PRIDE tRavEl sPEcIal

Seattle Gay News
Issue 25, Volume 41, June 21, 2013
PRIDE travel
special
by Beau Burriola
SGN Contributing Writer
When I was a kid, I used to get so excited about travel. Before we went to Disney
World, I hardly slept at all, imagination
flaring brighter than dreams ever could.
As a well-traveled adult, I rarely find that
chill of excitement anymore. So when I
hardly slept before my second trip to Palm
Springs, I knew this trip would be one for
the record books.
Since I first visited in 2009, Palm
Springs has been my idea of the Gay Disney World I can’t wait to get back to. This
time I was bringing along Iz and Sean, my
two best friends, to share the experience.
If Palm Springs is memorable alone, it is
unforgettable with friends.
When my plane touched down, I felt that
same excited chill I miss so much from kid
traveling. This year, I was in a dark place
in my life. Having recently been through
a hard breakup ending an eight-year relationship, I knew this was the trip I needed.
So, with memories of my first trip strong in
my mind, I packed a very small bag (it is a
desert, after all) and took a plane 9,000 kilometers to Palm Springs, California, fully
expecting another life-changing vacation.
Immediately after unpacking my bag,
I slipped on a swimsuit and went straight
to the pool. What I love most about Palm
Springs compared to any other place I’ve
been on earth – Spain, Greece, and Italy included – is the way you can put on
a swimsuit and walk up to just about any
pool and instantly feel comfortable with
the people around you. Maybe it’s the resort culture, the sun and the beautiful
mountains behind you, or just being American-born, but the friendly vibe in Palm
Springs just makes me feel open and social
in a way I’ve never felt anywhere else in my
travels. I am always amazed to see people
I’d never imagine mingling anywhere else
mixing together effortlessly and openly.
That sense of community – that feeling of
belonging and knowing you’ll always feel
like you are welcome – is exactly what
makes Palm Springs the place you always
want to come back to. Well, that and the
ever-present undercurrent of wild, waiting
for you to dip your toes into ...
WHERE TO STAY
The single most important decision of
your trip is where you stay. Don’t stay on
a friend’s couch! The unique Gay resort
culture is the jewel of the Palm Springs
experience and can really make your trip.
Which one you choose depends on who
you are and what you are looking for.
If you’ve never been to Palm Springs before, consider what you are looking for. If,
like me, you are looking for a memorable,
see palm springs page 20
by Albert Rodriguez
SGN Travel Writer
Museum of Glass
Station and delivers you
to the Tacoma Dome stop,
where free light-rail service
can bring you into the city
center. Go to www.traveltacoma.com for more information.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The Courtyard Tacoma
Downtown (1515 Commerce St.) is just footsteps
away from museums, restaurants, the
UW-Tacoma campus, and the light-rail
line. Rooms come with modern furnishings, firm beds and pillows, and a terrific
line of fragrant, eco-friendly bath products. Some rooms offer amazing views of
Mount Rainier. An intimate lobby on
the main level provides guests
with a comfy spot to unwind,
check their e-mail on complimentary hardwired com-
America’s Car Museum
artists on each of its 25 floors. The dozens of artists represented include Costas
Varotsos (Greece), Masayo Odahashi (Japan), Richard Whiteley (Australia), Peter
Bremers (The Netherlands), Orfeo Quagliata (Italy), and Karen LaMonte
(U.S.A.). The hotel’s
premier restaurant Bite is quite
popular with
2
Seattle Gay News
June 21, 2013
FOOD AND DRINK
Pacific Grill (1502
Pacific Ave.), practically next door to the
Courtyard Tacoma, is an
award-winning upscale
restaurant that offers
simple, great food in a
sophisticated environment. Brick walls, illuminated glass pieces,
black leather booths, and
a curved bar counter accentuate the chicness
of the dining space, but
even better is the menu
stocked with fresh seafood, grilled meats, and
Asian-inspired selections.
On the night I was there, the chef’s special of chicken adobo with a wonderful
soy glaze and ginger rice was outstanding, as was the Rock ’n’ Roca Blondie
Sundae with caramel sauce and Almond
Roca buttercrunch for dessert. Other dinner choices are Hawaiian ahi tuna, duckand-pappardelle pasta, filet mignon, and
a distinctive cauliflower steak. Seattleites
should be familiar with The Matador
chain of Tex-Mex eateries, and you’ll find
one in downtown Tacoma (721 Pacific
Ave.) that’s equally busy, especially during the afternoon and late-night happy
Kristin Kendle
Tacoma’s Union Station
guests and locals for its Northwest-influenced dishes, homestyle favorites,
and healthy options for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner. Rooms have undergone new
color schemes in recent months, such as
cherry-red drapes, shower curtains, and
art-deco lamps, plus all are now equipped
with flatscreen TVs, wireless high-speed
Internet access, iPod stations, and the opportunity to choose your own pillow type
and spiritual reading material. While at
Hotel Murano, check out the on-site Savi
Day Spa and Salon Miro.
file photo
mike hiran
puters, or sit and have a cup
of free coffee. A Marriott
property (collect or redeem
your miles here), the Courtyard also has an exercise
room, small indoor pool,
and mini-market stocked
with snacks, bottled drinks,
packaged food, and travel
essentials. Hotel Murano
(1320 Broadway) is a sleek,
319-room property featuring stunning blown-glass
art pieces by international
mike hiran
Tacoma hasn’t traditionally been a
place that people plan to visit. If we’re
not headed there for a business meeting,
a concert at the Tacoma Dome, or an art
exhibit opening, it’s likely we’re only
gassing up the car on our way to Portland. But newly
developed areas
of the city such as
the Museum and
Theater districts,
a picturesque waterfront, the oneyear-old LeMay
car museum, and
an overall burst
of pride and energy have given
this city of around
200,000 residents
a much-needed
boost and made
Tacoma worthy of
an overnight stay.
Getting to Tacoma is a cinch,
even for non-drivers. Sound Transit
buses 590 and 594
($3.50 one way)
go back and forth from downtown Seattle daily, and the Sounder train ($4.75
one way) departs weekdays from King
Celebrating 40 Years!
hours.
The trendiest Tacoma ’hood at the moment is the 6th Avenue District, where
you’ll come across places on both sides of
the street to eat, drink, shop, and sip coffee.
Masa (2811 6th Ave.) is a festive eatery/cantina serving Mexican favorites from tacos
to enchiladas to quesadillas. Its signature
flatbreads and six-pound Jefe de Jefe Burrito, plus flavorful guacamole and salsa, are
more reasons to drop in. Across the street
are Asado (Argentinian, 2810 6th Ave.) and
Medi’s (Italian, 2710 6th Ave.), and further
up is MSM Deli (2220 6th Ave.), a half-deli,
half-convenience store (the initials stand for
Magical Sandwich Makers), and Southern
Kitchen (1716 6th Ave.), profiled on the TV
show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Nearby
is Bluebeard Coffee Roasters (2201 6th
Ave.), providing Tacoma’s hipster set an ample, open space fitted with perched windowside seats, round tables, and leather couches
to leisurely enjoy finely made espressos,
lattes, and freshly-brewed coffee. The Mix
(635 St. Helens Ave.) and Club Silverstone
(739 St. Helens Ave.) are two well-established Gay bars within a block of each other,
or for a more vibrant atmosphere try the
Gay-friendly lobby bar at Hotel Murano.
THINGS TO DO
LeMay – America’s Car Museum (2702
E. D St.), located directly across from the
Tacoma Dome, is the newest city attraction, featuring more than 350 vintage automobiles and rare models dating back to
1906, all under a hangar-like structure with
an exterior shaped like a giant armadillo
shell (you can’t miss it!). Among the rides
displayed are a 1909 Regal, 1964 Lotus
Elan, 1929 Franklin, 1924 Rickenbacker,
and a convertible Lincoln made especially
for a former Pope. The facility also holds a
small theater, a snack bar/cafe operated by
Pacific Grill, and an outdoor balcony with
an elevated view of downtown. The Museum of Glass (1801 Dock St.) is always
an eye-popping experience, showcasing the
world’s top glass art under its iconic steel
cone building. Aside from permanent collections, a few temporary exhibits are definitely worth the visit, including the wonderful “Benjamin Moore: Translucent” installment extending through October. Recently
unveiled is “Links: Australian Glass and the
Pacific Northwest,” running through January 26, 2014. Less than a five-minute walk
away is the Tacoma Art Museum (1701
Pacific Ave.), which hosted the very interesting “HIDE/SEEK” exhibit last year that
addressed the important roles of gender
identity and sexual orientation in modern
American portraiture. A somewhat similar
installment, “Sitting for History: Exploring
Self-Identity Through Portraiture,” opens
July 27 and runs through January 12, 2014.
The Pantages and Rialto theaters, comprising most, if not all, of the city’s Theater
District, routinely schedule internationally
known artists and Broadway-style productions, from Rufus Wainwright (October 30,
Pantages) to “Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience, a Parody by Dan
and Jeff” (October 29 to November 3, Rialto). And for those wanting to stretch out
and get some exercise, the two mile-long
Ruston Way Park along the Commencement Bay waterfront promises a scenic setting to stroll, jog, ride a bike, rollerblade,
picnic, or wine and dine at one of the more
than 20 restaurants and bars along the waterside strip.
So next time you find yourself in Tacoma,
don’t just zip through. Stay awhile and see
what the city has to offer. You’re sure to be
pleasantly surprised.
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Jus Roux
& More Catering
Creole cuisine for every occasion
281 SW 41st Street,
Renton
425-614-7288
"Best Gumbo Ever"
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
3
by Andrew Collins
SGN Contributing Writer
e De
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n
stout-brined Berkshire pork chops. Down
the street, trendy Aqua Grill (aquagrillrehoboth.com) serves eclectic and reasonably
priced international fare – Thai mangochutney burgers, coconut shrimp, potstickers – and then morphs into a fantastic Gay
video and dance bar, with a sprawling patio,
as the evening proceeds.
Drag brunches and T-dances are
part of the fun on weekends. In the
same neighborhood, Mixx (www.
mixxrehoboth.com) is another
high-energy, stylish restaurant
and bar with a strong LGBT
following, excellent food
(macadamia-crusted local
rockfish, seared scallops),
and a see-and-be-seen
cocktail scene. There’s
live music some evenings.
Another hip spot
where you’ll see plenty of family, Espuma
(www.espuma-restaurant.com) serves contemporary Spanish and
Mediterranean fare, including great lobster paella.
And don’t miss the casual
Purple Parrot (www.ppgrill.
com), a good bet for burgers and
diner food. It’s a lively hangout for
drinks and conversation, too, with a
popular happy hour each day. Other notables include the Seafood Shack (www.
seafoodshackrehoboth.com), which serves
tasty fried-oyster po’ boys and tender crab
cakes and is known for its live entertainment, which includes pianists, female vocalists, and acoustic bands.
Dos Locos (www.doslocos.com) is a
great standby for Mexican food and cock-
w
ec c a o
and historic town of Lewes and accessing
the park from Dunes Road. Lewes itself is a
lovely Dutch colonial town founded in 1631,
The unofficial Gay and Lesbian sum- with a neatly preserved downtown of tony
mer beach resort of the mid-Atlantic shops and inviting restaurants overlooking
states, charming Rehoboth Beach is situated along a sweeping, sandy stretch of
the Delaware shore that’s within a threehour drive of Washington, Baltimore,
and Philadelphia. Over the past
decade, many of the town’s
guesthouses, shops, and restaurants have received stylish makeovers, and this
once low-key, largely
middle-class town has
developed a see-andbe-seen cachet that
extends well beyond
nearby cities. Prices
also have risen, but
Rehoboth largely
retains a laid-back,
welcoming vibe
that makes it a perfect destination for
summer fun – and a
romantic weekend retreat during the quieter
spring and fall shoulder
seasons.
The town began developing a subtle Gay following in
the 1950s, probably owing to the
fact that closeted Washington types,
unwilling to risk braving the nightlife
of D.C., found this relatively secluded
beach region a relatively safe and anonymous place to be themselves (or at least a beautiful, narrow yacht harbor – it makes
test the waters). Lesbians and Gays con- a great little day trip, by car or bike. Toptinued to settle here gradually, and then notch Gay-popular restaurants in Lewes
Glenn Thompson opened a full-scale include The Buttery (butteryrestaurant.
Gay resort, the Renegade, on the western com), which occupies a romantic Victorian
outskirts of town in 1980. Soon after, the house with a large veranda, and Café AzafBlue Moon restaurant and bar opened ran (www.cafeazafran.com), a Spanishdowntown. Nowadays, Rehoboth (see inspired tapas bistro open for breakfast,
www.beach-fun.com for general tour- lunch, and dinner – there’s a branch in Reism info and www.camprehoboth.com hoboth, too.
for details on the LGBT scene) teems
SHOPPING AND DINING
with Gay-owned or oriented businesses,
Another popular daytime diversion is
including cafes, restaurants, bars, and
about a dozen guesthouses. Although the shopping. Rehoboth Avenue, the main drag,
Renegade was razed in 2002 to make way has plenty of fun retail as well as a few galfor condos, the Blue Moon is still a first- leries. A block over, Baltimore Avenue is
the hub of the town’s Gay scene, home to
rate place to dine and socialize.
Although an increasing number of a few boutiques, home-furnishing emporia,
trendy, urbane businesses have opened and the small but well-stocked Proud Book
here in recent years, Rehoboth’s beach- Store, which carries LGBT-oriented books
front is still lined with a bustling, honky- and gifts. Delaware has no sales tax, and
tonk boardwalk of saltwater taffy parlors, out on Route 1 you’ll discover a bounty of
video arcades, and souvenir shops. Many outlet shopping centers. Back in town, take
visitors spend afternoons catching rays a break from browsing to grab a delicious
at the beach. The largely Gay male sec- lunch (maybe the best chicken salad sandtion, known as Poodle Beach, runs from wich you’ll ever taste) at Lori’s Café (www.
about St. Lawrence to Penn streets, at the lorisoyveycafe.com), or enjoy a snack or a
southern tip of the Boardwalk. Women latte at the Coffee Mill (www.coffeemillresunbathe here to some extent, but more hoboth.com), a cheerful coffeehouse.
Rehoboth has an excellent dining scene,
Lesbians and a fair number of Gay men
flock north of downtown to the beach at and several trendy newcomers seem to open
Cape Henlopen State Park (aka North each season. On the high end, the superb
Shores), about a 20-to-30-minute walk or Blue Moon (bluemoonrehoboth.com) – site
of the Gay bar of the same name – turns
10-minute drive via Ocean Drive.
You can also access other parts of the out high-caliber contemporary Ameripark by driving 10 miles north (via Route can fare like Maine lobster spaghetti and
1 and U.S. Highway 9) to the charming
tails. The ornately furnished, Asian-inspired Planet X (www.planetxcafe.com)
scores high marks for its creative cocktails
and unusual vegetarian and organic fare,
from tofu satay with ginger-peanut sauce
to grilled ahi filet with asparagus, scallion
herb salad, and lemon aioli. Dogfish Head
Brewings & Eats (www.dogfish.com) is
one of the most esteemed craft breweries
in the country and a fun place to sample
a flight of unusual beers such as Chicory
Stout, Positive Contact (Wit-style), and
Chateau Jiahu (brewed with rice from an
ancient Chinese recipe). The kitchen serves
tasty modern pub fare.
For cocktails and entertainment, most
folks drop by the lounges at local restaurants to socialize before or after dinner,
r
e•
A
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a
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June 21, 2013
a large and luxurious property with great
views of the lake after which it’s named
and close proximity to Poodle Beach; and
century-old At Melissa’s B&B (www.atmelissas.com), an inviting six-room inn
in a leafy residential neighborhood close
to the beach and restaurants. It’s a nice
option for families, as one room has a
king and bunk bed, and another has two
queen beds. The Royal Rose Inn (www.
royalroseinn.com) is right in the heart of
Baltimore Avenue’s Gay scene and has
seven charming and attractive rooms,
plus a rooftop hot tub and sundeck.
Perhaps no property in town draws
Andrew Collins
Seattle Gay News
WHERE TO STAY
Rehoboth has no shortage of appealing, atmospheric accommodations.
Among the top guest houses, the Lighthouse Inn (www.lighthouseinn.net) is an
attractive 1904 house that’s steps from
the beach and has light-filled, nautically
themed guest rooms with gas fireplaces,
refrigerators, and TVs with DVD – the
top-floor rooms are especially romantic
and roomy, and a separate two-story cottage sleeps up to four. Rehoboth Guest
House (www.rehobothguesthouse.com),
two blocks from the beach and steps
from Baltimore Avenue nightlife and
dining, is a vintage three-story inn with
clean, basic rooms, a friendly and helpful
innkeeper, and some of the best summer
rates in town – the simplest rooms, which
share a bathroom, start at just $120 midweek in high-season, which is a bargain considering the location and lovely
grounds and sun decks.
Other good bets include the spacious,
spotless, and contemporary Cabana
Gardens B&B (www.cabanagardens.
com), whose rooftop sundeck is one of
the best in town; the Silver Lake Guest
House (www.silverlakeguesthouse.com),
Rehoboth retains a laid-back,
welcoming vibe that makes it
a perfect destination
for summer fun.
The dunes near Poodle Beach, a favorite spot of Gay sunbathers in Rehoboth
4
with the aforementioned Blue Moon,
Mixx, Aqua, and Seafood Shack among
the favorites. Early in the evening, a lot
of Lesbians and Gay guys head to the
Frogg Pond (www.thefroggpond.com)
tavern for karaoke and conversation, or
nearby Rehoboth Ale House (rehobothalehouse.com), which has live music
some evenings and a drag brunch on Sundays. If you’re into the leather-and-Levi’s
scene, be sure to check out the Double L
Bar (www.doublelbar.net), which has a
patio, two pool tables, and a cruisy vibe.
Celebrating 40 Years!
more praise for its colorful personality (and
high camp factor) than the Lesbian-owned
Bewitched & BEDazzled B&B (www.
bewitchedbnb.com), a decadent 13-room
property that consists of two neighboring
houses. One is playfully furnished as a tribute to the ’60s TV classic Bewitched, and the
other pays tribute to the glamour of Hollywood, with dozens of autographed photos
of movie stars. Another romantic option,
the Canalside Inn (www.canalside-inn-rehoboth.com), overlooks the historic LewesRehoboth Canal and offers 12 elegantly outfitted rooms done in cheerful, pastel hues.
It’s a 20-minute walk from the beach, as is
the spacious, well-kept Shore Inn (www.
shoreinn.com), a male-oriented 14-room
resort popular for its festive pool, deck, and
hot tub. Guys on the make should try the
clothing-optional Ram’s Head Inn (www.
theramshead.com), a 15-minute drive from
the beach, which caters largely to butch
leather-and-Levi’s types.
If you’re partial to larger, more anonymous mainstream properties, Rehoboth has
several chain hotels, including Hampton
Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Comfort Inn
out on Route 1. But to fully experience the
bustle and charm of this increasingly hip
and trendy Gay getaway, try to book a room
in town and spend as much time as possible
wandering the boardwalk, beach, and quiet
residential streets – places where the real
Rehoboth springs vibrantly to life.
Andrew Collins is the editor in chief of
the LGBT travel magazines OutAloha and
OutCity, and he covers Gay travel for the
website GayTravel.About.com. He can be
reached at [email protected].
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
5
by Albert Rodriguez
SGN Travel Writer
that accommodates 617 standing
and 300 sitting; a Youth Center
complete with pool table, 75-inch
TV, and social gathering space; a
clinic offering tests for HIV and
other STIs; an AA meeting room; a library; and computer stations with free
Internet. The Center also has its own café,
called Bronze, known for its sinful treats
and signature LGBTQ Sandwich.
The Las Vegas PRIDE Night Parade
& Festival (www.lasvegaspride.org),
presented by MGM Resorts International, is scheduled for September 6 and
7. The weekend event, beginning at West
Charleston Boulevard and ending two
blocks from the Fremont Street
Experience, is expected to draw
thousands of revelers.
Krave Massive (www.kravemassive.com), now claiming
the title of the largest Gay club
in the world, welcomed its first
guests on June 15. Taking over a
vacated movie theater complex,
it currently includes an expansive dance floor with speaker
columns, flashing strobe lights,
and VIP booths. An independent cinema for LGBT-themed
films is in the works. A floor below Krave, and under the same
ownership, is Drink & Drag
(www.drinkanddrag.com), a
drag queen-run bar that doubles
as a bowling alley with scantily
clad go-go boys. On the opposite
side of town is Share Nightclub
(www.sharenightclub.com), a
sizzling dance lounge with sexy
Albert Rodriguez / seattle gay news
It’s ridiculously hot, noisy, crowded,
somewhat expensive, and dotted with
massive hotels that individually employ more people than the population
of most small towns. Sounds like a
place you’d want to avoid, right? Nope.
We’re talking about Las Vegas, one of the
most exciting destinations in the world
for all walks of life,
from grooms-to-be
celebrating their last
days as bachelors to
couples commemorating a milestone anniversary to anyone
wanting a weekend of
“anything goes” under the sun.
“Sin City” is wild
and over-the-top,
but that’s what sets it
apart – everything is
bigger and crazier and
hotter in this desert
oasis of nearly two
million residents. In
recent years it’s managed to reel in a prestigious consumer, the
Gay leisure traveler,
with boutique-style hotels, upscale restaurants, festive LGBT events, mainstream entertainment, and premier clubs.
Where else can you party in your Speedos with a thousand other men, then watch
Celine Dion belt out “My Heart Will Go
On” later that evening, then dance the
night away at the largest Gay bar on the
planet? Only in Las Vegas. Flights from
Seattle are frequent on both Alaska and
Southwest airlines or through Bellingham (Allegiant), with a gate-to-gate time
of two hours and 15 minutes. If consider-
ing a trip to Las Vegas, get started
at www.lasvegas.com/gaytravel.
Here’s what I recommend putting on
your itinerary.
GAY CULTURE/NIGHTLIFE
Newly opened on April 6 is The
Center (www.thecenterlv.com), a
valuable resource for Las Vegas’
LGBT community and the only one
of its kind in the whole state. Operating on a yearly $1.8 million budget, its converted hardware store
facility incorporates an Event Hall
Temptation Sundays at The Luxor
see las vegas page 16
file photo
6
Seattle Gay News
June 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
Noon - 2 am daily • 21 and over
Home of the Sam’s bloody masterpiece.
1024 E Pike st • 206.397.3344 • samstavernseattle.com
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
7
by Eric Andrews-Katz
SGN Travel Writer
Visiting the city of Victoria, British
Columbia, is like going to a distant vacation spot, but with less expense and no
need for driving. And with Washington
state’s new marriage equality law, it also
presents beautifully serene honeymoon
opportunities. Although it is another
country – a passport or enhanced driver’s license is required for entry – it’s an
easy journey and a relaxing destination.
No matter what season you visit, there’s
beauty to be found in Victoria.
GETTING THERE
The Victoria Clipper is a high-speed
ferry that sails from Seattle directly to
Victoria. For $75 round-trip, you can sit
back, relax, enjoy the views, and leave the
driving to the captain. Carry-on luggage
is easily brought with you, or if you are
enjoying an extended stay, your bags can
be checked. Although it is a passengeronly boat, parking downtown at one of
several locations is easy enough. Present your Clipper boarding pass on your
departure and parking is only $10/night
at the garage at Elliott and Vine. Check
out the Victoria Clipper website (www.
clippervacations.com/clipper-ferry/) for
this and other parking suggestions. The
Clipper offers a good variety of food and
beverage service, and even offers motionsickness pills to help make your twohour, 45-minute voyage even more pleasant. Remember, the Clipper is a cashless
vessel, so be sure to have that credit/debit
card handy.
WHERE TO STAY
Most of Victoria’s hotels (and attractions)
are within an easy walking distance of the
ferry terminal, so there is no real need to
rent a car. In just a few minutes you could
be checking in at the Inn at Laurel Point
(www.laurelpoint.com). Facing the harbor
with glass windows and panoramic views,
this fully capable hotel offers a variety of
rooms, views, and options. Ballrooms holding up to 250 people can host the wedding
of your dreams. Catering services are available through the hotel, and the in-house restaurant Aura can be the perfect setting for a
rehearsal dinner – or an intimate dinner just
for the two of you. Members of the friendly
staff can easily arrange spa and banquet
services, or for that important connection
to your work, business centers are readily available. Good weather can provide a
beautiful accompaniment for smaller weddings on outside balconies with breathtaking scenery provided by nature.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Victoria is called “Canada’s most walkable city” for very good reasons, with a
good transit system and shuttle services
available for the few attractions that aren’t
within foot-traffic distance. Sightseeing
options are plentiful and ready for your
exploration. Boat tours are easily booked
for extensive views of the city or an “underwater garden” tour. If staying on land
is more to your liking, then a museum like
the Royal BC Museum (royalbcmuseum.
bc.ca), which explores the history of British Columbia, is only a few paces away. If
art is more your thing, try the Art Gallery
of Greater Victoria (aggv.ca), with collections from Asia, Europe, and North America (emphasis on Canada and Japan), housed
in a 19th-century mansion called Gyppeswick. Shopping is plentiful no matter what
your taste, but do be sure to stop by The
English Sweet Shop (www.englishsweets.
com), which offers an incredible variety of
candies not found (or extremely difficult to
find) stateside.
For the not-to-be-missed activities that
are not within walking distance of the ferry terminal but are still easily accessible,
try the Cruise Victoria Service (www.
cvscruisevictoria.com) sightseeing packages. Two such options (packaged with a
CVS hop-on/hop-off shuttle service) are the
Butterfly Gardens and the famous Butchart
Gardens.
A wonderful activity for children or
adults is the Butterfly Gardens (www.
butterflygardens.com). Butterflies of every
variety fly freely about you as you explore
the small, tropical environment set up for
these beautiful creatures. Displays of all
stages of the butterfly’s life from egg to fully formed wingspan are shown throughout.
Glass cases show live poisonous (and very
colorful) dart tree frogs, as well as several
lizards. Tortoises, parrots, flamingoes, and
colorful plants are all set up for a beautiful
habitat and a fun excursion. Note that this
is the first stop on a CVS package hop-on/
hop-off transportation offer, and is easily
experienced within an hour. Then hop on
the next CVS shuttle bus and continue on to
the famous Butchart Gardens.
Perhaps the best-known sightseeing destination in Victoria, the Butchart Gardens
(www.butchartgardens.com), originally
called “Benvenuto” (Italian for welcome),
are over 100 years old. The original estate,
now a National Historic Site of Canada, is
still owned by the original family’s descendants. The Butcharts bought the property to
mine the quarry for limestone and became
extremely prosperous. Wanting to give back
to the land, Mrs. Butchart decided to turn
the quarry into a garden and set out on the
still-growing project. No matter what the
season, plants bloom around the decorative
pathways, with statues and waterfalls adding to the serenity of the majestic natural
beauty. The paths are kept simple, with few
if any plaques naming the plants, to help
keep guests’ focus on the gardens themselves. In the summer months, fireworks are
set off over one of the many scenic ponds.
For the full experience, enjoy afternoon
tea in the original dining room. Children’s tea, vegetarian tea, and high tea are
all offered, as well as a small luncheon/
dinner menu.
For those not wanting to leave the beauty of Victoria Harbor, there are many options as well. Several neighborhoods wait
to be explored, each offering a different
taste or history of this incredibly serene
city.
If all that sightseeing is making you
hungry, have no fear – restaurants of all
types abound. Stage Wine Bar (stagewinebar.com) is a delightful restaurant
offering a variety of small plates paired
with the perfect beverage. No matter what
you choose – the chicken paillard or the
incredible sautéed mushrooms, for example – you are bound to enjoy the delicious
food put before you, and the portions
are big enough to share. After dinner,
it’s only a few steps to enjoy a live performance at The Belfry Theatre (www.
belfry.bc.ca) next door. Check ahead for
performance schedule and tickets.
Victoria is an easily accessible getaway. Currency exchanges are available,
but most Victoria businesses accept our
greenbacks with no issues. The city, like
most of Canada, is Gay-friendly, with
marriage equality having been passed
nationally over 10 years ago. For those
wanting a stress-free vacation close to
home, to a destination that feels far away,
Victoria awaits.
photos by eric andrews -katz
The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC
Cuts & Styles
8
Seattle Gay News
EARL LANCASTER
Master Barber
June 21, 2013
(206) 322-2687
1162 23rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98122
www.earlscutsandstyles.com
7AM - 6PM,
Mon - Sat
Celebrating 40 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
9
After decades of decline,
Pittsburgh’s coming back strong
by Andrew Collins
SGN Contributing Writer
GAYS AND THE ARTS
The Pittsburgh area’s Gay community
is well-integrated within its mainstream
population. The city has numerous theaters with artsy and Gay-themed films
and a high appreciation of “alternative”
culture – consider that two of its top attractions are the Mattress Factory contemporary art museum and the Andy
Warhol Museum. Also, the city hosts the
well-attended Pittsburgh International
Lesbian & Gay Film Festival over 10 days
in October, and a fast-growing Pride Theater Festival over two weekends in June.
Although downtown contains but a
fraction of metro Pittsburgh’s top attractions, its handsome, contemporary skyline strikes a regal pose over the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela rivers. You can’t miss the city’s
most remarked-upon skyscraper, PPG
Place, a neo-Gothic monolith designed
by the late Gay architect Philip Johnson.
Nearby, Liberty and Penn avenues form
the spines of a 14-block cultural district
life (and his homosexuality). Close by are
the Carnegie Science Center, the National Aviary, and the Mattress Factory Art
Museum, known for its provocative, largerthan-life installations created by visiting
resident artists.
file photo
of theaters and performance halls, housing
the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the
Pittsburgh Ballet, and the Pittsburgh Opera,
Once one of the country’s pre-eminent among others. You’ll also find numerous
industrial powerhouses, with a 1950 theaters, including the Gay-popular Cabapopulation of nearly 700,000, Pittsburgh ret at Theater Square, where you can enjoy
has – like many similar American cities
– changed considerably over the past few
decades. Although now less than half the
size it was during its heyday, this hilly and
historic metropolis in the Ohio Valley is
enjoying a dramatic renaissance, with a
number of formerly downcast neighborhoods now abuzz with hip restaurants,
indie shops, and rehabbed factory buildings, apartments, and row houses. Having
received a bump in Gay visibility as the
purported setting of TV’s Queer as Folk
(which was actually filmed in Toronto),
Pittsburgh has also steadily developed
into a very popular weekend destination
among LGBT travelers.
Other signs of rebirth are evident as
well. Pittsburgh has re-emerged as a
thriving center of health and medical research, education, and the computer software industry. Air and water pollution
have been sharply curtailed, and many
former industrial sites now house cultural
attractions.
Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History
cocktails and tapas while taking in a show.
Penn Avenue continues into the historic
Strip warehouse district, which has several nightclubs and restaurants interspersed
among produce and food markets and offbeat shops. The neighborhood, which is
also home to the superb Sen. John Heinz
Pittsburgh Regional History Center,
leads northeast into the cool 16:62 Design
Zone, home to boutiques, home-furnishings shops, and galleries.
Pittsburgh’s North Side lies just across
the Allegheny River from downtown and
is home to the city’s relatively new sports
stadiums as well as the Andy Warhol Museum, which celebrates the life of the late
pop art icon, who grew up in nearby Oakland. Created inside an eight-story 1911
warehouse, the museum contains more than
8,000 works and is an outstanding, engaging, and often very funny museum, laid out
with abundant commentary on Warhol’s
South of downtown, the city rises sharply
above the Monongahela River toward Mt.
Washington, a workaday neighborhood with
spectacular views of downtown. Ride up the
slope via the Monongahela Incline, which
leads to a viewing platform and a small museum. A short drive east is the bohemian
South Side, a repository of funky shops, galleries, and eateries that once anchored Pittsburgh’s Lithuanian and Polish communities.
EAST OF DOWNTOWN
Still farther east of downtown, Oakland
was built from the gobs of money generated
during Pittsburgh’s industrial heyday and
today contains hospitals, universities, and
high-tech firms. Forbes and Fifth avenues
anchor the University of Pittsburgh and formidably endowed Carnegie Mellon University campuses. Be sure to visit the Carnegie
Museums of Art and Natural History,
which contain well-conceived architectural
and decorative arts exhibits, a cache of arti-
10
Seattle Gay News
June 21, 2013
THE STRIP DISTRICT
In the Strip District, Lesbian-owned
Pamela’s Diner, aka P&G’s (www.pamelasdiner.com) is a fine spot for hearty
breakfast fare and delicious sandwiches
at lunch – the blueberry crepe pancakes
are a favorite. There are other branches in
Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Mt. Lebanon. And the original Primanti Bros.
(primantibros.com) has been doling out
huge sandwiches, topped ridiculously but
andrew collins
Downtown Pittsburgh, viewed from across the Allegheny River
facts from ancient Egypt, and the nation’s
third-largest dinosaur collection. Nearby
Schenley Park, ideal for a stroll, is anchored by the 1893 Phipps Conservatory,
comprising 13 rooms of exotic flora.
East of Oakland is Shadyside, a gentrified patch of neatly kept yards and attractive old homes, many of them Gayowned. Ellsworth Avenue (around the
5800 block) has several Gay-popular
eateries and businesses, and more chichi Walnut Street (along the 5500 block)
holds mid- to high-end chain stores. It’s
a short drive east to Clayton, the former
estate of industrialist Henry Clay Frick –
it now consists of a magnificent mansion
and other historic outbuildings, including the Frick Art and Historical Center, which has an outstanding collection
of European master paintings.
Pittsburgh’s dining scene has really
blossomed of late, especially in some
of the hip, outlying neighborhoods like
Lawrenceville, East Liberty, and Bloomfield. Along Butler Avenue in Lawrenceville, you’ll find all sorts of cool
eateries: Coca Café (www.cocacafe.
net), which also has a branch in the Mattress Factory Museum, serves modern
American fare is a great pick for brunch;
Cure (curepittsburgh.com) is known
for innovative, meaty fare such as pig’scheek ragu and oxtail ravioli; and Tamari (www.tamaripgh.com) is a gorgeous
space acclaimed for artful Asian-Latin
fusion dishes, such as Asian tamales with
chicken, Chinese sausage, and green curry. In Garfield (near East Liberty), Salt
of the Earth (www.saltpgh.com) serves
fine renditions of farm-to-table fare, including a hanger steak with collards, bacon, and Dijon mustard.
Celebrating 40 Years!
deliciously with french fries and cole slaw,
since 1933.
The elegant Eleven Contemporary
Kitchen (www.elevenck.com), well-suited
to special-occasion meals, is part of the
Gay-friendly Big Burrito group (www.bigburrito.com), which operates several slick,
loungy restaurants around town, including
the fun Pan-Asian restaurant Soba and the
colorful and lively Cal-Mex restaurant Mad
Mex. For a terrific meal near downtown’s
Gay bars, check out Meat & Potatoes (meatandpotatoespgh.com), a lively gastropub
serving sophisticated yet accessible burgers,
sweetbread tacos, bone marrow with grilled
bread, and other carnivore-driven delights.
Among coffeehouses, the local chain
Crazy Mocha (www.crazymocha.com) has
several fun locations around town, including a particular Gay favorite at Shadyside.
And Espresso a Mano (espressoamano.
com) is a sleek, artisan roaster in Lawrenceville.
The 900 block of Liberty Avenue downtown has a few of the city’s top Gay nightlife
options, including neighborhoody There
Ultra Lounge, the popular and long-running Images video bar, and 941 Saloon,
which has an after-hours upstairs section
that pulses late into the night. Relatively
new Cruze Bar (www.cruzebar.com) in the
Strip is a very popular dance club in an attractive space – it’s arguably the snazziest
Gay bar in the city. Nearby, low-keyed Real
Luck Café (www.realluckcafe.com) draws
a mix of men and women and serves pub
food and drinks. A few blocks away is the
popular Gay bathhouse Club Pittsburgh
(www.clubpittsburgh.com). Not far away,
on Polish Hill, Donny’s Place is a countrywestern dance bar with a pool hall drawing
a mixed-gender crowd. Downstairs is a guyoriented basement nook known as Leather
Central.
Shadyside’s quintessentially Queer
5801 Video Lounge and Café
(www.5801videolounge.com) is a hip but
friendly place for cocktails, good homestyle
cooking, and great conversation, and nearby
Spin draws a similar, mostly Gay mix of
scenesters, young professionals, and fairly
collegiate sorts. In increasingly trendy
Lawrenceville, the Blue Moon is a fun and
welcoming spot with videos, karaoke, and
an easygoing crowd, and Cattivo (www.
cattivo.biz) – especially popular with Lesbians but friendly to all – stands out as a great
place both to drink and eat (pizza, hoagies,
strombolis, and the like).
toral acres. Rooms have unfussy but elegant the LGBT travel magazines OutAloha and
furnishings.
OutCity, and he covers Gay travel for the
website GayTravel.About.com. He can be
Andrew Collins is the editor in chief of reached at [email protected].
BLOOMFIELD
In nearby Bloomfield, the hipster livemusic bar Brillo Box (www.brillobox.net)
draws an eclectic, Queer/hetero crowd and
serves very tasty food, from burgers to
Korean-BBQ seitan. And Lawrenceville’s
New Amsterdam Bar (www.newamsterdam412.com) caters to a similarly cool
crowd with microbrews and tasty pub fare.
Among accommodations, you can’t beat
either the location or the swank decor of the
Westin Convention Center (www.westinpittsburgh.com), which sits near Liberty
Avenue’s Gay nightlife and the Strip’s restaurants and markets. But for sheer history,
check into the old-world Omni William
Penn (www.omnihotels.com), a 1916 beauty in the heart of downtown. The excellent,
mid-priced Doubletree Pittsburgh Downtown (doubletree3.hilton.com) offers nicely
appointed rooms (many of them suites) and
a great central location.
In the Cultural District, the Courtyard
Pittsburgh Downtown (www.marriott.
com) occupies four adjacent historic buildings. A few miles east, the Courtyard
Pittsburgh Shadyside is close to Gay-popular shopping and dining along Liberty and
Ellsworth avenues.
The Gay-owned Inn on the Mexican
War Streets (www.innonthemexicanwarstreets.com) occupies a grand mansion with
seven elegantly furnished rooms and suites.
It’s steps from the National Aviary and near
the Warhol and Mattress Factory museums. Also on the North Side, the Parador
Inn (theparadorinn.com) is another lovely,
Gay-owned option occupying a stunningly
restored red-brick mansion with beautiful
original interior details, including stainedglass and ornate woodwork. Another Gayfriendly establishment, the Arbors Bed &
Breakfast (www.arborsbnb.com), occupies
a handsome 19th-century house on two pas-
Downtown Harley-Davidson
Free Demo Rides!
downtownharley.com
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
11
It s Farmers Market Season!
It s Farmers
Market Season!
It s Farmers Market
Season!
U DISTRICT
LAKE CITY
WEST SEATTLE
COLUMBIA CITY
MAGNOLIA
PHINNEY
BROADWAY
www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org
U DISTRICT
12
LAKE CITY
Seattle Gay News
U DISTRICT
WEST SEATTLE
LAKE CITY
WEST SEATTLE
COLUMBIA CITY
June 21, 2013
COLUMBIA CITY
MAGNOLIA
MAGNOLIA
PHINNEY
BROADWAY
PHINNEYwww.sBROADWAY
eattlefarmersmarkets.org
www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org
Celebrating 40 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
13
14
Seattle Gay News
June 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
RAFFLE PRIZES!
$7 Donation
Proceeds go to Rosehedge/Multifaith Works,
Bailey-Boushay House, and Dignity/Seattle
A recycling dropoff will be provided for old cell phones, empty ink cartridges,
laptops, digital cameras, hand held game systems, and GPS devices
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
15
splash around in a shallow pool with a DJ
playing tunes by today’s biggest artists, all
continued from page 6
the while watching cute boys strut their
stuff in skimpy swimsuits. Straight friends
go-go boys, a locals-mostly crowd, reserved are welcome (and some hotel guests do
wander in and end up staying). Admission
VIP area and remixed Top 40 music.
“Temptation Sundays” at Luxor (www. fees are posted on the event website, and
luxor.com/lgbt) draws mainly Gay men to private cabanas are perfect for groups.
las vegas
ACCOMMODATIONS
Of the many hotel-casinos in Vegas, I
recommend the MGM Grand (www.mgmgrand.com). It has a couple of distinctions:
(1) MGM Resorts International, the property’s parent brand, is a huge LGBT supporter
that donated generously to The Center, as
well as sponsoring ongoing events from
“Temptation Sundays” to the PRIDE Night
Parade; and (2) the amenities are abundant
and impressive throughout its premises,
from Michelin-star restaurants to major concert venues to well-designed, tastefully
decorated rooms (5,044 total) with some
unique features, such as automatic blinds
and MGM’s signature line of bath products.
Common room furnishings include flatpanel TVs, glass-top work desks, mini-bars,
USB/iPod ports, and shower-tubs. Turndown service is offered, as is free WiFi. Of
course, the casino floor is filled with slot
machines and card tables, but you’ll also encounter a Starbucks, a food court with latenight/early morning offerings, the MGM
Grand Arena (Beyonce, iheartradio Festival, Billboard Music Awards), Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ, and plenty of retail shops.
EAT & DRINK
What’s changed in Las Vegas in the past
10 to 15 years with the food scene is that the
focus has shifted from buffets to sophisticated dining. The major hotel-casinos have
lured celebrity chefs and trendy chains, who
now dominate the eating selections. Andrea’s (www.wynnlasvegas.com), inside
the Encore, serves wonderful Asian-infused
dishes from made-to-order sushi rolls to
specialty fried rice (pineapple, crab, tofu,
egg) and noodles (pan fried, lo mein, phad
thai) to succulent meat dishes, like five-spice
garlic lobster, Saikyo miso black cod, and
Wagyu rib cap, all in a posh, slightly retro
ambiance. The wok-fried broccoli or bigeye
tuna and crispy rice are must-tries at Andrea’s. The Border Grill (www.bordergrill.
Cuts & Styles
16
Seattle Gay News
EARL LANCASTER
Master Barber
June 21, 2013
(206) 322-2687
1162 23rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98122
www.earlscutsandstyles.com
7AM - 6PM,
Mon - Sat
Celebrating 40 Years!
com) is another great spot to hit and woos
a significant Gay clientele. Nestled inside
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino and helmed
by Top Chef stars Mary Sue Milliken and
Susan Feniger, the menu features sensational dressed-up versions of Mexican and
South American dishes such as Peruvian
ceviche, plantain empanadas, Yucatan pork
tacos, chile relleño burgers, and a wonderful plate of chicken poblano enchiladas that
comes with a colorful presentation. Even for
a quick stop, to sit on the outdoor patio with
a view of the swimming pools over chips
with house-made guacamole and a blackcherry mojito, the Border Grill is definitely
worth it. Suggested for a fabulous brunch is
Simon Restaurant at Palms Casino Resort
(www.palms.com), where adorable servers
don printed pajama bottoms and complete
your meal with complimentary cotton candy. The dining space has a clean, modern
appearance with lots of windows, allowing
the bright sun to come through, and has an
intimate bar-lounge that invites brunchers
to concoct their own Bloody Marys. You
can opt for the buffet-style brunch, offering
everything from sushi to carved prime rib
to pastries, granola, and mini-desserts, or
you can order from the kitchen menu that
includes egg bennies, wood-fired pizzas,
and a “White Trash” selection of chickenfried chicken, pigs in a blanket, biscuits and
gravy, and Simon baby-back ribs.
For drinks, I recommend The Chandelier at The Cosmopolitan (www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com), a multilevel lounge
that is sexy and spirited. The main floor
area is highlighted by a live music stage,
where local bands perform blues, swing,
and jazz-pop music, while the upper levels
have snazzy bar counters with dim lighting
and scattered, plush couches. The Chandelier’s innovative cocktails, using freshly
sourced out-of-the-ordinary ingredients,
are both tempting and fun to sample. Park
on Fremont (www.parkonfremont.com) is
closer to downtown and a good place to go
for Bloody Marys. They list four varieties,
aside from the standard version, including
the Texas Tuxedo (Ciroc vodka, cucumber,
basil, grape tomatoes, and Bloody Mary
mix), delivered to your table in oversized
mason jars. While you’re there, check out
the risqué patio art and the bar’s teeter-totter
in the back.
SPAS
If you’re gonna play, you’ve gotta recover,
right? And the best way is to recharge is at
the spa. BATHHOUSE (www.mandalaybay.com), inside THEhotel Tower Rooms
& Suites, is not easy to find but well worth
the challenge. The clothing-optional soaking baths, with separate sections for men
and women, are particularly lush, with high
ceilings, black tile floors, and beach chairs,
along with self-serve fruit-infused water,
gourmet trail mix, and cucumber slices for
fatigued eyes. My treatment of choice was
the Luxe Noir Massage, a 50-minute session
that allowed two enhancements (hot stone,
etc.) worked into the actual massage. I also
have good things to say about Reliquary
Spa & Salon at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (www.hardrockhotel.com), which is
actually more elegant and sultry than drugs,
sex, and rock ’n’ roll. The baths are about the
same size as those at BATHHOUSE, though
in a brighter setting. Their treatments have
catchy names – “Help,” “Cloud Nine,” “Tenderness” – and I loved being massaged while
listening to a Coldplay playlist, rather than
the cheesy music you succumb to at most
spas.
Make Dignity
your spiritual home
Join us at our next liturgy on
Sunday, September 8, 2013
We meet second Sundays @ 6pm
for liturgies & prayer services at:
5751 33rd NE Seattle WA 98115
We provide a safe environment for people to reconcile our
God-given gifts of sexual orientation and our Catholic faith
through gay-affirming liturgies. Being part of the
Dignity/Seattle familymeans claiming ownership of our faith
and living up to the responsibilities of that ownership
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
17
18
Seattle Gay News
June 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
Noon - 2 am daily • 21 and over
Home of the Sam’s bloody masterpiece.
1024 E Pike st • 206.397.3344 • samstavernseattle.com
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
Seattle Gay News
19
palm springs
continued from cover
social experience with strong undercurrents of wild, read the list below carefully. If
you are looking for even wilder, refer to the
“wilder place” section below.
INNDulge
601 S. Grenfall Road
This is the place I keep coming back to. I
have stayed at and visited many Gay resorts
in Palm Springs to find the best place for
me. As I’ve said before, where you stay depends a lot on who you are and what you are
looking for to make the best vacation. I am
a slightly shy person who is looking for a
20
Seattle Gay News
great vacation experience with new friends
and loads of flirting, fun frivolity, with the
option but not expectation for something
wilder – and that is why INNDulge remains at the top of my list. When I feel social, there is the daily social hour with all
the guests, plus your hosts John and Sandy.
I can meet everyone at the resort, which I
did. When I am feeling flirty, I only have to
leave my room and sit by the pool, go to the
gym, or walk over to breakfast. When I am
feeling wild, there’s always the pool and hot
tub at midnight, the Internet, and a load of
friendly strangers within a stone’s throw.
the bears. The newest of Palm Springs’
clothing-optional Gay resorts is located
away from the others and closer to the strip
along Indian Canyon Drive. Owners Glenn
and Jerry, proud bears themselves, have
created the ideal bear oasis in a stylish red,
midcentury-themed, pool-focused resort,
complete with large sliding doors, stocked
kitchens, and (ahem) reinforced beds that
can hold the larger man at play.
underwear night (see “What to Do”) when
invited by some lodgers for a side party. The
size of the resort makes it more approachable, perhaps for the shy traveler who wants
to start with a smaller group of folks, but
it is no less wild for the size, I can promise you. Even the towels are better, perhaps
because it boasts a much larger pool than its
bigger resort neighbors. This place oozes
friendliness.
Tortuga del Sol
715 San Lorenzo Road
In the five years since my last visit, Tortuga del Sol may be the least changed of all
Bearfoot Inn
the Gay resorts. I visited twice, once to look
888 N. Indian Canyon Drive
around for this article during the day and
The name says it all – this is a resort for again later on at night, after the Tool Shed
Triangle Inn
555 San Lorenzo Road
When I stopped by to see the Triangle
Inn, I walked into a small party and immediately slipped on my swimsuit to talk to the
locals. My previous visit made me want to
stay here, but I haven’t taken the plunge yet.
June 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
Triangle Inn boasts a very dedicated following and encompasses the feeling that guest
David said “makes me come back here every year even though I have tried some of
the other resorts.” That dedicated following
keeps this smaller resort among the most
social and lively resorts around, particularly during the day. If you are more comfortable with a smaller group of people than
INNDulge offers, this place or Tortuga are
your best bets.
Hacienda
586 S. Warm Sands Drive
The Hacienda is the more luxurious of the
resorts, the sort with the huge, flat fireplace
lighting up a five-room suite, heated bathroom floors, and a pillow menu. Only recently clothing-optional, you have as good
a chance to find a rich man looking for you
as you do a man looking for a rich man. Stay
here if your belt, hat, and bag all scream
luxe.
Wilder Places
If the only goal on your trip is endless
wild sex, you will not have trouble finding a Gay resort right for you. For the sexfocused traveler, there are “The Notorious
Two,” built for men searching only for instant pleasure, and as is my custom, I do not
include these places in my article because
I have not been to visit. My idea of a vacation is some wild plus something else big –
without the “something else big,” it reduces
the experience for me to something you can
find in any city in the world, and certainly
nothing you travel across the world to see.
If that is your thing, Google away. These
places have affordable day passes, as their
large signs indicate.
WHAT TO DO
When you want to leave the resort, you
will not necessarily leave Gay people. Palm
Springs is half-Gay (no, really, half the
population is Gay!) so you will feel right at
home. Below is a list of places I was able to
visit on this trip in just a few days. No doubt
you will discover some of your own.
R&R Menswear
333 N. Palm Canyon Drive
The first place to visit is R&R Menswear,
an unassuming little boutique from the outside which inside boasts a huge offering
of designer pool wear and casual wear for
men. On my first trip, I stumbled onto this
place by accident. When I met the Gay owner, Rick (who works Sundays and Mondays),
I was desperate to find a swimsuit I could
wear since I live in a cold, damp place. Rick
took one look at me and provided me with
what is now the best of my wardrobe and he
did it with a friendly, fun-loving demeanor the whole time. What makes this place
again my favorite clothing shop is Rick’s
impeccable taste. It was the swimsuit I
wasn’t sure about, but which he insisted on,
that really made my trip. Whoever you are
or whatever you are looking for, Rick will
find what you should wear in minutes. Make
this your first stop!
us was waving white napkins and cheering the musical speech of Madonna (Eva
Peron) and singing along. Oh, they had sung
along to every other Gay musical movie or
theater-clip moment, but this was the only
one with props! It was an education for me
in more ways than one – I finally saw a clip
of Mommie Dearest, a movie I don’t ever intend to watch.
money and you could easily take your massage and facial without the perks and save a
whole pile of cash. By the way, this was the
first time ever I had a spa facial and I just
would like to say, “Ouch!” (I had no idea
those things hurt.)
Palm Springs Arial Tramway
1 Tramway Road
No trip is complete without a bunch of
Gay folk cramming into a car and heading off to the aerial tramway to stand with
a bunch of strangers on a cable car to the
top of a mountain. This very light brush
with nature can be as simple as a walk with
a view and as hardcore as an endless hike
along the rock and brush. The ride up is adventurous, the pictures you take are worth
saving, and the memory you make is priceless.
The Tropicale
330 E. Amado Road
The Tropicale is simply the best place to
have a patio dinner with a sizeable group of
friends. With better seafood offerings than
many of the other stylish, upscale restaurants in Palm Springs, there is also a special
Sunday night sushi chef who visits, providing a few extra options on the menu. If
the wind is calm and the night is right, get
a spot under the strung lights on the patio
Walking Tours
where the festive air will make this feel like
The midcentury homes of Lucille Ball,
a perfect dinner party, only one where you
Judy Garland, and all your favorite goldendon’t have to do the dishes.
era film stars can be seen on a Palm Springs
Historical Society walking tour. If archiPinocchio in the Desert
tecture is more your thing, there is a walk134 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
When you walk up a street so hot that in- ing tour for that, too. There is also a “Heart
stalled mist machines cool you, you want
a drink – never mind that it is only 10 a.m.
Look for the colorful umbrellas and the
small Marilyn Monroe statue out front of
Pinocchio in the Desert, whose $3.95 bottomless champagne breakfast and greasyspoon menu will prepare you for your arduous vacation spa day or the tedious long
hours sitting by the pool. This place has a
laid back-crowd, no pretension, and a drink
menu in the morning.
of the City” tour where you can get a look
at the busiest, happening parts of the city.
Tours are $15 per person and at this time
can only be booked only by phone. Call
(760) 323-8297.
THE BEST PART OF ALL
With another incredible Palm Springs
trip under my belt, I am already planning a
third. This time, not just because of the brilliant vacation with friends, food, and fun,
the endless postcard moments to look back
on throughout the work year, or the brilliant
clothes I bought – no, this time it is also because of a special person I met who made
me forget all about that stupid breakup and
everything else around it.
That’s the magic of Palm Springs – come
with a raincloud and leave with a rainbow,
a unicorn, a tan, a spring in your step, and
four swimsuits that fit. What more can you
want from a vacation?
Beau Burriola is an American expat
who always finds time to get back to Palm
Springs. Contact him at beaubrent@gmail.
com.
Wang’s in the Desert
424 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Upscale pan-Asian food with a patio, a
pond, and hordes of Gay folks make this
the place to have your drink and your dinner. On Friday nights from 5 p.m. on, this
is definitely a very Gay place to be – so iron
your shorts, polish your beach footwear,
and make your reservation ahead of time if
you plan to eat.
Hamburger Mary’s
415 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Here is what I love about America: some
places have absolutely perfected the burger.
If you’ve ever visited the Hamburger Mary’s
in Vancouver, this one is very similar, except that all the windows are open, the air is
warm, and the passers-by wear less. A triedand-true burger joint, it’s best to stop by on
your lunch shopping walk up the strip. Every server I have had here has been friendly,
and suggestions for slimmer burgers will be
happily provided. Also, you will certainly
have plenty of Gay folk around whenever
you visit.
Azul Tapas Lounge
369 N. Palm Canyon Drive
This place still has the best patio for
drinks in Palm Springs, if you are lucky
enough to get a spot. Since it sits right on
North Palm Canyon Drive, it is the perfect
place to sit in the cooling misters with your
friends, drink in hand, and watching the
people go by. With tapas more Americana
than Espagna, you’ll have plenty of choices so long as you aren’t a vegetarian. Still,
what Azul lacks in menu offerings it more
than makes up for with excellent outdoor
seating.
Hunters
302 E. Arenas Road
Every city has its go-to Gay bar. For Palm
Springs, Hunters is that place. Whether
you’re hoping to win (or just watch) the
Wednesday underwear competition, or
whether you want to start out your night
Friday before cheap drinks at Toucan’s, you
will not be disappointed with a staple like
Spa Resort Casino
Hunters. With a mixed crowd, you’re sure to
100 N. Indian Canyon Drive
find the folks you want to hang out with, on
I am not normally a spa kind of guy.
their way to wherever they want to hang out. Dropping money on pampering doesn’t
come easy because I find my money to be
SpurLine Video Lounge
comforting enough, but for the second time
200 S. Indian Canyon Drive
in a row, I went to this desert spa for the best
We were all four of us standing, watch- full-body massage of my life. The ritual
ing a scene from Evita at 10:30 on a Sun- around the massage is nice enough – the
day night (only one of the endless musical soak in the mineral bath, the steam room
clips that make up a night Friday through and sauna, drinking your cucumber water,
Sunday at SpurLine) when suddenly, out of and sleeping by a blue-lit fountain – but
nowhere, everybody in the bar except for these little pleasures aren’t the best value for
Visit us online www.sgn.org
June 21, 2013
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Seattle Gay News
June 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years!
Weddings By the Sea
Visit us online www.sgn.org
www.oceanshoresweddings.com
206-403-8170
Let us make your wedding day as fun
as a day at the beach.
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Seattle Gay News
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