I spent a couple of days recently in one of my favorite small cities, Athens, Georgia. Home to the University of Georgia, an exceptionally rich underground music scene (that incubated the careers of Michael Stipe and R.E.M. as well as the B-52s and the Indigo Girls), and one of the most vibrant and active gay scenes in the South. Major university towns are often progressive places with welcoming attitudes toward gays and lesbians - elsewhere in the South, Chapel Hill (NC), Charlottesville (VA), and Gainesville (FL) have similar vibes.

Athens has much to offer gay visitors, even though the city hasn't had a full-time gay bar for several years - plenty of other bars and music clubs draw a mixed crowd. Moreover, this leafy hilltop city just 70 miles east of Atlanta is home to a fantastic culinary scene as well as some first-rate museums. Athens has recently developed a Gay Pride celebration, held in late September (a bit before Atlanta's hugely attended Pride Parade and Festival). More famous times for visiting, however, are the legendary Boybutante Ball, a riotously campy AIDS fundraiser held in April, and the renowned AthFest Music Festival, which presents concerts by a wide range of talents over four days in late June.

I recently created a quick Athens Gay Guide, with a 2012 events calendar, and highlights of local attractions, notable restaurants and coffeehouses, gay-friendly hotels, and fun bars and clubs. Also check out my Chapel Hill NC Gay Guide, and my travel gallery on Charlottesville.

Tabatha Coffey, host of Bravo TV's Tabatha Takes Over (formerly known as Tabatha's Salon Takeover) has recently put her talents to resuscitating a once-beloved gay bar with a slowing pulse.

Having made a name for herself helping to revamp a number of hair and beauty salons with strong ties to the gay community, this maven of makeovers recently took on the long-running gay beach bar Club Ripples, in Long Beach - the episode aired January 17, and is No. 2 in the popular reality show's fourth season. Here's more on the episode, in which Ripples longtime owners Larry Hebert and John Garcia invited her to help save this bar that's lost its way, in part, some speculate, due to competition from other popular Long Beach gay hangouts nearby on East Broadway and elsewhere around this port city of about a half-million just south of Los Angeles. In previous episodes, Tabatha has taken on West End Salon and Spa in Provincetown and Chicago Male Salon in that city's Lakeview gayborhood. Here's hoping she help brings about a happy renaissance for this bar with a fantastic location across the street from beautiful Belmont Shore Beach.

For more on the gay scene in Long Beach, check out my gay guide and gallery, which mentions a number of bars as well as some shops and eateries. Also see the preview of Long Beach Gay Pride 2012, held May 19-20, and one of the most popular Pride events on the West Coast. For more on visiting the region, also see my West Hollywood Gay Guide as well as my gay guide to the coastal L.A. communities of Santa Monica and Venice.

Recently launched by legendary tour and travel operator Charlie Rounds, who was for many years one of the main forces behind RSVP Vacations, Minneapolis-based Brand g Vacations has positioned itself to capture a growing segment of the GLBT community: travelers eager for smaller, culture-oriented tours and cruises who appreciate the camaraderie of a mixed clientele, including gay men, lesbians, and straight friends and family members.

The strategy makes good sense, as although RSVP, Atlantis Events, and other companies focusing on larger, party-driven ships and resorts do a fine job and remain as popular as ever, there's little doubt that plenty of gay and lesbian travelers out there might better appreciate a more low-keyed, intimate tour.

Brand g has announced three trips so far, each of them set for later in 2012. A 10-day August riverboat cruise on the Danube kicks off in Prague aboard the new, 164-passenger MS AmaCerto and includes visits to Nuremberg, the Bavarian forest, Salzburg, Linz, Melk, Vienna, Slovakia, and Budapest. Although these riverboats are tiny compared with the liners that ply the Mediterranean and Atlantic, this one has plenty of plush amenities: a heated deck with swim-up bar, fitness center, free in-room Internet access and movies, wine bars, a fleet of bicycles, and more. Sounds like a wonderful trip - rates begin at $2,779 per person (based on double-occupancy).

In September, Brand g is offering an eight-day guided tour through Ireland, starting in Dublin and branching out to Cork, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, and Adare. The tour costs $1,799 per person (doubles), or $2274 for single accommodations.

Finally, the company has developed an extremely affordable, and very interesting six-day Mexico City Discovery tour (rates begin at just $1,099 per person for a double, or $1,599 for a single). This is one of my favorite world cities, and one that's consistently underrated - it's one of the best cities in North America for shopping, dining, gay nightlife, and arts and culture. In fact, I include Mexico City at the top of the list of "gay-friendly bargain cities in North America."

The sunny Southern California desert oasis of Palm Springs will host five different film festivals this year, all of them drawing significant numbers of GLBT visitors, especially the latest of the group, Cinema Diverse, which showcases gay and lesbian films and takes place in late September - this gathering continues to grow in attendance and stature, as do all of the city's film-related events. It's not surprising, given Palm Springs' proximity to Los Angeles, which is just over 100 miles away. More than 15 shorts and feature-length movies were shown last year.

At this very moment, the prestigious Palm Springs International Film Festival, now in its 23rd year, is taking place at venues around town. The 12-day event, which runs through January 16, is produced by the Palm Springs International Film Society, which in less than six months will present the critically acclaimed Palm Springs International ShortFest (June 19-25).

Two more film festival taking place here in 2012 and specializing in specific genres are the Festival of Native Film & Culture, held Feb. 29-Mar. 4; and the Arthur Lyons' Film Noir Festival, held May 10-13.

Take a look at these articles on the Best Gay Resorts in Palm Springs and the Best Gay Bars in Palm Springs for help planning your visit. Also make a note that two big GLBT parties are coming up in late March and April: Dinah Shore Week the Palm Springs White Party.