Traveling nine hours on a train to Steel City is not the Naked Traveler’s preferred method of locomotion. But drinking in the sights from one end of Pennsylvania to the other isn’t all bad either. Besides, you do get a lot of reading done this way.

Pittsburgh, made fictionally famous in Queer as Folk (fictional in more ways than one, since the actual filming was done in Toronto), is a fun place where you’ll see some western Pennsylvania types in the flesh.

It’s not a big city, with a population hovering around 320,000 but it gets a lot of visitors and around major holidays guys return to visit family and are usually searching for something only a traveler with a naked attitude can provide. The home of the Steelers, a football legend, is an old steel mill, blue-collar kind of town and a relatively low-key place to cool your heels.

There’s a thriving gay community and a good selection of bars and clubs, restaurants and cafes, all gay or gay-friendly.

Slurping up the naked sights is always the first priority for this naked wayfarer. Bars with strippers are high on the naked aficionado’s list. The Burgh has a few of these which should prove pleasing.

Let’s start with PTown (ptownpgh.com) which is a classy and stud-filled place to spend time. It’s sleek, even Spartan, in its modern décor but it’s not the pretty flooring you want to look at (though this traveler likes the nice light displays and good videos), it’s the guys. And PTown has lots of them, including strippers and go-go boys on select nights. Check the site calendar to know who’s on and when. Like a lot of places in this town, they do take time out to watch the Steelers when they play — but hey, a football fan clad only in a jockstrap can run interference for me any day.

Images (imagespittsburgh.com) is another place to find some hot male dancers on certain nights. It’s also a stylish place with a diverse and interesting clientele. They feature dancers a couple of nights a week (again check their calendar for more information) and the strippers are some of the hottest Steel City has to offer. Even the shooter boys — scantily clad, of course — are hot and friendly.

With an equally diverse crowd, Pegasus (pittpegasus.com) has an edgier feel to it; this is a place to see some strippers do their thing as well as meet natives who’ll show you the town. Dancing is high priority here but the music is good and DJs who know their stuff are plentiful. This may be (opinions vary) the real-life, down-to-earth version of Babylon on QAF. It’s not exactly a match, but it’ll do and the dancers will keep your mind off making comparisons.

The Eagle (pitteagle.com) is the porn star’s home away from home. You may catch up with one of your favorites here as they perform for the Eagle’s patrons or maybe you’ll be content with some of the other strippers that grace the place. It's open only on weekends, so make sure you put this place on your list. Sometimes leather attire gets you in without paying the cover. But if you want a real taste of leather and see some flesh in chaps or enjoy themed leather evenings, try Leather Central (geocities.com/pghlc), but be aware that they have a strict dress code.

Lucky’s Tavern, a bit on the grungy side sometimes, also features male dancers. Who cares, if it’s not the sleekest upscale place on the planet as long as there are hot men dancing nearly nude? And hot go-go boys, as well as college men, are what you’ll find at Holiday Bar, another venue you’ll want to see.

There are also bars and cafes which may not have strippers but do have ambience and hot men — and if you play your cards right you may get to see some of them naked and up close. The 5801 (5801.us) is one such place. Three bars, an outdoor deck, restaurant, video bar, and a heated patio bar are just some of the things it offers. There’s free Wi-Fi (so you can cruise online as well as in the bar, or while you’re sitting and having a meal all by your lonesome). They’ve got specials which include some very reasonably-priced drinks. And, darts anyone? They’ve got darts. You can even join the Dart League and send your love-dart searching for its target. Like all bars in the Burgh, they set aside time and space for Steelers fans.

Of course, the bars may not be enough to sate your naked desires. So it’s off to the tubs. This time, Club Pittsburgh (clubpittsburgh.com) is the place of choice. It has everything, including hot men — and in this blue collar town, there are plenty of hot guys. Sauna, steam, a whirlpool, video lounge, and a pretty nice workout area are all kept neat and clean. They’ve even got an outdoor area that is open year round. There’s also free high speed Internet and computers available. Should you want to send out an email to your 500 closest friends telling them you’ve found the man of your dreams. Club Pittsburgh also has events and lots of them, like Pop Whore Night when guys 18-25 get in for a discount, or the daily Naked Lunch. (What’s not to like about that?) There are also special events, which include strippers. Strippers in a place where everyone is already dressed in nothing — how cool is that? Porn stars may pop in at any time and give you a little extra thrill. The Club is the place to go when you just haven’t had enough.

If you’ve got the time and the wheels, about 20 miles outside of the city you’ll find The Link (thelinkbar.com) which is a hot way to spend an evening or several evenings. Naked delights? Plenty of 'em. Strippers; wet underwear and best chest contests, and more will delight your naked senses.

When your job sends you to Pittsburgh for a meeting, make it a naked time and return with a smile on your face .