Hotels and local tourism offices all around California are responding quickly and happily to the historic state supreme court ruling on May 15, 2008, that has legalized gay marriage in the Golden State. Coincidentally, just last week I had a meeting in Costa Mesa with Thomas Smalley, the openly gay general manager of the Wyndham Hotel Orange County, who told me about his hotel's mission to become a top venue for same-sex marriage ceremonies. Smalley spoke with candor and great enthusiasm - at one point he urged me up out of my chair and took my hands in his in order to demonstrate exactly how a lesbian couple recently exchanged commitment vows at the Wyndham. I was simultaneously amused, startled, and moved - the decision to host gay weddings is, for Smalley, clearly a personal one. He's a caring and charismatic guy (later in the meeting, upon learning I'd soon be driving to San Diego, he raced to the hotel kitchen and brought me back a bag of wheat bread to feed the squirrels who gather famously at the scenic viewpoint along the I-5 freeway).

I should point out that plenty of hotels in California have been hosting same-sex commitment ceremonies over the years, and there are certainly more dramatic wedding sites around the state - hotels and inns that overlook undulating vineyards, snowcapped mountains, or azure seas. But that being said, I've never met a GM of a mainstream hotel who works so hard to welcome gays and lesbians to their property. "I created this package for couples who might otherwise feel uncomfortable taking vows in public," says Smalley about his same-sex wedding deals. "It is my core belief that this is simply the right thing to do."

In honor of the legalization of gay marriage in California, the Wyndham Orange County - which was already a much more affordable wedding venue than many other upscale hotels in Orange County - is offering a "50% discount to the next 50 same-sex couples to book weddings at the hotel." (The ceremonies must take place by Dec. 31, 2008.). And Smalley himself will work closely with you to help you plan your event. Here's my detailed look at the hotel and its services for helping lesbians and gays plan their weddings.

For as many of us who can't sit still at the beach for more than 15 minutes and instead occupy our time jogging, hiking, kayaking, exploring, and checking out the scenery (human-form and otherwise), there are plenty of gay guys and lesbians out there who love nothing more than lazing away their afternoons on the sand, working a tan, reading Cosmo, sipping cosmos, daydreaming. Beach-bumming means different things to different people. With this in mind, I've compiled some descriptions and info on a number of beachy spots around the world that appeal to gays and lesbians - just scan my photo gallery on gay travel in "the great outdoors" for ideas about where to plan your next gay day at the beach.

I've included a mix of iconic gay beach destinations (Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta, Black's Beach in San Diego, Barcelonetta in Barcelona) as well as places that would make any beach-lover swoon but that aren't necessarily rife with gay visitors. For example, Rhode Island's blissfully laid-back and pristine Block Island has no gay following to speak of, but it's absolutely gay-friendly, and it would make a terrific weekend getaway for a couple seeking a romantic break by the sea. Ditto for Cannon Beach and Manzanita in Oregon, which are becoming steadily more popular with lesbians and gays who live in Portland and Seattle. Likewise, Nice and Cannes on the French Riviera draw plenty of gay folks but aren't necessarily queer meccas. So, grab your suntan lotion (minimum 15 SPF or higher, of course) and that skimpy Raymond Dragon number you look so good in (well, I don't...but maybe you do), and head for the sand!