The Garden Loft – Bristol, Rhode Island

The Garden Loft Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: The Garden Loft is a lovely studio which offers privacy and comfort. Located in the downtown Historic District overlooking the garden, The Garden Loft is within walking distance of restaurants, shops and the waterfront.

See the The Garden Loft Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in Rhode Island

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Gay Mexico City

gay Mexico City - pixabay She reaches for the sky, high above the congested gay Mexico City streets. Holding up a laurel crown for the people who sacrificed for the Mexican Revolution. Her gold flickers in the afternoon sky—standing tall as a symbol of triumph, life, and hope for the Mexican people as her ascension into heaven is immortalized. Below the Angel of Independence, the circular artery of the city is busy celebrating death. “Click clack, click clack,” a man shouts through his black-and-white skeletal makeup, gesticulating wildly like a spider. Catrinas twirl in the shadows of the angel, spinning like color wheels from the bright fabrics that comprise their dresses. Children dolled up like pumpkins and witches forage for sugar skulls and chocolates on the streets. Teenagers howl with excitement passing the street vendors nearly covered by piles of bright tropical produce. A drag queen sneakily sips Presidente beer, and she grabs fuego from a vendor to light a loosey cigarette she just bought. A puff of smoke covers her painted face replete with plastic Halloween-store bugs meticulously glued into place. “This one is ours,” a dreadlocked punk girl says munching on cut mango with tajin peppered like ants on the fruit’s bright-orange flesh pointing to an alabrije. Here, on the Paseo de la Reform, among the crowd are hundreds of life-size paper-mache Lovecraftian “creatures”— each more fantastical than the next with vibrant colors that bring life to the sculptures and smiles to the passersby.

By Joseph Pedro – Full Story at Passport

Mexico City Gay Travel Resources

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Find Gender-Neutral Bathrooms With Yelp

Gender-Neutral Bathroom Gender-Neutral Bathroom[/caption] Yelp has revealed a new way to fight against the transphobic ‘bathroom bills’. Businesses will able to be filtered by whether they have a ‘locking, single-stall bathroom’ that is ‘accessible to persons of any gender’. ‘This is one of the [first] times we’ve integrated any type of public policy or social stance into our products,’ Rachel Williams, Yelp’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion, tells Mashable.

By Joe Morgan – Full Story at Gay Star News

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Adorable Treehouse – Savannah, Georgia

Adorable Treehouse Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: This beautiful vacation rental suite is located right on Park Ave. in Historic Savannah, GA. This luxurious rental has 2 bedrooms as well as a sofa in the family room, and can sleep up to 4 people. Take in all the sights and sounds that Historic Savannah, Georgia has to offer, or take it easy in our comfortable lounge chairs in the private courtyard. After a day of sightseeing, you’ll be happy to come back to this little bungalow. This lovely home is smack dab in the middle of everything that is Savannah. The parks, the incredible food. River street. Everything is just a stone’s throw away. Come stay in our lovely well-lit courtyard covered with banana plants, bamboo (for privacy), tropical plants and Southern Georgia foliage. Our quaint little suite is like an island oasis on Park Ave. Private and away from the hustle and bustle, you will forget you are in the thick of things. Apart from the beauty and sophistication of this gentle bungalow is the Savannah night life. Just a 15 minute walk to downtown and you will find yourself among the historic charm and happenings in this lovely coastal city. And, if you prefer not to walk Uber is just $4.50 one way, be sure to tip your driver.

See the Adorable Treehouse Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

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

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Guayaquil, Ecuador – Globetrotter Girls

Guayaquil, Ecuador After cruising around the Galapagos Islands, I was in urgent need of a break to catch up on work projects and to deal with the hundreds of emails that had piled up in my inbox while I was on the boat (I get so many emails these days, I can barely handle the volume anymore!). I decided to stay in Guayaquil, the city where I’d flown to the Galapagos from, which happens to be Ecuador’s largest city, and one of the largest sea ports in all of South America. Beyond that, there’s not all that much to do and see for tourists though. A newly revamped river walk, the Malecon 2000, made for a great running track in the mornings, and for some good entertainment in the evenings (people watching, and an IMAX cinema that showed LaLa Land). Just north of the Malecon sits Las Peñas, the city’s oldest neighborhood, where colorful little houses are built into the side of a hill, Cerro Santa Ana. The neighborhood used to be a slum, but a regeneration project transformed it into the tourist attraction that it is today. 432 stairs lead up to the top of the hill, each one numbered, so that with each step, you are painfully reminded you how many more stairs you still have to climb.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

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Hang Out With Scruffy Gios for Pride in Southern Italy – Scruffy Italian Traveler

Italy Gay Pride - Scruffy Gios Italy Gay Pride is on its way! So, what are you doing the last weekend of September? Join me for an amazing 4-day beach party in one of the most beautiful places in the world! We are hosting the biggest party of the year on the wonderful coast of Gallipoli, in Puglia, Southern Italy! Yes, Italy Gay Pride is coming! And it is going to be a big bold celebration in Gallipoli, the Ibiza of Italy! This year, for the first time, from 21st – 25th September 2017, Italy Gay Travels and I will be hosting the highly anticipated Italy Gay Pride Summer Party. A 4 day sensational Summer Party in one of the most beautiful undiscovered gems of Italy: the bay of Gallipoli (not in Turkey)! Are you ready to celebrate with me? Book now and join the fun! Italy Gay Pride Summer Party gives you the chance to discover one of the trendiest holiday destinations in Italy. A destination that, as you know, is very familiar to me! Puglia, an amazing region in Southern Italy, is the talk on everyone’s lips! It is no surprise the gay community in Italy and around the world are flocking here. Gallipoli, and Puglia as a region, is developing a reputation for openness and tolerance. For this reason, Italy Gay Travels is confident that everybody can feel safe and be themselves in this beautiful stretch of Paradise.

By Sergio Scardia – Full Story at the Scruffy Italian Traveler

Apulia Gay Travel Resources

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Comfort Suites Oakbrook Terrace – Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois

Comfort Suites Oakbrook Terrace Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: The Comfort Suites Oakbrook Terrace is a gay friendly suburban Hotel located only 17 miles from Downtown Chicago, Michigan Ave and the lake. We’re in the heart of the Oakbrook business and entertainment district.

See the Comfort Suites Oakbrook Terrace Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

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

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Colombia's Lost City – Globetrotter Girls

Colombia's Lost City - Dani The first time I heard about the ruins of the Ciudad Perdida, an ancient city hidden deep in the jungles of northern Colombia that is only accessible on foot on a strenuous four-day hike through the mountains, was in 2010, during my first visit to Latin America. “You have to do this trek,” a fellow traveler who was making his way north towards Mexico as I was making my way down towards Colombia through Central America, urged me, “it’s an adventure of a lifetime.” Back then I was skeptical, even though I was intrigued by this Indiana Jones-like adventure. But I had never done a multi-day trek, let alone in the jungle, let alone in the Colombian jungle. I didn’t even know if I could walk that far: a 32-mile (52-kilometer) round-trip. Fast forward six years and I found myself walking on a dusty unpaved road, braving the 90% humidity and heat of the Caribbean coast a few miles north of the starting point of the trek to the Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City. A mere fifteen minutes after leaving the village where we started the trek, we made our first river crossing – the first of about twenty river crossings along the way. Luckily I wasn’t doing the trek during rainy season, when the water can reach up to your waist. One hour into the hike, as I felt the sweat running down my arms, my stomach and my back, I was already regretting my decision. Even though now, a few years later, I had a few multi-day treks under my belt, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it all the way to the ancient city. The river we were walking next to looked inviting, and just as I was fantasizing about jumping in for a refreshing dip, our guide announced “We’re stopping here for a quick swim break. After this, the real hike starts.” All of us stripped down immediately and jumped into the water, slowly starting to get to know each other while cooling off.

By Dani – Full Story at Globetrotter Girls

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

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Bahrain at Night

Bahrain-Skyline-Manama Alain Last weekend, a colleague and I went to Manama in Bahrain to renew our Saudi visa. I’ve been to Bahrain 4 times already and I stayed 3-4 nights in each visit. There’s nothing much to do in Bahrain, really. You can even explore the whole country in half a day! Manama is called “Saudi Bar” by the local Saudis I know here. When they want to have “fun”, they go to Bahrain. Sure, shopping in Bahrain is great, too! They have shopping malls everywhere!. And oh, even if the shops claim to be on sale, the prices are still bad for your wallet. On our second day in the city, my colleague rented a car and we drove around the city. Traffic was freakin’ terrible and it’s so hard to find a gas station in country whose economy depends on gas! And even the locals don’t know where the nearest gas station is!

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

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Camp Earth Connection – Freeville, New York

Camp Earth Connection Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: Description: Camp Earth Connection is a Natural Campground and Retreat Center located in Freeville, 12 miles east of Ithaca, NY (home of the Gorges, Cornell University and Ithaca College.) The campground offers a relaxing stay with a variety of camping options including Log Cabins, Rustic Cabins, Adirondack Lean-To’s and Tent-Sites. Each site has privacy, picnic tables and grills or fire pits. Setting: Camp Earth Connection is an alcohol & drug free facility, offering guests the opportunity to connect with nature and each other in a serene and beautiful natural setting. The Camp is adjacent to the Hammond Hill State Forest with 20 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing trails. The trails connect to the 950 mile Finger Lakes Trail system. Wildlife is abundant in the area. It’s common to hear the Coyotes and Owls throughout the day. In addition, Mink, Fishers, Bald Eagles, Turkey Buzzards, Porcupines, Racoons, Skunks, Wild Turkeys, Ravens, Grouse, Red and Grey Fox and an occasional Black Bear are some of the inhabitants of the local forest. Values: Camp Earth Connection values Diversity, Acceptance and Community. It is more than just a campground, it is an experience that can be life-changing. Guests enjoy making meaningful connections with hosts, guests, family & friends. In addition they experience the beauty and healing that is provided by this sacred natural environment. Camp Earth Connection is open to everyone and provides an accepting and safe space for folks who can’t always count on that, including the LGBTQ community, People of Color and other culturally diverse individuals, families and groups. Facilities: Facilities includes hot showers, compost toilets, a small camp store selling local products such as Pastured Chicken Eggs, Home Grown Veggies and Natural Root Beer & Ginger Beer from the Ithaca Soda company. In addition there is the Red Eft Cafe, a community outdoor kitchen with two cooking fire pits and grills. The Main Pavilion is a gathering space for community fires when it rains, as well as weekend activities & workshops including nature crafts, primitive skills, etc. Sports equipment is available for guests to use. The Helianthus Room is a small greenhouse where guests are welcome to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea or conversation. Mountain Bikes and a Paddle boat are available to rent. Camp Activities & Workshops: Guests are welcomed to join the Director on weekend mornings for a complimentary cup of coffee or tea and oatmeal or pancakes cooked over the fire. Weekend programming may include a production of The Lorax by our local staff and volunteers, a Tree Walk to meet some of the ancient and sacred trees in the forest, an Animal Tracking Expedition or an Introduction to Zen Archery. Guided trail walks are available including: A short camp hike that leads to a small pond, and through a beautiful forest; A 2-mile round-trip hike to the Roy Park Preserve wetlands, a wonderful place to Bird Watch and observe wildlife; Or a hike on the Hammond Hill State Forest trails.

See the Camp Earth Connection Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in the Finger Lakes Region

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