How to plan a perfect gay road trip - HomoCulture

Contents:

• THE GREAT GAY AMERIN ROAD TRIP
• GALENA – ILLOIS’ GAY-IENDLY WEEKEND GETAWAY
• GAY USA TRAVEL GUI: A GAY COUPLE TRAVELG THE UNED STAT OF AMERI
• HOW TO PLAN A PERFECT GAY ROAD TRIP

THE GREAT GAY AMERIN ROAD TRIP

In the early 1960s, Bob Damron began creatg pocket-sized addrs books to help gay men fd queer spac while travelg around the natn. But eedom wasn’t always a given for queer people, leadg LGBTQ travelers to favor well-known gayborhoods liberal ci near the US astl.

Marshall’s Beach, a clothg-optnal queer hang beneath the Goln Gate Bridge, is the perfect place to dip your rriere the Pacific; Dolor Park’s southwt rner is a land-locked “gay beach” that attracts crowds on sunny days. One of the untry’s earlit gay anizatns, the Mattache Society, was found Silver Lake 1950, and historic queer protts agast police btaly at Coopers Donuts (1959) and the Black Cat (1967) led up to NYC’s Stonewall Uprisg and the Gay Liberatn Movement that followed. Today, LGBTQ life revolv around Wt Hollywood (WeHo), where you’ll fd the hight ncentratn of LGBTQ tablishments, cludg the Abbey, LA’s go-to gay bar, and Micky’s, the bt spot to see RuPl’s army of glamazons.

You’re most likely to fd queer crowds around the Pri Flag Lifeguard Tower or at Roosterfish, a gay bar that also hocks lol art. This inic Amerin roadway, mythologized by Stebeck as the “Mother Road” The Grap of Wrath, slic eastward through LA’s gayborhood as enters Ameri’s wtern wilrns. Phoenix might be Arizona’s gayt cy, but LGBTQ-iendly Flagstaff sports an abundance of outdoor activi where weary travelers n stretch their legs.

GALENA – ILLOIS’ GAY-IENDLY WEEKEND GETAWAY

For a gay daytime hang, drive 30 mut to Lake Travis where you’ll fd iendly queer folx sunbathg at Hippie Hollow — the Lone Star State’s only legal nu beach. On top of holdg the state’s largt LGBTQ Pri celebratn, Fayetteville is also the first cy Arkansas to jo the Internatnal Gay and Lbian Travel Associatn.

GAY USA TRAVEL GUI: A GAY COUPLE TRAVELG THE UNED STAT OF AMERI

If you want to keep queer, prs play on Spotify’s Orville Peck statn and drive to hip ‘hoods like East Nashville (the Williamsburg of the South) and the Gulch, an area for eatg and shoppg, while gettg serenad by the gay in of untry mic. The cy has more LGBTQ rints per pa than Chigo, two gayborhoods, Short North and German Village, and a iendly rnfed vibe that mak everyone feel wele.

Short North Arts District, home to gay hnts Axis Nightclub and Unn Cafe, is packed wh ntemporary art galleri, lolly owned rtrants, and chic boutiqu. This blue-llar town wasn’t always a great place to be gay. A mix of universy stunts and young profsnals enjoy nightlife optns like classic gay clubs, snas, and go-go jots.

HOW TO PLAN A PERFECT GAY ROAD TRIP

For a crash urse on LGBTQ history, vis Christopher Park and the Llie-Lohman Mm of Gay and Lbian Art, a pact art space wh famo and lser-known queer talents. Central Park’s Sheep Meadow transforms to a DIY gay bar for “Send Sundays” — a ee shdig that attracts shirtls boys to the grassy field between May and September. For LGBTQ shops, check out Kirr Fch (menswear for women), Park and Ronen (classy signs for gay sophistit), Leather Man (kky cloth and acuterment), and the Bure of General Servic — Queer Divisn, an all-volunteer LGBTQ bookstore.

Broadway chos boys set the scene Hell’s Kchen at an ensemble of gay bars like Indtry.

If you want to unwd after a long day spent the r, head to the gay-owned Dun Rort, which has an on-se rtrant and gay nightclub.

Where to stay: Gay-owned P Motor Lodge or Dun Rort.