North America

Gay Halifax, Nova Scotia – 2TravelDads

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Gay Halifax, Nova Scotia - 2TravelDads

Visiting Gay Halifax

Halifax, Nova Scotia is such a beautiful city! Even though we loved exploring the Bay of Fundy and the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Route, our time enjoying gay Halifax was wonderful. There are so many things to do in town, particularly if you love history. A great city to explore on foot, this is our guide to visiting this seaside city with kids.

Give the podcast a listen and follow along with our article below. You’ll find that many of the best things to do in town are very close by, and if the weather is nice you won’t even need a car. Once you start exploring beyond downtown, you will need your own vehicle, especially for going out to the picturesque eastern shore of Halifax Harbour.

Being a historic city with a solid urban core, there are lost of hotels directly in Downtown. You’ll be able to find most of your mainstream travel brands as well as some boutique options. We stayed in the area of Dartmouth for our time there. Dartmouth is just across the Harbour, accessible by the ferry or bridge. Dartmouth is quiet and beautiful, and very near the airport and routes out of the city, so it’s an easy home base.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Gay Halifax Travel Resources

Six Great Cities for Visiting Canada in Winter – 2TravelDads

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Visiting Canada in Winter - 2TravelDads

Visiting Canada in winter is not for the faint of heart, but if you know how to do it right and where you can find charming warmth, it’s not so bad. Canada from coast to coast is a treasure trove of mountain getaways and historic cities. Here are six beautiful places to embrace the Canadian winter (and they’re pretty great in summer too!).

Visiting Canada in Winter: Banff

I could just say “the Rockies” as the whole mountain range between Alberta and British Columbia is an outdoors-man’s paradise in the winter, but Banff has a special place in my heart so I’ll focus on that location.

Banff National Park is home to the stunningly beautiful Banff Springs Hotel – one of Canada’s most iconic buildings. This luxury hotel was built during the 19th Century in a cross-country effort to make the vastness of Canada more appealing to tourists, and it worked. The hotel offers suites anywhere from $300 to $1,000 a night, but with over 300 rooms available, there’s always a place for you! There are also many cabins in Alberta around Banff these days, so finding a more affordable option is easier than ever.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Canada Gay Travel Resources

Gay Vancouver – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Vancouver - The Nomadic Boys

Greenpeace, Ryan Reynolds, Hayden Christensen, and Botox – what do they all have in common?
Vancouver!

That’s right, they were all created in this super cool city located right on the far West coast of Canada. Vancouver is the capital of the British Columbia Province, famous for being one of the most diverse regions of Canada. It is also nicknamed “The Hollywood of the North” due to its popularity as a filming location for TVs/movies after LA and NYC. Oh, and did we mention the part about Ryan Reynolds and Hayden Christensen?

We visited Vancouver several times on our trips to Canada and always have a fantastic time. As well as a bustling Gay Village over at Davie Street, Vancouver has tons of fun things to do, with the mountains on its doorstep and the natural paradise of Vancouver Island a short ferry ride away.

Most importantly of all, we found gay Vancouver to be a very tolerant city, accepting of everyone. We frequently saw many gay couples walking the streets hand-in-hand all across town and felt comfortable to do the same. Of course, this comes as no surprise as this is Canada, a country we absolutely adore and rate as the most gay friendly country in the world.

In this detailed gay guide to Vancouver, we summarise our experience discovering the gay scene of Davie Village, as well as some of the best things to do in the city, gay hotels to stay and more practical tips for LGBTQ travellers.

Davie Street: The Gay Vancouver Village

Vancouver’s gay village, also known as the Davie Village, is the heart of the city’s LGBTQ community. It is based mainly along Davie Street between Jervis Street and Burrard Street. This is where the majority of the queer bars and clubs are. Although it’s not as big as the scene of Montreal or Toronto, it’s just as fun.

There is also a more bohemian area popular with the lesbian community of the city at Commercial Drive, called “The Drive” over in East Vancouver, which we did not visit so have not covered in this guide.

Gay Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – wolfyy

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gay Puerto Vallarta

Mexico’s classic gay travel destination, Puerto Vallarta lures the LGBT community with ritzy beach clubs, budget-friendly hotels and animated gay nightlife. This small city is a frequent choice for Americans and Canadians, especially in winter.

Before visiting Puerto Vallarta, I never fully understood what specifically makes this destination so attractive to gay men. Gay friends and acquaintances of mine always raved about Puerto Vallarta. I quickly found out why.

Puerto Vallarta is so popular because the city is quite conducive to groups of gay travelers. The gay scene here is physically compact. This makes things super easy for friends to coordinate plans.

gay area in Puerto Vallarta

The Puerto Vallarta Gay Area

The Puerto Vallarta gay area starts in Zona Romántica and continues southward to the border of the Amapas neighborhood. Most of the gay-friendly establishments and nightlife is within the five or so city blocks from the waterfront.

I highly recommend staying in the Puerto Vallarta gay area. It’s convenient and you’ll never run out of things to do. Furthermore, meeting up with friends should be easier here since there are so many hotel and resort options in close proximity. You’ll have tons of options for restaurants, shopping, and beach clubs, all within a 5-minute walk.

There’s much more to know about gay PV, so continue to wolfyy’s Puerto Vallarta gay guide to find the best hotels, resorts, experiences, and gay nightlife venues. Plus, local travel tips!

Puerto Vallarta Gay Travel Guide on wolfyy

Gay Mexico Resources – Purple Roofs

Gay Montréal, Canada – wolfyy

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gay Montréal

Montréal’s gay life is found in the popular gay village, located in the east of the city near the Latin quarter. The gay village has increasingly been promoted as a tourist destination over recent years.

Gay-owned restaurants, clothing stores and bars line the streets beneath festive hanging balls. This rainbow art installation has become symbolic of Montréal’s gay life. The city is one of the best lgbt-friendly destinations for gay travelers who want to visit Canada.

The Montréal Gay Village

Montréal has a pretty legendary gay village. All the gay nightlife is in this part of town and the area is a fantastic place to hang out, with tons of bars, restaurants, and boutique stores lining the main street. The vibe is undeniably awesome.

For many years, strings of rainbow-colored balls hung over St. Catherine Street East, which is the heart of the gay village. This art installation has created a beautiful symbol of how gay-friendly the city truly is.

montréal places to stay

Should you look for a hotel in the Montréal gay village? Well, this depends on what type of accommodations you typically prefer. If you like more local experiences, then I’d head over to Le Plateau

But, there are some places to stay that I definitely wouldn’t pass up. I’ll give you the full rundown in wolfyy’s gay Montréal guide linked below.

Montréal Gay Travel Guide on wolfyy

Gay Canada Resources

Gay Aspen, Colorado – wolfyy

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gay aspen

One of the most luxurious ski towns in the United States, Aspen draws a loyal crowd that’s eager to have a good time. Most LGBT travelers also have this unique Colorado destination on their radars for the yearly Aspen Gay Ski Week events.

Aspen isn’t just a winter destination. Tourists visit all year round! While more people come once it’s cold enough for snow, many travelers enjoy the mountainous terrain all year. Seeing the yellow Aspen trees in Autumn is priceless.

Similar to nearby Vail, Aspen has a largely transient community, which means the number of gay travelers there can fluctuate. You’ll of course find yourself amongst a sea of other gay guys during Aspen Gay Ski Week, as well as a decent bunch over the winter season.

LGBT Aspen: Hotels & Vacation Rentals

When people think of staying in Aspen, luxury typically comes to mind. There are so many options for luxury resorts and vacation rentals. I’ll fill you in on which hotels are perfect for you, whether you like to be in the center of it all or prefer a secluded mountain chalet.

Full Aspen Gay Travel Guide on wolfyy

Gay Colorado Resources

Toronto Gay Nightlife – The Nomadic Boys

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BLOG - Toronto Gay Nightlife - tnThe Nomadic Boys

Diverse, exciting, buzzing and…best ass?

Yup, that’s actually a thing in the Toronto gay scene! Over at Woody’s gay bar, every Friday evening, they host the “best ass” competition!

Butts aside, the gay scene of Toronto truly has something for everyone. The city is home to Canada’s largest LGBTQ community and welcomes visitors from all walks of life.

Just like the gay scene of Montreal, the gay village of Toronto is huge. It is located at the intersection of Church and Wellesley Streets, hence its nickname: the “Church and Wellesley Village”, or just “The Village”…or, “ya’ll wanna go out in Church later?”. This is where the majority of the best gay bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes and clothing stores can be found.

Toronto’s Gay Village is also ground zero for the annual Toronto Pride week every June, which is one of the largest Pride events in the world. Whether you come to the Toronto gay village in the deep winter or summer, there’s always a buzz in the air, which is why we love it.

In this guide, we’ve put together our list of favourite Toronto gay nightlife – gay bars and clubs in Toronto. Also, be sure to watch our vlog about the gay scene of Toronto above.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Toronto Gay Travel Resources

The Hiking Trails of Ontario’s Darlington Provincial Park – Out With Ryan

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BLOG - The Hiking Trails of Ontario's Darlington Provincial Park - Out With Ryan

If you’re looking to do some hiking near Toronto, the hiking trails of Darlington Provincial Park are the best place to get outdoors this winter. Located just off Highway 401, and a few minutes from Oshawa, Darlington Park is a lovely winter destination to visit for the day.

I surprised my boyfriend to a little day trip to Darlington to experience the beautiful Canadian wilderness and wanted to point out the highlights from our trip & why we’d definitely come back!

If you ever get a snowy day, definitely bring your snowshoes to the hiking trails of Darlington Provincial Park! We brought snowshoes, but due to the warm weather we had in January, we only got to use them for a little bit.

By Ryan – Full Story at Out With Ryan

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Victoria for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

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Victoria for Gay Families - 2TravelDads

Victoria BC is our go-to destination for fun and easy weekend trips around the holidays and in spring when the weather is getting nice. Yes, we go to Victoria often, but it’s because we love it so much! We’ve figured out our top favorite activities and tips for visiting Victoria with kids and get ready, because we’ve got 18+ things for you to do to have an unforgettable trip.

Victoria for Gay Families – Locale

Victoria BC is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, just north of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and just west of Vancouver, BC. It’s a fairly large city and is situated on a harbor, the Inner Harbour, and then stretches out to its suburbs of Saanich, Sidney, and Sooke. Getting there is fairly easy and doable on nearly any budget.

We have written about Victoria before and have a lot of details around transportation to the city here, in our article highlighting a great 3 Day Victoria itinerary. Here’s a recap though and top tips for getting to Victoria with kids. By ferry, you can depart for Vancouver Island from either Vancouver (Tsawwassen terminal) or Port Angeles. Both sailings are approximately 1.5 hours so which you choose depends on your starting point, travel schedule and budget. Check out the map to see which makes sense for you. You can also take the passenger-only Victoria Clipper from Seattle, which is a great option for those adding Victoria with kids to their family trip to Washington.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Victoria Gay Travel Resources

Victoria’s Royal BC Museum – 2TravelDads

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Victoria's Royal BC Museum - 2TravelDads

There are very few museums that we’ve gone back to several times, but the Royal BC Museum in Victoria is one of them. Located just off the Inner Harbour, it’s an easy addition to a Victoria BC weekend getaway or even just a day trip. And the Royal BC Museum with kids is wonderful too. This is both our review and our guide to the museum and should answer any questions you’ve got about planning a visit.

Getting to the Royal BC Museum

Victoria is an easy place to get to, either from Seattle, the Olympic Peninsula or Vancouver. Living in the Seattle area, the Victoria Clipper is a great option for us. Catching the Clipper from Pier 66, there is overnight parking nearby or it’s a short Lyft ride from anywhere in the downtown area. The ride from Seattle to Victoria is a little less than three hours, and riding the Clipper is really relaxing. It’s a great way to start a Victoria weekend getaway.

Other options for getting to Victoria include the Blackball Coho ferry from Port Angeles, WA; Washington State Ferries to Sidney from Anacortes, WA; BC Ferries from Tsawwassen, BC to Sidney; or the V2V boat from Vancouver, BC (seasonal).

Depending on your overall travel plan, any of these can be booked on relatively short notice and at a variety of price points. Also, seaplane flights from Seattle’s Lake Union or Vancouver’s waterfront are available, but at a much higher cost.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Victoria Gay Travel Resources