Month: December 2017

Queer Charleston – Windy City

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Queer Charleston

“People come to Charleston, first, for its history and, second, for its food.”
These words were uttered by Charleston Area CVB’s C. Doug Warner during a recent LGBT media trip to queer Charleston, South Carolina—and a recent visit to the Palmetto State city showed that it had a lot more to offer than the stereotypical sultry heat.

Belmond Stakes

The first stop in Charleston was Belmond Charleston Place ( 205 Meeting St.; CharlestonPlace.com ), a hotel known far and wide for its elegance and efficiency—even in the face of a technological glitch and temporarily altered the check-in process for guests ( e.g., manually filling out forms ). Fortunately, staffer Star saved the day.

Besides the visual attractions such as the huge chandelier in the lobby and the twin staircases, there’s the Thoroughbred Club, which offers light bites, smooth drinks and cool entertainment.

Our media group was fortunate enough to stay on Belmond’s exclusive Club Floor—commonly called the hotel within the hotel. With 72 guest rooms, is floor offers numerous extras, such as a complimentary continental breakfast, afternoon tea, evening hors d’oeuvres, after-dinner cordials and desserts, and full beverage service. As the famous commercial line goes, “membership has its privileges.”

However, the hotel offers plenty for all. My spa facial was a soothing ( and pleasantly talkative ) experience, and the health club ( which must be reached by walking through the humid pool area ) was much larger than I’ve seen at most hotels. There’s also shopping available, thanks to plenty of boutiques on the first floor.

Dining at Belmond is a must. The Charleston Grill has earned a AAA Four Diamond Award—and with good reason. Chef Michelle Weaver’s menu is divided into four categories ( Pure, Lush, Southern and Cosmopolitan ), and everything I tried was incredibly delicious.

By Andrew Davis – Full Story at Windy City

South Carolina Gay Travel Resources

Agua Azul – Oaxaca Gay Friendly Bed & Breakfast

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Agua Azul

In 1999 we left Canada to begin a simpler life as “innkeepers” in a tropical climate. After five months exploring Mexico’s Pacific Coast, we discovered the perfect location in a place that no one can pronounce – Huatulco, Oaxaca (Wha-TOOL-co, Wha-HA-ca).

This is a relatively new eco-resort, consisting of 9 pristine bays and 36 beaches, with modern infrastructure, such as paved palm line streets.

With our six pages of criteria, the architect gave us a brilliant design in the “Mexican Pacific Coast Style”. This movement strives to integrate architecture with nature, using natural materials such a stone, clay, wood, palapa, and water.

We wanted each guestroom to have privacy, and with a hillside property, this was achieved by placing each room on its own level. The guestrooms are decorated with handmade tile, pottery and textiles,along with an eclectic selection of original art.

People come here to enjoy the perfect Huatulco climate, so the outdoor space is as important as the interior one. Each guestroom has a spacious ocean view terraza with palapa cover, hammock and other seating.

The Pacific coast is not known for its sunrises, but overlooking an inlet, we enjoy spectacular sunrises over Conejos bay each morning – with the added advantage of the terrazas being shaded from the more aggressive afternoon sun. Aside from the view of Tejoncito cove, my favorite element of the villa is the water feature, with five huge stepping stones that form our entrance.

A few years ago we were fortunate to be included in a piece on CNN.com Mexico’s 10 Best Seaside Hideaways.

We serve a healthy breakfast in “barefoot elegance”, under a 30 foot domed palapa. This consists of several fresh tropical fruits, bread, “pan dulces”, home made scones or muffins, granola with milk and yogurt, fresh squeezed juice and coffee or tea. Rick and I operate a B&B because we like meeting a diversity of people, and during breakfast, we enjoy lively conversations with our guests. Of course, we understand not everyone is a morning person, and respect your wish to be left on your own if that is your preference.

We are only a 10 minute taxi ride from the town center, but if you don’t feel like moving, we have an arrangement with several restaurants to deliver for a small fee.

We highly recommend renting a “panga” to discover several of Huatulco’s virgin beaches, but it is not entirely necessary. There is a beautiful virgin beach about a 10 minute walk from Agua Azul la Villa, over a hill and through a path in the forest. In spite of the fact that we are in a developed upscale residential neighborhood, there is rarely another soul on this beach. If you are really fortunate, you may see turtle tracks and the nests where they have laid their eggs. To help make this a perfect experience, we have umbrellas to take to this beach, and can even supply a cooler for a picnic.

If you’re looking for a perfect oceanside paradise, come stay with us at Agua Azul B&B!

See the Agua Azul Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Oaxaca Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Explore Queer Seattle – Passport Magazine

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When you lived in a city for many years, it’s weird to return as a tourist. Seattle was my home for high school, college, and my swinging 20s, until I journied east to New York City. Since then, I’ve returned only a handful of times. Each visit has reminded me how dynamic a city can be—especially one like Seattle, where the economy has been an unstoppable force ever since Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, and other mega-companies sprung up there decades ago.

So on my recent homecoming, it wasn’t shocking that Seattle had evolved with shiny new towers, an expanded bus system, and slick restaurants. I still recognized the Emerald City’s forward thinking citizens and ever-hip vibes as the familiar metropolis where I came of age, and I still loved it. I just had to adjust to all of its incredible newness.

My first stop is always Capitol Hill. It’s Seattle’s LGBT zone, and home to endless restaurants, bars, shops, and cafés, plus sprawling Cal Anderson Park, home to open lawns, public art, and all-gender restrooms. Most of the action happens on the “Pike/Pine corridor,” two parallel boulevards that cross Broadway, which is itself a great walking strip. At the corner of Broadway and Pine, a Jimi Hendrix statue rocks out for eternity in his hometown. His full-throttle stage posture embodies the spirit of Seattle’s musical history, where the 1990’s grunge era unleashed bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

Capitol Hill was my ’hood. I lived there and knew every corner. Thankfully, a lot of my favorite places are still around and kicking. Number one is the Wildrose (1021 E. Pike St. Tel: 206-324-9210. www.thewildrosebar.com), one of the oldest lesbian bars in the country, where Seattle dykes and their gay boyfriends have drank, played pool, and danced the night away since 1984.

By Kelsy Chauvin – Full Story at Passport Magazine

Seattle Gay Travel Resources

Half Moon Bay and Pescadero – Gay Star News

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Half Moon Bay

If you are visiting San Francisco and feel like a change of scene for a few days, take your cue from the locals who weekend in nearby Half Moon Bay and Pescadero.

Half Moon Bay

It’s a short but spectacular 46-minute drive from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay – through the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Half Moon Bay is everything that you could want from a weekend mini-break – great restaurants, interesting shops, art galleries, wineries, redwood forests, and the stunning Pacific Ocean shoreline.

If you’re into surfing (or just into surfers), then this is where you’ll find the Mavericks’ surf break location – a beacon for boys who like to ride waves.

By Gareth Johnson – Full Story at Gay Star News

Half Moon Bay Gay Travel Resources

What to Do On Your El Salvador Layover – Nomadic Boys

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El Salvador

First question we asked our guide Moises, was why El Salvador is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world. His response, which we love:

“…it’s because once you come here you’ll never want to leave!!”

Whilst this small country in Central America does suffer from gang violence, for most tourists visiting, you’re unlikely to ever encounter any problems.

We had a long 6 hours layover at San Salvador airport, so we decided to venture out to see the country. The reports about how dangerous El Salvador is did make us worry for our safety, so we decided to search for a reputable tour company and do a layover tour with them. We found Salvadorean Tours on Tripadvisor and chose them because of all their excellent reviews.

What impressed us the most was that upon arrival at San Salvador airport, they have a dedicated layover express desk who will meet you at the gate as soon as you get off the plane, then whisk you through customs, all the way to the exit to meet your guide. We’ve never seen that before at any airport!

These are our 5 best things to do on your layover in El Salvador, to give you a flavour of what you can expect, and why you should also consider it, instead of waiting around for hours at the airport.

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Hike the Boqueron volcano crater

After trekking the Rinjani volcano in Indonesia, we were ready to conquer another one. The Boqueron volcano dominates the skyline of San Salvador – the capital city of El Salvador. It’s located in the Boqueron National Park at an altitude of 6,210 feet (1,892m), around 40 minutes’ drive from San Salvador downtown. The Boqueron is also called Quetzaltebec, named after the quetzal, which is the country’s national bird.

We hiked around the volcano crater in the Boqueron National Park, which has several viewpoints both into the crater below and also over San Salvador. The hike took around 1 hour, but you can also descend down to the volcano crater if you have time.

Although the last eruption was in 1917, it’s best to check the situation beforehand – a good local tour company will be the best source of this information.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

El Salvador Gay Travel Resources

Visiting the Charm City – Queer Baltimore

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Queer Baltimore

Baltimore has a lot to offer the LGBT visitor and is often ignored due to the proximity to its neighbor, Washington, D.C.

However, Baltimore is a real city and a historical one at that, having been founded in 1729. There’s lots to see and it’s very walkable. Like many cities these days, you do have to be on guard and stay on certain streets.

Getting There

The L Line light rail from the airport to downtown takes 30 minutes and is just $1.85.

You will find the Link L light rail station at the northern end of the terminal.

BWI Airport is a Southwest hub so there are lots of cheap air fares on all the airlines. You can also take Amtrak to Baltimore or even BWI. MARC and Amtrak trains can bring you up from D.C. if you want to visit both cities or even continue on up to Philadelphia or New York.

By Bill Malcolm – Full Story at Windy City

Baltimore Gay Travel Resources

The Grand Place in Brussels at Midnight – Keep Calm and Wander

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Grand Place in Brussels

I visited the Grand Place in Brussels at midnight and I was surprised to see a crowd of hedonists there. Boy, it’s a rendezvous of both locals and tourists who pretend to be locals. I’m not really sure about drinking in public places in Brussels but seems like it’s legal? I saw people sitting while drinking and smoking on the city’s main public square. So, I guess, it’s allowed? 🙂

Grand Place or Grote Markt? Both are correct. The former is French and the latter is Dutch. This is Brussels’s main square and if you ask any local using either of the name, they’ll surely know where it is.

What’s in / around Grand Place? This square is surrounded by Brussels’s guild houses and town hall. If you stand in the middle and turn 360 degrees, you’ll be awed at the magnificent buildings, mostly of Gothic style. There’s no doubt that this place is still a centre of political, social, cultural, and commercial life. In August (every two years), this square turns into a huge carpet of flowers. It is said that a million begonias are harvested and brought here – designed and set up in stunning patterns.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Brussels Gay Travel Resources

Gay Beaches That Are Perfect This Winter

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gay beach - pixabay

With cold temperatures beginning to blanket the northernmost half of the country, thoughts may turn to tropical climes: Where to go to get away from the oncoming months full of dreary gray skies?

Here are six of the top gay-friendly beaches that you should consider for an easy winter getaway:

Sebastian Beach, Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale has been focused on LGBT tourism for decades, and Sebastian Beach has won accolades as one of America’s top gay beaches. The beachgoers are mostly male, and the beach is (naturally) much more crowded on the weekends.

This great sunbathing area is located near many hotels, as well as some gay bed and breakfasts—and the water is generally clear and warm.

By Paul Heney – Full Story at Travel Pulse

White Porch Inn – Provincetown Gay Guesthouse

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White Porch Inn

The White Porch Inn is the new boutique Provincetown guesthouse and art hotel in the center of Ptown, offering great amenities and a wonderful porch to relax and unwind.

Our freshly renovated P’town guest house and rooms all have private bathrooms, air-conditioning, flat screen TVs. Some rooms have Provincetown monument or water views of the bay from a private roof deck, while others enjoy views over the picturesque rooftops of Provincetown.

Our Provincetown hotel hosts art installations know as In(n) Art – our ever changing contemporary art shows. There are also special art packages making it easier for you to acquire and enjoy the art at home.

Start your morning with a coffee while sitting in a white rocker on the porch while taking in Cape Cod Bay, Provincetown Harbor and the sites and sounds of P’town. Provincetown’s shopping, restaurants, galleries, shows, and the gay Provincetown nightlife are all within minutes walk of our Provincetown hotel.

Looking for a walk along the beach? We are just steps away from the Johnson Street Beach! Looking for a more active vacation? Bike rentals as well as kayak and paddle board rentals are right around the corner from us on Commercial Street.

Come relax on the porch at the White Porch Inn Art hotel for your Provincetown vacation!

See the White Porch Inn Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Provincetown Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Welcome to Gay Munich – Instinct Magazine

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gay Munich

English-speaking residents have a nickname for this city: Toytown (apparently due to its great quality of life, which I can vouch for). I first visited in 2007 and fell in love, with both the city and a resident. Jochen and I were drinking beer at an outdoor community table, at a café that no longer exists, when I addressed the waitress as fraülein. Major faux pas. He leaned over to educate me. “We don’t use that word anymore,” he said. “It’s considered sexist.” Always one for political correctness paired with an accent, a long distance romance lasting a year-plus was born.

Die Deutsche Eiche (“the German oak”) is home to a restaurant, hotel and sauna all in one. A former epicenter of gay culture for decades, glass-enclosed wall displays present a brief history lesson evidenced by photos and video of German drag queens fighting for social change.

Continue to the back and either check into your room or hit a buzzer to be let into the sauna, a massive four-story facility complete with locker rooms, showers, mazes, cubicles, movie theatre, Jacuzzi, saunas and steam room. The hotel has been renovated and the rooms are very comfortable (if expensive) with tasteful wood floors, double-paned windows, new beds and modern bath fixtures. I prefer rooms in the back, away from the street, for their peaceful urban garden setting.

By Michael Jortner – Full Story at Instinct

Germany Gay Travel Resources