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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2001)
4unil^2Qûl? TRIPPING Ideas and inspiration for summer travel by Richard Bray Finally, for all you people who can’t leave home without your dogs, don’t miss PetsWelcome.com, which has been poodle-tested for its reliability in Oregon at least. Although the Internet sometimes can be too much of a good thing, it is still an invaluable tool for gathering information. I can’t imagine planning any sort of trip without it—and the price is sure right. The pros know best lint Schrader of World Accents Travel is upbeat about gay travel and says his clients travel just about everywhere. Although destinations like Palm Springs, Calif.; Provincetown, Mass.; and Key "There is a lot of West, Fla., are still popular, he says, independent travel “There is a lot of independent travel hap happening right now pening right now to places like South Africa, and unstructured tours are gain to places like South ing in popularity as travelers become Africa, and more sophisticated.” unstructured tours Schrader says gay-oriented cruises are are gaining in still very busy. RSVP, geared toward gay popularity as men, is always popular. Atlantis Cruises are also a hit, includ travelers become ing both land packages and conventional more sophisticated." cruises. One-week cruises through the Caribbean run about $1,000 to $2,000 a — Clint Schrader person, double occupancy, depending on the type of cabin. Atlantis also offers one-week stays at its resorts in Mexico for about $1,200 a person. These are generally all-inclusive rates. The fim begins once you arrive, and you can settle in and relax. Schrader says Pied Piper has been marketing to gay customers; however, its ships tend to be mixed, so his clients often will form their own groups. Olivia, well-known for travel geared toward lesbians, offers cruises both in Europe and the Caribbean. Rates are roughly $2,000 to $4,000 depending on the type of cabin. Cruise rates also vary dramatically depending on the size and type of ship. Schrader reports happy, sat isfied clients. “Customers gen erally like them, feeling very relaxed, comfortable and open.” If you’re in the mood for a “family" vacation, cruises are definitely one of the easiest and most popular ways to go. First- timers might find the experience easier using a travel agent. They often offer special rates and can give useful advice on where to go and the most appropriate cruise line. C Soaking up some rays in Key West Start your trip in cyberspace omeone once said the Internet is like the world’s largest library, only all the books are on the floor. When it comes to gay travel and research on the Internet, it some times can feel that way. Searching under keywords “gay” and “travel,” Microsoft Network gave me 114 search results. Yahoo netted 540 links. As often happens with Inter net research, there is a lot of clicking and hitting the back button, but I generally found the results well worth the mouse time. There is simply so much to wander through, the mind boggles. Gay.com is a huge site with links to just about every thing. I clicked on travel, which led me to other links such as London’s Best Queer Clubs, Lesbian London, Brighton (which is apparent ly England’s hottest gay resort) and the more recreational link to pics of the Go-Go Boys of London. Gay.com’s featured location this week was obviously London, bot it also had subject links for Gay Events, Gay Towns, Travel/Health and Today’s Weather. (I always work under the assumption that our weather is better than theirs.) The destination links were useful and functional, including U.S. locations, Asia, Australia/Pacific, Canada, Caribbean, Europe and Latin America. GayTravel.com is also an excellent Internet site and very user- S ffiendly, including Destination Guides, Plan a Trip templates, Car and Airline Reservation functions and a rather interesting forum section with lots of opinion called Talk with Travelers. PlanetOut.com, another huge gay umbrella site, has a particu larly useful search engine by destination. A good book to have along The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association is an excellent reference listing 1,200 professionals around the United States. A quick search for Portland at IGLTA.com produced five gay- friendly travel agents with links to their e-mail addresses or Internet sites and contact information One of my favorite surprises searching the Internet travel world was a site called GayHomeTrade.com. With lots of listings, most with photographs and plen ty of useful information, this site is the perfect place to set up a house swap. Membership is $80 a year. GayCalendar.com is helpful for planning where to go and when. This site lists events, by date or location, throughout the world from AIDS conferences to circuit parties. 25 o doubt about it: For years, the bible of travel for gays and lesbians has been the Damron Guide. Published since 1964 and updated annually, it offers one-stop shopping for where to go, what to look for and where to look for them, all in one book. The lesbian edition, a bit shorter than the men’s edition, lists accommodations, restau rants, bars, information lines, entertainment and much more. The Damron Women’s Trav eller covers the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico and Europe. Included are one-page city overviews for major met- N C ontinued. on Page 26
