Nasi Goreng, Indonesia’s Signature Dish – Everything to Sea

Nasi Goreng - Pixabay

In 2018, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism declared fried rice – better known as nasi goreng – as one of the five national dishes alongside the likes of gado-gado (assorted vegetables coated in peanut sauce) and soto (traditional soup composed of an assortment of meat and vegetables).

What’s interesting about these choices is that they share a similar trait, which is their malleability. Although there’s a universal definition or understanding of each dish, their serving or presentation may differ from each Indonesian region to the next; gado-gado, for instance, may transform into lotek, karedok or pecel in other regions, all of which essentially employ the similar principle in composition but perhaps contain slightly different ingredients.

What Is Nasi Goreng?

The same also applies to nasi goreng. Although not native to Indonesia – the origin of nasi goreng is often said to hearken back to China and the world-famous Chinese fried rice – the dish has become so iconic and singularly Indonesian thanks to its distinctly aromatic, earthy and smoky taste profile and most importantly, its versatility.

At present, there are roughly around 60 variations of the dish known across the archipelago, ranging from all-veggies to meat-heavy. Furthermore, there is no single defined recipe for it, as every fried rice dish with certain mixtures, additions, ingredients, and toppings could lead to another version. 

Full Story at Everything to Sea

Indonesia Gay Travel Resources

Hiking the Valley of Fire in Vegas – 2TravelDads

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

Gay Iceland – The Nomadic Boys

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

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

The World’s Best Gay Beaches – wolfyy

The world’s best gay beaches span the globe, and some might not be in the places you’d expect! The list below includes all sorts of gay beaches, from the most popular and densely packed party spots near the biggest international gay destinations to lesser-known and secluded hangouts that only locals know about.

Ipanema – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

There’s no doubt that the gay beach in Rio de Janeiro’s hotspot of Ipanema is the world’s most talked-about gay beach. Tons of sexy Brazilian men (along with the tourists) are always taking photos with the iconic Dois Irmaos (Two Brothers) mountains in the backdrop.

gay beach in rio

The exact center of Rio’s gay beach is between Posto 8 and Posto 9. You can’t miss the enormous crowd of gay men!

Will Rogers Gay Beach – Los Angeles

Will Rogers is the most popular gay beach in greater Los Angeles. It’s another one of the most well-known gay beaches, at least among Americans. The gay area of Will Rogers is near lifeguard tower 18, There’s so much to do here, from playing volleyball (or watching other guys play volleyball) to drooling over the gorgeous lifeguards.

The Will Rogers gay beach is informally known as “Ginger Rogers Beach” and has a ton of history. The LGBT crowd has been coming here since the 40s!

See The Full List

Coastal Spanish cities, Italian islands, the coast of Croatia, all the best gay beaches in the United States and dozens more are all on wolfyy’s ultimate guide to gay beaches worldwide.

Discover all the Best Gay Beaches Around the World on wolfyy

More by wolfyy on Purple Roofs

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

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

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

Banff Ecotours for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

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

Affordable Florida Keys for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

Affordable Florida Keys for Gay Families - 2TravelDads

After several trips to the Florida Keys the biggest question we get is how to visit the Florida Keys for cheap. “What’s an affordable hotel in Key West?” or “What key should we stay on for cheap?” Here’s a plan for an affordable Florida Keys vacation that is budget friendly and also tons of fun.

If we’re missing a topic or don’t answer your question in this post about doing an inexpensive Florida Keys trip, send me a note and I’ll get you set up with the best budget information possible.

Whenever you budget for any vacation, you have to keep four things in mind:

  • Transportation – flights / rental car / gas
  • Hotels – lodging / vacation rental / resort
  • Food – 3 meals a day and snacks
  • Activities – cheap things to do are great, but big ticket fun is also nice

We tend to set a lump sum budget before we dedicate to our destination, and then if we can make our ideal vacation destination work we will fit it to our budget. The Florida Keys budget is an example of setting a total amount and then tailoring your plan to fit it.

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Full Story at 2TravelDads

LOCATION Gay Travel Resources

Things to Do Near Glacier National Park for Gay Families – 2TravelDads

Great Things to Do Near Glacier National Park for Gay Families - 2TravelDads

Visiting Glacier National Park for gay families means hiking and wildlife, but it also means crowds in the peak of summer. Here are a bunch of easy things to do near the park, some that go into the park and some that are in the general vicinity, that are fun and beautiful. Also, these activities are good in spring, summer or fall!

What to Do Around Glacier National Park for Gay Families

Montana is one of the largest states in the USA and it’s crazy diverse. It’s Big Sky Country, for sure, but it’s also big mountain country and ridiculously still lake country and ride-a-horse-through-the-woods country. Basically, Montana is everything you could hope for except the beach. Flathead and Glacier Counties of Montana have all of this and more, and they encompass the entire area around Glacier National Park, so you know you’re set to experience so much.

We’ve always felt like this gem is a bit overlooked within the National Park Service. Not that it doesn’t get tons of visitors already, but just that Yellowstone and Yosemite really get the spotlight. Glacier NPS and the surrounding area are really beautiful and incredible, particularly when visiting with kids. When was the last time you immersed yourself or your family in… beauty and relaxation?

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Montana Gay Travel Resources