Gay And Lesbian Destinations In The US
When is the best time for gays and lesbians to travel in the US?
As far as people coming to the U.S, if they're coming from outside of the country, it is going to depend upon where you're going. You want to avoid Miami in January, February, March, and April because it's peak season. On the other hand, Miami in July - it's warm and somewhat oppressive, but a wonderful time to go. You have better hotel rates and you get a lot of South Americans - the beach is alive. There is no place like the beach in the summer, because you have a lot of Brazilians and Argentinians coming and it adds a flavor that I dont think you'll find anywhere else in the world. New York, you really have to pick and choose. There are some down times in New York that you can get some relatively great hotel values. California - avoid major conventions in the cities, but I still think Los Angeles is one of the best travel values in the U.S. today. I do have to put in a plug for Minneapolis. Not that I'm from there, but it's a great value. If people are coming to the U.S, it has great shopping, with the Mall of America, but also the culture. If people want museums and theater, they do need to come and give us a shot.
What are popular gay and lesbian destinations on the East Coast?
New York, as far as the East Coast, will always be a prime destination. It's where we had Stonewall. It has excellent museums, excellent restaurants, great shopping, and theatre and the arts. New York is New York. An overlooked destination is Washington, D.C. It's got an exceptional gay and lesbian community - it's a beautiful city, there's a ton of stuff to do for free, and Philadelphia, which has made a huge effort to market to the LGBT community, and they're doing it very well. If you're going to the East Coast, go to Massachusetts. They gave us gay marriage - they were the first state that did. Go and spend your money. They've earned every penny of it, and make sure when you leave that you send a letter to the governor or to the tourism office and thank the people of the common wealth of Massachusetts for being the first State to give us gay marriage. Boston is a ton of fun, and you'll enjoy it.
What are popular gay and lesbian destinations on the West Coast?
When you look at the West Coast, there's always Mecca, which will be the Castro in San Francisco. Every gay and lesbian really does need to get that one time. It was a mother place where people went to and it still is. San Francisco will always be a great destination. Los Angeles, I love LA. I love West Hollywood. I love hanging out, looking at the life there. San Diego is just a great destination. Palm Springs - Seattle is a place people may not think of, but Seattle is also vibrant, has excellent food and great coffee.
What are popular gay and lesbian destinations in the South?
If you're looking at a destination in the South, and sometimes we forget that Florida's the South, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale has got to be one of the premier destinations in the entire world, and they're very two different places. Fort Lauderdale versus Miami, I think there's something for everybody. Fort Lauderdale tends to be a little older crowd, a little more American focused, whereas Miami, if you want to see gays and lesbians from around the world, there's no place like Miami.
What are popular gay and lesbian destinations in the Midwest?
Saugatuck, or Michigan - which is two hours outside of Chicago. In the summer it has a very vibrant gay and lesbian community. A lot of lesbians - it's one of the few places that's really well mixed. Saugatuck, and Chicago. The food in Chicago - the restaurants, the area called Boystown, North Halstead, is a great place to just go hang out. The museums in Chicago. Chicago, Saugatuck, and Minneapolis, which is an up and coming destination. It is one of the five places you need to go in the United States. People should come to Minneapolis.
What are popular gay and lesbian beach destinations in the US?
The number one beach destinations are always going to be Provincetown. If people haven't been to Provincetown, it's like San Francisco, you do need to go once. The odd thing is that when you go to Provincetown, you actually see some heterosexuals there, you think My God, those people are out of place - it's that strong of a gay and lesbian destination. Key West will always just be because of tradition, but the premier beach destination in this country will always be Southern Florida, Fort Lauderdale or Miami.
What are some money-saving tips for gays and lesbians traveling through the US?
If you want to save money, it is important to be really flexible. Flexibility is the key factor when it comes to cost saving. Can you not stay right in Manhattan? Can you stay in Brooklyn? You're going to save money. Can you go to Miami in October versus going in February? That's going to be a money saving tip. It's that flexibility on both location and time that are going to allow you to save the most money.
What are some safety tips for gays and lesbians traveling through the US?
Unfortunately, as an American we do have to know that there are places that are not safe for gays and lesbians. Those are going to be general safety tips, though. Don't be out late at night somewhere that you shouldn't be. If you are, take a cab and go back. If you are affectionate - you're going with your husband, your wife, your partner, whatever term you use - consider if you are in a place where you can be holding hands? Unfortunately, there are a lot of places that you can't, and you have to do your research. Find out how safe the destination is, and once you're there, get a feel for it.
What are some lesser-known US gay and lesbian destinations?
If you're looking for an unknown jam - Denver. They really have redone the, “low door” they call it, the lower part of Denver. The bank pads are excellent, have great access to skiing if that's what you want to do, really good restaurants and some fun bars. Denver, Tucson, and Arizona has a kind of a sleeper. People don't realize, but it's a great alternative to Palms Springs, which is a great destination. If you want a quieter area and a better value, I would recommend Tucson.
What US cites should gays and lesbians avoid?
Talking about avoiding cities or places, as an activist, as a political and as a gay rights activists, I would say no, we can never be afraid of going anywhere. We have to be smart, and we have to be intelligent about what we do. Going back to the internet, if you're going to a place that you're not sure of, see if they have a local gay and lesbian organization. Call them, don't e-mail them. Call them, talk to a human being. Get some feeling. "I'm coming to Rapid City, South Dakota, what's it going to be like?" Get that information from a human being. If you do that, you can go anywhere.
