Lake Pointe Inn – McHenry, Maryland

Lake Pointe Inn

Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:

Lake Pointe Inn is a luxury inn perched on the water’s edge of Deep Creek Lake’s pristine 65-mile shoreline in the Lake Pointe Community of lakefront homes in Garrett County Maryland.

With an outdoor fire pit and wrap-around porch you are sure to relax and enjoy the lake views of this Western Maryland bed and breakfast retreat.

See the PROPERTY Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

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

Join Scruffy Gios for a Gay Yoga Retreat in Puglia

Scruffy Gios - Yoga Retreat

In need of a holiday with meditation, relaxation and fun? Book your place now in the Italian sunshine at the beginning of October (8-15 October 2017). We will spend a full week in a typical Apulian Masseria (farmstead) set within acres of olive groves and close to stunning beaches which are within cycling distance. This setting makes it the perfect spot to relax and tune out from the noise of our fast paced lives!

We will stay near Otranto, a gem within this area, known for its mix of East meets West architecture. Our exclusive Gay Yoga Retreat also allows you to experience more than just Yoga. You can hop on a bicycle and visit the amazing beaches nearby, explore the quaint towns and villages, trek through the natural landscape and dine in beautiful Salento cities.

Of course you are here for yoga! No matter what your level, you will be in safe hands. Our Vinyasa and Yen based yoga sessions will keep you feeling invigorated and transformed. Over the 7 days we will work on the chakra system (in ascending order) and incorporate a different chakra for each day of the retreat. Since there are only men in the class, we focus on a yoga that not only strengthens the body but also the mind. Plus, our top notch teacher, Caleb, a student of yoga masters Krishna Puthabi Joyce and Mr. Iyengar will guide you through the week ensuring you leave the retreat a different person! For more information about the style of yoga we will focus on and the yoga teacher please check the official page of the tour.

By Sergio Scardia – Full Story at The Scruffy Italian Traveler

Apulia Gay Travel Resources

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Summer on Long Island

Long Island

Just outside of New York City, you’ll find 120 miles of sparkling beaches, iconic sites, quaint downtowns, world-renowned wine country, and luxurious properties. From Fire Island, the Hamptons and beyond, Long Island plays host to some of the most premier LGBTQ-friendly destinations right in New York City’s backyard.

Enjoy some of the best farm-to-table fare in the United States courtesy of Long Island’s incredible farmlands and bountiful surrounding waters. History buffs will love the homes of past presidents, poets, and artists, including President Theodore Roosevelt and Poet Walt Whitman. Adventure seekers can climb to the top of the many storied lighthouses or venture out on a hike through the 300-year-old Sunken Forest, a rare natural formation. The avid golfer will find some of the most challenging golf courses in the country, including Bethpage Black. Surfers flock to Long Island’s shores each year to conquer East Coast waves at Long Beach or Montauk and sailors, yachtsmen, and fishermen alike enjoy some of the deepest water ports the Northeastern seaboard has to offer that are teeming with life.

Fire Island, Long Island’s celebrated LGBTQ destination, is a 32-mile-long barrier island that offers the ultimate car-free beach haven during the summer months. Cherry Grove has been a bohemian sanctuary for decades, becoming a beachside sanctuary for New York’s LGBT community who has created their own unique free-wheeling community here. Its array of restaurants and nightlife venues prove to be popular stomping grounds throughout the summer months. Fire Island Pines is known for its signature zigzag boardwalks that lead to Fire Island’s most sought-after real estate. Weekenders flock to The Pines for its markets, boutiques, restaurants, and, of course, beaches.

Full Story at Passport

Long Island Gay Travel Resources

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Reynolds House Bed and Breakfast – Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Reynolds House Bed and Breakfast

Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:

The Reynolds House is a small quaint European-style bed and breakfast that offers all the amenities the American traveller desires.

We have five tastefully appointed bedrooms all with queen beds and ensuite bathrooms:

  • The Dragonfly Suite is on the first floor, is dog friendly and has its own private entrance.
  • There are three rooms on the second floor with their differences being in the bathrooms – one has a huge 115 year old claw foot and separate walk-in shower, one has a jacuzzi tub, and the third has just a walk-in shower.
  • The fifth room (Milky Way Suite)is on the third floor and consists of three rooms (the servants occupied these rooms until 1906 when the Reynolds Family had the adjacent house built just for the servants).

Breakfasts are served in the Victorian style – at a specified time with only one seating, and at a large banquet table in the oak paneled dining room or on the front porch. Breakfasts have become a “Great Gathering” for creating new memories, sharing experiences and learning about our neighbors from down the road and across the world.

The Reynolds Family was the first family in Door County to grow, harvest and market the Montemorency cherries, now the premier cherry of Door County.

The interior of the home reflects a forward thinking family, depicted in the Oak paneling, oak fireplaces and maple floors. The craftsmanship in the woodwork, ceramic tiles and limestone columns all predate the Arts and Crafts Movement, suggesting the family was ahead of their time when it came to 1900 residential architecture.

The home exudes warmth and comfort in every corner, whether it be on the front porch with its over-sized swing and wicker furniture, or in the circular sunroom with its ever blooming flowers and plants, or the peacefulness found in a good book from the reading nook/library.

See the Reynolds House Bed and Breakfast Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

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

 

Gay Puerto Vallarta – Amor a la Mexicana

gay Puerto Vallarta
Image Courtesy of Casa Cupula

The birth of Puerto Vallarta as an international destination was the result of one of the raciest affairs to come out of Hollywood, so it is no surprise that the cobblestone-street-city is now one of the most popular locations for romantic getaways. The city is Mexico’s only beach destination that boasts a gayborhood in its Zona Romantica, home to a broad array of cafe, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, as well as hotels and operators with an LGBT clientele.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Puerto Vallarta. Most resorts, like the Almar Resort, Casa Velas or the Costa Sur Hotel and Spa, which has already hosted over 2,000 same-sex weddings, have in-house wedding planners who can fulfill every want and need of any bridezilla, male or female, plus coordinate plenty of things with enough local flavor to spare for guests to do in between wedding activities.

Alternative locations such as Vallarta Adventure’s Las Caletas clove offersa private middle-of-the-ocean location under the star and on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Destination weddings offer couples the romance of making their vows close to the romantic ocean waters and the background of the perfect magical sunset. There is no better place for that to happen than in Puerto Vallarta where every sunset is picture perfect, look it up #PuertoVallartaSunset.

Those looking for a destination honeymoon will find that Puerto Vallarta is the ideal destination for those looking for secluded hideaways with luxurious amenities and the great outdoors. Boutique properties like Casa Velas, Casa Cupula or Garlands del Rio offer a Mexican-villa feel with the amenities of a world-class stay. Contracting a yachts by Mike’s Charters offers lovers the opportunity to circle the Bay of Banderas for sunset cruise.

By Gustavo Rivas-Solis – Full Story at Passport

Puerto Vallarta Gay Travel Resources

Recipe for Pastel del Choclo from Chile – Nomadic Boys

pastel de choclo

Pastel de choclo is one of the most famous Chilean dishes and considered comfort food. It’s a beef and corn pie, with a corn crust, similar to a Shepherd’s Pie.

Choclo is an Andean type of corn with large starchy kernels, but you can use any corn as an alternative.

Pastel de choclo is typically served in a clay bowl either as a main dish, or as a starter in a small individual portions. This recipe is courtesy of the Chilean Cooking School in Valparaiso and serves 6 people.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Chile Gay Travel Resources

Spring in Provincetown

Spring is officially here in Provincetown.  Shops, restaurants and galleries that may have been closed for the winter are re-opening.  Local favorite the Lobster Pot opens on May 5th.  The whale watch tours are now running and a number of people are seeing whales from Race Point beach.  The tulips and daffodils are blooming, the streets are starting to fill with people, it really does feel like spring.  Come visit us!

 

What’s going on in April and beyond?

April 28-30 – Gays for Patsy Annual Spring Stomp (get on your dancing shoes)

May 19 – Fast ferry service from Boston begins (90 minutes to Ptown!)

May 19-21 – Monumental Yard Sale Weekend (bring your van)

May 19-21 – Single Women’s Weekend

May 26-30 – Memorial Day Weekend.

My partner Bob and I own the Somerset House Inn, a wonderful B&B in the perfect Provincetown location.  On Commercial Street across the street from the water the inn is walking distance to everything.  We’d love to have you stay with us.  We have availability for May and Memorial Day Weekend, the week of July 4th and limited availability for Bear Week.  Click here to check availability and make your reservations.

TOURGUIDEPERU

TOURGUIDEPERU

Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:

The Experience is the best part of the journey.

TOURGUIDEPERU is based in Peru and founded by Aaron Paiva Leyton in 2007; he graduated from the tourism school and holding the Official Guiding License Aaron organize and shows the wonders of Peru reaching a new level of travel experience.

Offering tailored tours in Peru for all budgets, from low cost to deluxe experiences. Our principal goal is that each traveler feels it is effortless to plan each excursion. We take care of all transportation, entrance fees, hotels and domestic flights.

Our excursions cover the landmarks of Peru in the cities of Lima, Cuzco & Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, Puerto Maldonado, Ica, Ballestas Islands, Huacachina & Flights over the Nazca Lines.

See the PROPERTY Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

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

Gay River Cruises Are All the Rage

Gay River Cruises

When planning their holiday last year, Bryan and Kevin Manley-Green made the choice that more and more adventure-seeking gay travelers around the world are making — they booked themselves on a river cruise.

The Manley-Greens knew they wanted to explore Eastern Europe, but they wanted to do so safely in a region that’s not known for being incredibly gay-friendly. So they chose a 10-day Danube river cruise from Bucharest to Budapest being offered by Emerald Waterways, one of a growing number of companies now catering to fierce public demand in this hot tourism sector.

“A river cruise is a really easy way to go to a place like Serbia, which for a gay couple could be really dangerous,” said Bryan Manley-Green, who runs a translation company in the 29-year couple’s hometown of Birmingham, England. “On gay river cruises, we know we’ve got the safety of the cruise ship, and we’ll be on guided tours. If we venture off on our own and if push comes to shove, we could say we were brothers.”

The Manley-Greens opted for a “mainstream” cruise, since they said they prefer traveling with a wide range of fellow passengers. “We’ve never wanted to be surrounded only by gay people,” Kevin Manley-Green explained.

However, for many gay travelers, being surrounded by others like themselves is a big part of the pleasure of cruising. With these folks in mind, several tour operators are now offering LGBTQ-specific gay river cruises charters, which journey to an ever-increasing roster of global destinations, and combine the convenience of pre-arranged travel with the intimacy of a smaller-boat experience.

TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Red Rocks AmphitheatreWhen we were in Denver last month we visited the fabulous Red Rocks Amphitheatre which is just about 10 miles west of Denver and located in the Red Rock Park.. The outdoor venue is remarkable as it is nestled right into the red rocks.

It hosts over 9,500 attendees per concert. The stage is at the bottom and the people look down at them and can also see the skyline of Denver 10 miles away. There is a 100 foot difference between the top row of seats and the stage below. The altitude is 6,400 feet so be careful, An estimated 750,000 non-concertgoers visit Red Rocks every year.

Red Rocks AmphitheatreThey have been having musical concerts there for over 100 years. In 2016 they had 73 concerts. Artists perform on a stage nestled in the perfect acoustical surroundings of Red Rocks.

They are booked up year round and some of the entertainers who have performed at Red Rocks are the Beatles, opera singer Mary Garden, Jimmy Hendrix, Vanilla Fudge and Soft Machine. Others includes Jethro Tull, John Denver, Sonny and Cher, Seals & Crofts, Carole King, U2, Ray Charles and Peter, Paul & Mary. The Grateful Dead Widespread Panic holds the record for the most sold-out performances and has performed there 51 times! The beloved Dolly Parton performed to a sold out audience and the crowd roared and roared simply because she is such a FABULOUS ENTERTAINER!

The Amphitheatre is located in Red Rocks Park and free to everyone. At the Amphitheatre they have a Visitor’s Center which is also free and features interactive educational displays, a short film on it’s geologic and musical history and a “Performer Hall of Fame”.

In the park they have a Trading Post which has been open since the 1930’s. In front of the Trading Post they have a larger than life-size bronze of singer John Denver. This is a place where you can spend a few hours or all day. Take a picnic lunch with you and dine “al fresco”. Except for the concerts, everything is free at Red Rocks. Check out http://redrocksonline.com/ before you arrive in Denver. This is certainly one of the ‘wonders of the country”.

Denver Hamburger Mary'sWhile in Denver one needs to dine at the MILE HIGH HAMBURGER MARYS. It is a great place to go for casual dining. They have Hamburger Mary restaurants in several cities around the country however this is one of the best ones. Located just a few blocks east of downtown Denver at 1336 East 17th Avenue. Call 303.993.5812 for reservations.

Denver Hamburger Mary'sThey are open 7 days a week and their Sunday brunches are to die for! This is a FUN place and always plenty of action going on. They have a large selection on their menu. We dined there twice and both times the service was great and so was the meals. They also have a full service bar.

This is always a great place to meet old friends and make new friends. Before going to Denver be sure and check out their website: http://www.hamburgermarys.com/denver/ and you can keep up with all their specials and daily activities that they have at
https://www.facebook.com/MarysDenver/ They have new owners who know how to run a restaurant and we know that they will be around for a long time because they take good care of all of their guests. Service and food is what it is all about in the restaurant business and MILE HIGH HAMBURGR MARYS has them both. We wish them the very best of success. They certainly deserve it!

We want to say a VERY SPECIAL thanks to Tony Smith in Denver for assisting us on finding interesting and fun things to do and see while visiting Denver.

Don and Ray

Always 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/

Colorado Gay Travel Resources