J. Scott Coatsworth

Chicago for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

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Chicago for Gay Families - 2TravelDads

The USA has several cities that are known around the world as being iconic or embodiment of America. We think of New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago. Traveling to Chicago is really awesome and totally easy to do in two or three days; you could even have an unforgettable Chicago experience in one day if you were really in a pinch and wanted to. It’s an easy, walk-able city with unlimited potential and plenty of things to do.

There are so many things to do in Chicago, and you really can’t do them all on one trip. For your first trip, or if you’re traveling to Chicago on a tight schedule, these are the best ideas to make sure you explore the city and really get a feel for this incredible town.

To get familiar with the layout of the city, take a look at the map below. You’ll see that Chicago is on the shore of Lake Michigan, so there are several activities and sights very near each other since they’re all in that Magnificent Mile neighborhood, between Michigan Ave and the Lakefront Trail. We don’t include the Shedd Aquarium or Field Museum on our things not to miss in Chicago, but they’re close by too, so easy to add to your list.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Chicago Gay Travel Resources

Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn – Gay Friendly Bed & Breakfast in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

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Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn

PRIVATE B&B COTTAGES IN EUREKA SPRINGS

Welcome to the Rock Cottage Gardens Bed and Breakfast Inn in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Our private property includes five Thomas Kincade-like, charming rock cottages and a small wedding chapel.

Our main house residence has a formal living room and dining room where our guests can gather.

Each of our guest cottages has a two person hot tub, and there’s dedicated off-street guest parking, surrounded by six beautiful garden areas and a fountain pond – a quiet, idyllic place where our guests can relax. We’re just an easy ten-minute walk to downtown Eureka Springs, where you’ll find some great boutique shopping, art galleries and fantastic local restaurants.

All of our cottages also include:

* Gas fireplaces
* AC & heating
* Queen beds
* Showers
* Cable TV
* WiFi internet access
* Mini-refrigerators
* High quality Egyptian sheets
* Luxurious bath towels, bath salts, and spa robes
* Glycerin soaps
* In-room coffee service
* Free water & soda daily.

The inn has been awarded the annual Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence every year since 2011, and The Talk of Town 5 star lodging awards. Our guests love the privacy of the cottages, the peacefulness of our gardens, the fantastic three-course breakfast and the convenient location close to downtown.

See the Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Eureka Springs Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Gay Siem Reap – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Siem Reap - The Nomadic Boys

Angkor Wat is the reason why most people visit Siem Reap. This ancient UNESCO listed religious complex dates back to the 1100s and is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the world. It’s a massive circuit of really impressive temples in the middle of a jungle where nature has taken over. The Ta Prohm Temple is the most recognisable thanks to Angelina Jolie sashaying her way through it as that famous video game movie character back in 2001, earning it the nickname the “Tomb Raider Temple”.

Siem Reap is the base for visiting Angkor Wat. We stayed here for 1 week to allow us ample time to explore the magnificent temples as well as spend some time discovering the city and the gay hangouts. It’s super touristic, international with plenty of restaurants, hotels and even a small and fun gay scene based around the aptly named Pub Street.

In our gay travel guide to Siem Reap, we set out practical tips for LGBTQ travellers based on our experience, including the most gay friendly hotels to stay, bar/clubs to check out, inspiration for things to do including Angkor Wat, and more.

Siem Reap Gay Area

Siem Reap doesn’t have a defined gay neighborhood. Instead, the main gay hangouts and hotels are spaced out in and around the city centre. We always started our evening in the touristic area called “Pub Street” because this is where the best restaurants can be found (as well as all the souvenir shops and markets for us to top up our Lara Croft inspired outfits)… In terms of gay bars/clubs in Siem Reap, there are 3 to check out. The most central are Barcode and the Miss Wong Cocktail Bar both located in and around the Pub Street area. Further afield, around 15 minutes walk southeast from Pub Street is DreamBoys.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Cambodia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Crete – The Globetrotter Guys

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Gay Crete - The Globetrotter Guys

Crete was one of our first vacations as a gay couple and although there isn’t a huge gay scene in Crete we felt very welcome on this beautiful island and have returned since! Crete is the largest island in Greece offering everything from beautiful soft sand beaches, to rich historical sights, a thriving nightlife scene and mountains inland to explore by car.

During our trips we had no issues being gay in Crete and felt particularly comfortable around the touristy areas.

Gay Crete has thousands of visitors from all over the world every year and gay travel around Greece in general is very popular with the likes of Mykonos and Athens for example. In our Gay Crete Travel Guide we have put together the shortlist of the places we have stayed and visited, investigated what the gay scene is like and put together some unmissable trips for your visit!

Where to Stay in Gay Crete

We have been to Crete twice and being the largest island in Greece there are a lot of places to stay.

The first time we stayed in Hersonissos and the second time we split our time between Stalis and Malia. In both cases we made sure to explore as much of the island as possible.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Gay Greece Travel Resources

Gay Fort Lauderdale – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Fort Lauderdale - The Nomadic Boys

Over the past few decades, Fort Lauderdale has evolved massively to become the gay capital of Florida as well as one of the top LGBTQ destinations in the USA. The city has everything to suit all LGBTQ travellers including clothing-optional male-only resorts, gay beaches, many gay events taking place throughout the year and of course the gay scene of Wilton Manors!

We’ve been several times to Fort Lauderdale, either as a stopover for a cruise, or to go to one of the many gay parties they have here throughout the year like “Wicked Manors” on Halloween. We always love coming here, particularly as it’s a 365 day destination. There’s always something happening and you’re almost always guaranteed gorgeous sunny weather.

This is our detailed gay guide to Fort Lauderdale featuring highlights from the gay scene of Wilton Manors, the best gay beaches, events and gay hotels to stay. Read why we included Fort Lauderdale in our detailed guide to the best vacation places in the world for LGBTQ travelers.

Is “Gay Fort Lauderdale” Really Gay Friendly?

Fort Lauderdale has evolved so much over the past few decades to become one of the gayest places in the entire country, especially Wilton Manors. It’s so gay that in the 2010 US Census it was ranked as the second gayest place in the USA after Provincetown for most gays couples per 1,000.

Even the community leaders of Wilton Manors are predominantly gay. The city’s first openly gay mayor was John Fiore who was elected in 2000. He was then succeeded by Jim Stork in 2002, making Wilton Manors the first city in the United States to elect two consecutive openly gay mayors. More recently, Justin Flippen was the openly gay mayor of Wilton Manors, who sadly died in early 2020 from a brain aneurysm.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay Fort Lauderdale Travel Resources

Analana Park: Where the Weird Things Are – Keep Calm and Wander

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Analana Park - Keep Calm and Wander

At Analana Park – it’s where the weird things are. I mean, they look weird to me. And scary, too! Nope, they’re not of small size but of giant size! Goodness, what if they were real or would suddenly move? I would never have the chance to run nor the chance to plead for my life. Those creatures could just spit at me and I’d turn into a rolling ball.

Where is Analana Park?

The park is inside the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta. You can only see it after you exit where the main temples are. Just follow the exit signs and you will find your way to the park’s entrance.

The Straw Characters

The first things you notice when entering the park are the giant characters. As you can see, they look impressive and are made of straw.

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Indonesia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Sarasota, Florida – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Sarasota, Florida - The Nomadic Boys

This is the home of Siesta Key Rum, the Siesta Key beach, the massive Ringling Circus Museum, and so much more! Sarasota is a destination that most gay travellers to Florida are likely to overlook. 

We’ll be very honest, before coming to Sarasota we knew very little about it. However, it turned out to be the hidden gem of our trip, a place we would definitely love to return to. As well as being a cultural hotspot of Florida with so many things to do, Sarasota also has a small fun gay scene worth checking out, with annual events like the “Harvey Milk Festival”and “Sarasota Pride”.

Following our trip, we’ve put together this detailed travel guide to Sarasota featuring the best gay bars, events, things to do, gay friendly hotels to stay, and more.

Gay Sarasota Neighborhood?

The Sarasota gay scene is very small with only a handful of gay hangouts spread around the city. As such, there is no official gay neighborhood in Sarasota. The focal point of the city where you may want to consider basing yourself is by the pretty Bayfront Park. It’s close to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens as well as a few queer-friendly bars like the Pangea Alchemy Lab and the Westin hotel rooftop bar.

Purple Rhino is the main gay bar of Sarasota, which is located around 10 minutes taxi ride south Bayfront Park. Even further south is the Oasis club, which is close to famous Siesta Key beach.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Sarasota Gay Travel Resources

Tony’s House – Gay Owned Guesthouse in Phoenix, Arizona

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Tony's House - Gay Owned Guesthouse in Phoenix, Arizona

MEN ONLY, CLOTHING OPTIONAL GUEST HOUSE

Tony’s House is a men-only, clothing optional gay owned guest house, in the heart of Phoenix.

We offer five guest rooms, each one tastefully decorated in a mid-century style.

Our rooms include:

* King or queen bed
* HD smart TV
* WIFI internet access
* Refrigerator
* Microwave
* Coffee maker
* Writing desk

In addition, we have a barbecue, common public social areas, free on-site parking, and the best …a large, heated, clothing-optional pool and hot-tub in total backyard privacy.

See the Tony’s House Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Tony’s House Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Singapore’s Floral Fantasy – Keep Calm and Wander

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Singapore's Floral Fantasy - Keep Calm and Wander

The Floral Fantasy at the Gardens by the Bay is just one of the tourist attractions inside Singapore’s most-visited destination. It’s not cheap to get in though, so I can understand that many visitors would skip it. There were only a few when I visited it, so my photos turned out great! 😀 

But was it worth going inside? Well, if you are into flowers and instagrammable photos – then you are in a perfect place!

With more than 3,000 species of plants, I actually expected the place to be quite big. Perhaps, it will only take a minute from the entrance to the exit door without looking at the flowers. The whole time I was there, I finished in thirty minutes, including the 4D video ride, showing the various places to explore inside the Gardens by the Bay.

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Mykonos – The Globetrotter Guys

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Gay Mykonos - The Globetrotter Guys

Mykonos is the gay hotspot of Greece and for good reason! We fell in love with gay Mykonos during our first visit with it’s iconic cobbled streets, white washed building, pristine beaches, culinary delights and vibrant gay scene – it really was a mini gay paradise.

It’s also incredibly stylish, trendy and caters well to those who like their luxury. You can expect to see many expensive yachts cruising around the island and equally many attractive guys also cruising around the island!

Mykonos has been known as a gay destination for years and home to one of the largest and most well-known gay circuit parties each August, Xlsior Mykonos, which draws crowds of over 30,000 gay men!

Party scene aside, Mykonos is a picturesque and relaxing island. If you are looking for an idyllic island getaway, we highly recommend.

In our gay Mykonos guide we will share everything you need to know, from the best gay beaches and gay bars, gay hotels, excursions, gay events and some practical tips for planning you trip. Find out everything to keep you busy in our guide to gay Mykonos!

What made Gay Mykonos gay in the first place?

It’s always intriguing as to why certain places become gay hotspots. From Gran Canaria, to Sitges, Madrid and Berlin, Mykonos is easily within the top 10 gay places in Europe. One of the most famous gay hotspots in Mykonos is Jackie O’s and it has been said that it was Jackie Onassis herself who influenced the influx of gay travellers to Mykonos back in the 70’s bringing it to the attention of many gay men that followed her.

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Greece Gay Travel Resources