It ain’t easy being gay in Eastern Europe, that’s for sure. (See Russia and its anti gay laws.) So it’s important to support expressions of pro-gay behavior. Prague is in the Czech Republic, not in Russia.
But still only 11% of Czech gays and lesbians are out in their workspace. The theme of Pride is “coming out.”
If you’ve got some vacation time and money to burn, why not head to Prague August 12-18 and enjoy some Czech Pride?
Meet our newest correspondent Nikko Lencek-Inagaki. He’s not only a correspondent he’s also our assistant editor, responsible for some of the great editorial you images you enjoy each issue. We are happy to have him on board!
Nikko Lencek-Inagaki was born in NYC to two immigrants from opposite ends of the planet and has spent the better part of his life exploring every place in between. He’s picked bones from the ashes of a traditional Buddhist funeral in Japan, back-packed through Central Europe on a dime, caught fever in Costa Rica, and, well, what happens in Berlin stays in Berlin.
All the good travel advice and worthy recommendations he wished he’d had in advance have been contributed over the years to a number of publications, most recently Out Traveler where he was Web Editor, and TRACE, where he was an Associate Editor.
Nikko is based in Brooklyn, New York, where he still enjoys long walks on the beach.
Hannes was born and bred in Iceland at a time when there was little else to do but develop a sense of adventure. The absence of TVs and computers during his childhood meant that Hannes grew up feeling like there was always something to explore and experience. This sense of adventure has propelled him to visit over 30 countries thus far. Since joining Pink Iceland, he hasn’t had much time to travel as his time is now spent designing and planning other people’s travel or weddings in Iceland.
While Hannes is a meticulous planner he very strongly believes in embracing the unplanned adventures every holiday seems to spring on him. From being mistaken for a reporter in Prague and subsequently interviewing an Oscar nominee to winning a prize for best fake orgasm in front of a room full of theater-goers in New York he tries never to miss an opportunity to experience something new.
By ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent and Traveling Gay Dad Paul J. Heney
Our trip through Glacier National Park ended on a challenging note, as we took a last hike to Avalanche Lake–a ranger told us it was an easy 2 mile (each way) hike with a beautiful view at the end of a lake with waterfalls cascading into it. Both our guidebooks listed it is an “easy” hike. But it was anything but. The 500-ft elevation gain felt more like 2,000 ft. Our feet were exhausted by the end; the view was stunning, but we slugged back to the car and decided we were done, to the hotel it was.
I’d originally planned to have us stay in Kalispell, Montana that evening, the main town at the western end of the park. But the best lodging option seemed to be the Pine Lodge in nearby Whitefish. I didn’t know anything about Whitefish and I guess I assumed it was sort of a crummy suburb of Kalispell, 15 min north. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
1988- Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli and Whitney Houston attended a benefit at the Sheraton Centre honoring Michael Jackson
The Times Square Sheraton may boast the best uptown location of any major hotel, and we love that it’s walking distance to Hell’s Kitchen, perfect for gays looking to party it up in Manhattan’s new gay mecca without having to worry about cab fare. In recent years, as Hell’s Kitchen has slowly been replacing gay outposts like Chelsea and the West Village, it’s become more and more logical to stay uptown.
The hotel recently underwent a massive $160 million renovation and it shows. The lobby has a grand feel about it, a classy lounge, a great restaurant and a terrific, below-level gym. The rooms themselves aren’t huge but feel intimate and cozy rather than small. It’s still not a party hotel – you’ll notice plenty of families and children – but it’s one of the best options in a rapidly evolving area, where hot clubs and gay bars are now infiltrating what once was the sole hangout of camera-toting Midwestern tourists.
Once outside the revolving glass doors, you’re a five-minute walk to Central Park, Columbus Circle, and another 5-10 from Fifth Avenue shopping. In the other direction, you’re an equal distance from Times Square, Broadway, the Ed Sullivan Theater, and of course, Hell’s Kitchen proper. The hotel has been popular with iconic gay-popular celebrities, too, as witnessed by this classic photo from 1988.
There’s never been a better summer and fall to cruise in Europe. There are still five all-gay (big- and small-gay) cruises to choose from this summer, offering a remarkable breadth of styles, ports and experiences. Every one of these cruises is reason enough to go, but If you’ve never tried a gay cruise, here are five more:
There’s no better place to make new friends. Seriously, next to college and summer camp (both of which you’ve probably outgrown), gay vacations offer the best opportunity to share new experiences with new people. Ask any gay cruise veteran the best part about their vacation, and they inevitably say, “Making new friends.” As adults, we don’t have many environments that are conducive for making new best friends. Cruising is one of them.
It’s a vacation from planning a vacation. Not that there aren’t options (particularly on the big gay cruises, there are dozens of dining and entertainment opportunities every moment of the day), but the freedom comes in choosing to do what you feel like, when you feel like it, and having it all available without much planning or thinking, and almost all of it without an additional charge.
Value. Most guests spend a few hundred dollars beyond the upfront price for drinks, shore excursions, spa treatments and other extras. And some spend thousands. But you can easily go the whole trip without spending an extra dime.
Variety. If you have Gay-DD, European cruising was made for you. You’ll get to sample lots of different places and cultures. What could be more fabulous than drinking wine in Bordeaux one day, hitting the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao another, and then dancing the night away in Ibiza, all without ever repacking your suitcase?
Community. And the freedom to be yourself within it. Whether your freak flag flies toward silly, sexy or serious, there are few experiences as liberating, empowering and supportive as an all-gay environment.
By ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent and Traveling Gay Dad Paul J. Heney
Glacier National Park has been a hit with the boys so far. We’re staying at a simple place in National Park property called the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn. It’s really an amazing location, about 10 miles inside the park, at the confluence of several hiking trails. Mountains seem to sprout up in every direction and the skies are an unreal shade of blue. The complex, a few miles west of the Many Glacier area, includes campgrounds, small cabins to rent, and a very old school but serviceable series of motel rooms. There’s also a very nice Italian restaurant and a gift shop that sells camping and hiking gear, along with a good selection of food and drinks.
Our first day of our first gay family trip went well. We’d decided to save some money and use frequent flier miles, so we were somewhat restricted by the airline’s (United’s) whims. We flew from CLE-IAH-DEN-HLN. A three hour layover in Houston was actually a nice gift; the kids spotted a Chili’s and begged to have lunch there. We were fine with that, because it wasn’t McDonalds. We also took a tour of about every gift shop in the B and C terminals … but I convinced the boys to save their money, as they would probably see some really cool stuff in Montana.
Our only stress point came in Denver; we were about 15 minutes late, giving us 40 minutes to grab dinner (yes, McDonalds won out this time) and walk very briskly from gate B25 to B95(!). DEN is a really extensive airport, for sure, but when you’re pulling along a 6-yr old, it seems endless, let me tell you.
I pulled out some longtime dad traveling secrets. A shopping trip the other day allowed me to pack in ziplock bags: Protein bars, M&Ms (dark chocolate mint, highly recommended!), Doritos, Sour Patch Kids, some new trading cards and two new Browns jerseys as surprises for the boys. A fully charged iPad with a flight simulator app loaded allowed the boys to play pilot while they talked about the various 737s and regional jets we were riding in (and seeing out the window).
Helena, Montana is one of the smallest airports I’ve been to, but that isn’t a big deal. I love tiny airports. Helena boasts four gates, one baggage claim, beautiful new facilities and about a 20 step walk from baggage to the car rental counter. Then the walk to our car took us across the street and down a flight of stairs. That took a whole minute, even with kids carrying luggage.
Our first night was at the adorable Elkhorn Mountain Inn, a small motel a few miles south of Helena. The kids at first kept saying “this place is weird” (yeah, I’ve turned them into hotel snobs), but after seeing the rustic decor including the huge stuffed animals on the wall, they turned their opinions around. Now they’re loving it. Rooms are typical size for a motel but surprisingly updated. A free continental breakfast made this an amazing deal;’it can be frustrating to pay big money for breakfast every day when the kids sometime pick at their food.
Now, it’s off to Glacier National Park for us today! More adventures await … well, after a stop for some supplies that all parents will understand: Bread, peanut butter and jelly.
It ain’t easy being gay in Eastern Europe, that’s for sure. (See Russia and its anti gay laws.) So it’s important to support expressions of pro-gay behavior. Prague is in the Czech Republic, not in Russia.
The LGBTQ Travel Expert. Educator. Speaker. Author. 