Best Gaycation Ever!

I'll never forget the day I moved to San Francisco from the Midwest at age 22. I crossed the Oakland Bay Bridge at night with the entire city twinkling before me, but was surprised to discover there was a toll and of course had no money. The tollbooth attendant waived me through and off I was to spend my first of many chilly nights in the City by the Bay. There's nothing quite like San F...

An iconic gay destination in... rural Michigan? You better believe it! Nestled on the southwest shores of Lake Michigan, in the heart of Dutch Christian Reform country, are two gay villages that have been a haven to queer people for decades. Anchoring these two Michigan towns is the Dunes Resort, a sprawling LGBTQ hotel, swim club and entertainment complex that this summer is celebrating its 45th...

Underwear parties! Erotic art fairs! Liza Minnelli! The Ice Palace, a legendary Fire Island fixture and the oldest gay disco in the United States, felt like the perfect excuse to reach out to NYC gay nightlife impresario Daniel Nardicio (who heads up the programming) and talk about all things Fire Island. Our discussion is fun, informative, a little raunchy, and will help you plan your next visit....

What if there was an Airbnb for queer people? Wait a minute... there is! Misterbandb is a home-sharing site devoted entirely to the LGBTQ community (though gay men are its primary focus). Similar to Airbnb, it offers a completely different experience than a traditional hotel including knowledgeable and local hosts who are part of the queer community and guide you toward the best places to visit in...

La La Land is calling! In this episode of Best Gaycation Ever I am joined by fellow Angeleno and longtime friend Adam Guerino as we head to famous Santa Monica Boulevard iand visit and discuss every WeHo queer bar along a legendary drag the city has recently renamed the Rainbow District. Plus, we yak about all our favorite hotels, restaurants and attractions including celebrity hangouts, a legenda...

Anchors away! On this latest episode of Best Gaycation Ever we discuss one of the most iconic queer vacations you can take—an Atlantis gay cruise! These floating gay villages deliver travelers to exotic ports around the globe while offering a (mostly) all-inclusive vacation onboard the ship that includes numerous restaurants, swimming pools, headlining entertainment, a spa, a casino, daily parties...

Greetings from the southernmost city in the United States! Come with me and special guest Brian Webb (Homoculture) as we explore Key West and its most iconic queer attraction—Island House. Celebrating its 50th year in 2026, Island House Key West is a luxury, men only clothing optional resort and one of the most iconic queer destinations in the world. We also explore the best gay bars, restaurants,...

I hope this episode inspires you to book a trip to New Orleans ASAP. With the help of my new drag queen friends Laveau Contraire and Debbie with a D, we talk about Southern Decadence—the boozy, cruisy and raunchy queer festival that happens annually over Labor Day weekend in NOLA. We also discuss the city's drag scene, and share our favorite queer bars, hotels, restaurants, pool parties and a...

If you've never heard of or been to Rock River in Southern Vermont, you are missing out. This little slice of homo heaven is tucked away in the Green Mountains and has been a gay, nudist paradise for 50 years. Join me and special Montreal-based couple Jordan and Kris as we talk about this idyllic little paradise located on the shores of the gently flowing Rock River, plus the best of Southern...

I love a Gayborhood and Philly has a great one! Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love where queer bars, shops and restaurants and plenty of queer history are hidden within cobbled streets and Colonial row houses. In this episode, my special guest Rob Loveless (a fellow writer and podcaster) and I talk about Philly's great gay neighborhood. Plus, we'll discuss the best bars, hotels, resta...

Viva Puerto Vallarta! In this episode of Best Gaycation Ever my special guest Jason Butler and I head to Los Muertos Beach, aka Blue Chairs, the heart and soul of gay Vallarta to talk about this special strand located on the Bay of Banderas and in the beating heart of the gayborhood, aka the Zona Romantica. Plus, we'll talk about the best and raunchiest things to do in PV including naked boat...

Greetings from sunny San Diego! America's Finest City, as it likes to call itself, is home to the best gay nude beach in the world. That's right, I said it! In this solo episode I'll talk about famous Blacks Beach, a popular nudist strand located about 25 minutes north of downtown. Plus, I'll dole out my favorite hotels, restaurants, queer bars, attractions, and more in this su...

Vegas, baby! I love Las Vegas and in this episode I am joined by two of my favorite Vegas dancers to talk about Temptation Sundays at the Luxor. Now in its 15th year, Temptation Sundays is a queer, summertime pool party and the longest-running LGBTQ event happening on the Vegas Strip. You shouldn't miss it! Plus, we'll discuss the best of Sin City including our favorite hotels and resort...

Ready to get naked?! Zipolite is a tiny village in coastal Oaxaca famous for being home to Mexico's only legal nude beach. In fact, the entire beach, numerous hotels and several bars are clothing optional so you can imagine why the town has become a magnet for LGBTQ travelers. In today's episode special guest Steve Burton and I talk about Playa del Amor, a small cove where queers gather...

Are you in a New York state of mind? Because today's episode might be the most iconic of this entire series. Join me and NYC-based LGBTQ travel guru Ed Salvato as we take you on a journey to Stonewall National Monument, the site where the modern gay rights movement began. Stonewall is not just a queer bar, it's also a park, a visitors center and an entire campus encompassing nearly 8 acr...

Provincetown, we love you! The tiny hamlet at the end of Cape Cod has been enchanting LGBTQ travelers for decades and in today's episode of Best Gaycation Ever I'm joined by "accidental queer historian" Mike Balaban (bammer47 on Instagram) who has been documenting the queer scene in P-town since his first visit in 1977! Sufficed to say I am beyond excited to have him on the sho...

Let's go to Budapest! Though hardly an LGBTQ mecca, the Hungarian capital is neverthless a stunning European city and home to numerous traditional bathhouses for which the city has become justly famous. Join me and out travel guru Justin Walter (@YourBucketListGuide) as we comb Budapest in search of its best thermal baths, while also uncovering the city's top hotels, queer bars, restaura...

Hello, sunny Palm Springs! In this episode of Best Gaycation Ever I'm joined by queer Colombian-born writer and author Manuel Betancourt who currently divides his time between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Join us as we discuss the famous Arenas District, the city's super queer nightlife and shopping area. We'll also talk about our favorite clothing-optional gay hotels, restaurants,...

A queer mecca in the middle of Arkansas?! Yes, it's a thing! In this episode of Best Gaycation Ever I'm joined by journalist and author Nico Lang who spent his honeymoon in Eureka Springs, a gay village in the middle of the Ozark Mountains. Often dubbed the San Francisco of the South, Lang and I deep dive into this little Victorian town where homos and hippies and holy rollers collide. P...

Welcome to Austin! In this episode of Best Gaycation Ever I'm joined by longtime locals Rodney Stoutenger and Jake Karpa and together we talk about Hippie Hollow, the only legal nude "beach" in the entire state of Texas and a legendary queer hangout. It's also home to Splash Weekend which happens in May and September. We'll also talk about our favorite gay bars, restaurant...

In this episode of Best Gaycation Ever I speak with Chicago-based dance artist and choreographer, longtime cultural reporter, close friend, and vers top Zac Whittenburg about Northalsted Market Days—the largest and queerest street festival in the Midwest. Market Days attracts more than 300,000 LGBTQ folk annually to Chicago in mid-August for a weekend of boozing and cruising and is a favorite of q...

Welcome to the first episode of Best Gaycation Ever (and please pardon a few minor technical difficulties)! My special guest is the amazing Los Angeles-based visual artist John Parot and together we talk about Hot Dog Sundays, a legendary queer party that happens weekly in the heart of LA's über gay East Side. Join us as we discuss why Hot Dog Sundays at El Cid is an essential stop for every...

Los Angeles-based travel writer Homotel introduces Best Gaycation Ever: The 101 Queer Places to Visit Before You Die. In each episode, he will be joined by a special guest to discuss the most iconic LGBTQ travel destinations on earth. As in the world's most legendary gay bars, beaches, hotels, monuments, festivals, cruise clubs and more that you must cross off your travel bucket list. Tune in...