J. Scott Coatsworth

Hiking the Valley of Fire in Vegas – 2TravelDads

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Hiking the Valley of Fire in Vegas - 2TravelDads

Before we went hiking at Valley of Fire with kids it just looked like an Instagram heaven. That’s all that we knew about it, all from photos that people had taken and posted to Instagram. And then we visited and hiked and had up close wildlife encounters and fell in love. Valley of Fire State Park is the best Las Vegas day trip you didn’t know you need to do.

We’re going to help you plan and have the best visit possible, seeing some of the most amazing geology Nevada has to offer, and so close to Las Vegas. And you can do it all on a trip to Las Vegas or as part of a southwest road trip.

Where is Valley of Fire State Park?

Located less than an hour northeast of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire State Park is an easy drive to take you into another world off the Vegas Strip. In the Moapa Valley (park area), you will find all kinds of unique sites. You might not find pyramids or waterfalls flowing off the tops of hotels, but there are windswept hoodoos, carved out caves and passages, and petroglyphs that predate any sort of pirate display in Las Vegas.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Las Vegas Gay Travel Resources

Exploring Oahu’s North Shore – 2TravelDads

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Oahu's North Shore - 2TravelDads

We love Hawaii, and Oahu’s North Shore is a really special place. We spent time finding the best things to do on the North Shore and know you’ll love our plan. This is a guide to creating the best adventures for your trip to Oahu, and you won’t be disappointed. PS: we have our favorite spots to see sunsets on Oahu as well!

We, along with our friends from It’s A Family Thing, Corritta and Mea, got together to share our best tips for planning a remarkable, one-of-a-kind trip away from Waikiki to the pineapple fields and beaches of Oahu. Be sure to follow this awesome family on Instagram and Facebook too.

Exploring Oahu’s North Shore

You cannot visit Oahu without stopping and admiring the North Shore. Oahu’s North Shore has everything to offer from scenic hikes, ziplining, iconic surf waves, mouthwatering food, sea turtles, beautiful beaches, indescribable sunsets, and so much more. Spending two or three days enjoying what can be described as “country” setting with pineapple fields stretching for miles and beaches is so perfect you almost think the experience can’t be real.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Oahu Gay Travel Resources

Gay Iceland – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Iceland - The Nomadic Boys

A trip full of glaciers, waterfalls, spa days, and Iceland puns to drive Seby crazy. What could be better?

“Hey Seb, what do Icelandic dogs say?”
(Bracing himself) “What?”
“Bjork Bjork!”
*Cue evil stare*

“What do you tell the cashier when you have no money?”
“I can’t a-fjord it!”
*Cue him banging me over the head threatening to throw me out of our car rental*

With a population of 360,000, land proximity that equates to the size of Kentucky, and only one major city, we assumed we would see everything there was to see in one trip. Wrong! There is so much to do – and we left wanting to do more, more, more!

Exploring Gay Iceland

We spent 3 weeks touring gay Iceland by car along the famous Ring Road in the deep winter months hoping to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights (spoiler alert: we did!). Along the way, we were rewarded with giant glaciers, explosive geysers, a multitude of geothermal baths, fabulous fjords, whale watching, and the quirkiest people you’ll ever meet (you can’t beat Icelandic humor!).

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Pacific Northwest Kayaking – 2TravelDads

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Pacific Northwest Kayaking

Pacific Northwest Kayaking, and more specifically kayaking in Washington State, is a fun and sustainable summer activity. Yeah, you could plan paddling in the Puget Sound area in the fall or spring too, but summer is the best time to experience the beautiful waters of Washington. We’ve picked our favorite places in Washington for kayaking, and we know you’ll love them.

The Seattle area is best seen from the water: sailing, on a ferry, or on a kayak. Just short drives from the city are countless islands and bays to explore. Across the Puget Sound are the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas, which are dotted with lakes and waterways, ready to be paddled. Kayaking in the Pacific Northwest is amazing.

The Best Places for Pacific Northwest Kayaking

When you visit the Seattle area, or even better, when you do a road trip around the Puget Sound region or to the south, you’ll be tempted to explore beyond the basic tourist sites and you should do it. Getting into a kayak is really the best way to experience the nature and views we’ve got. Kayaking in the Pacific Northwest will have you plotting to return again and again.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Puget Sound Gay Travel Resources

Lesbian North Carolina Road Trip – Our Taste for Life

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Lesbian North Carolina Road Trip - Our Taste for Life

North Carolina is home to some of the most incredible places on the East Coast. It’s a state steeped with history, it’s home to the infamous Blue Ridge Parkway (which offers unmatched views), and its coast features pristine beaches.

With its endless gorgeous scenery, delicious food, kind locals, and excellent hikes, it can be tough deciding exactly where to go in N.C. However, since I’ve spent time living and travelling here, I put together this article to share all the best spots along the route.

Planning a lesbian North Carolina Road Trip

Whether you’re looking to relax, explore, or both, a lesbian North Carolina road trip has it all. So get ready for the ultimate N.C. road trip to 8 unique cities along with their best sites and activities.

Full Story at Our taste for Life

North Carolina Gay Travel Resources

Montana’s Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park – 2TravelDads

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Montana's Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park - 2TravelDads

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, just north of Yellowstone, is a remarkable place to explore. A must see on a Western Montana road trip, the caverns are an easy addition to any number of travel plans, including a cross-country drive. In this article we’re going to tackle the who, what, why, when and where of the Lewis and Clark Caverns (but not in that order).

Where is Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park

Located about forty minutes south of Butte, Montana, the Lewis and Clark Caverns are just off Highway 2. If you’re driving across the state, taking the detour to the Jefferson River Valley is easy and won’t put you terribly off track. The highway actually loops back onto I-90 so you don’t even have to back track! Like doing a detour to Philipsburg, MT visiting Lewis and Clark Caverns is an easy addition and totally worth it.

From Yellowstone National Park, Lewis and Clark Caverns is about 2 hours from the Gardiner, MT entrance and just under 2 hours from the West Yellowstone entrance. There are plenty of other attractions in the area, including Big Sky and Virginia City, so if you need to interrupt your Yellowstone trip, you’ll have plenty of other interesting sites and activities to make the day additionally worthwhile.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Montana Gay Travel Resources

Gay Reykjavik – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Reykjavik - The Nomadic Boys

Planning a Trip to Gay Reykjavik

Have you ever noticed how phallic the world’s most famous landmarks are? The Eiffel Tower? Empire State Building? The Shard? Well, gay Reykjavik has taken the most literal approach of them all and opened up a museum dedicated to male organs. And if that doesn’t scream the perfect gay destination, we don’t know what will…

And like any good gay guy, Iceland is versatile.

Who’d have thought that a country with the spellbinding Northern Lights would have also birthed one of the most unorthodox singers of our time – Björk. Or that a land full of mountainous glaciers and astonishing waterfalls would feature the aforementioned phallogical museum.

Or that a culture dedicated to thermal baths and deep meditative rituals, would lend itself as a setting for the bonkers Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga movie on Netflix (you’d be lying if you said Ya Ya Ding Dong isn’t a bop).

The city itself is a wondrous blend of old meets new, with its ancient buildings set against the dramatic natural landscape, with trendy bars, a vibrant (albeit small) queer scene, and relaxing spas for you to unwind.

Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Traveling While Gay – The Washington Blade

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Brent Hartinger and Michael Jensen
Brent Hartinger and Michael Jensen

Take a look at the picture above. Do Michael and I look alike to you? It’s true, we’re both white, middle-aged men, fairly fit, and we wear glasses. But honestly? I don’t think we look anything alike. Michael has a full head of silver hair — and I’m bald. Michael is at least three inches taller than I am.

And yet, as we travel, I’ve literally lost track of the number of times people have mistaken us for brothers. People often — often — even assume we’re twins!

Traveling While Gay

Here’s the explanation I’ve come up with for why this happens: it’s unusual for two middle-aged men to be traveling together, especially if we’re sharing a room. If we’re “traveling while gay” in a country or culture where out same-sex couples are unusual or non-existent, people search for a label to apply to us. “Brothers” is the best explanation they can come up with that makes sense to them.

Banff Ecotours for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

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Banff Ecotours - 2TravelDads

With more and more families choosing outdoors vacations with trips into nature, it’s become increasingly important to be thoughtful and have low-impact travel be at the forefront of planning. We discovered some incredible ecotours in Banff and Canmore, which is becoming an even more popular destination than ever before. Ecotours in Banff are a way to enjoy the unique Canadian Rockies while leaving no trace on the land.

One of the most frequent questions we get about traveling as a family is how do we find activities that are good for all of us to enjoy together. A close second is how do you find a good ecotour company. Well, we lucked out with our recent trip to Banff, Alberta. We discovered AdventureHub while looking for guided hikes and ecotours in Banff. Wow. Every destination needs a resource or tour booking site like this.

Finding Banff Ecotours through Adventure Hub

Adventure Hub is a collective tour site for ecotours in Banff and Canmore, Alberta. This means that you can go to the webpage and see what tour operators are vetted and a part of the Adventure Hub group, and then from there you can choose the activities in Banff that sound the most fun for your family.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Alberta Gay Travel Resources

Indonesia’s Padar Island – Keep Calm and Wander

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Indonesia's Padar Island - Keep Calm and Wander

Padar Island is one of the more than 17,000 islands in Indonesia. I’d say that it’s one of those views that you have to see, to believe it! Describing it as incredible is somewhat short of an adjective to fully express the feeling the first time I saw it. Man, it’s so hard to put them into words. Standing from above the island, it felt like you were on another planet – away from the vicious cycles of humankind.

Padar Island Morning Hike

As soon as our small outrigger boat dropped us onshore, we started our hike to the top. Despite the pleading of our guide to be together as a group, I went ahead because I didn’t want to miss the sunrise. It was still dark but the horizon was beginning to show glowing embers of the sun ready to rise. As I hiked alone, I understood why the guide wanted us to be together – the path, though easy to follow, can be dangerous to tread if you’ve never been on that before. There were areas where the rocks were sharp and one false move will bring the hiker rolling down to the deep ravine. I used my cellphone flashlight to keep me on track and out of danger.

The hike was of average difficulty. The pathways were clear but when you’re almost at the top, you have to watch out for the sharp rocks and make sure you’re on the right path. There were other small paths that were confusing, perhaps, made by a few hikers who can’t wait to be on the summit.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Indonesia Gay Travel Resources