Just out., May 01, 1998, Page 23, Image 23

may 1. 1998 * ju s t su t 23
HOMO-GROWN HOLIDAYS
continued from page 21
would rather arm wrestle their muses than sit
quietly with them in front of an easel, a cold
shower in a little white water might help.
Open to women couples, the Oregon Paddler
offers a July 18 and 19 raft trip on the M c­
Kenzie River. W ith food, lodging and a mas­
sage, the trip is yours for just under $400.
A similar trip open to all women runs Aug.
15 and 16, and a men’s trip is available Aug. 1
and 2.
Another event, while not specifically tar­
geting the queer community, welcomes us
heartily and promises to be very exotic: the
12th annual B C Witchcamp. Forty miles east
of Vancouver, B.C., at Loon Lake, this year’s
theme is The Charge of the Goddess. T he slid­
ing-scale cost is U .S. $410-$600.
cheduling conflicts shouldn’t deter lesbian
and gay travelers from heading out to
recharge their batteries this summer.
Travelers need not be tied to particular queer
events like pride weekends or camp outs.
Queer-friendly lodging beckons from across the
region.
Les ’n ’ Bo’s, for example, is a “womyn-only”
escape 40 minutes by ferry from Vancouver,
B.C. Janice Munn, a co-owner of the coastal
escape, says the big draw at Les ’n’ Bo’s is priva­
cy, emphasizing that gay men and lesbians
sometimes have a greater need for getting away
and being themselves.
“You can lounge around in the woods
naked,” she confides. “You’re completely on
your own.”
Munn says the majority of her guests come
from Vancouver, B.C ., and Portland.
Additionally, she admits that she personally
looks for accommodations akin to what she
offers women travelers: “Privacy, peace and
solitude...safe, cozy and quiet.”
Jeff Pfaff co-owns the Bear & Penguin Inn
in Rockaway Beach, Ore., with his partner
Danny Leines. T he inn’s clientele is a bit dif­
ferent than what Munn sees in Canada
though. Pfaff estimates his ratio of straight-to-
queer guests to be about 50-50. Nevertheless,
“We don’t take any trouble to hide,” Pfaff says
proudly, referring to the big rainbow flag in
front of the inn.
And, whereas Les ‘n ’ Bo’s offers privacy and
solitude, Pfaff says the Bear & Penguin tries to
offer relaxed community with cookouts, con­
versation with guests, etc. “W e’re really neigh­
borly.”
He adds he would choose to stay in gay-
owned-and-operated lodging not only to feel
more comfortable psychologically, but physical­
ly as well.
“I think the quality of service is better,” he
says.
But how do queer vacationers know which
lodges are welcoming? A random call to Shilo
Inn to ask the question,
“Are
you
gay-friendly?”
nets
an
affirmative
answer: “We just had a
gay pride group rent out
our hotel
in
Palm
Springs.” But what does
that mean?
Because of such un­
knowns, Rupinski sug­
gests gay and lesbian
travelers take advantage
o f the free services
offered by gay, lesbian
and community-friendly
travel agents.
“T he person on the
phone may be gay-friend­
ly, but that doesn’t mean
the
company
is,”
1997 G ay & L esbian
T ravel S urvey
by C ommunity
M arketing , I nc .
O f those surveyed...
Eighty-nine percent took a vacation dur­
ing the past year, compared to 48 percent of
the general U .S. population.
Forty-two percent planned to take an
international vacation within a year. Only
27 percent of the general population trav­
eled beyond their home state or neighbor­
ing area within the past year.
Sixty percent preferred hotels in gay
neighborhoods.
Seventy-five percent of respondents
indicated they belong to frequent flyer pro­
grams, compared to slightly more than nine
percent of the general population.
S
Rupinski warns, adding that a client base of les­
bian and gay travelers reporting problems— or
great finds— to their travel agents is an invalu­
able network that other travelers can access.
Another clue is whether a business belongs
to the International Gay & Lesbian Travel
Association. An IGLTA sticker in the window
is a safe bet. The association can also refer trav­
elers to lesbian and gay travel agents and
accommodations around the world.
Queer Web sites also offer a huge number of
listings.
hoosing to “go gay” can sometimes be pri­
cey, though. Arrangements can be elabo­
rate, too.
RSVP, a tour company catering largely to
gay men— though they also have a lesbian
clientele— offers amenities, such as entertain­
ment a notch above what you’d find in a simi­
lar mainstream setting.
“If you want the whole gay experience,” Ru­
pinski says, “you’re going to pay for it.”
He adds, however, it can be well worth it.
Both he and Boulette use the word “cama­
raderie” to describe what exclu­
sively lesbian and gay tours
offer that can’t be matched by
their straight counterparts.
On the whole, people in the
know seem to agree the gay
and lesbian travel industry is
growing rapidly, especially
when it comes to the numbers
of partnered people vacation­
ing together.
And as gay and lesbian trav­
elers employ what Rupinski
sees as “a more concentrated
effort to support gay-friendly
vendors," more vendors will
emerge, that are queer or
queer-friendly. “The market is
reaching out,” he says. “The
travel industry is making
money by being accepting.”
C
CALENDAR
MAY
16-17 Long Beach Pride
2 2 - 2 5 Qay and Lesbian Equestrian,
Biker und Hiker Qames and Camp-Out
JUNE
5-7 Queer Fest ‘9 8
2 0 Honolulu Pride
20-21 Portland Pride
27-28 San Francisco Pride
Los Angeles Pride
28 Victoria, B.C., Pride
Seattle Pride
JU LY
5 Victoria, B .C ., Pride, cant’d.
24-26 San Diego Pride
2 5 Vancouver, B .C ., Pride
A U G U ST
1 -8 Qay Qames V
2-3 Vancouver, B .C ., Pride, cant’d.
'
3 -8 Dyke Art Camp