If you live in or have traveled much to big cities around the U.S., you've no doubt scooped up one of the many directories that have been created over the years listing local GLBT-friendly businesses and organizations. I've always consulted these as part of my research, but I've had mixed success with these publications - some of them provide virtually no information on the destinations they cover, providing addresses and phone numbers of businesses who pay for listings but little else. During my October trip to Tucson, I met the staff behind what I consider to be one of the best-such GLBT directories I've found, Pride Guide Arizona.

This publication includes the usual directory of advertisers keen on courting the GLBT market, but I was impressed to see that Pride Guide Arizona goes well beyond the state's two biggest cities, Phoenix and Tucson, and includes listings in Bisbee, Bullhead City, Jerome, Flagstaff, Prescott, Yuma, and Sedona. There's also an especially good number of listings for hotels, restaurants, and other businesses of particular interest to travelers.

The front of the directory also includes a nice chunk of useful information that goes well beyond mere business listings, including welcome notes from several notable politicos around the state, a helpful overview on moving to Arizona, and summaries of what each of the state's major regions and communities have to offer both GLBT residents and visitors. Pride Guide Arizona is available free at numerous businesses around the state, and you access all of this information on the guide's website, www.gayarizona.com. I've included this on my About.com page on gay travel in Arizona, along with links to the state's GLBT newspapers.

The team behind this publication has begun expanding to other areas Read more...

It finally happened last May. For the first time in roughly 10 visits to Laguna Beach, I did not stop at Taco Loco for a plate of blackened mahimahi or Pacific lobster tacos. This in no way reflects a lack adulation for this simple seafood shack along Highway 1, about midway between Laguna's tiny, quasi-gay district and its comely downtown, where the main thoroughfares are shaded by eucalyptus and pepper trees and lined with decidedly snazzy boutiques and cafes (very few of them are chains). Taco Loco is a Laguna institution and de rigueur for fans of the singular Southern California (and Baja) road-side delicacy: the humble fish taco.

I was traveling with my friend Pennie, however, and had only a couple of hours to shoot photos for the gallery I planned to create for About.com. She and I had reservations in a few hours at a promising new restaurant a half-hour up the coast, in Huntington Beach, called Zimzala. Installed inside the Shorebreak Hotel, one of the latest properties opened by the hip Joie de Vivre hotel group, Zimzala created a meal for us that exceeded anything I'd eaten all week (and I'd feasted well for a few days each in Palm Springs and San Diego). So I'm okay with having skipped Taco Loco...this time, at least. But when you're in Laguna Beach, I encourage you to grab a snack or even a full meal of fresh seafood tacos or quesadillas (along with the requisite Mexican beer) at Taco Loco. It's great for people-watching, too - surfers with ripped abs, shaggy stoners, gay retirees, and assorted housewives of Orange County (along with their assorted paramours).

Politically and socially, tiny Laguna Beach - which falls roughly midway between San Diego and Los Angeles - has always been an outlier in conservative Orange County. Read more...

People occasionally ask me if gay nightlife is on the decline. Or, more commonly, I hear locals lament the number of gay bars in their respective cities. My own sense is that while the number of gay-exclusive dance clubs and cruise bars has declined a bit in most cities over the past 10 or 20 years, thus prompting some to wonder if gay scenes are diminishing, plenty of worthwhile GLBT clubs remain. As I've noted here before, singles now meet each other as much on Internet sites as they do in bars. Furthermore, gay night owls now frequent a far greater number of mainstream venues than ever before, from restaurants with hip lounges to arty and offbeat mixed gay/straight bars, coffeehouses, and dance clubs (some with weekly or occasional theme nights geared toward gays and lesbians).

Being a fan of variety, this is all good news as far as I'm concerned - there are enough predominantly gay hangouts to serve the GLBT communities of most cities and even many large towns, and there's a growing mix of nightspots that cater to a wide range of tastes and interests. Nothing breaks down social barriers and upends stereotypes than people of different persuasions hanging out together.

Over the past two weeks, first on a quick trip to Santa Barbara and then on a longer road-trip through Arizona and New Mexico, I've found countless examples of engaging bars and clubs that cater to a mixed bunch - gay, straight, bi...the entire spectrum. Here's a quick list of a few especially inviting mixed gay/straight nightlife options I checked out in recent weeks:

Albuquerque, NM: Blackbird Buvette live-music club and cafe; Flying Star coffeehouse (with wine and beer, too), which has locations all around the Duke City as well as one in Santa Fe.

Flagstaff, AZ: Rendezvous coffeehouse and bar at the Hotel Monte Vista; Macy's European Coffeehouse.

Madrid, NM: Mine Shaft Tavern - it's lesbian-owned and a fun little spot for drinks and green-chile cheeseburgers along the fabled Turquoise Trail.

Santa Fe, NM: Max's late-night cafe and bar; and right next door, Corazon lounge.

Scottsdale, AZ: At the retro-hip Valley Ho resort, Cafe ZuZu and the Oh Pool Bar are lively options. Also in Phoenix itself, Cheuvront Restaurant & Wine Bar.

Taos, NM: The historic Adobe Bar inside the rambling Taos Inn.

Tucson, AZ: The Hotel Congress (both the Cup Cafe and Club Congress bar).

Upset that gay marriage was repealed by Maine voters (albeit by a narrow margin)? My advice: go to Maine, spend your money, enjoy one of America's most beautiful states, make your presence known as gay and lesbian travelers. The key demographic that enabled this repeal to pass is fading, passing on, losing influence, becoming increasingly irrelevant. Had a similar vote been held in other states with gay marriage, it's quite possible the results would have been similar. History is on the side of basic human rights. The disappointing outcome of yesterday's election is a small bump in a long road.

Here's a gallery about one of my favorite Maine towns, Ogunquit.

I had the pleasure earlier this week to spend a few days exploring Vail, one of the world's most impressive ski destinations - as much for its sheer variety of ski terrain and resort amenities as for its scenic yet convenient location just off I-70 in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Vail isn't secluded or cozy - it's an unabashedly larger-than-life ski community, and in recent years, as Aspen and Telluride have attained an increasing share of the GLBT ski travel market, Vail has steadily boosted its image as a gay-friendly getaway. The town's Vail Gay & Lesbian Ski Week, held January 27 through January 31 in 2010, continues to gain traction, and although there are not specific gay bars or accommodations in town, you'll generally find that hotels, condos, restaurants, and bars in these parts are quite progressive, sophisticated, and welcoming of GLBT visitors.

Here's my guide and photo gallery to gay-friendly Vail, including tips on approaching this mammoth - and incredibly beautiful - mountain. I'm an intermediate skier, so I've generally written about the ski terrain with a mid-level skier or snowboarder in mind. I'll be adding several more images and recommendations to this gallery in the coming weeks, including a number of additional hotels and restaurants.

The lackluster economy has torpedoed hotel rates in Las Vegas, where high-end properties that sold for $300 or $400 a night a year ago now sometimes offer deals dipping below $100, especially on weekdays when the city doesn't have any big conventions in town. Now - and right into winter - is a good time to try out some of the newer, swankier resorts in the city, such as Palazzo and Encore, or to book a room at one of the luxury stalwarts, like the Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton Las Vegas. Here's a profile of the city's gay-friendly lodging scene, with recommendations at all price points.

Also be sure to take a look at my article on gay nightlife in Las Vegas, as well as the new photo gallery I've created on Sin City. I'll be adding more pictures over the coming week.

I'm just wrapping up a two-week adventure in Mexico, having spent the last six days in three beautiful cities - all with highly distinct charms - San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City, and Puebla. (I can also say my hotels in these three places - Casa de Sierra Nevada in San Miguel, Hotel Condesa in Mexico City, and La Purificadora in Puebla - have all been exceptional). I'll be writing plenty more about these cities in the coming months, as I will the friendly, culturally rich, and affordable city of Guadalajara, the second-largest metropolis in Mexico, which somewhat to my surprise, has a remarkably vibrant gay scene.

I'd long heard about the elegant buildings and churches that make up the city's historic center, the stylish shops and cafes of the fashionable suburb of Tlaquepaque, and the easy proximity to the beloved town of Tequila, home to the Sauza, Jose Cuervo, and numerous other fine distilleries. Indeed, there's much to see and do in Guadalajara and the surrounding region. But I hadn't known that the city has nearly two-dozen gay bars as well as gay-friendly colonial B&Bs and plenty of welcoming restaurants and cafes, the majority of them within easy walking distance of the central Plaza Tapatia.

I'll soon be creating a comprehensive guide and gallery to gay-friendly Guadalajara, as well as more detailed reviews of different places to stay, eat, and socialize. For now, here are just a few quick highlights I'd suggest any GLBT visitors to the city rank among their top priorities:

Viewing the brilliant (and mammoth) ceiling murals by Jose Clemente Orozco inside Instituto Cultural Cabanas, a former orphanage at one end of the City Center's main plaza that's been converted into a spectacular cultural arts center.

Eating tacos al pastor (delicious shepherd's-style lamb, pork, or goat tacos prepared at numerous street carts and small cafes around the city) or one of the frozen ice desserts (flavored with vanilla and walnut) sold by street vendors in Tlaquepaque.

Partying into the wee hours at one of Guadalajara's vibrant, friendly, and wildly energetic gay nightclubs - Black Cherry is the swankiest, Circus Club also has a great high-decibel sound system and a very hot crowd, Angel's is popular after-hours on Saturdays, and Club YeYe is a relaxed but hip gay cocktail bar - these are mostly in the City Center or nearby Zona Rosa

Staying at one of the city's old-world elegant B&Bs, such as the posh and gay-friendly Villa Ganz in Zona Rosa, or more affordable but still highly charming gay-owned (mixed gay/straight clientele) options near the City Center, such as La Perla and Old Guadalajara B&B.

Dining at some of the city's more sophisticated, high-end restaurants, which are still relatively affordable compared with other large North American cities. Two of my best meals were enjoyed at Hacienda Real San Pedro along the main Independencia pedestrian way in Tlaquepaque (stellar contemporary Mexican cuisine - there's no website, but the address is Independencia 163, and you can phone them at 33/3659-3631) and Cocina 88, a hip spot near Guadalajara's City Center that specializes in contemporary Mexican seafood and steaks and also has its own on-site wine shop.

Taking cooking classes or simply enjoying a student-prepared meal at the highly regarded Escuela Culinaria Internacional, one of several excellent culinary schools in Guadalajara.

It seems only appropriate that in my fatigue from having "researched" gay nightlife in Guadalajara, Mexico late into the past two evenings, I'm just finding enough energy today to post a new blog on gay nightlife. I'll soon be writing reviews and posting photos of the many gay bars I'm checking out here as well as the ones I'll visit next week in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City, and Puebla (and, as always, I'll be writing about accommodations, restaurants, and attractions in these places, too).

But within the past week, I added new reviews and photos of several gay nightspots I've visited in recent months - everything from a laid-back, mixed gay/straight saloon in Grand Junction, Colorado called the Quincy Bar to a quintessentially laid-back surfer-beach bar in Long Beach, California, Club Ripples, which is steps from the gay-popular section of that city's beachfront. Other new reviews include the only gay bar on the Big Island of Hawaii - a cozy spot called Mask in Kailua-Kona - and the hip and beautifully designed dance club Badlands, which is in Sacramento's charming Midtown (aka Lavender Heights) neighborhood.

Additionally, I've got the latest details on several popular gay saunas and bathhouses - check out Club Fort Lauderdale (one of the best such venues in Florida), the famed Steamworks in the Bay Area city of Berkeley, Macho Sauna in Belgium's capital city of Brussels, the long-running Bodyline club in Sydney, and Phoenix Bathhouse in Cologne (the city set to host the Gay Games in 2010).

Winter-sports fans have plenty to look forward to once the white stuff starts falling in a few months. Long-running popular gay ski weeks like those in Aspen, Whistler, Telluride, Stowe, Park City, and Lake Tahoe continue to draw plenty of participants, and organizers of these events are expecting solid turnouts in 2010. Additionally, you'll find gay ski weeks or group getaways (many of the latter organized by SKI BUMS - the Gay & Lesbian Skiing and Snowboarding Club) to such diverse locales as Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Big Sky, Montana; Taos, New Mexico; Mammoth, California; and Killington, Vermont.

Fans of European skiing can also count on a number of intriguing options for 2010, with European Gay Ski Week planned for mid-March in the French Alps, and similar events slated for Arosa, Switzerland; Saalbach, Austria; Corte d'Ampezzo, Italy; the Lyngen Alps in Norway.

Finally, the Southern Hemisphere continues to get into the act with several cool events slated for August and September in such ski-and-snowboard playgrounds as Queenstown, New Zealand; Bariloche, Argentina; and Valle Nevado, Chile - and that's just the tip of the iceberg, as they say.

For a full listing of ski weeks, weekends, and group tours planned for the coming year, check out my 2010 Ski Weeks and Ski Vacations Calendar.

Just as June tends to be the powerhouse month for Gay Pride Festivals and Parades, the months of September and October - especially the period from late September through mid-October - see dozens of the most popular and well-attended AIDS Walks and AIDS Rides. These fundraisers draw hundreds and sometimes thousands of participants, who raise millions of dollars each year toward the continuing efforts to care for persons with HIV and AIDS, and to develop a vaccine for the devastating disease that has profoundly affected gay communities all over the world.

Some of the most prominent cities with AIDS walks or rides that take place from late September through October include: Albany, Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, San Diego, Seattle, Tulsa, Vancouver, and Washington DC.

Here's a full calendar of AIDS fund-raising walks and rides, with links to the information and registration pages for each individual event. Even if you don't plan on participating in an upcoming AIDS fundraiser, do at least check out this list, as you can always support this great cause by sponsoring a participant or making a flat donation to the event.