Atten-SHUN! Military Personnel: Free at Telluride Gay Ski Week

The organizers of Telluride Gay Ski Week, which takes place from Saturday, February 25, 2012 through Saturday, March 3, 2012, is offering free VIP party passes for the week for active service members and a special military-themed “Do Ask Do Tell” dance party.

In celebration of the defeat of the discriminatory ban on openly gay and lesbian military personal known as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” the party will take place during the middle of the week.

Telluride Gay Ski Week 2012

When:

  • Saturday, February 25, 2012 – Saturday, March 3, 2012

Where:

  • Towns of Mountain Village and Telluride, CO and Telluride Ski Resort

Info:

  • Event schedule and ticket information available at www.telluridegayskiweek.com.
  • Exclusive lodging packages available by calling toll free to 888-376-9770.
The host of Nuclia’s Get Wasted Party

Gay Ski: Double Diamonds Are a Boy’s Best Friend

 

Not exactly a shot of the ski slopes but at least one guy is wearing a hat!

Elevation Mammoth 2012, March 14-18, celebrates its 10th anniversary as an LGBT ski event, while sister event, Elevation Utah Park City Gay Ski Week, February 23-26, marks its second anniversary. The names may be a mouthful but the events have received enthusiastic praise from attendees throughout the years.

Click on the websites above for more information. Here’s a brief outline of the two events:

ELEVATION UTAH 2012:

  • Dates: Feb. 23 – Feb. 26
  • DJ Roster:  DJ Roland Belmares, DJ Josh Peace, DJ Brynn Taylor, DJ Pornstar, DJ Drew G & DJ Beau Dasher
  • Utah Party Pass: $100 (early pre-sale for 7 parties);
  • Utah Residents will be offered a special “Resident Discount Pass”
  • For more information on events, pricing, lodging and more visit:  www.utahgayski.com

ELEVATION MAMMOTH 2012:

  • Dates: March 14- March 18
  • DJ Roster: DJ Beau Dasher, DJ Drew G, DJ Pornstar, DJ Brynn Taylor, DJ Josh Peace & DJ Roland Belmares
  • Mammoth Party Pass: $145-$165 (early pre-sale for 9 parties)

Tour of the Week: VentureOut’s Medieval Hilltowns of Italy

San Francisco-based gay tour operator VentureOut has been offering small guided gay group tours since 1998. This week they announced a price reduction. Yes you read that right. They’re passing along to you savings from a softening of the value of the euro. Here are details from the company:

The U.S. dollar has been gaining in value against the Euro in recent weeks, and as a result we’re able to offer a price reduction of $250 per person / $500 per couple on our tantalizing program in central Italy in September. (Click on their website for details.)

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

  • Visits to local artisans’ workshops
  • A fun cooking session and wine tasting at a beautiful winery
  • Stunning medieval hilltowns like Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi, Spello
  • Delicious and memorable meals, including good wines
  • Convenience of staying in one deluxe hotel for five nights

In LA Saturday Jan 28? Come to the LGBT Travel Panel 2:15pm-2:45pm

Yours truly is organizing an LGBT travel panel at the upcoming L.A. Times Travel Show tomorrow, Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 2:15pm to 2:45pm  in the Travel in Style Pavilion.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE SATURDAY, JAN 28.

Click here to download the information to be presented at today’s travel show:

If you are anywhere near the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown L.A., please stop in. You can find more information about the travel show by clicking here. You can obtain a 20% discount off the $10 entrance price by purchasing your ticket here and using the code EARLYBIRD.

We’ll talk about hot new destinations, events, and cruises to make your gay/lesbian travel planning just a tad easier. Come with questions. I’ll be moderating a panel that includes:

  • Shannon Wentworth, founder and CEO of Sweet, cruises and tours for lesbians and their friends;
  • Duane Wells, contributor to MoxieQ, which promises a “gay for every girl” and numerous LGBT travel publications; and
  • Andy Bender, blogger for Forbes.com and contributor to numerous mainstream and LGBT publications.

The panel is brought to you in part by the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, which is active in over 80 countries. Discover more about this nearly 30-year-old organization by clicking here: LGBT.Travel.

Miami Beach Gay Pride + Gay Cruise = A Whole Lotta Gay!

If you are looking for some great gay fun in the sun this spring, consider the Miami Beach Pride Cruise setting sail from Miami April 16 (through April 20), 2012 following the festivities of Miami Beach Gay Pride on Sunday, April 15.

The four-night, five-day cruise aboard the Norwegian Sky, is organized by Source Events with prices starting at $329 per person double occupancy plus taxes and fees.

According to the cruise organizers, “The event also represents an opportunity to “cruise for a cause” as a portion of all tickets sold through Source Events will be donated back to Miami Beach Gay Pride.”

Regarding Pride, In addition to the parade moving to Sunday, the expanded line-up of Pride activities will include a Thursday night kick-off party, Friday night block party along Lincoln Road, a Saturday pool party at the Surfcomber Hotel, a Saturday Voters’ Rally on the beach, a Saturday evening movie on the beach, a Saturday night VIP fundraising event and a Sunday night closing party after the parade and festival.

For more information about the cruise, click here.

For more information about Miami Beach Pride, click here.

LGBT Travel Panel at the L.A. Times Travel Show

Yours truly is organizing an LGBT travel panel at the upcoming L.A. Times Travel Show on Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 2:15pm to 2:45pm  in the Travel in Style Pavilion, naturally enough.

If you are anywhere near the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown L.A., please stop in. You can find more information about the travel show by clicking here. You can obtain a 20% discount off the $10 entrance price by purchasing your ticket here and using the code EARLYBIRD.

We’ll talk about hot new destinations, events, and cruises to make your gay/lesbian travel planning just a tad easier. Come with questions. I’ll be moderating a panel that includes:

  • Shannon Wentworth, founder and CEO of Sweet, cruises and tours for lesbians and their friends;
  • Duane Wells, contributor to MoxieQ, which promises a “gay for every girl” and numerous LGBT travel publications; and
  • Andy Bender, blogger for Forbes.com and contributor to numerous mainstream and LGBT publications.

The panel is brought to you in part by the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, which is active in over 80 countries. Discover more about this nearly 30-year-old organization by clicking here: LGBT.Travel.

Key West: Ed Salvato on Toronto’s Proud FM

That's not Mike, but it could've been

The fabulous folks at Proud FM Toronto with Mike Chalut invited me on to talk about Key West following Mike Chalut’s recent trip there where he frolicked and luxuriated at the Island House Key West for a long weekend.

Click here to listen to the short (just over 4-minute) recording from Proud FM’s most recent “Travel Tuesday.”

 

London is Calling. Well, Specifically the Queen of England

Between the Summer Olympics, July 27-August 12, 2012 and the Paraylmpics, August 29-September 9, following that, London will be busy later this year.

Add in WorldPride (combined with EuroPride), June 23-July 8, 2012, and the calendar gets even more full. Now factor in Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee in early June celebratig 60 years on the throne and it feels like London will just burst with great travel-worthy activities.

Here’s information from the folks at VisitEngland to help you  plan your visit…Continue reading “London is Calling. Well, Specifically the Queen of England”

Here’s a Trip: “Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same”

All rights reserved by http://www.flickr.com/photos/codependentlesbianspacealienseekssame/

Baltimore is an oft-overlooked and worthy destination for LGBT visitors. The town’s nickname is Charm City and it hosts an eponymous annual gay movie extravaganza, Charm City LGBT Film Festival, unspooling this weekend January 20-21.

Show organizers Creative Alliance will offer films representing a variety of cutting-edge work from around the world including the well-reviewed “Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same” (above) and more.

If you got the budget, check out the brand-spanking new Four Seasons Baltimore.

Lots more fun Bal’more events here: http://baltimore.org/events.

All Aboard the Big(ger) Gay Wine Train

The first Big Gay Wine Train in 2011 was so successful — selling out in days — the organizers have scheduled a second event and added more cars. But hurry, this may sell out again.

The event, hosted by Out in the Vineyards, is scheduled for March 31, 2012 from 6:30-9:30pm. You’ll enjoy terrific cuisine from chef Kelly MacDonald paired with wines from all gay vintners in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.

Diners board the train at 1275 McKinstry St, Napa at 6:00pm. Tickets are $160 Gourmet Express Car and $175 VIP Vista Dome Car. Reservations can be made at winetrain.com or by phone 800-427-4124.

Below are a few pictures from last year, including the actual train used.

You'd never know this was a gay train, right?