Written by We’re about a third of the way through the long, hot summer. In most cities, Gay Pride celebrations are already over, as they were held in June. Other cities still have parades and Pride festivals coming up. LGBT film festivals and musical events will be happening all over the country between now and Labor Day weekend.
There are so many places to get out there and be a part of our great and vast community that there’s absolutely something for everyone. Not into the big crowd scene? How about a nice beach chair on a strip of sand in a lesbian and gay friendly town or a cozy cabin where you and your significant other can soak your cares away in your private hot tub overlooking a serene mountain vista?
In this age of the internet, there are thousands of sites that advertise to gay and lesbian travellers. Everyone seems to want the GLBT dollar. While these sites are great to help find a specific hotel, event or club, no one site collates every gay owned or gay friendly event or place in every major city like some of the printed travel guides do. Further, it’s a lot easier to whip out a book to find a welcoming coffee house quickly than to try to connect and type and scroll on your iPhone!
Damron Guides have been the standard in LGBT travel publications for many years. They’re always complete and easy to follow. The male version (yes, they’re separate) for example, may not be rated “best” by the gay male reader looking for highly detailed information about every nude beach in a particular area or about which bear bar has the highest concentration of men on a Tuesday evening in Phoenix, but they do list ALL of the events, inns, bars, clubs, tours, cruises and so forth all in one place with a quick overview. They’re a handy reference to have as a starting point or to find something when you just can’t get to a computer.
The 2011 lesbian version (also of use to many straight women looking for woman friendly/safe establishments) has more than 10,000 verified listings. The 2011 gay male version has more than 13,000 listings. Surely everyone can find something that fits their budget and tastes with so much to choose from!
