As we move gracefully from a mediocre spring into the depths of another volatile summer season filled with dread and uncertainty, one might ask oneself “are there any hotels / resorts / B&Bs / guest houses / ranches / etc in the U.S. where I can be surrounded exclusively by other queer women?” and the answer is “yes, there is one, it’s called The Highlands Inn and it’s in New Hampshire.”
But, if you’d asked that question a decade or two or three ago, the answer would’ve been, “Yes, SO MANY!” (Wanna know why? Check out the outro to this list at the end for some lesbian travel herstory and also the sources I used for this post!)
Ellie’s Nest Guest House // Key West, FL // 1980s
This is what the Ellie’s Nest building looks like now
In 1981, Ellie’s Nest was advertising itself in Gaia’s Guide as “Key West’s only guest house by and for women” (read: lesbians), owned by a lesbian couple named Martha and Judie. The property included tropical gardens, a pool, continental breakfast brought to your door and individually decorated rooms named after famous women like Gertrude Stein, Alice B Toklas, Georges Sand, Tallulah Bankhead and Patience and Sarah. A 1983 issue of The Empty Closet features a review of Ellie’s Nest, of which the author says “…the best Night life [in Key West] is right at Ellie’s Nest. Lounging by the pool in 76 degree temperatures, babbling with peers into the morning hours left us with some of our fondest memories of Key West.”