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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-
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C ontinued. on Page 26