Gay Spring Break 2008
Tuesday January 1, 2008
Gay spring break hot spots are many of the same sunny scenes that could be described as the hottest year 'round, temperature and nightlife-wise -- Puerto Vallarta, Key West, and the Miami area are all spotlighted by gay travel gurus as the 2008 places where GLBT travelers will find gay spring break travel ideas that work on every level.
Dan Allen of The Out Traveler put together some hot spot predictions for all-age gay spring break travel in 2007 that still apply in 2008 (reprinted on Gay.com: "Gays Gone Wild: A Spring Break Primer") -- you'll especially like Key West and Puerto Vallarta:
Gay Spring Break in Key West
Key West's live and let live legacy, which includes a shady pirate past, lives on in the shape of a gay travel mecca for those with a tooth for adventure -- this town at the literal end of the road (Florida's A1A) welcomes travelers from every walk of life without question; some are coming to the end of the road for good reason and some are just rocking it for a season. If that season for you is spring break, Gay Spring Break, organized by the Key West Business Guild, may be to your tooth -- tons o' GLBT spring break-specific events happening from the last of February through the first week of April, running the gamut from poker tourneys at club Aqua to women's movie night at Pearl's.
Dan Allen of The Out Traveler put together some hot spot predictions for all-age gay spring break travel in 2007 that still apply in 2008 (reprinted on Gay.com: "Gays Gone Wild: A Spring Break Primer") -- you'll especially like Key West and Puerto Vallarta:
Gay Spring Break in Key West
Key West's live and let live legacy, which includes a shady pirate past, lives on in the shape of a gay travel mecca for those with a tooth for adventure -- this town at the literal end of the road (Florida's A1A) welcomes travelers from every walk of life without question; some are coming to the end of the road for good reason and some are just rocking it for a season. If that season for you is spring break, Gay Spring Break, organized by the Key West Business Guild, may be to your tooth -- tons o' GLBT spring break-specific events happening from the last of February through the first week of April, running the gamut from poker tourneys at club Aqua to women's movie night at Pearl's.
- If you go to Key West -- You might rather drive to Key West than fly; my road trips down the Keys are some of the best I have ever made. With daytime air and water temps around 80, you'll want to get outside when you get there, but Key West is not about over-exertion, though snorkelers will find undersea paradises in the clear water (head out to the Dry Tortugas for a day), and a little hunting will turn up uncrowded beaches if that's your bag.
- Gay Spring Break in Key West -- get guesthouse links and event calendar
- Key West Photos and Gay Travel Guide
- "Key West: Where to play, eat, and stay" (Andrew Collins)
Key West's beaches are social fun, but sand is skimpy (the Florida Keys are coral islands) and not the reason to go: the places to be have roofs, though not always walls -- those with both are largely on Duval Street, where tourists and locals alike dance 'til almost dawn. Get to the clubs by conch cruiser -- fat tire bikes with baskets where you can keep a flashlight for showing you the after-dark way home to your guest house, which are among the most interesting Key West temporary addresses.
The gay scene in Key West cooks year 'round (About's Guide to Gay Life, Ramon Johnson, reports that PlanetOut rated Key West the number two gay resort town in 2005), though October's Fantasy Fest is especially interesting time to visit -- and it can be a walk on the wild side. You can think some thoughts and see some things (with no idea what was up and the intention of passing through, I arrived in Key West on Fantasy Fest weekend, said, "What is this place?!" and stayed for six months).
- Travel Info and Puerto Vallarta Photos
- Puerto Vallarta Hotels
- Puerto Vallarta Nightlife
- Puerto Vallarta Beaches
- Puerto Vallarta Walking Tour Ideas
- What to Do Outside in Puerto Vallarta
- The Out Traveler: "Gays Gone Wild: A Spring Break Primer"
- About.com's Guide to Gay Travel
- Guides to Gay Fort Lauderdale
Comments
Although it’s not as famous as Colorado’s other big gay ski festivals, Aspen Gay Ski Week and Telluride Gay Ski Week, the emerging Vail Gay & Lesbian Ski Week has been picking up increased traction over the years. It takes place in 2008 from January 30 through February 3, and it’s organized by VailSkiVacations.com and the gay sports-events organizer, Community Visions, which also runs Park City’s Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week as well as several gatherings elsewhere that touch on everything from gay sailing cruises in the Caribbean to group tours of Thailand.
Vail Valley comprises a cluster of popular gay ski resort towns in the Rockies, all convenient to I-70, which connects the region to Denver. The towns include Vail itself along with Avon, Eagle, Minturn, Edwards, and Beaver Creek. The Vail Gay & Lesbian Ski Week events are focused chiefly on the facilities at Vail and Beaver Creek.
Events at Vail Gay Ski Week include an opening martini reception at Vail Village’s Samana Lounge, a Thursday-night gathering at Sonnenalp Resort’s acclaimed Bully Ranch restaurant, and dinner on Friday night at Beaver Creek’s Coyote Cafe.
An excellent resource for information on Vail Valley is VailPM.com. For ideas on where to stay in Vail during Gay Ski Week, contact Vail Ski Vacations. Or for arguably the snazziest accommodations in the region, check into the gay-friendly Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch (970-748-6200), in Avon.