Cruises have always been a popular gay vacation option for those whose idea of a good time is all-night parties and island excursions. But with RSVP Vacations, specializing in all-gay vacations, and Cunard Line teaming up to offer the first transatlantic all gay and lesbian cruise this summer, gay cruises can also be elegant experiences with an emphasis on culture.

RSVP's charter of Cunard's Queen Mary 2 leaves New York on May 29 and docks in Southampton, England, on June 4.

“RSVP is always about pioneering and doing new things,” says Jefferson Coombs, vice president of sales and marketing at RSVP. “It's the first time a gay group has discussed doing som ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2007/4-27/arts/travel/10488.cfm Fri, 27 Apr 2007 05:00:00 EST A trip to the Cali
Despite its conservative reputation, San Diego has much to offer gay visitors
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, January 19, 2007

My first visit to San Diego came, unfortunately, during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Staying in town for a work-related conference, I spent the majority of my time worrying about family and friends on the East Coast and struggling to get back home to Washington, D.C., — an epic adventure of its own. So it was wonderful to get a second, less stressful, chance to discover what this seaside southern California city is all about.

San Diego has a reputation for being a conservative city. It neighbors the politically conservative Orange County and is home to a large portion of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet as well as one of the nation's two Marine training bases. About on ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2007/1-19/arts/travel/travel.cfm Fri, 19 Jan 2007 05:00:00 EST Photo Pages
Gay Games VII
By
Friday, July 28, 2006

 
After a week of competition, Gay Games VII came to a rousing finish in Chicago on Saturday, July 22, with the closing ceremonies headlined by pop diva Cyndi Lauper.

About 12,000 athletes participated in the competition, 230 of whom were from D.C.

Members of Team D.C., the town's Gay Games delegation, took home more than 40 medals.

For full coverage see stories on the WashingtonBlade.com.

(Photos by Jay Willetts)

http://washblade.com/2006/7-28/arts/travel/gaygamespics.cfm Fri, 28 Jul 2006 05:00:00 EST DJs ready to rock N.Y. Pride
Tony Moran highlights weekend-long celebration
By TRAY BUTLE
Friday, June 16, 2006

Tony Moran is 10 minutes away from missing his flight, and he's worried. He answers his cell short of breath and long on aggravation, yet still manages to be polite as he promises to call back once he's on the ground.

It's a frantic weekend for the in-demand DJ/producer, with gigs in Arizona and California before returning home to New York, and days pass before we finally speak. When we do, Moran has a confession. “I'm actually not crazy about travel,” he says, “but I love people. I guess you could say I've had to learn to balance those two.” Which is to say, this consummate professional knows that the crowds he plays for hold him to a higher standard. He w ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/6-16/arts/travel/nypride.cfm Fri, 16 Jun 2006 05:00:00 EST A very gay paradise
For those who need a tropical vacation, Oahu is just the place
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, June 09, 2006

Hawaii is a leading travel destination, and for good reason. The chain of seven islands provides the best of urban and rural environments. Its ultra-relaxed and accepting culture makes it particularly hospitable for gay visitors.

Flanked by downtown Honolulu to its west and Diamond Head volcano to the east, with a mile of pristine beach between, Waikiki is the ideal location to discover Oahu's wealth of activities, dining, nightlife and accommodations. Oahu is the most frequented of Hawaii's islands — and home to its most visible gay scene.

Simply spending the day relaxing on Waikiki's beach is a popular daytime activity for visitors. At the eastern edge of Waikiki ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/6-9/arts/travel/oahu.cfm Fri, 9 Jun 2006 05:00:00 EST Florida's gay getaway
Fort Lauderdale draws diverse crowds of gay, lesbian travelers
By PHIL LAPADULA
Friday, June 09, 2006

Ever since Georgie's Alibi bar opened on April 3, 1997, the gay crowds have flocked to Wilton Manors, Fla., the hub of gay and lesbian life in the Fort Lauderdale region. Hurricane Wilma didn't even shut it down.

“We opened a few hours later that day,” recalled Alibi owner George Kessinger. The Alibi shipped in about 1,900 pounds of ice from its sister bar in St. Petersburg, Fla., and kept the party going with generators, candles and a boom box through the nearly two-week blackout of Wilton Manors that followed the storm last October. Alibi, whose restaurant serves lunch and dinner, is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 365 days a year, Kessinger said.

In fact, visito ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/6-9/arts/travel/getaway.cfm Fri, 9 Jun 2006 05:00:00 EST Photo Pages
Gay Days in Orlando
By
Friday, June 09, 2006

There were plenty of mouse ears and if the men were wearing shirts at all, they were red for the 16th annual Gay Days at Disney, the weekend of gay dance parties and events near Orlando, Fla., May 30 through June 4.  Organizers estimated attendance at 140,000 and the dance events, put on by Johnny Chisolm, featured top DJs and performances by disco legend Gloria Gaynor and dance diva Kristine W.   (Photos by Chris Crain)

http://washblade.com/2006/6-9/arts/travel/gaydays.cfm Fri, 9 Jun 2006 05:00:00 EST The world's hottest gay club
The venue, the energy, the music and the men make São Paulo's The Week unlike any club around
By CHRIS CRAIN
Friday, June 02, 2006

WHEN GAY TOURISTS think of Brazil, invariably one image comes to mind: Rio de Janeiro, that legendary home to blistering beaches, breathtaking mountain vistas and the even more breathtaking "boys from Ipanema." (Forget what you've heard about that girl who makes all the people go "aah." There's another version — "O Garoto de Ipanema" — about a boy who's "tall and tan and young and lovely.")

Give Rio it's due; there's no better way to ring in the New Year than with the fireworks of Copacabana, or to celebrate Mardi Gras than in the unforgettably colorful street parties of Carnaval.

But what about the other 50 weeks of th ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/6-2/arts/travel/brazil.cfm Fri, 2 Jun 2006 12:01:00 EST Thousands expected for Orlando's Gay Days
Disney party events consolidated; Christian protesters plan stunt to warn parents
By PHIL LAPADULA
Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Organizers of the 16th annual Gay Days at Disney—the popular name for a string of gay parties thrown by several groups in and around Disney World in Orlando, Fla.—are trying to end the feuding that has plagued the event in past years.

Last year, two similarly named organizations, GayDays.com and GayDay.com, offered competing events at the park and their own host hotels.

This year, the events are held from Tuesday, May 30, through Sunday, June 4, and there's only one host hotel, the Royal Plaza Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. GayDays.com will handle the events at the Disney parks and at the host hotel.

Takes two to tango
A gay American finds love in Buenos Aires thanks to its famous dance
By SHERMAN HUGHES
Friday, March 31, 2006

It takes two to tango and Buenos Aires is where I found my other half. Prior to my voyage down south at the age of 24, I had limited experience with true relationships. The casual ones that I did have were blatant signs that I was looking for love in all the wrong places. Determined to find love and my one true dance partner in life, I consistently found myself dancing alone to the same sad love songs.

Unsatisfied, as well as discontented with my career path, I longed for change. At the advice of a close friend, I packed my bags and moved to Argentina and entered a two-year master's program in international relations at the University of Belgrano.

The large murals decorating the walls of the Government Palace detail the evolution of Merida, Mexico, a vibrant city where people not only honor the past but value the present with music, art, entertainment and food.

Situated 200 miles west of Cancun, Merida shares a similar tropical climate but is nothing like the "Mexican Lite" resort destination. Merida is about experiencing the true richness and unhurried pleasures of Mexican life. It is situated on the Yucatan peninsula, which is in the eastern part of the country, bordered on the north by the Gulf of Mexico.

In recent years, an influx of expatriates and a thriving tou ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/3-31/arts/travel/yucatan.cfm Fri, 31 Mar 2006 05:00:00 EST Get the party started
Whether it's Dinah Shore weekend or a gay Alaskan cruise, spring arrives with an array of exciting travel opportunities near and far.
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, March 10, 2006

Many are itching to end their winter hibernation and do some spring traveling. Luckily for all of us, there are some wonderful travel opportunities available to suit nearly any taste.

Atlantis (www.atlantisevents.com) and Olivia (www.olivia.com), two of the biggest players in the gay travel industry, still have availability for their spring offerings.

The male-dominated Atlantis can have you sunbathing on a pristine white sand beach at an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, May 6 to 13; sailing by glaciers on an Alaskan cruise (via Vancouver), June 4 to 11; or coming face-to-face with lions on a safari through Kenya, June 11 to ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/3-10/arts/travel/trvl.cfm Fri, 10 Mar 2006 05:00:00 EST Key West bounces back after hurricane
MTV gets 'Real' in Key West
By
Friday, February 24, 2006

DESPITE SUSTAINING SOME minor damage from 2005's Hurricane Wilma and unfounded rumors of the city becoming less gay-friendly, you can rest assured that Key West, Fla. remains a top destination for gay travelers.

Located at the southernmost point of the United States, Key West mixes respectability and decadence as easily as limejuice mixes with tequila. Throughout the years, a variety of characters including pirates, artists, presidents and a large number of gays have made the journey to this island paradise in search of a life less ordinary-—-if only for a few days.

Heck, even MTV's "Real World" was drawn to Key West. ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/2-24/arts/travel/mtv.cfm Fri, 24 Feb 2006 05:00:00 EST Mardi Gras miracle
New Orleans' signature annual party emerges from the rubble of Katrina with a host of hot gay parties still intact
By
Friday, February 10, 2006

WHERE THERE HAS BEEN MUCH sorrow and misery, there soon will once again be music and revelry.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina leveled the Gulf Coast last August, few outsiders imagined that New Orleans could recover quickly enough to host this year's Mardi Gras.

But they underestimated the steel of Crescent City residents, says Ken Grandepre, general manager of Wood Enterprises, which operates several gay bars in New Orleans.

"The people of New Orleans are different than the people anywhere else — they have a strong will," Grandepre says. "Any true New Orleansian would've told you there was no ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/2-10/arts/travel/Trvl.cfm Fri, 10 Feb 2006 05:00:00 EST It's all downhill
There's still time to plan a gay ski trip this winter

By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, February 03, 2006

Even as temperatures are dropping outside, slopes across the country and around the globe are just heating up for gay skiers.

Many of the world's most popular ski destinations now regularly host events for gays and lesbians. And though the 2006 season has already started with Aspen's gay ski festival just a cool memory and Vail and Whistler's beginning their events this weekend, there is still plenty of time to satisfy that inner snow bunny.

So far, the biggest drama has been up at Canada's Whistler, whose gay ski event from Feb. 5-12 was cancelled and then rescheduled.

Out on the Slopes, the ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2006/2-3/arts/travel/ski.cfm Fri, 3 Feb 2006 05:00:00 EST Gays are high rollers on Vegas strip

By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, November 18, 2005

Las Vegas attracts more than 37 million annual visitors. A 2004 survey by Community Marketing, a San Francisco-based gay travel research and marketing firm, found it ranked second among destinations for gay travelers, behind New York and ahead of San Francisco.

There is no secret to Sin City's draw — grand casino resorts, amazing entertainment, world-class dining, abundant shopping and a 24/7 approach to life. Vegas is a town that doesn't care if you are straight, gay or from Mars. As long as your money is green and you wish to have fun, you will feel welcome.

Most visitors opt to stay on or near “the Strip,” a six-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2005/11-18/arts/travel/travel-vegas.cfm Fri, 18 Nov 2005 05:00:00 EST O.C. a must-see
Southern California's Dana Point and Laguna Beach offer gay visitors a scenic getaway with just enough nightlife options.
By Kevin Naff
Friday, September 23, 2005

DESPITE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S reputation as a conservative enclave within a decidedly “blue state,” Dana Point and Laguna Beach offer beautiful resorts, beaches and gay-friendly nightspots.

If your idea of a good time is a circuit party, then skip relatively sleepy O.C. and stick to the lively club scene in Los Angeles. But if your ideal vacation involves spa treatments, four-star dining and quiet strolls along the beach, then Orange County will not disappoint.

There is no shortage of pricey places to stay in the area, including the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and the spectacular St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa next door.

The upscale Montage resort ... ]]> http://washblade.com/2005/9-23/arts/travel/oc.cfm Fri, 23 Sep 2005 05:00:00 EST Paris of the South
Expect to be embraced in Asheville, N.C., a gay-friendly town filled with free spirits with their fair share of Southern charm.
By MONICA HESSE
Friday, June 17, 2005

ASHEVILLE, N.C., is a gay-friendly mountain town nestled in a valley of the Blue Ridge range, 120 miles west of Charlotte. It’s populated by free spirits and drifters who arrived by way of the Appalachian Trail and impulsively decided to stay for awhile.

With only about 70,000 residents, Asheville became a haven for artists, craftsmen and chefs with enough culture to acquire the nickname “The Paris of the South.” If that’s not enough of a reason to visit, two years ago Out magazine ranked it as the hottest small town in which to be gay.

Most of the city’s million-plus tourists include the popular Biltmore Estate (Cleveland rocks!
Often the butt of jokes, Cleveland surprises as a lively burgh with a bustling theater scene, gay community and restaurants to die for.
By TROY PETENBRINK
Friday, May 27, 2005

CLEVELAND IS A ROCKING though under-appreciated destination.