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Winter is a great time to think about going to the beach and seeing some flesh. Some of the hottest gay beaches, a few of which are clothing optional, are closer than you think. This month, the Naked Traveler will look at the continental USA (only a small part of it). There are beaches and beach-like areas in surprising places, but we'll save the rest, and some alluring foreign ports, for another time. Sandy Hook New Jersey is home to one of the great nude beaches. Gay men flock there and the Philadelphia naturist group PANG holds an annual pilgrimage to this beach. Sandy Hook (Gunnison Beach) has a large legal nude section. Yes, legal. Said to be the largest nude beach on the East Coast, Sandy Hook has hosted naturists for decades. Depending on where you start, you can drive or take a ferry. Where you're really going is Gateway National Recreation area, with a number of beaches, one of which is Sandy Hook. You'll be able to tell which areas are gay, but there are no real dividing lines. The area is patrolled by officers, not looking to bust you for baring it, but to make sure you're OK. And probably they want to see ... that no rules are being broken. Poodle Beach Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is home to one of the nicest gay beaches. Unofficially called Poodle Beach, it's well off the south end of the boardwalk. When you enter, you'll see a distinct though invisible dividing line: all at once, traditional families dwindle to nothing - there is a small area with no umbrellas, no sunbathers, just sand. But almost immediately begin acres of gay men (and some women) lolling in the sun, reading, talking, playing volleyball, swimming and generally being a sight for sore eyes. You can rent umbrellas, and refreshment stands are close by. It does get crowded and all that flesh - even if it isn't nude - is a pleasure to behold. The big event on Poodle Beach is the Drag Volleyball Tournament on Labor Day weekend. The game draws a crowd, and while the guys in drag are playing, you never know who you'll meet in the throngs of spectators. Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown It's not possible to make a list of gay beaches and leave out Provincetown. "But the whole place is gay," you say. True, but there are some nakedly delightful gay beaches apart from those inhabited by straight sunbathers. Herring Cove, west of town, like everything in P-town, is walkable from anywhere. You'll have to find the all-male section - I'm sure the practiced eye of a dedicated naked traveler will have no trouble. You may also catch a look at nude sunbathers, even though it's illegal. That's the naked attitude. There is a legal nude beach more than a mile away. Use your naked eye and you'll see what you're looking for. Sebastian Street Beach, Fort Lauderdale In Fort Lauderdale, the gay beach is a treat, always packed with hot men eager to show off their worked-out bodies and tans. This beach is a great way to spend a good part of any day. Walk along the gorgeous beachfront street until you come to Sebastian Street and you've arrived. You'll know you're in the right place: men in skimpy swimsuits as far as you can see. Haulover Beach, Miami This one of the premiere gay nudist beaches in the country. All of Haulover is clothing optional and it's vast. A large part of it is gay, and as you walk along you'll notice the crowd subtly changing. Some guys prefer exotic swimwear and as you pass them by, you'll see other guys who don't want to hear about swimwear at all. Ever. Lots of naked tourists, including many from Europe. You can lie back, close your eyes, and listen to conversations in French, Croatian, Italian, German and a host of other languages. Ogunquit Beach, Maine A three-mile stretch of white warm sands, this beach is very popular with gay visitors. One of the primary attractions, besides scantily clad men, is the natural beauty and peace of this place. It will leave you feeling like you're floating. After you've walked the beach and had your fill, stop at Maine Street (mainestreetogunquit.com). But you'll be dreaming about getting back to all those guys on the beach the next day. Hippie Hollow, Texas (Mcgregor Park near Austin) This is another legal place to shed your clothes and frolic in the sun - right in the middle of Texas. Though always popular with gay men, several events draw hundreds of men wanting to be seen. First Splash, Last Splash, and Meltdown are huge parties, on shore and on barges on the lake (Lake Travis), where a naked traveler can feel at home. This is not a sandy beach; it's a rocky lakeshore and you'll need something comfortable to rest your naked flesh on. There are lots of other gay beaches around the country and another time we'll look at Madison Park Beach in Seattle, New York's Jones Beach, Sarasota's Lido Key and others.  Joe DeMarco's latest projects include The Lavender Raven, an online GLBTQ mystery & more journal, at www.lavenderraven.com, as well as Mysterical-E, www.mystericale.com. Joe's website is www.josephdemarco.com Top |
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