Archive for the 'Gay' Category
‘Yay gay!’: San Francisco Pride takes over city streets in its 39th year
June 29, 2009 1:01pm
![San Francisco Pride 2009 [Credit: C1ssou on Flickr]](http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/sf-pride-crowd-c1ssou.jpg "San Francisco Pride 2009 [Credit: C1ssou on Flickr]")
From leather-clad to barely clad, masses numbering in the hundreds of thousands partied proud in downtown San Francisco this past weekend. June 27-28 marked the 39th anniversary of the San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade, and judging by the morning-after media reports, the famous festival doesn’t seem to be getting dull with age.
If you’ve ever attended Pride in “The City,” you can imagine that, for attendees, festivities were far from tame, even in a year that included the passing of Proposition 8. As observed by the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Participants steered motorcycles and classic cars, danced on elaborate floats wearing formal gowns or skimpy underwear, and walked on stilts or behind simple banners. Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls rode a mechanical bull, while ‘Mistress Liliane’ was pulled in a pony cart by a leather-clad submissive.
![San Francisco Pride 2009 [Credit: C1ssou]](http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/sf-pride-ken-c1ssou.jpg "San Francisco Pride 2009 [Credit: C1ssou]")
Roundup: TSA’s holiday flying tips; cheap LAX-Australia airfares; New York deals
December 19, 2008 8:22am
Good morning, travelers, and get ready for crowded skies. Today, Dec. 19, and Dec. 27 will be the two busiest flight days for the winter holidays, says the Air Transport Assn., which expects jets to take off at or near capacity. Get to the airport early, and check the TSA website for holiday travel tips. Did you know the TSA regards snow globes as liquids banned from carry-ons, and that flying with pies and cakes may subject you to extra screening? As Santa says: You better watch out.
In other news:
Australia fares go south: Great news for Los Angeles fliers and anyone who connects through here: Airfares on the notoriously pricey LAX-Sydney route are falling by nearly 50%, from around $1,500 for July round trips to $890, reports Times staffer Peter Pae. That’s because Delta Air Lines and V Australia (be sure you’re on the “USA” version of the website), a new airline started by billionaire Richard Branson, will add the route next year.
Gay San Francisco through Harvey Milk’s eyes
December 3, 2008 9:45am
Have you seen “Milk,” the new biopic that stars Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor and gay activist who was assassinated 30 years ago? Now you can visit the movie’s key sites on a walking tour that makes its debut today.
What you’ll see: The three-hour tour, offered at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, takes you to the two-story Victorian home in the Castro neighborhood where Milk lived, organized his political campaigns and ran his camera shop, now a gift store.
You’ll also tour San Francisco City Hall, where former Supervisor Dan White shot to death Milk and Mayor George Moscone on Nov. 27, 1978. The building’s impressive rotunda was later the site of same-sex marriages, which prompted Proposition 8, passed last month by voters, that amended California’s Constitution to ban such unions.
Another stop is a Castro storefront where the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society is displaying the bloodstained suit and shoes that Milk wore when he died, plus other items from gay history.
Many actors in “Milk” wore the actual clothes lent by people they portrayed.
Halloween: Join monstrous masses at West Hollywood Costume Carnaval
October 29, 2008 9:54am
All dressed up with nowhere to go? Not this weekend. Los Angeles and surrounding areas will be full of spine-tingling galas and gatherings, goblins and ghouls, with houses, bars and even church auditoriums decked out for fright night. For Southern California’s most boisterous to-do, however, plan on spending your Halloween at the 21st annual West Hollywood Costume Carnaval, where you can strut your threads among hundreds of thousands of others. On the giant runway that is Santa Monica Boulevard, this is one of the world’s largest Halloween parties.
[Need costume inspiration? Click on the photo above to see a photo gallery of revelers at last year's WeHo soiree.]
You’ll see a lot of drag couture, as well as garb (or lack of it) ranging from the X-rated to the political. And there’s extra impetus to make your own ensemble extraordinary: For the evening’s costume competition, undercover judges will roam the crowds to pick out 20 finalists for the contest to take place at the “Bat Stage” on the corner of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards at 10 p.m. The grand prize is $1,000, second prize is $500 and third $250. Anyone in attendance is eligible to be picked, as there are no pre-qualifying events at bars as there have been in past years. Read the rest of this entry »
Travel Ticker website from Hotwire focuses on bargains
July 21, 2008 12:01am
The unemployment rate in California is up to a five-year high, and that tells you nothing good about the economy in the Golden State or anywhere else.
So the timing for Travel Ticker (www.travel-ticker.com), a new bargain website from the Hotwire people, probably couldn’t be better. It makes its debut today.
“We love to read about deals so we wanted to have something that was enjoyable to read and peruse and would inspire travel among enthusiasts,” said Barbara Messing, vice president of Travel Ticker.
Unlike some sites that suggest bargains that aren’t bargains for West Coasters, Travel Ticker uses “geo-targeting,” meaning you’ll see bargains appropriate to where you live. Read the rest of this entry »
10 California places for same-sex weddings and honeymoons; Local hikes (bring your pet)
June 19, 2008 8:09am
Good morning travelers! I tried to party with the SuperFly Wednesdays Virgin America flight last night in Vegas, but their flight was delayed. I left the Tao Lounge a few minutes before 11 p.m. and missed them by minutes. It just goes to show you, the party is on the plane. If you were on the flight, tell us about it in the Comments. (Note: The picture above was taken from my phone in the Tao Restaurant connected to the Lounge)
Alaska | Erica Nelson and Abby Flantz, the backpackers who were missing in Denali National Park since Saturday, were found Wednesday afternoon in good spirits.
Honeymoon spots for same-sex marriages
June 16, 2008 5:12pm
Same-sex marriages start today in California — the first at 5:01 p.m. — and some resorts and hotels are eagerly awaiting the happy couples. After all, hotels have been courting gay and lesbian travelers for years, but the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage may boost bookings for weddings and honeymoons.
“I’m excited about this ruling,” says Kenny Karst, spokesman for the upscale Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, which hosts about 300 wedding receptions each year. “I think it’s going to open up a lot of avenues for gay and lesbian couples to be able to celebrate their lives together.”
Online gay travel guides: Which ones are the best?
October 16, 2007 1:42am
It’s a fact that travel guidebooks date quickly over the course of their shelf life. That said, some sections of travel guides date more quickly than others. For example, New York City museums may not change much for decades, but Manhattan restaurants and clubs can open and close overnight.
When it comes to gay and lesbian travel, it’s even more important to find the most up-to-date, insider travel information. Still, gay-oriented travel books suffer from the same time-sensitivity issues as mainstream guides. Where should you surf online for the best trip-planning advice?
Deal: The comprehensive online directory Purple Roofs is especially good for booking accommodations. In fact, their listings sometimes have more details (e.g., typical make-up of the clientele, whether or not there is accessibility for those with disabilities) than the hotel or bed-and-breakfast inn’s own website. Best of all, access is free — you don’t even have to sign up. Warning: The content is advertorial, so do your own research too.
The online edition of OutTraveler magazine offers feature stories on global destinations, a worldwide events calendar and archives of past issues, including the popular “Ask the Travel Expert” Q&A column. Although it doesn’t cover as many smaller places as Purple Roofs, it really gets to the heart of the contemporary scene in mega-popular gay travel destinations.
What’s your favorite online gay and lesbian travel guide? Speak out in the Comments section below. Read the rest of this entry »
Gay & Lesbian: Pink flight to Mardi Gras in Sydney
September 26, 2007 9:13am
All pink, all party. Air New Zealand has a special flight from San Francisco to Sydney for the 2008 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival. Last year Air New Zealand had a pink flight party from Auckland to Sydney, but his year they’re trying to grab some of the gay & lesbian market in San Francisco. Check out this year’s Pink Flight. Not only will this be one hoot and hollar of a good time, but it’s a deal, too. Hurry, you have to plan your costume!
Read: Air New Zealand gay-themed San Francisco-Sydney flight for Mardi Gras
Deal: Rates are totally reasonable, at $499 each way, or $599 if you want the frequent flyer miles. After taxes the cheapest flight comes to $1,122 round trip. One way flights on the same departure day start at $733.50.
When: Departs San Francisco Feb. 26, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. and arrives in Sydney Feb. 28, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.
Canada: Pride Week in Toronto, June 15-24
May 29, 2007 11:58pm
The New York Times recently had an article on upcoming gay pride events around the U.S. (see “A Month of Coming-Out Parties” by Beth Greenfield). But their round-up of celebrations during June didn’t extend north of the border to include one of North America’s biggest blowouts, Pride Week in Toronto. Every year a million people take to the streets for more than a week of festivities, from the Pride Parade and Dyke March to mainstage entertainment like the Indigo Girls, a community street fair and after-dark dance extravaganzas. If you want to join the party, too, you’d better make your travel plans now.
Deal: Most of the outdoor events during Pride Week are free, though you should expect to pay a cover charge (typically $5-23) at clubs, etc. The cheapest flight that I could find from LAX to Toronto for the main festival weekend cost $496 round trip (including taxes and fees) on Orbitz. Finding accommodations in the city center was more difficult, but not impossible. Using Kayak, I found that a few of Toronto’s top-end downtown hotels still had rooms available during the festival for $200-225/night (before taxes and fees). Read the rest of this entry »
