BootsnAll's Travel Typepad

Resources for Gay Travelers

It's an unfortunate fact that at the moment we live in a world where gay and lesbian people often suffer from discrimination and that some hotels, and even some cities have to be labeled as "gay friendly" (because the alternatives are places that are very unfriendly towards gay couples.). But the fact of the matter is that gay travelers often have to take into account the level of discrimination (or even violence) they'll face when traveling to a specific destination. In many places - like most first-world countries - gay travelers can travel without care, while in some countries, same-sex couples may run into trouble.

BootsnAll's GLBT travel resources can help if you're a gay traveler planning a trip. In addition to books on gay travel and recommendations for gay-friendly destinations, we offer tips on finding a gay-friendly hotel and links to a whole host of other online resources from around the web. Towards the top of that list is the Netherlands, which is among the most welcoming to gay travelers; the gay tourism center in Amsterdam opened in 2009 to help aquaint gay travelers with the city.

No matter what your travel style - whether your style is gay backpacking or you prefer more upscale accommodation, there's a whole wide world out there waiting to be explored. Travel can open your mind and enrich your life, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Gay or straight, you can find dozens of resources on BootsnAll that will help you travel better, for less money, than you ever thought.

Photo by Thomas Lu

The Holiday Travel Dilemma

Christmas may have just passed, but it's not too early to start thinking about your holiday travel plans for 2011, especially as tickets over Christmas and New Years tend to be among the most expensive and booking sooner can help you save money on flights. But before you can fill in your holiday travel calendar, if you're anything like me, you first needed to make the all-important decision - will this year see you traveling to be with family or will you take advantage of those extra days off work to plan an epic adventure in a foreign land?

It's a cut and dry choice for some; Christmas equals time with family. But for others, like me, travel offers a temping alternative. But how to take part in Christmas celebrations around the world without upsetting family? It's all about the compromise. When I travel over one holiday, like Christmas, I make sure I come into town for Thanksgiving, and I alternate years so that I am home for every other Christmas with family.

Depending on where your family is located and where you are traveling to, you can even combine trips with a short layover for the best of both worlds. I've spent December 23 and 24 with family and then then late on Christmas Day for a trip. That way I get to travel over New Years (and the accompanying free day off work) while still getting to spend Christmas with family. If you're committed to traveling over some of the holidays but still want to spend time with family during this time of year, there are ways to make it work.

Photo by -12C

Stud Pitcher

I threw a masterpiece the other day.

Feeling pretty good these days. :)

The Secret Underwear Collection

Designed by Ioan just in time for Valentine's Day.

Muahmmad Ali: How to be a Man and more

One man's story of Muahmmed Ali and how he helped him.

Broke Mac Mountain (Movie Trailer)

How to retire early: I have been reading this guys writing for almost 7 or 8 years now...ususaly something interesting.

Positive Thinking can Aid Healing: Duh

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I think most people know this.  If I am about to get sick, you know - you can feel your body weakening - some postive thinking or simply telling that shit to just fuck-off sometimes does the trick.  Anyway - good to be reminded of it.

We we are Fat Arses

The morning she arrived at a college in rural Illinois from a sister school in Japan, Naomi Moriyama was offered a glass of orange juice so big her eyes widened in amazement. How, the 19-year-old scholarship student wondered, could anyone possibly drink so much orange juice?

Portions in the school cafeteria, she would discover in short order, were "almost freakishly huge" - "piles of waffles soaked in oceans of syrup, flanked by boatloads of eggs and bacon" for breakfast, giant cheeseburgers, fries and soft drinks at lunch and, at dinner, "mountains of meat and potatoes, heaps of pasta and pizzas so big I could skate on them.

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via mama

Mika: Poorly Educated Logger

"HELSINKI, FINLAND - Fifty years ago, Finland was known for little more than the wood pulp from its endless forests. A poverty-stricken land of poorly educated loggers and farmers on the edge of the Arctic Circle, few paid it any attention."

read more about Mika's homeland

Economic Lessons

Here is a superb index of economic lessons, each with real world examples to make it not so boring.  Mika - check out some of the real estate buying vs. renting ones.   I'll be reading as many of these as possible the next few weeks.

Clutter and Consumerism

This is not surprising.  I hope I don't fall into the clutter and stuff trap...

To many observers, clutter reflects the mind-set of the modern household — overburdened, disorganized and compulsive. To others, clutter is a broader symbol of a ravenous culture dependent on easy credit, piling up debt and consuming a lion's share of the world's resources without considering the consequences.

"People's homes are a reflection of their lives," says Los Angeles psychologist and organizational consultant Peter Walsh. "It is no accident that people have a huge weight problem in this country, and clutter is the same thing. Homes are an orgy of consumption.

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