Announcing the 2009 TripOut Gay Travel Awards

Attention travelers: Big news! TripOut Gay Travel is launching its first ever annual TripOut Gay Travel Awards, and you get to pick the winners! Check out all the nominees and vote now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip Out Gay Travel

Greater Fort Lauderdale Receives Gay Travel Honors

September 5, 2009

Known as one of the country’s top LGBT travel destinations, Greater Fort Lauderdale earned two honors from Logo’s first ever “TripOut Gay Travel Awards.” Richard Gray, gay liaison to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and owner of Richard Gray Consulting, received “The Gay+ Award for Achievement in Making Our World Gayer.” Fort Lauderdale was also nominated as the “Sexiest Place on Earth,” which will be voted on by the website’s readers.

Cherry Grrl

Gay Travel in Santa Fe

Our streets are narrow, our minds are not.

It doesn’t take long to feel at home in the City Different. For centuries, Santa Fe has opened its arms to travelers with diverse interests and different backgrounds. All in search of discovery wonder and adventure.

To visit Santa Fe is to step into an enchanting world where natural and man-made beauty converge in a symphony of visual and sensual stimulation unique to New Mexico. The city specifically caters to gay and lesbian travelers, both couples and singles, with a wide spectrum of activities and destinations.

Gay Travel in Santa Fe

Trip Out Gay Travel Awards

Which are the greatest gay places on earth? The best hotels? The sexiest getaways? We need you to vote and let us know! The first-ever TripOut Gay Travel Awards are celebrating the people, parties and places that make our big gay world spin. It's about honoring the destinations you love, and acknowledging those who work hard to welcome our community. Have a look at our carefully selected nominees and then cast your vote!

Trip Out Gay Travel

Harrah's … a gay friendly destination

 

ATLANTIC CITY - Harrah's marketing strategy is coming out of the closet.

The world's largest casino company will begin courting gay and lesbian travelers in hopes of attracting new customers to a market decimated by the recession and competition from Pennsylvania slot parlors.

The push to establish Atlantic City as a "gay friendly" town not only underscores the need to expand the customer base, but also reflects a shift in the cultural landscape, said Jennifer Weissman, regional vice president of marketing for Harrah's Entertainment Inc.

"We believe our customer base comes from all cultures, all sexual orientations and all backgrounds. We really believe that our customers will embrace this," she said.

Harrah's has been catering to gay and lesbian travelers at its Las Vegas casinos for a few years, but will launch a similar campaign in the country's second-largest gambling market with an "Out in Atlantic City" weekend of partying Sept. 25-27. The event, expected to draw more than 1,000 people, will bring some of the best-known names in the gay and lesbian entertainment scene to the Harrah's casinos.

pressofAtlanticCity.com

MileHighGayGuy: Cast your vote in the TripOut Gay Travel Awards

Which are the greatest gay places on earth? The best hotels? The sexiest getaways? The nominees for the first-ever TripOut Gay Travel Awards have been announced and they are proudly celebrating the people, parties and places that make our big gay world spin.

 Cast your vote now!

MileHighGayGuy

The 60 Greatest Gay Bars in the World

Photos: Art Directed by Jason Rodgers

The 60 Greatest Gay Bars In The World
From Provincetown to Prague, we travel the globe to give you the ultimate guide to gay bars.

Out.com Exclusives | The 60 Greatest Gay Bars in the World

Travel 101: What are the gay-friendliest hotels in Miami's South Beach?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miami’s South Beach boasts a slew of hotels that are not only friendly to the LGBT lifestyle, but there are those that specifically cater to the demographic. In South Beach, as with most other hot spots, location, location, location is  key. Situated near the gay beach or sizzling nightlife, a hotel’s locale is as important as the sun and scenery. 
Oyster.com found the stand-out hotels that cater to the gay community. Here they are in ascending order:
The Raleigh Hotel
The Raleigh (pictured at left) is sibling to The Standard, has a popular gay pool scene and is accessible from The Standard by a shuttle. Its iconic saltwater pool has a five-foot waterfall and draws in-the-know young adults.
The Albion
The Albion is steps from the gay scene on Lincoln Road Mall and home to the gay dance club Score -- a South Beach mainstay. Gay-friendly Lincoln Road businesses Van Dyke Cafe, Kiehl's Since 1851, and Diesel, all hosted events for the 2009 Winter Party, a week-long gay festival that takes place each year.
The Standard Miami
The Standard, a sashay across the street from the gay portion of South Beach, is part of the gay hub on Ocean Drive. Miami.com named its pool scene as popular with the gay crowd and a good place for celeb spotting. The pool isn't just for guests: Passes can be purchased for $50 on weekends or $40 on weekdays.  

Hotel Victor
Hotel Victor is at the intersection of 12th St. and Ocean Drive -- directly across the street from the gay portion of beach, and easily identifiable by rainbow flags near the chairs. The hotel's sexy, clothing-optional Turkish hammam draws  exhibitionists of all ilks. Across the street to the north of the hotel is the gay cafe and bar The Palace (motto: Every queen needs a palace"), which hosts a weekly drag cabaret show.

Gansevoort South
The David Barton Gym, all Moroccan decor, club music and mood lighting,  is a popular place to see and be seen for both gay and straight exercisers.  To cool down after a workout, head upstairs to the largest rooftop lounge in the country, with a long, narrow pool for flaunting and swimming.

Number 1: Doubletree Surfcomber
The Doubletree Surfcomber,  host to some of the area's significant gay events, is ranked Miami's gay-friendliest hotel. It was the official host hotel for the 2009 Winter Party -- a week-long gay festival -- as well as for the 2009 lesbian Aqua girl party.  The hotel's heated pool with a waterfall is a guest fave.

Just for the record, the rankings weren't voted upon by anonymous or questionable sources. Oyster Hotel Reviews (Oyster.com) is the first and only company dedicated to publishing thorough, independent, professional hotel reviews coupled with thousands of undoctored hotel photos. Oyster.com adheres to the highest editorial standards; it does not accept compensation or incentives from hotels, and pays for all travel expenses. Hotels cannot pay to be reviewed by Oyster.com nor can they influence Oyster.com reviews in any way.

Travel 101: What are the gay-friendliest hotels in Miami's South Beach?

Did you stay or did you go?

Show us Your Summer Trip

oceanUP

Despite the economy or maybe even because of it, many gays and lesbians are still taking well-deserved summer vacations.  With airfare and hotel prices at an all-time low and with some of you already on post-layoff "staycations," while searching for your next job, many of you have decided to seize that free time on your hands to show off your summer-ready bodies on a romantic cruise, a tropical island getaway, or on a whirlwind tour of European Pride festivals. Or maybe you and your posse opted for a road trip across the country. 

Gay.com's Travel Blog

Who’s #1?

Come See Why Arlington, Texas Was Named #1 Sports City by Men's Health Magazine

ARLINGTON, Texas, July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Rightfully so, Men's Health Magazine has named Arlington, Texas the #1 sports-obsessed city in the United States! Other cities and their rankings are listed in the July/August edition of Men's Health.

Arlington, Texas

What's Gay in Your Town?

Who is this man, and what's his gay life like?  Wouldn't you be curious to find out?  I sure would...

Our new Reader's Guide's are catching on, and it's no wonder -- whether you realize it or not, you're likely living a gay life that thousands of others would find interesting.

For instance, Justin may not think he lives an interesting gay life in Omaha Nebraska, and Jeffrey may think his daily routine in Northfield, NJ pales in comparison to SF, the "gay mecca" of the world.  But I think they're wrong.   

If you're still not convinced the gay life you're living in America is insteresting, take 5 minutes right now to check out our Reader's Guide Gallery.

See?  I bet you can shed the same kind of interesting take on gay life in your town as did Nicholas, Timm, Bob, Will and all the other "regular" gay men who submitted Reader's Guides.

Even gay celebs have gotten into this.  Lady GaGa, Perez Hilton and Sandra Bernhard are just a few of the gay stars who've given us private tours of gay lives in their towns -- and it's fun.  You can read them here.

So enough prodding!  If you're now ready to tell us about your gay town and be featured on our sites, the next part is as easy as it is fun. Just answer as many or as few of the questions below, and do try to be as concise as possible.  When you're done, email your answers -- as well as 2-3 (or more) photos of yourself -- to letterstotheeditor@planetoutinc.com.  Also -- don't feel limited to submitting just one Reader's Guide.  If you've lived in a lot of places, feel free to submit Reader's Guides on additional  destinations -- just make sure you submit them separately. (If you're a member of Gay.com, include your member name).

PlanetOut Travel

Three 2014 Gay Games bids

Jul 21st, 2009 by Jim Buzinski

Brian Thornton of Spangle, a gay magazine in Cleveland, has done a great job in analyzing the three bidding cities for the 2014 Gay Games — Boston, Cleveland and Washington DC. The winner will be chosen in September and Thornton’s conclusion is that it’s wide open. He also offers advice to all three bidding cities:

Boston: Prove your city is welcoming, and not unfriendly as is sometimes perceived outside the region. Prove your games can be affordable to all. Prove your focus is on athletics (there are a lot of ancillary things planned in your bid).

Cleveland: Prove you have the infrastructure (both people and resources) to pull this off. Prove the location will be a draw to actually get participants to care about coming. Prove the region’s dismal economy can support the funding you need.

D.C.: Prove your plan will get things done on time. (For instance, not hiring a development director until 2011? That seems late.) Prove your venues are not too spread out with the notorious D.C. traffic and metro system. Prove you can be affordable.

Outsports

GPS: Gay Positioning System

Out Traveler G.P.S offers dispatches from the ever-expanding field of gay and lesbian travel -- as soon as we know, you know. Check back frequently for updates, insider information, advice, and offers brought to you by our ever-roving band of gay travel experts and by readers just like you.

OutTraveler.com Editor in Chief Ed Salvato and his team travel the world for you. Occasionally we miss something. If you don’t see your favorite destination, tip or deal featured here, tell us about it!

Click on these icons to follow us on facebook or twitter or to receive GPS as an RSS feed.

The Out Traveler G.P.S.*

These “When in...” guides are awesome

  
AN OUTTRAVELER.COM EXCLUSIVE

When in...San Diego
Beaches, bonobos and gay bars galore, San Diego still shines (year-round at 70-degrees!) despite the passing of California's Proposition 8.

OutTraveler.com

Gay Couch Surfing and Hospitality Home Exchange

Would you like to make friends from all around the world right in your own home or when you travel?
Would you like to see a place from the locals' perspective when you travel?
Would you like to save money on accommodation during your vacations?
You may have heard of home exchanges and couch surfing. This is along those lines.  A hospitality exchange! 

NEW GAY TRAVEL GUIDE

Road Trip Rules

 

Lose the Junk in the Trunk
As long as you can secure them, put the heaviest items in the backseat for better balance, says Tim O'Neil, owner of Team O'Neil Rally School in Dalton, New Hampshire.

Forget Your Schedule
Trips usually take 10 to 15 percent longer than planned, says Leon James, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii and the author of Road Rage and Aggressive Driving. Accept this before you travel.

Put Down the Corn Nuts
Keep your blood-sugar levels under control by eating fiber-rich apples and pears, says Monique Ryan, R.D., author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes.

Don't Sip for a Buzz
The caffeine in soda or coffee can over stimulate—causing you to crash (perhaps literally) later on. Drink water instead.

Stretch When You Stop
Grab a pole about waist high and stand with your feet 18 inches away. Bring your head between your arms to stretch your upper back. Hold for 20 seconds, says Frank Fischetti, personal trainer for NASCAR driver Mark Martin. Next, stand on one leg. Once you're stable, reach down and touch your toes, with the raised leg going up and straight back behind you. Do 20 to keep your hamstrings and lower back loose. Switch sides and repeat.

Keep Your Focus
Glance at a road sign. Do your eyes focus quickly? If not, it's time to rest, O'Neil says. And remember: Even if your eyes (and bladder) don't need it, pull over at least every 3 hours.

Exit the Sandman
Even Metallica can eventually make you drowsy. The key is mixing up the music you listen to. Check radio-locator.com before you leave so you'll know what's on.

MH Weekend