While Phoenicians go indoors and crank up the AC, most of the world welcomes summer for it's delectable weather, vacations and water water water

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The Naked Traveler
by JRG DeMarco

The balmy spring weather has the Naked Traveler thinking about the beach. Sure, some of you lucky naked dogs get to live where it’s beach weather all year long. The rest of us either wait for the weather or follow the sand. The Naked Traveler does both. There just aren’t enough beach opportunities to satisfy his desires. Of course, nude or clothing optional beaches are best but we’ll take what we can get until the world realizes that naked travel is the best travel.

There are a lot of choice locations to ogle but we only want the best sand filling our … um … getting where it shouldn’t be. So, best to make a careful choice about the classiest sand to set your bare tush on.

If you find yourself in Sarasota, Fla., you’ll be in luck. Not just because the weather is so conducive to a nudist romp, but because you’ll be near Lido Key which has a great gay beach at the north end of things (North Lido County Park), suitable for lots of flesh-spotting. It’s not clothing optional, and there are , ahem … "stiff" penalties if you drop your drawers here. But you needn’t attract the attention of the Law. There are plenty of sights to keep your eyes popping. Removing your clothes can follow later, somewhere more discreet. Just remember, there are no concession stands, no bathrooms, and no parking — you have to hike your way in. But the trek will be worth it for the relaxing peaceful time you’ll have amidst the nearly naked sights.

For this naked traveler’s money, one of the best all-around clothing optional beaches in the USA is Haulover which sprawls along the Florida coast between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. It’s a surprisingly open, public find, right next to a busy highway, surrounded by high-rise condos and the hustle and bustle of life in south Florida. Haulover is one of the premiere gay nudist beaches in the country. The entire beach is clothing optional and it’s vast. A large section is gay, and as you stroll along you’ll notice the crowd morphing from straight to gay. Some guys take the opportunity to try out exotic swimwear and you’ll see other guys who don’t want to hear about swimwear at all, ever. Lots of naked gay tourists congregate here, including many Europeans. Spending the day at Haulover would be any naked traveler’s dream. The surf pounding in your ears, the blue sky arching over you, with gulls providing a counterpoint to the waves, and the beautiful … uh … faces surrounding you will draw you back often.

Head North to The Big Apple and Jones Beach for a truly unique time. Hot lifeguards, thousands of acres of outdoor recreational facilities, and even a possibility for a more total naked experience than you might find elsewhere, make Jones Beach a must-destination. Easy to get to, this beach is on the south shore of Long Island and will give you lots to remember. There’s an unofficial gay section east of Parking Field #6. You’ll find what you’re looking for in the tall grass. And all of it, a naked traveler’s delight even if it isn’t totally nude. With millions of visitors each year (more than six million), you’re bound to find what it is your heart desires. At the very least, you’ll see hunks in microscopic trunks lolling about, waiting to be discovered.

Farther north still is Toronto and Hanlan’s Point. Here you can indulge your naked side, well, actually all of your naked sides, as much as you like. Hanlan’s Point, located in the Toronto Islands, is gay friendly to say the least and clothing is optional. There’s a beach, of course, bike paths, and a small amusement park. Take a ferry to the beach, drink in the skyline, and beat the heat by removing whatever is between you and getting nakedly cool. In summer, there are lifeguards — and what a sight they provide. You’ll find the heaviest concentration of gay beachgoers at the far end of the beach. We do like our privacy.

If you find yourself in Seattle when the sun is shining (well, it could happen), head to Madison Park Beach. It isn’t a huge sand-filled beach like you might find elsewhere, but the men are hot and the views are gorgeous and the ability to relax and swim and sunbathe on a grassy knoll are well worth a visit. There are gay men aplenty here and fleshy sights, though nudity is not part of the picture. This is when you’ll use your naked imagination and try to guess what’s concealed within those sea-green Speedos. You might even get a chance to find out.

While you’re in the great Northwest, try visiting Cascade Head in Oregon or Washington’s Orcas Island. Both are a nature-lover’s delight and with hot men running, biking, or sunbathing all around, these places are not to be missed. These are not the traditional, come-and-relax areas, though you can certainly do that. But both sites offer a multiplicity of activities for the outdoor activist and you’ll see lots of fleshy blurs going by as hot men expend energy in the wild. Maybe you’ll get to wildly help them expend some of that energy in other activities.

In the vicinity (when you’re in the great Northwest, “in the vicinity” takes on a different meaning) you’ll find Wreck Beach in Vancouver, Canada and you won’t regret the trip. Cool breezes, hunky men, and a deliciously clothing optional beach will make this a highlight of any trip to the area. There’s a gay section at the south end where naked vendors will sell you some treats to keep you happy.

There are lots of other beaches and naturist gathering spots and another time we’ll visit a few more.

June 2009

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