Gay Palm Springs – An Iconic Desert Oasis

Hans Smines
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Gay Palm Springs – An Iconic Desert Oasis

Palm Springs is an iconic desert town with numerous gay resorts

First “discovered” by Hollywood celebrities in the 1930’s, Palm Springs has long been a favorite travel destination for open-minded visitors. The oasis in the middle of the desert has drawn people from all over the world to this secluded paradise, and to the easy relaxed life style that always seems to be present.

With dozens of gay owned/ friendly hotels, Palm Springs is a true vacation paradise for gays and lesbian travelers. The Palm Springs area offers everything you could possibly want from an exotic getaway, within the limitations of being located in the middle of the desert.

Even though Palm Springs is an excellent party city, there are a few other things you just don’t want to miss.

With the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway you can get a spectacular trip up Mount San Jacinto. Gaze at the nine cities that make up the Greater Palm Springs area in the dramatic desert setting of the Coachella valley.

Ascending you’ll pass through five different climate zones, each with its own ecology. At the top of the mountain you will get an unbelievable view of the valleys spreading out on each side. This is the perfect starting point for a hiking trip down towards the city.

There are also several different ways to explore the desert itself. You may hike down one of the well-marked hiking trails or you could rent a horse to do the work for you. Whatever type of transportation you choose there will always be a very exciting night-life waiting for you downtown.

Related: Top 5 Gay Love Videos on YouTube

Once you hit the party scene in Palm Springs it’s quite obvious that you’re not in just another Small-Town-USA vacation spot. After all we’re talking about one of the big gay getaways in the US, and even though it may not be quite as cozy and charming as i.e. Key West, it definitely will make your visit worthwhile.

To escape the heat, head for the art, photography and glasswork at the Palm Springs Art Museum. It is always 75 degrees (23C), providing a welcome respite from the Palm Springs summer triple-digit temperatures.

The museum has been in its current building since 1974 but was founded in 1938 as the Palm Springs Desert Museum. The airy building, with 28 galleries, has work by Chagall, Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Antony Gormley and Ansel Adams. It also has two sculpture gardens that are well worth a visit.

Palm Springs is nown for its numerous gay resorts – some of them quite frisky – and for its fabolous (generally gay friendly) hotels.

The Santiago Resort is a private luxury resort located at the foot of the secluded San Jacinto Mountains. It’s clothing-optional with stunning mountain views and surrounded by native plants, cacti, and palm trees.

The walled in clothing-optional Triangle Inn is all about privacy and consists of just nine rooms, most equipped with a full kitchen and dining room. There’s also a four-bedroom house to rent for larger groups who want to be together under one roof.

The All Worlds Resort and Annex is the largest gay men’s clothing optional resort in Palm Springs. Located right in the middle of the historic Warm Sands District, it’s a massive compound that consists of two properties with five pools including a reflection pool, two hot tubs, cabanas, and even a volleyball court.

With a 3,000-square-foot spa and saline pools, the Jonathan Adler-designed Parker Palm Springs is pure luxury. Located on 13-acres of exquisitely manicured grounds, the hotel has clay tennis courts, petanque and croquet areas.

Related: Gay Houston – A Stylish Getaway

Gay Detroit – Motor City’s Big Comeback

Andrew Collins
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Gay Detroit – Motor City’s Big Comeback

The city is on a path to revitalization and you will get surprised by the vitality of Detroit’s lively gay nightlife scene

Detroit has done a terrific job in recent years remaking its image, which suffered terribly through the shaky economic times of the global financial crisis.

Word is gradually spreading that America’s 23rd largest city (population 670,000) rivals many of the nation’s top destinations when it comes to museums, the performing arts, and professional sports.

In the Midwest, only Chicago has a better-endowed cultural scene. And with hotel rates and restaurant prices lower than in other large U.S. cities, Detroit’s many strengths make it an excellent destination for a long weekend.

Even if you don’t come to museum-hop or attend the opera, consider Detroit’s lively gay nightlife scene. Visitors are often surprised by the vitality and the variety.

Racially, Detroit has one of the most integrated gay bar scenes in the country – not surprising since the city has a longstanding African-American heritage and the largest NAACP membership in America.

Detroit is also a big sports city, and bowling on Sundays is a weekly ritual for many in the gay community.

Going Downtown

Whatever your agenda, plan to spend some time exploring downtown.

Here the five shiny black cylindrical towers of the GM Renaissance Center have been a fixture of the city skyline since 1968. The complex’s 73-story main tower has an observation deck with commanding views.

Most of the rest of the building contains the upscale Detroit Marriott at Renaissance Center, whose handsomely furnished rooms offer panoramic views of the city – this is the place to stay if you’re seeking a great central location and a bit of glamour.

There are a handful of mid- to luxury-priced hotels in this neighborhood. The sleek Atheneum Suite Hotel is a particularly good option. This converted warehouse has spacious rooms that open around a central atrium; each suite is outfitted with a large sitting area, two TVs, and a marble bathroom (and, in many cases, a big hot tub).

It’s right by the city’s lively Greektown, whose commercial spine – Monroe Street – is lined with tavernas. You can also test your luck gambling inside the Greektown Casino.

Walk along downtown’s main drag, Woodward Avenue, and you’ll come upon a stellar theater district, a highlight of which is the 1927 Fox Theatre, a fantastically elaborate C. Howard Crane creation whose Arabian tent-inspired design incorporates Siamese, Byzantine, and Chinese elements.

Within walking distance is the Bonstelle Theatre, where Lily Tomlin got her start, and Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, home of the Detroit Symphony.

Also note the Detroit Opera House, which boasts one of the world’s largest stages, and the historic Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts.

Continue northwest to reach the Cultural Center district, which is flanked on the west by Wayne State University, where the local organization Preservation Wayne conducts walking tours of the neighborhood (also of the theater district, African-American historic sites, Eastern Market, the auto barons’ mansions, and other important Detroit areas).

The district’s top draw is the Detroit Institute of Arts, whose central foyer contains spectacular Depression-era frescoes by Diego Rivera. DIA is also home to the Detroit Film Theatre, which screens new, independent, and sometimes gay-themed films.

Related: Top 5 Gay Love Videos on YouTube

Just north is the Detroit Historical Museum, a highlight of which is the Costume History Collection, which contains some 30,000 garments and accessories.

The Motown Historical Museum is another area must-see, where you can learn about everybody from Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross to the Jackson 5 and the Four Tops.

There’s also a charming accommodation nearby, the historic Inn on Ferry Street, where history comes alive and old-world elegance blends with contemporary amenities in the heart of the Detroit city center..

Within Detroit’s city limits, you’ll find a handful of gay nightspots.

Venturing Up the Woodward Corridor

To get a full sense of everything metro Detroit has to offer, plan to spend some time venturing out of Detroit proper, as many worthy attractions – as well as the heart of the gay scene – lie outside downtown.

The first town you reach heading northwest along Woodward Avenue is Ferndale, a formerly working-class community that has developed cachet among young, forward-thinking professionals and artists in recent years, including quite a few gay folks.

Its main drag, West Nine Mile Road, has a bounty of cool boutiques, vintage clothiers, and home-furnishing shops.

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The next town up Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak is a bastion of hip restaurants and liberal counterculture. Offbeat boutiques, antiques shops, and tattoo parlors are clustered together downtown.

Woodward Avenue continues northwest through Birmingham, a tony and aesthetically more conservative community with a pleasant downtown filled with upscale shops and restaurants.

Next comes ritzy Bloomfield Hills, site of the Cranbrook Educational Community, a 315-acre campus with two prep schools, an acclaimed art and design museum, and the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art (a graduate university). Cranbrook earned international acclaim when Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen moved here in the 1920s to design the compound.

To Your East…

East of downtown is 1,000-acre Belle Isle, an urban retreat in the middle of the Detroit River, little more than a stone’s throw from Windsor, Ontario.

The park has a fine beach, the nation’s oldest freshwater aquarium, and good jogging, biking, and blading paths.

Back on Jefferson, continue east through Indian Village, where many of Detroit’s first industrial magnates built their homes. Along here, too, is historic Pewabic Pottery, one of only two potteries still in existence that were established as part of the Arts and Crafts movement in the early 20th century. You can take a tour or just browse the wares in the extensive gift shop.

Jefferson turns into Lake Shore Drive outside Detroit, and winds alongside Lake St. Clair through the five ultrawealthy Grosse Pointe communities.

Along this drive are the homes of numerous Dodges, Chryslers, Fords, and Fishers. Serene grounds surround the most remarkable of the auto barons homes, the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, which is a favorite for touring.

And Going West…

Head west from Detroit via I-75 to reach Dearborn, the heart of the city’s auto-manufacturing heritage.

Here you can tour the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, a truly fascinating 81-acre complex of historic homes and structures moved here from across the country, as well as an incomparable museum that traces the development of American technological innovation over the generations.

Related: Gay Houston – A Stylish Getaway

Gay Santa Barbara – Exuding Romance

Andrew Collins
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Gay Santa Barbara – Exuding Romance

Santa Barbara is ideal for stealing away with your significant other

Given Santa Barbara’s somewhat conservative, quietly affluent reputation, it surprises some people that the city has a sizable lesbian and gay community – there’s even a well-attended gay pride event – Pacific Pride – each August.

Of course, this is a blissful place to live or visit no matter your sexual orientation, so its popularity among gay folks shouldn’t shock anybody.

Although there’s very little in the way of gay nightlife, the region exudes romance – it’s ideal for stealing away with your significant other for a few days of carefree rest and relaxation. The stunning historic architecture, lush landscaping, and posh hotels are big draws, as are the gold-sand beaches, rugged mountains, and sunny year-round climate.

Some critics claim the area has lost its appeal because it’s become too “discovered,” especially the Wine Country of northern Santa Barbara County, which was immortalized in the movie Sideways.

But the city and the surrounding countryside still look spectacularly beautiful without feeling overly touristy or excessively developed, and the region remains stellar for great dining and wine-tasting, and hiking, biking, and exploring the outdoors.

As an added benefit, it’s less than a two-hour drive north of America’s second largest city, Los Angeles.

No visit to Santa Barbara is complete without a stroll along the waterfront, particularly around Stearns Wharf, which has several shops and restaurants.

A paved bike trail (also good for blading and jogging) runs along the shoreline, passing close by the Andree Clark Bird Refuge – a lagoon that draws more than 220 bird species – and the Santa Barbara Zoological Garden.

State Street is the city’s main commercial drag, a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare lined with shops and restaurants. Be sure to stop by the compact but reasonably impressive Santa Barbara Museum of Art, whose highlights include French Impressionist, German Expressionist, and regional American works, plus numerous antiquities.

Just a bit farther afield, nestled at the base of the Santa Ynez Foothills, the Santa Barbara Mission has one of the most dramatic exteriors of any in California.

You can walk through the church and amid lush grounds, which include a colorful rose garden. From here it’s a five-minute drive north to the fine Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and still a couple of miles north to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, the jewel of the city’s plethora of gardens and parks. Several miles of trails traverse this 60-acre tract of exquisite landscaping.

Everybody who visits Santa Barbara seems to talk about the glorious shopping and dining. Santa Barbarans, on the other hand, talk more about the outdoors.

There is much to see and do in the omnipresent mountains and rivers. Hiking, surfing, and kayaking are extremely popular pastimes, and the region has famously picturesque and tidy beaches. Just about any stretch of sand in the area is lively and fun, but the most popular spot for gays is Padaro Beach, off Padaro Lane in the village of Summerling.

Even if you haven’t seen the wine-obsessed movie Sideways, you may have heard by now that the small towns north of the city claim some of the nation’s best wineries.

Most of the action is in or around the communities of Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Buellton, and Solvang (which is also known for its somewhat kitschy Danish architecture, crafts shops, and restaurants), and you can easily spend a day – or several – touring the countryside and sampling vintages at area wineries.

Some favorite wineries in this region known for its pinot noirs, petite syrahs, and chardonnays are Firestone, Gainey, Lafond, and Sanford. For the best wine tours, check out TripAdvisor.

And after all that wine-tasting, it’s entirely appropriate to sample some of Santa Barbara’s exceptional cuisine. Bouchon serves superb Cal-inspired French fare in a romantic, warmly lighted downtown dining room. Feast on smoked and seared pear-glazed wild salmon with tarragon-and-vanilla-scented lentils, or Dijon-crusted rack of venison with port-fresh cherry demiglace.

Another great bet is the Wine Cask, a rarefied dining room set across a shaded courtyard from the esteemed Wine Cask Store. Diners sample fine pinot noirs and grigios alongside stellar regional American fare like red-and-yellow-watermelon salad with crispy prosciutto, Humbolt Fog goat cheese, baby greens, and a white balsamic reduction.

A popular spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with a light menu and a cheerful arbored terrace, Paradise Cafe serves omelets, soups, salads, and creative sandwiches.

The simply named Roy is one of the city’s great bargains, offering an inexpensive three-course prix-fixe of modern Californian and Italian dishes, such as grilled lamb chops glazed with honey and cumin.

The Natural Cafe and Juice Bar is a great spot for huge and healthful salads, tasty fish tacos, veggie burgers, and other great food – there’s also a nice selection of wines and microbrewed beers. The late doyenne of gourmet cooking Julia Child was a devotee of La Super-Rica Taqueria, an unprepossessing Mexican joint that serves excellent, if perhaps a bit overrated, steak tacos and the like.

Santa Barbara has some of the fanciest resorts and inns in Southern California, but also a wide array of simpler, less pricey properties. And although there are no gay-exclusive properties, a few have a strong “family” following. Among reasonably priced options, the Marina Beach Motel, a cheerful and attractive property right in the city’s lively harbor area, fits the bill and is quite gay-friendly.

One of the top guest houses along central California’s coast, the White Jasmine Inn (formerly called the Glenborough Inn) has a strong following among gays and lesbians. Rooms are in three neighboring houses, two of them Craftsman bungalows dating to the early 20th century and the third one an 1885 Victorian. Architectural details abound, from beveled glass and cross-cut oak beams to antique cherrywood armoires. Popular among Gay Pride Festival attendees, the Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara has fairly typical rooms with upscale furnishings, but the public areas of this imposing 1930s Spanish Mediterranean-inspired hotel are quite lavish. And the beach is right outside the door.

The city’s world-class resort is the Four Seasons Biltmore. You simply can’t beat the setting, on a green slope just steps away from the beach in the tony enclave of Montecito. And then there’s the swank, stylish, and gay-friendly Kimpton Canary Hotel, which is right in the heart of downtown, steps from great shopping and dining. An unabashedly romantic study in Mediterranean style, the 97-room property is crowned by a rooftop pool and terrace with an outdoor fireplace and panoramic views of downtown, the sea, and the mountains. There’s no better place to watch the sun fall over Santa Barbara, the soul of the American Riviera.

Gay Key West – The Original Gay Resort

Andrew Collins
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Gay Key West – The Original Gay Resort

This laid-back tropical island is the perfect gay getaway

Among famous gay resort towns, Key West has always stood out for its sheer embrace of total relaxation. This laid-back tropical island in the Caribbean, closer to Cuba than to mainland Florida, is without pretensions.

People rarely worry about what time it is, dress is casual and colorful, and the party scene is friendly and easygoing. Key West is neither fancy nor especially urbane – it’s just a great place to laze in a deck chair on a bougainvillea-choked lanai, browse for beachwear and souvenirs along the main drag, Duval Street, or relax on a restaurant patio noshing on raw oysters and sipping mango iced tea or mojitos.

For a seasonal tourist town, Key West has plenty to offer when it comes to dining and nightlife.

One of the better Italian restaurants in town, and also one of the gayest, La Trattoria has two dining rooms – the smaller one romantic and intimate, the larger better for groups of friends. The straightforward cooking draws high praise for such tasty creations as local shrimp sauteed with garlic, fresh tomatoes, and herbes de Provence in a white wine, lemon, and butter sauce.

One of Duval Street’s true places to be seen, Mangoes brims with colorful sorts. The composed salads, pastas, and grills – all with nouvelle Florida touches – are commendable. Consider rib eye steak Caribe (pan-charred with tamarind steak sauce and yucca).

Seven Fish, which occupies an old luncheonette and has a sleek, sophisticated interior, serves seafood-oriented bistro fare, such as crab and shiitake mushroom ravioli.

The slogan at Mangia Mangia is “pasta to the people,” a philosophy reflected by the many varieties of heavenly homemade pasta, all fairly priced. The painstakingly preserved building has a lovely, quiet garden and redbrick patio in back.

You’ll need luck and persistence most nights to get a seat at Camille’s, a small storefront bistro, but the friendly vibe and down-home comfort food are worth the trouble. Expect good salads and sandwiches, such as Philly cheese steak, and delicious pancakes for breakfast.

El Siboney is a zero-atmosphere eatery – the place in town for humble, stick-to-your-ribs Cuban fare. Rickety tables are set with plastic tablecloths and paper napkins. Try such Havana specialties as conch chowder, garlic chicken, stuffed shrimp and crabs, platanos (plantains), and a sweet flan to top it off.

As for traditional Cuban sandwiches, tiny 5 Brothers Grocery – on a side street in the historic district – serves the best around.

Much of the gay social activity in Key West takes place at resorts, some of which provide refreshments and snacks to guests during the afternoon and early evening. A handful of properties have bars open to the public, among them the ultra-cruisy, all-male Island House, which also has an excellent restaurant.

Most the town’s gay bars are along Duval Street. Here, the La-Te-Da guest house has a poolside bar, an intimate piano bar, and the Treetop Cabaret Lounge upstairs.

Down a few blocks, the New Orleans-inspired Bourbon Street Pub is a cheery place with a small bar up front with cocktail tables, a larger outdoor bar in back (along with a lively pool area and hot tub), and video screens galore. Many nights you can catch drag shows on the stage in back.

The same owners run the lovably raffish 801 Bar, Key West’s definitive neighborhood hangout since the 1970s. There’s almost always a crowd of gossipy locals around the bar. The adjacent Saloon 1 caters mostly to leather-and-Levi’s types and is reached through 801’s back door.

Aqua Nightclub is best known for its raucous drag shows, which are headlined by the in-house drag troupe, the Aquanettes. This lively place also has strippers some nights, an impressive dance floor with high-tech laser-and-sound shows, and a cozy video bar.

Key West has a number of inns that cater either exclusively or predominantly to the gay market.

One of the best is Alexander’s, a long-popular gay resort with the relatively unusual policy of being both clothing-optional and welcoming to both women and men. This makes Alexander’s ideal for gay guys traveling with lesbian friends, or for any queer vacationers who enjoy a mixed-gender atmosphere.

The effect is that the mood around the pool and hot tub tends to be less cruisy than at single-gender resorts. Aromatic tropical flowers, sundecks, rattan and wicker furnishings, and sparkling tiled bathrooms impart Alexander’s with a classy but casual look.

Most of the town’s men’s resorts are along Fleming Street, the Historic District’s main drag. Here you’ll find Equator, which has plush rooms with contemporary Caribbean-influenced furniture.

Designer fabrics, feather pillows with comforters, Mediterranean-tile floors, large closets, and excellent sound insulation add to the comfort of each unit.

The tradeoff is that the Equator’s grounds, although nicely landscaped, are smaller than at some of its competitors; there’s a compact pool and an oversize Jacuzzi tub.

For years the sprawling Island House – a former cigar factory on the eastern edge of the Historic District – was synonymous with sex, sleaze, and shabbiness.

It’s still synonymous with sex. But, happily, new owners have completely rebuilt the place, hired friendly and competent staff, and created lovely rooms with high-quality furnishings (all have VCR/TVs, refrigerators, safes, and plush linens).

If you’re seeking a steamy ambience but also first-rate accommodations and a safe, friendly environment, the Island House is your dream come true.

Amenities, all of them available 24 hours, include heated pool, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, gym, sauna, steam room, and erotic-male-video lounge.

Another all-male property with a somewhat cruisy vibe is the New Orleans Guest House, an attractive compound that’s above the Bourbon Street Pub, right in the center of the Duval Street action. Rooms are well-outfitted and attractively decorated, and rates moderately priced.

The Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa is freshly renovated and features elegant Floridian touches and luxury. It is an intimate resort that provides privacy and gorgeous views.

Located directly on the water and offering activites such as parasailing, diving and sailboats. Guests can enjoy the nightlife and restaurants of Duval Street, which is only 3 minutes’ walk from the resort.

How Embracing That You’re Gay Will Bring Happiness to Others

Max Salazar
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How Embracing That You’re Gay Will Bring Happiness to Others

As you consider coming out it’s easy to think that your happiness may destroy your family, but you’re wrong

Dear Max,

I recently came out to my friends, who suggested I join a gay youth group.

I went to a meeting tonight, and had 2 severe panic attacks and ended up in my car for about 1 1/2 hours trying to calm down.

It looks like I have trouble talking to new people about being gay. Every time I tried to talk, I kept thinking of my family, and what they would say if they knew where I was REALLY at.

My family has yet to be informed that I am gay, mostly because I come from a conservative/traditional Korean family.

Should I bite the bullet and risk my family/health insurance/college just to tell them so I might not have this mental flash every time I talk to another man?

I’m just so confused, is my happiness really worth the destruction of my family? I’m their only son, and they are wanting me to carry on the family name.

I really need to know someone’s opinion that isn’t involved with my life. Thank you!

-Confused and frustrated

Related: Gay Videos on Amazon Prime

Dear Confused and frustrated,

American culture is very different from Korean culture. What is accepted here in the United States may not be accepted in Korea, but I would believe there are many of the same issues with very traditional/religious families everywhere.

It is up to you to decide whether or not you want your family to know. Do you feel strong enough to manage without your family, at least for a while? Because it may take you family some time to get used to the fact that you’re gay.

As you grow older, you will hopefully find that you have the power to be happy by accepting who you are. At that point, it really does not matter who knows and who does not know that you’re gay.

Remember, if you’re happy with yourself it’s easier to bring happiness to others.

Good luck!

Related: How to Find an Honest Gay Man

Also South Korea is getting better at gay rights even though they're still lagging behind some other Asian countries.
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