Kamp Key West to Offer Land and Sea Adventures for LGBT Kampers

Summer camp, with its focus on outdoor fun in a friendly "getaway" atmosphere, isn't just for kids any more. Kamp Key West, set for Thursday through Sunday, May 15-18, offers a menu of land-and-sea adventures for grownup LGBT "happy kampers" in the island city renowned for its all-embracing diversity.

Daily camp activities on the water range from snorkel and dolphin-watch excursions and sunset sails to guided kayaking, all-women charters, glass-bottom boat tours and all-male "sun your buns" snorkel cruises.

Those who prefer land-based fun can explore attractions and museums including the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory, Key West Lighthouse and Mel Fisher Maritime Museum showcasing 17th-century shipwreck artifacts and treasures.

Travel: 17 LGBT Events in the Florida Sunshine

Miami Beach Gay Pride is here, so grab your swimsuit and sunglasses and head down to Florida for this and 16 other amazing events!

Travel: SHAG-licious Guide to the best of UK Pride!

While marriage equality is a recent step forward in British history, LGBT Pride has always been a thing of ultimate celebration throughout the UK near and far! Whether your Prideful tastes leave you craving major urban shindigs or you prefer a more quirky, local Pride experience Britain has anything you could hope for and more. As if marriage equality and a boom in LGBT honeymoons aren't enough of a reason to visit the UK this summer, we have the ULTIMATE Pride guide that will gear you up to book your trip today!! Check out GayTravel.com's shagadelic list!

Get Active With Colorado's Culinary Offerings

Colorado is home to farms, ranches, breweries and wineries that have partnered up with active tours to provide one-of-a-kind experiences. From a jeep tour combined with a wine tasting and yoga followed by a locally-brewed beer, to biking from vineyard to vineyard and a mushroom festival featuring foraging hikes, experience Colorado-grown adventures across the state. Below is a sampling of tours and festivals that not only get the blood pumping but also stimulate the taste buds. For more information, visit www.colorado.com.

Enter for a Chance to Win a Big Gay Trip to Great Britain!

The prize includes tickets to Pride events in either Brighton, Cardiff, Manchester or Birmingham! You’ll stay at the Grove, Wales, from Further Afield, the Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester or the Staying Cool Apartments, Birmingham. All with fab Virgin Atlantic premium flights! 

Click here to enter.

Gay Denver, Are You Ready to Be Xposed in Las Vegas?

Xposed!, the ultimate Saturday LGBTQ Beach Club Party in Las Vegas, makes its debut March 29 at the Beach Club at The New Tropicana resort in Las Vegas and it sounds like my kind of party!

Bringing Back Spring Break: Top Ten Destinations for Spring

10. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Gay travelers can kick back and chill in flip flops and relax on the blue wave beaches or slip on dancing shoes and bust a move at one of the dozens of gay clubs! Check out W Hotel and B Ocean Fort Lauderdale for our favorite places to stay in Fort Lauderdale!

9. Puerto Vallarta , Mexico: P.V. has long been a popular stop on the well-trodden North American gay trail due to how accessible, accepting and inexpensive it is. Some have called it the “San Fran of Mexico,”- what better place to spend your spring break?! Blue Chairs Hotel and Casa Magna Marriott are great options for this amazing destination. 

8. Carlsbad, CA: Beautiful beaches, picturesque lagoons, European charm, world-class golf, legendary spas and shopping, Carlsbad has something for every LGBT traveler. The Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa is our Gay Family Friendly Pick, and the Beach Terrace Inn is an amazing option for the beach lovers traveling through this amazing city!

View the rest of the list HERE! 

Key West's Famous Gay Resort Island House Up For Sale!

After 15 years helming the multiple award-winning Island House Key West and making it into one of the world’s premier gay guesthouses, owner Jon Allen has announced his retirement. Like the other owners before him who’ve shepherded this great property since it first opened in 1976, Allen is taking his time to find the right buyers.

"I'm confident the new owner will operate it as a gay men's resort," said Allen announcing his decision to sell the property he bought in 1999 with his partner of 23 years, Martin Kay, who died in December. "It has higher [average daily room rates] and occupancy than any comparable property in Old Town. There's no good reason to change its model. It's a success."

The plan is to have the management team and staff will remain and continue to run Island House as an all-men’s, clothing-optional resort where gay men can be themselves in a safe, comfortable environment, relax and meet other men.

"Yes, Jon is selling Island House, but it's not going away and, in fact, the reservation lines have been ringing off the hook with guests looking for an escape from their endless winter," Jeffrey Smead, Island House’s Director of Marketing said, noting that the resort was recently featured on RuPaul's Drag Race, airing on the LOGO network. He added that since “10 of the resort’s 34 rooms feature shared bathrooms, the likelihood of the property becoming mainstream are almost nonexistent. Jon’s looking forward to someday returning as a guest.”

The property appears in the MLS listings with an asking price of $13.5 million. Julie Fondriest, co-listing agent with Claude Gardner at Prudential Knight Gardner Realtors, can be reached at Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty, Key West; jfondriest@aol.com; 305-587-4208.

Nice to See StevieB: Pool Time

By StevieB

I can't tell you how much I enjoy laying naked on a pool float in the middle of a gay guest house pool. I might be the only person in history that goes to Florida and does not visit the beach. I for one, think the beach is over-rated. Why get sand everywhere when you can lay in a clean pool with naked gays on lounge chairs casually masturbating. It is ironic how one can do that and complete a crossword. Multitasking at its best.

I've discovered a couple of things; South Florida is home to most of the gay fifty year old men with chain arm-band tattoos, and there are more gay sushi restaurants then in Japan. I'm not complaining, just an observation. Who am I to judge, since landing in this stat I've only eaten chicken fingers and ranch dressing. I am now being compared to a seven year old.

I'm enjoying the guest house, even if it has many rules. No "play" I'm the hot tub. And one must remove the "good" sheets before play. It's like staying at your aunts house. If she was running a gay guest house.

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

Top Ten LGBT Wedding Destinations, Off the Beaten Path and Full of Pride!

GayTravel.com has compiled a list of the country's Top 10 gay wedding destinations including: 

10. Minneapolis- Minneapolis is offered described as the epicenter of Gay between the coasts. It has always been ahead of the curve on issues of gay discrimination and while there is no definitive “Gayborhood,” there is a multitude of gay venues throughout the downtown area.

9. Albany- Albany no longer stands in the shadow of New York City’s gay scene! This capital city has a lot to offer the gay community, and is becoming increasingly more LGBT-populated as time passes. It was even home to one of the first transgender organizations- a fun fact that we applaud!

8. Curacao- This tiny island off the Venezuelan coast could be a gay traveler’s definition of paradise: welcoming community, crystal-clear ocean water, pristine sandy beaches. Curacao’s weather is consistently blissful, a small token of the incredible lifestyle offered here! 

View the rest here!

Travel: Hello, Sunny! Exploring Fort Lauderdale

There's a reason Fort Lauderdale is such a popular gay vacation destination. This "Venice of America" is home to gay beaches, secluded wildlife sanctuaries, palatial estates, and some of the best food that Florida has to offer.

Nice to See StevieB: Coffee Break

By StevieB

Let me just say, there is stress that happens before any big trip. The planning, the packing, fake 'n bake visits, and the wondering if you have enough tank-tops... It's stressful. I had attempted to start the packing process yesterday, but that process was quickly halted this morning.

In Fuzzy's sleep deprived state, he had left a half-full cup of Starbucks on his night stand. This is strictly firbidden in our house hold. This is due to past experiences when the dog has helped himself to the forgotten/forbidden fruit.

This morning as I entered our office to toss one more item into my suitcase, I found to empty cup. In the middle of my suitcase. Harley, the precious, had pulled everything off the nightstand to get to the coffee. He couldn't get the lid off, so he forced his tongue into the little hole in order to get coffee out. At one point, it seems, his tongue got stuck. Hilarity ensued. As the dog chose to stand atop my suitcase to remove his tongue. The contents of the coffee is now in my suitcase. And, the dog is ramped up on caffeine. 

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

Six California Destinations Celebrate Marriage Equality with Honeymoon Trips Contest

Six of California’s most romantic destinations have created a contest called “Match the Couples” where contestants try to guess which same sex couple was married in which place – San Francisco, Los Angeles, Greater Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Sonoma County or West Hollywood - for a chance to win one of five honeymoon trips.

The winning contestant, selected at random from all entrants, will fly to California with a guest for a six-night Grand Prize combining three nights and activities in Los Angeles, a trip north on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train, followed by three nights and more fun in San Francisco.

Other prize packages to be awarded include the desert oasis of Greater Palm Springs, chic beaches of Santa Barbara, wineries of Sonoma County and the legendary nightlife of West Hollywood.

Contest entrants will be asked to match up a real couple with the destination where they were married. The contest is now live on partner GayCities.com on and all details, information and contest rules can be found here. All entries must be completed by Feb. 28.

"Love and marriage equality are certainly in the air and GayCities is proud to be a partner in bringing the first interactive campaign featuring real, married couples in California. The program invites GayCities members from all over the world to fall in love with California by showcasing these romantic getaways," said Scott Gatz, founder and CEO, GayCities, Inc.

Nice to See StevieB: Book Worm

From porn
to pedal

By StevieB

There may be only thirteen days until I leave for our massive gay vacation, and ten more work days, but there are four more school days until I’ll miss two important assignments. That means as I sit naked by the pool at our leather themed vacation guest house, my junk wont be getting sun as I will be typing away on a paper about Socrates’ conversation with Euthyphro. 

Picture it, a Fort Lauderdale gay hotel; pool side…

“Why thank you, and your muscled hotness is amazing too” I’d say looking over the top of my Macbook, returning a complement from a former porn star turned natural grocery store owner, “could you… you know what would be really hot… is if you could define your thoughts on the ‘Divine Command Theory’?”

For some reason, every guy in my fantasies happens to be muscled former porn stars who took their fortunes to open some kind of environmentally responsible business. Like a Colt model-turned bike shop owner, or “after several years in the frat porn genre, making his way to open a vegetarian restaurant. I guess muscled green entrepreneurs turn me on. But, that’s not important right now…

What is important is that I will be completing a five page paper on the issues and theories of Ethics while Mister Twelve-pack-turned-organic-farmer enters the cabana next door.

Damn you, Epicurus!!!! Your theory on enjoyment of life is wrecking my theory of getting laid by an ex-Sean Cody star. 

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

GayCities Announces Best Destinations for Gay Travelers

Chicago claimed the coveted title of “City of the Year" in the most recent Best of GayCities travel awards. Vienna won for “Culture Hub,” while Santa Fe, NM was declared 2013’s “Hidden Gem.”

The winners were chosen by GayCities members who cast over 80,000 votes in 14 categories.

“We’re proud to present the biggest annual awards chosen by real gay travelers,” said GayCities CEO Scott Gatz. “Audience engagement in this year’s campaign was a record high, proving the continued interest in LGBT travel and GayCities’ commitment to helping over 720,000 LGBTs connect and discover the best destinations each month.”

Other winners include: New York City (“Nonstop Nightlife,” “Fashion Capital,” “Singles Scene”); San Francisco (“Utopian Pride,” “American Marriage Mecca”); Paris (“Foodie Paradise”); Sydney (“Fun in the Sun”); Key West (“Relaxation Central”) and W Hotels (“Heavenly Stays”).

Best of GayCities 2013 also reflected the international momentum for marriage equality with three new categories: “Global Marriage Mecca” (winner, Amsterdam); “American Marriage Mecca” (winner, San Francisco); and “Honeymoon Hotspot” (winner, Santorini).

Nice to See StevieB: Three Weeks

By StevieB

*swimsuit not representative
of how Steve will look.

It's just three weeks until the big gay cruise. This means my dietary intake has been reduced to lettuce and dust. Well, and coffee.
I decided to buy one of those "motivational" swimsuits. The type that I'll never really be able to look good wearing, yet I walk by five times a day, as it sits atop my dresser mocking me. "I will let the Caribbean sun see you, Speedo! I will." I just need to eat as if I was Karen Carpenter.
In my food-deprived state, I have realized how unprepared I am for this trip. Other than my Speedo. Last night, I realized the reservation I made for a rental car for Fort Lauderdale was promptly deleted by me. I had zero information in regard to the reservation. Thankfully I had used my credit card points to pay for it, so I called the helpful credit card elves to find it for me. Yay.
If you need me for the next three weeks, I'll be at the gym. I'll be the one with a trail of empty Slim-Fast cans behind me and a glazed-over pre-cruise lack of carbs pallor.

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

Travel: Passport's Florida Road Trip Itinerary

Join Passport.com on a ten-day road trip through the Sunshine State that loops through big cities, ancient swamps, legendary gay playgrounds, and a whole lot more!

10 Reasons to Visit Denver in 2014: Chihuly, Cartier, Maya and more

The Mile High City will host a dazzling array of international art shows, one-of-a-kind exhibits and premiere sporting events in 2014, including a worldwide exclusive showing of Cartier jewels, the largest exhibit of Maya artifacts in American history and the World Lacrosse Championships.

Check out ten exciting reasons to explore Denver in 2014 after the break.

Passport Names Florida's Top 10 Gay Beaches!

Florida's fantastic beaches welcome all, but some are friendlier than others to the LGBT community. From party places such as Miami, Key West and Fort Lauderdale to mellow, secluded spots in St. Pete Beach and Sarasota, here are some of Sunshine State's best gay-friendly beaches.

Nice to See StevieB: Stevie's Choice

By StevieB

I am glad to say that I have survived this semester of school. Now it’s time to relax and play, “school boy on winter break.” I’m very excited.

As I’m on winter break, I have time to finally complete some over-due chores. This morning re-ignited a debate in the house. Where to stay the three days before the cruise in February. Or, what gay B&B shall we flop at for three days over Valentine’s Day. As you no-doubtfully are aware, I’m a gay ghetto gay. Meaning, if given the choice in life, I would love to live in the center of a gay neighborhood. Hence the choosing of vacationing a couple of days early in Fort Lauderdale verses Miami before our cruise on the 15th. To enjoy Fort Lauderdale’s gay village.

Two Guest houses top the list, one The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa lives up to its name and has a gay men’s spa. Complete with hot stone massage. The clothing optional pool is also a nice, and necessary benefit. 

The other B&B has a clothing optional pool as well. It’s a... leather themed guest house called the Inn Leather. Seriously. The glossy brochure highlights a real leather sling in every room. Patrick suggested I inquire if they are Corinthian leather. “Our slings are covered in a fine Corinthian leather.” Well, it will be over Valentine’s Day... Nothing says “I love you’ like an in-room sling. Whilst the Spa is nifty, the Corinthian (as we’ll now call it) also has free WiFi, and a better spread for breakfast... for me.

With either choice there is only 9 weeks until I get to recline next to a pool. All naked. 

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.