality wedding promotion. This year the city became one of the country’s first destinations to market to transgender travelers, with a new tourism campaign, and for the first time will host the Southern Comfort Conference, one of the largest transgender conferences in the country, with about 1,000 attendees. (The 25th gathering begins Sept. 29.) Much of the credit goes to Richard Gray, who arrived in Fort Lauderdale in 1991 as a hotelier and now serves as managing director of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender market. Mr. Gray, 57, also serves on the board of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association. Following are edited excerpts from an interview with Mr. Gray. Q. How has marketing to gay travelers changed since Fort Lauderdale started its outreach efforts in 1996? A. At first, it was too risky to use the word “gay,” so we used “rainbow.” We started with a budget of $35,000, which has grown to over $1 million. We now welcome 1.3 million L.G.B.T. travelers who spend approximately $1.5 billion in the area.

By Diane Daniel – Full Story at The New York Times

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TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Rock and Roll Hall Of FameWe were in Cleveland, Ohio last month and toured the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We have toured museums from coast to coast and except for some of the major art museums, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the finest anywhere in the country. I. M. Pei was the architect for the building and it is an unbelievable structure set in the downtown area of the city and is right on the coast of Lake Erie. The building houses more than 55,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as offices, a cafe and gift shop. Even though the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation started in 1983 without a building or museum, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum opened in 1995 and since then, over 10 Million visitors have toured the Museum. It is a very large museum to tour. We were there nearly 5 hours and could have stayed longer. There are seven floors to the Museum each with it’s own uniqueness. It includes exhibits on the roots of rock and includes country, bluegrass, folk, rhythm and blues and gospel. This museum and exhibits is a true history of the United States during the 50’s thru the 80’s and more ! They deal with many of the issues of the day including this country’s involvement in wars, the racial issues, women’s issues and Gay issues. In the main exhibit downstairs you can see dozens and dozens of original costumes worn by entertainers. Also in the exhibit are instruments that the entertainers used. [caption id="attachment_42103" align="alignleft" width="250"]Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Annex Photo by Robert Caplin[/caption] There is one special room for Elvis that has a seated area and memorabilia and an ongoing movie for visitors to see. There are several short movies in theatres for visitors to learn about the history of Rock and Roll as well. Room after room after room, visitors are amazed at all the different items on display. All of the visitors felt a real sense of comradery as we were all there to visit history. In addition to their regular exhibits they have special exhibits that are featured throughout the year. This is simply a MUST SEE MUSUEM ! Rock and Roll Hall Of FameFor the LGBT Community there are dozens of exhibits and artifacts on display. Rock and Roll DID change American concerning the LGBT community. There are dozens of original posters announcing and promoting an up coming event. We were quite amused seeing one for Little Richard who was performing in concert many years ago and it says “Admission: $2.50, Colored Spectators: $1.50” And to that we say THANK YOU Little Richard! Of course the Village People are featured as well. Many LGBT entertainers are featured. And yes, Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out’ which still stands as an anthem for the LGBT community is there as well as Stonewall and one great quote which reads in part, ” and a certificate on paper Isn’t going to solve it all, but it’s a damn good start.” from the song by Macklemore and Lewis. There is also a special large sign that reads: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

“ROCK CELEBRATES DIVERSITY: Many well-known artists came out as gay during the 1990’s including singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, Queen’s Freddie Mercury and metal god Rob Halford of Judas Priest. In November 1991, Mercury revealed that he was infected with HIV. He died a day later, becoming the first major rock star to die of AIDS. The success of and controversy generated by gay-friendly artists such as Lady gaga with her stand on the military’s policy on LGBT service members and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s ‘Same Love’ – a song in support of same-sex marriage – shows that rock and the LGBT community have a vibrant and vital relationship.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Museum’s Library and archives is the world’s largest repository of materials related to the history of rock and roll. Upon exiting the Museum, be sure and visit the tour bus owned by Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located at 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, which is East 9th Street. (note: when driving there downtown go to EAST 9th Street and not West 9th Street as we did). Their website is: www.rockhall.com and their phone number is: 216.781.7625. They are open every day from 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married). Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/
Ohio Gay Travel Resources
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Silver Lake Street Art – Globetrotter Girls

Silver Lake - Dami While I admittedly didn’t get around to doing everything I had on my Los Angeles To-Do-List due to my tight work schedule this month, I managed to return to some of my favorite neighborhoods like Santa Monica Venice and West Hollywood,, but there was one neighborhood I really wanted to see before leaving LA: Silver Lake. This neighborhood had been described to me as the Brooklyn of LA or the Williamsburg of LA, to be more precise And not only that Forbes Magazine even went as far as giving Silver Lake the top spot on its inaugural list of America’s Best Hipster Neighborhoods and CNN Money followed by putting it in the Top Ten of its list of best big city neighborhoods in the U.S. So of course I had to check this uber hip neighborhood for myself to see what all the fuss was about.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Los Angeles Gay Travel Resources

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