Gran Canaria: Gay sunshine mecca in The Canary Islands of Spain

I go every year to Gran Canaria in March (this year in May was my 7th trip). So when asked to give some advice about flights or accommodations there I wrote the following:

The pics show me naked out in the Maspalomas Dunes, which can be reached on foot from the Playa del Ingles beach or by walking back from the shoreline toward central Playa del Ingles (town).  The major gay nightlife is usually found in and around the Yumbo Center, a large 4-story shopping complex, with numerous restaurants, souvenirs shops, fashion stores, etc. It becomes the local gay mecca sometimes after 11pm each night and is active until 3-4am. There are also sex clubs located within the Yumbo, mostly on the ground floor level, mixed in with the gay bars, several which have drag shows and strip shows.  
You can sometimes find good bargains for flights and hotels to Gran Canaria on the major travel booking sites, but not always the most popular ones, like Orbitz, Yahoo Travel, or Expedia. 



Instead take at look at:
http://www.alpharooms.com
http://www.booking.com

 

Alpharooms also has flights with hotel stay plans that can be quite cheap, although I have found it usually cheaper to book them separately. But it is worth checking out if you are coming from a major European city. 

Koka: The place that has been fairly nice (a small studio apt with kitchen and balcony or direct access to the pool), it's cheap (in March usually $30-$40 a night) and also not too far from the beach or to the Yumbo (gay nightlife) is:

Apartamentos Koka,
Avenida de Tenerife, 17 35100 Playa del Inglés, Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Palmas, Spain Tel 928 76 16 17

(I just checked these sites for possible booking for next March, the Koka is already fully booked. So you may find the same is true for your stay). 

However, there are dozens of similar apartamentos hotels, like the Koka, some with room and board plans. In fact, some may be closer to where you want to be. I suggest staying with walking distance of the Yumbo Center since you'll inevitably end of there late at night (there are taxis, of course) to more outlying areas (which are nicer and more expensive). 

It all depends on what you want or need out your vacation. 
I prefer to stay cheaply since I am usually not in the room at all except to sleep and sometimes cook my own meals. There are plenty of restaurants, of course. But the typical place in Gran Canaria has only the basic food (rather unhealthy too). So I prefer to save my money for splurging on gourmet meals in other larger cities in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. 

Note too that there is a city bus from the airport (LPA) that runs through Playa del Ingles and onward to the Lighthouse tower near the beach in the actual town of Maspalomas. 
In the two cities blend together and even the locals confuse the two locales. It's better to know the street names and have a map or the address of the hotel before you arrive. 
I got off at the wrong place once and had a long walk with a suitcase before I found it (or a taxi). 

P.S. There are a few exclusively gay hotels, but I prefer the 'straight' ones -- just because the services are the same but the clientele is not. Gay men can be snobby and even act condescending (especially some gay couples on vacation). At least the straight people will either be friendly or just plain ignore you. Besides, you have to pay premium prices for gay hotel (clothing optional or not). You're just as well off to be naked on the beach and in the dunes all day and then stay clothed at your place of accommodation. 

The Basement Studios is a gay hotel, but they also allow day and evening guest from outside, especially for their Wed night sex party. The Cellar (gay nude bar) is open nightly from 10:30 ish until late.

Russian River - Cool and classy gay summer getaway in California

Russian River, at Guerneville, California.  The Russian River resort and  recreation area, is located about 70 miles from San Francisco, California; it has changed somewhat since I used to visit there regularly. Then there was the flood of 2006. Some establishments were just wiped off the map - so to speak. Others would recuperate after the expense of repairs and loss of business and have come back with gusto. Others decided to go 'straight' and clean up their act. However, the area is thriving both as a wine producing area that - to some degree - rivals its high profile neighbor, Napa Valley, and as a summer resort / recreation area which has a long tradition of attracting gay and lesbians day-trippers and vacationers. The main 'town' is Guerneville, CA - but there are a sprinkling of little hamlets nestled along the banks of the meandering Russian River as flows quietly to the Pacific Ocean or scattered through Sonoma County. Russian River remains a great destination for San Francisco residents to escape the urban din or anyone visiting the state or city who wants a more laid-back and pastoral travel experience. It offers a lot: canoeing or rafting on the gentle Russian River, vineyard visits and wine-tasting tours, outdoor recreation like hiking and horseback riding, and all with a hour or so from other great sites, such as San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, The Castro, and the Sonoma Coast Beach Parks along with Bodega Bay. See more info at: http://www.gayrussianriver.com/ Although I have been there recently since I did go for the Russian River Winegrower's Association Grape to Glass Wine Festival last year Aug 13-15, 2009, I stayed at Highlands Resort. It will be held again this year from August 20 - 22, 2010. You can find the details at: http://www.rrvw.org/grape-to-glass/ I just love that Russian River Pinot Noir! It's light red with a delightful bouquet of tastes given to it by the fog along the banks of the Russian River. It was actually my first time to try it, and I have been a big fan of it ever since. I've already mentioned Highland Resort allows nudity around pool and also at the jacuzzi. It is sometimes hard to book a room/cabin at either so make up you mind soon. Last year, I greatly enjoyed the Grape To Glass (Russian River Winegrowers Annual Festival). You can take part in three days of fine wine, food, music, art and recreation in the vineyards and neighborhoods of the Russian River Valley: Unique In Depth Tours • Virtual Photo Contest • Live Concert • Cycling & Kayaking • Hog in The Fog BBQ • Live & Silent Auctions • Sparkling Brunch I didn't attend all the events at Grape to Glass last year, but the private vintner tours and wine-tasting were very nice, especially if you get to meet the winemaker (and all the staff who help grow it). The Saturday massive wine-tasting party and barbeque, called Hog in The Fog BBQ, was quite nice as well. As far as I know, the only clothing-optional resorts are Highland Resort and The Woods. Highlands Resort http://www.highlandsresort.com/ Nudity is allowed at the pool and and in the hot tub. The Woods http://rrwoods.com/ The Woods resort allows nudity around and in the pool. There are other places listed here: http://www.gayrussianriver.com/ Fife's has changed hands, now known as Fern Grove Cottages is a gay-friendly resort. It seems the new owners wanted it to be a 'classy' place so they put an end to the camping (I used to try to be nude whenever possible), and also to the cruising (anonymous outdoor sex) that used to go on on its grounds. Too bad! However, things like that have a way of restarting - but I cannot vouch for that. RRR (Russian River Resort) is another popular gay accommodation right in Guerneville. RRR used to allow nudity in its enclosed hot tub area, but not at their pool, and it may still do so. You can probably still buy a day-pass to get in and use the pool. RRR was remodeled in 2006 after the flood. They have a new saline pool, hot tub, poolside bar/BBQ, indoor bar and piano bar. The resort also has the wonderful Triple R Bar & Grill restaurant. We are a host resort for many wonderful annual events as well as providing live weekly entertainment. See their website at: http://www.russianriverresort.com/ There is also a nude beach (of sorts) out on the river, but I have never been able to get anyone to explain exactly how to get to it, so I have never been there myself. It's not close to town evidently and takes a good while to walk (or drive). Horseback riding in the redwood forest (nearby) and winery (wine-tasting) visits, plus floating down the Russian River make for a great week (or weekend of fun). Armstrong Woods Trail Rides http://www.redwoodhorses.com/ See other activities links at: http://www.gayrussianriver.com/activities.html Sometime there are events at the gay bars that bring in more people, but it was mostly just a few people whenever I was there in the off weekend.  There is a old theater in downtown Guerneville that hosts a repetoire of classic and kooky favorities plays and shows, such as The Rocky Horror Show, (or at least it had been doing so.) There are also a couple of jazz and rock music festivals and other events, like a airshow that happen throughout the year. For those who enjoy camping, you can camp out at Highland Resort, or at Johnson's a RV and tent campground riverside right in town. I recommend driving back from Guerneville to San Francisco via the Sonoma Coast (at least part of the way) and stopping along the road at Bodega Bay, which was a location of the Hitchcock film, The Birds. However, it's pristine coastline views are gorgeous (when the fog has lifted). That fog is what flows up the Russian River and adds to the makeup of flavors in the Russian River pinot noir grapes.

Timberfell Lodge: Backwoods home to a great gay community in rural Tennessee

I promised myself a good while back that I would write a review of Timberfell Lodge, the outdoorsy gay resort in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee. I made good on the promised, but it's now midwinter (again  -- funny how that became an annual occurrence), and Im already dreaming again of hot summer days and warm nights camping out at Timberfell.

Before the great memories fade completely, I will try to remember some of what occurred there during my first visit to Timberfell. It will definitely not be my last time to go.

Now that is mid-winter, I'm beginning to crave those long hot days of a Tennessee summer, and the sweltering nights of torrid passion that you can easily experience on an evening in rural Appalachia.

SPECIAL NOTE: Timberfell would make a great venue for a Daddy-Boy Retreat or a CMNM Weekend, complete with circus tent for live role-plays and exhibitions. I think I'm going to try to get one started there for summer this year or next -- hopefully during August (between Mr. Timberfell Contest Weekend and Labor Day) -- perhaps in conjunction with these or another existing annual event on the Timberfell calendar.

Although it is located in rural Tennessee, there is most everything you'd want to have at the resort grounds: a nice dining room, a variety of accommodations (from camping to deluxe rooms), plenty of men of all ages and body types, different races, persuasions, and passions. There are lots of nooks and crannies for anonymous sex, a great sense of community, and isolation from the main street (a county road)  for complete nudity, plus reasonable rates, exciting home-spun events with enough technicality to be enjoyable,... and more.

There is while isn't still time this season (Winter 2015) to camp out, they do have rooms and a bunk-bed dorm for the less outdoorsy.
Labor Day Weekend in September, long gone now, was one of their biggest annual events, and the last major one before the pool closes later that month, followed on by their annual Cocktobear-Fest in October. There are few more events during the winter season, but when the weather starts to warm up, that's when things getting boiling hot in the Great Ol' Outdoors at Timberfell Lodge and Campground.

What's hot and what is there to do?

1) Bears galore - If you're into them, you'll have a large assortment to dazzle your fancy. There are other types of guys too.. like me (gray fox), and otters, panthers, and wily coyotes, too. There are NOT too many twinks, however (awhhh!) every once in  a while, a slim twinky-type does make an appearance, so a car-load of youngish, collegiate-looking dudes waltz in proudly onto the property. It just depends.

When I attended the Mr. Timberfell Contest Weekend, there were only 4 young men (20s), who were there because one of them (a hunky stud) was competing for the title.
I'd say the average age is 45 - and there are plenty of older men, and quite a lot of younger ones 30 - 45. But only a few below 29. I did meet a 20-year-old who was into older guys, and a 70-something dude who was into younger (tweens). It's all relative.. after all.

2) The location is rather isolated, which means you have drive a while from the nearest town.  But it also means that you can be nude anywhere on the resort (except the dining room).

3) There is a festive gay atmosphere for the weekend events; it's pretty laid back during the

weekdays, but it really depends on who's visiting at the resort, and who is staying at one of the two trailer/camping car mini-communities located adjacent to the Timberfell property.

4) The bar is open to outsiders, day visitors, and to guests, as are some of the nighttime events, so there is a chance you can encounter some enchanted stranger for a hot evening of sex under the stars or some fraternal nude swimming during the day in the medium-sized pool and sunbathing terrace.

5) Having sex is not guaranteed but highly likely if you've got what it takes (smile). Public sex is    not allowed, but there was plenty going on in the private areas.         (Above photo is the blog author)

6) While it 'ain't the Ritz', there are fairly nice facilities at  the resort.  BYOB (bring your own bottle) is allowed for wine and hard liquor. Since they sell beer, you cannot bring beer in the resort (private

tents and rooms excepted,) but you can buy beer there in the canteen.  The food served is like a home-style buffet - if you're not really a camp-style cook, you can purchase and meal plan, or just buy tickets for individual meals.  The pool and large sun deck, sauna,  and steam room  can get active - especially at night - they are open all night for your pleasure (smile).

7) The best thing was meeting the great guys - I had great conversations and still managed to get off at the right time

Costs: Check it out online - but campsite $15 for 1 person per night, breakfast $6, dinner $20, poolside beer $3, snacks $3
From camping (in a tent or camper), to a bunk in the bunkhouse, to a room with shared toilet, to a fine private bedroom with private bath. It's all up to you! They have events all year long - even when it's too cold to camp outdoors. So you should book early.

ADDED Bonus: The events are not very expensive, and day-guests are abundant on weekends. Also, there is actually a community of gay men who live (and a few work on site) at the resort full-time, particularly in the summer months. There are rentable trailer and RV sites for those who want a live-in gay nude resort experience 24/7.

Find out more at:
www.timberfell.com/home/

You have to realize that Timberfell is way back in rural, Bible-belt America. If you drive passed it, (easily to do since its unmarked except for the street number), you'll end up in one of the most redneck parts of Tennessee, where the regular pastime could well be cornholing unsuspecting Yankee tourists, a la Deliverance (see film / novel of the same name) . However, Timberfell Lodge is a little gay oasis where bear-mauling truckers, silver-maned bikers, beefy jarheads, countryfied southern gentry, and white trailer trash all mingle rather happily, mostly naked around the pool or guzzling moonshine (not actually) in the dance-hall tavern-bar just up the hill.

Maybe we can get a group of interested people from Tribe.net to convene for some down-home fun and good times. Hey, ya'll come, y'hear!

Kelly ( originally posted on Tribe.net on Sept. 4, 2010, now with revisions Jan. 25, 2015)

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Previous Post about the Mr. Timberfell Contest Event to be held next on August 7-9, 2015, at Timberfell Lodge near Greeneville, TN, actually near  the North Carolina border and gateway to the Appalachian Mountains.)


Come out to the woods and get naked, my friends. The weekend of August 7-9, 2015, is the annual Mr. Timberfell Competition.

Tucked deep in a hollow of the Southern Appalachians is Timberfell Lodge, a paradise for men seeking either solitude or camaraderie with their gay brothers and where inhibitions are shed as easily as clothing…

www.timberfell.com/home/

What is There to Do at Timberfell?

After breakfast and conversations lingering over fresh-brewed coffee, guests head for the pool, hike the gentle or more demanding trails circling the lodge property, or do nothing at all. This is when camaraderie is strongest and new friendships are forged. If the thought of getting dirt on your dock siders or having your hair mussed by tree branches drives you crazy, there are a number of alternatives to a wilderness walk.

Swim in the large, 20′ by 40′ heated clothing-optional pool or simply watch while sunbathing. Relax in the steam room or redwood sauna. Towels are provided for guests’ convenience while at the pool.

You can to relax in a heavenly 20-man sauna or “plunk” on the oversized porch and watch the sun setting between the mountains. There are some music / party/ dance events planned (clothing required), as well as the special activities around the Mr. Timberfell Competition, with a Benefit Mixer (free drinks with $5 donation) on Sat. Aug 8, from 2-4pm. Followed by the main event, the Mr. Timberfell Pageant later that evening.

Some CMNM events that could possibly be held at Timberfell, although they are not sponsored or endorsed by the lodge, but are privately organized by the some of the Mr. Timberfell Weekend attendees. Moreover, there are multiple acres of property and enough private areas (sauna) where CMNM interactions can occur. Some special events like strip poker, truth and dare, costume parties and role plays are planned during this Mr. Timberfell weekend, August 7 - 9.  Plus, there will be plenty of time to enjoy the natural environment and the gay men's social events arranged for the weekend.

SPECIAL EVENT:   Saturday, August 8, 2015,  Annual Mr. Timberfell Competition and Benefit Mixer,

Last year’s competition was the HOTTEST ever with more than 15 men competing for cash, lodging prizes and the coveted title of Mr. Timberfell. This a big weekend with great parties and music.

A benefit event, the Leather and Cocktails Charity Mixer, will be held from 2-4pm on August 14, entrance $5 donation, free drinks, silent auction, and music by Ft. Lauderdale DJ, Dr. D.

There are variety of accommodations from primitive camping to cabins or bunkbed dorm rooms. Book early to get your choice of rooms. Meal plans are available the including breakfast and dinner.
Beer is available for purchase or bring your own wines and hard liquor.
Interested contestants call our office or email Timberfell for details at their site:

www.timberfell.com/home/contact-us


Timberfell Lodge

Driving address: 2240 Van Hill Road, Greeneville, TN 37745 (actually about 2 miles or less from the US 81 interchange, north on Baileyton Rd).

Mailing address: 1416 Baileyton Main St, Greeneville, TN 37745
Paragraph Indent

Contact us by Phone or Fax:
Lodge: (423) 234-0833
Fax: (423) 234-8512
Toll-Free: (800) 437-0118
I'm staying in downtown Nashville the one night before driving northeast. Let me hear from you on Tribe.net, via email or thru grou.ps/cmnm

Location:
Timberfell Lodge (and Campground) is located about 65 miles further east from Knoxville off of Interstate Hwy 81. So it's about a 4-hour from Nashville, and roughly more or less 4 hours from Atlanta, Georgia or Charlotte, North Carolina. If driving, take Interstate 81 South to Exit 36 (Baileyton/Greeneville). Then drive north on Route 172 toward Baileyton to the Shell Station Truck Stop. From the truck stop, travel 2 mile, turn right at wide gravel drive, proceed through gate, follow driveway all the way to the main lodge approximately 3/4 mile.

Actual address: 2240 Van Hill Road, Greeneville, TN 37745

Contact Club CMNM Event Organizer at:  sunbunz (@) gmail.com
Club CMNM Events:   http://clubcmnm_events.eventbrite.com