gay travel

Leavenworth, Washington – 2TravelDads

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We get a lot of questions about the best things to do in Leavenworth, Washington, as it’s kind of a mystery to people who haven’t grown up here. Leavenworth is the perfect destination for enjoying the mild PNW summers in the mountains, the beautiful snowy season along the Wenatchee River, and for getting your Oktoberfest on in the fall. There are countless things to do in any season, but this is the ONLY guide you’ll ever need for planning an amazing trip

Leavenworth, WA is a top destination for Seattleites and people visiting the Pacific Northwest.  There are lots of reasons to love it and even more for why you should visit, so we’ll help you find one that suits yours or your family’s travel style. These are the best things to do in Leavenworth in every season.

LEAVENWORTH’S HISTORY (REAL QUICK!)

It’s cute.  It’s quaint.  It’s manufactured.  Huh?  Yep!  There’s a great story behind the small Bavarian village at the foot of the Cascade Mountains.  

Once upon a time, Leavenworth, WA was a logging town that was failing.  As the jobs left and economy fell, the town hired a PR firm to save it from turning into a ghost town.  They all worked together, refaced most of the buildings with stereotypical Bavarian façades, added lots of fun character touches, changed many business approaches and created a new destination:  Little Bavaria.  It’s amazing.  The town is adorable and had you not known the history, you might think that it was historically an actual Bavarian settlement.  

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Eastern Slope Gay Travel Resources

Gay Bucharest – The Nomadic Boys

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Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, is one of Europe’s hidden gems. It’s a fantastic city to explore – safe, with a rich history, many excellent bars, restaurants, a bustling Old Town and even a (small) gay scene. This is a big deal for an Eastern European country like Romania where LGBTQ rights are sadly lagging behind the rest of Europe.

Bucharest is also very inexpensive compared to other European capitals, and easy to reach with all major budget airlines across Europe. Score!

We used Bucharest as our base to explore Romania – a stunning country, with some impressive mountain scenery in Transylvania in the north and even a beach in the Black Sea at Constantia in the south. Bucharest is located right in the middle of the country with the best connections to all other parts of Romania. It’s also a super fun place to go out, whether in the vibrant nightlife of the Old Town of gay Bucharest or to one of the many gay and gay friendly places we set out in this guide.

This is our comprehensive gay guide to Bucharest from our personal experience and recommendations from friends with our favourite gay friendly hotels to stay, the gay bars/clubs, events, things to do and more.

Is Gay Bucharest Safe for LGBTQ Travelers?

Romania is generally not regarded as a gay-friendly country, but that is changing! As with much of East Europe, homosexuality is a massive taboo in society, which can get you into a lot of trouble if you shout out loud about it. On the plus side, however, as part of its ascension to the EU in 2007, Romania was forced to adopt an array of anti-discrimination laws, particularly in relation to hate crime and hate speech. Laws to recognise civil unions are being discussed and the right to change legal gender was introduced as far back as 1996. And thankfully, in a 2018 referendum, Romanians voted against banning same-sex marriage!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Anchor House B&B – Gay Friendly Bed & Breakfast in Dublin, Ireland

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Anchor House B&B

Anchor House B&B – ONE OF DUBLIN’S MOST CHARMING B&BS

The Anchor House B&B Dublin is regarded as one of Dublin’s most charming City Centre Bed & Breakfasts.

This former 1790’s home is located within a few minutes walk of Dublin’s popular tourist attractions, which include Temple Bar, Grafton Street, Henry Street, Trinity College, The O2, Dublin Convention Centre, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Guinness Storehouse, Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, Croke Park Stadium, & the Aviva Stadium on Landsdowne Road.

The Anchor House B&B is perfectly situated in the city centre, 200 metres from The Central Bus Station Tram Stop, to the rear of Gandon’s Custom House.

See the Anchor House B&B Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

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

Berlin’s Reichstag Dome – Keep Calm and Wander

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Reichstag Dome - Keep Calm and Wander

The Reichstag Dome in Berlin is a symbol of the unifying force of what used to be the East and West Berlin. The glass dome is above the Reichstag Building that houses the German Parliament. If you are standing in front of the building, you might think it’s just another dome in Europe. But, hey, it’s not one of those domes! This one is, believe me, one you’ll never forget too soon. You’ll forget about other places you’ve visited in the city but this. This tourist attraction in Berlin is just a few steps north of Brandenburg Tor.

Book Your Visit to the Reichstag Dome

It is recommended to book your visit here, especially in summer. If you’re lazy to do it online, you can always line up at the reservation booth on the right side of the building. If you’re lucky, you might get in on the same day, if there are available time slots. However, you’ll probably get the next-day reservation. You can visit it from 8:00 in the morning until midnight – with the last admission at 10:00 in the evening. Bring your passport – and oh, it’s free!

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Berlin Gay Travel Resources

Barcelona Gay Shopping – The Nomadic Boys

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If you go to a city like Barcelona and don’t overdo it with shopping, did you even really go on holiday? We sometimes bring an extra suitcase with us just so we can fill it up with all the new clothes, art pieces and *cough* toys we find along the way!

The Barcelona gay shopping scene is fantastic for gay shops, with loads of different options. Whether you want to buy new speedos, harnesses, a few tank tops, or just something for a quick jerk-off(!), there’s always plenty to discover.

Sure, sex shops can seem quite intimidating from the outside, but hey, we’re all human. We all have desires, and these places are committed to helping you fulfil them. So shop til you drop using our guide to the best gay shops in Barcelona.

Gaixample, Heart of the Barcelona Gay Shopping Scene

The gay village of Barcelona is located in the large residential Eixample neighbourhood, bordered by the following streets: Carrer de Balmes, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Carrer del Comte d’Urgell and Carrer d’Aragó. This section of Eixample is nicknamed, “Gaixample” (pronounced “gai-sham-ple”). Read more about the gay scene in our comprehensive gay guide to Barcelona.

To get our bearings, we always look for the main Axel Hotel which is right in the heart of Gaixample, then work things out from there. Most of the shops in this guide are located in and around Gaixample. You could also orientate yourself on one of these gay tours of Barcelona!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Canterbury Inn – Gay Friendly Hotel in Ocean Shores, Washington

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BEST CONDO-STYLE BEACH HOTEL

The Canterbury Inn is a condominium style hotel located along Washington’s Pacific Coast.

Voted one of the best vacation getaways in Washington, Ocean Shores offers six miles of sandy beach, 23 miles of interconnecting fresh water canals and a quaint beach town to shop and explore.

The ocean is the big draw, no matter the season. Visitors enjoy beach combing, horseback riding, clamming, kite flying or just watching the sunset over the Pacific. Our fresh water canals provide the perfect spot to kayak, water ski, and fish, to bike around and they even come into play on the golf course.

Our units range in size from studios to two bedrooms and each are individually decorated. Each features living room areas, flat screen TVs, and kitchens — most have fireplaces too.

See the Canterbury Inn Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Olympic Peninsula Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands – Out With Ryan

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Fall breeze. autumn leaves and pure Canadian wilderness. This is exactly what you’ll discover when you go canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands this season. This provincial park is the ideal place to re-connect with mother nature in any season, but especially in fall and late-summer; the most beautiful time to explore Canada, in my opinion.

Not only was this my first canoe trip in the Kawartha Highlands but also my first overnight canoe trip ever!

I learned so much from my 2 nights and 3 days canoeing, portaging (which I thought at first was a fancy word similar to apres-ski) and camping my way around the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, specifically the Serpentine Lake Loop.

Canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands

My good friend Chris Mitchell invited me and a group of our travel blogger friends on a camping trip where we all experienced canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands together, and oh boy, this oasis didn’t disappoint.

We have a saying in the LGBT+ community: There are friends. And there’s family. Then, there are friends who become family. This trip is where my travel blogger friends, Chris, Kimberly, Kathryn, and Kevin became family.

Full Story at Out With Ryan

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Gay Saigon – The Nomadic Boys

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“Guys, just follow my lead and slowly cross the road with me: the cars and motorbikes will just weave their way around you…”

…so said our friend Quan who showed us how to navigate the crazy traffic of the streets of Saigon. Honestly, you’ve not been to Saigon until you’ve tried to cross over one of the main roads or taken a scooter ride through the busy jungle of moving vehicles; it’s something you won’t forget in a hurry!

Saigon is a lot of fun. It’s busy, frenetic, has super feisty locals, manic traffic and delicious street food. The gay scene is also pretty good, with a large LGBTQ community of both expats and locals.

This is one place we quickly fell in love with and know you will too! It’s definitely a must for LGBTQ travellers visiting South East Asia and we’ve got you covered in our comprehensive gay travel guide right here.

What’s the difference between Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City?

So we hear you asking, what’s the actual difference between Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City? Is it the same place?

Short answer – yes! The city has actually gone by many different names in its long and complicated history, reflecting different groups that have controlled it through the years. It was named “Gia Din” until the French conquest of the 1860s, when it was named Sài Gòn – and westernized to be “Saigon”. After the ‘Fall of Saigon‘ at the end of the Vietnam war, the city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honour of the late North Vietnamese president, Mr Ho Chi Minh.

Nowadays the name Saigon is still used to refer to the city centre around District 1, while Ho Chi Minh City generally means the entire modern city with all its districts. But don’t be surprised to still find places (especially hotels) named after Saigon as people often use the names interchangeably.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Saigon Gay Travel Resources

Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn

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Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn

PRIVATE B&B COTTAGES IN EUREKA SPRINGS

The Rock Cottage Gardens Bed and Breakfast Inn, including a small wedding chapel and 5 private cottages, is a uniquely historic Eureka Springs landmark with a Thomas Kincade-like rock cottages.

The mainhouse residence is complete with formal living and dining gathering rooms for guest enjoyment and 5 individual private cottages, each with 2 person Jacuzzis, dedicated flat off-street courtyard guest parking, surrounded by 6 lovely garden areas with a fountain pond on 0.6 acres providing a peaceful setting for guest relaxation. Our location is a comfortable 10 minute walk to downtown Eureka Springs shopping, art galleries and restaurant venues.

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

The Stephansdom Cathedral in Vienna – Keep Calm and Wander

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The Stephansdom in Vienna is, perhaps, the most-visited of all tourist attractions in the city. Apart from its towering Gothic tower, its multi-colored roof tiles are ones that you will recognize instantly. When I asked a friend who lives there now on where I can take a photo with my rainbow wig, she didn’t blink an eye to highly recommend this Cathedral. And being an obedient friend, I went there early morning to avoid the crowd. 

The Stephansdom cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Vienna. For visitors, they call it St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

As you can see from its facade, the Cathedral is obviously of a Gothic architectural style. 

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Austria Gay Travel Resources