Travel

It’s become my tradition to take a New Year’s Trip with friends, preferably something relaxed so we have time to bond and reconnect. I’ve been to New Orleans before and done plenty of tourist things, so it seemed like a great option for a mix of fun and relaxation. This time around, I also did very little planning and let my friend Alex call the shots. 

Where to Stay

In my previous visit, I’d spent nearly my entire trip in the French Quarter. I knew I wanted to explore more of the city and stay a good distance from that scene. We chose to rent an adorable house in the Lower Garden District. This area is a short distance to plenty of attractions but quiet enough for relaxing at home. While it was pretty chilly during our visit, we did brave the cold a few times to walk to the French Quarter.

Eats

I’m gonna be honest, this trip was mostly planned around eating. We booked reservations at several places and arrived armed with lists of New Orleans’ best.

My first New Orleans meal was lunch at Shaya. Order some champagne and share plates of tahini, hummus, and of course brussels.

For New Year’s Eve, we wanted to celebrate in a big way by getting dinner at the type of restaurant we wouldn’t normally go to. We chose Emeril’s Delmonico, which has a much older sensibility of class and elegance. We also got some of the best service I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It was fancy, y’all.

Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar is a must for indulgent Cajun sandwiches. You should know they’re enormous. The diner also gets pretty crowded, so you’ll have to take a number and wait a while. Luckily, their bar is stocked with awesome craft beers.

Butcher served up some meaty bbq sandwiches, which hit the spot on a cold day. Plus, I needed something to soak up the booze. Done and done. 

My favorite meal of the trip was actually our last dinner at Coquette. You can expect some amazing modern Southern food and I highly recommend getting a bottle of Southern Belle Syrah for your meal.

Drinks

One thing about New Orleans that blows my mind is the number of gay bars in a city this size. And of course I wanted to go to all of them and experience every scene in our community. We spent the better part of our NYE at Oz, which is the obvious and more traditional gay club. 700 Club is a more relaxed but still lively bar and was one of my favorite spots. Corner Pocket is an amusing cross between a divey pub and a strip club. Mag’s 940 hosts music and variety shows but was pretty slow the night we stopped in. The bartender was super friendly and gave us some popcorn. I’m not sure if that’s a regular thing but I like to think it was special to us. We also checked out one of New Orleans’ more debaucherous venues, Phoenix Bar. I like to say nothing shocks me, but the dark room upstairs literally kept me wide eyed all night. It’s a part of gay culture I’m glad to see still exists and stays away from the mainstream.

Shop

Aside from stuffing my face, I spent quite a bit of money at various shops around town.

Zéle Market is a multivendor indoor marketplace. I picked up some amazing candles by Mad Darling and I’m completely obsessed with them. But I really wish I’d picked up some furniture, too.

Defend New Orleans has plenty of edgy NOLA inspired wares and provisions. Grab one of their graphic tees for a subtle souvenir of your visit. The Join DNO tee was my favorite. Get yourself one and let’s be twins.

While wandering around Frenchmen Street, stumble into Frenchmen Art Market for an interesting mix of arts and crafts.

Sights

There are plenty of museums and tourist sights to see, but this trip I decided to focus less on those. 

No matter where I go, I definitely want to see good art. New Orleans Museum of Art made for an inspiring afternoon. Their floor featuring Mesoamerican and other native art was especially intriguing. 

I have a soft spot for goth, but New Orleans cemeteries are really beautiful and definitely a must if you’re visiting town.

I had so much fun in New Orleans and I’ll hopefully be taking some more weekend trips there in the future.

See the Gays & Confused Travel Guides to discover more queer friendly travel tips.

With glowing recommendations from fellow travelers in Portland and Seattle, I could not have been more excited to explore this vibrant Canadian city. Stepping into a different country meant embracing a temporary disconnect from modern technology (my cell phone reception), immersing myself in the timeless art of navigation by map and memory. Life without a modern cellphone is pretty much the only way to actually time travel. Vancouver beckoned with promises of discovery, inviting me to savor every moment.

Where to Stay

We stayed in the perfect townhome in the West End that was walking distance to Stanley Park and Davie Street. Most of the things I researched for Vancouver were in this area and we didn’t really venture out of the West End/Downtown areas. We mostly kept to areas that were in walking distance. Obviously I need to make a trip back and see the rest of the city.

Eats

During my visit, I found Vancouver’s food scene to be exciting, diverse, and might tasty.

Our first night in, we headed to Forage, a farm-to-table restaurant that serves up modern Canadian cuisine. As you may expect, the menu features shareable plates organized as snacks, land, soil, sea, and sweets. For a party of two, our waiter recommended 2-3 plates. This was definitely my favorite meal in the city.

For lunch, you’ll absolutely need to stop into Meat and Bread, a sandwich spot that takes the most classic meal to another level. Not only are these some of the most delicious sandwiches you’ll ever eat, the beauty of the chain is in their simplicity with each location offering a couple of items and a daily special. Plus, their design aesthetic is on point and perfect for Instagram.

For low priced breakfast staples, hit up The Templeton, an adorable vintage diner complete with jukeboxes. Grab a seat at the bar and chow down.

Sushi Itoga offers great sushi in a casual setting. The diner is cozy with communal seating and features an interesting design with white shipping pallets covering the walls and a few Japanese masks on display.

Drinks

After a busy day of hiking and shopping, we stopped into Gas Town’s Six Acres for a happy hour and were not disappointed. It’s a cozy old building with exposed brick walls and an excellent selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.

If you’re looking to grab a drink with the family, head on down to Davie Street. Although, you must be warned that most places will have a line to wait in regardless of how full or empty they may be. Our first stop was 1181. This bar is essentially a hallway and probably best to hit up early for a drink. It wasn’t busy during our visit but I imagine it can be a tight squeeze with a crowd. Junction is allegedly the spot for twinks while Numbers has a few areas for pool and dancing (and a cast member from Queer as Folk allegedly tends bar). Score on Davie gives gay sports enthusiasts a place to watch the game and nosh on bar food. XY seemed a little more alternative, greeting us with a bear doorman in a jockstrap and an interesting drag show inside. During our visit, the leather bar Pumpjack Pub had the biggest crowd and gave us quite the shower show.

Shop

One of my favorite things about the city was the abundance of boutiques and shops.

If only I had more room in my luggage and dollars in my bank account. The menswear shop Nifty Do sells plenty of lumbersexual apparel, fine leather goods, and selvedge denim. It’s exactly what I want my closet to look like.

If you’re looking to outfit the perfect home for a lumbersexual, you’ll want to browse the wares at the general provisions store Old Faithful Shop. Their goods will have your place looking like a photo spread in Cereal or Kinfolk magazine in no time.

If you know me at all, you know I’m always trying to make thrift shopping work for me. Community Thrift and Vintage is a well curated shop and I picked up a couple of handkerchiefs that I’m trying to incorporate into my outfits as much as possible. It’s only natural for a Texas cowboy.

Meadow is an adorable gift shop that caters mostly to women, but of course that doesn’t keep the gays away. I picked up a dainty waxed linen bracelet as a souvenir of the trip.

Sights

We were lucky to be staying so close to the beach and Stanley Park. We spent an entire day strolling through the park, checking out the rose garden and totem poles. Running along the sea wall made for an amazing morning work out.

There’s also some great art on display throughout the city. Be sure to check out Digital Orca and A-maze-ing Laughter, a collection of 14 bronze statues featuring the artist in different phases of hysterical laughter.

As I say goodbye to Vancouver, I can’t get over its diverse culinary delights, lively bar scenes, and captivating sights. From the lush greenery of Stanley Park to the beautiful public art, Vancouver will definitely be holding a special place in my travel memories. Until next time, Van!

See the Gays & Confused Travel Guides to discover more queer friendly travel tips.

Growing up in the late 90s/early 00s, I was a grunge loving kid who always dreamed of trudging around in the Seattle mist. Obviously, that’s not me anymore, but I’ve still got that spirit and never lost my desire to visit the city. I finally made the trip with my friend Richard and it definitely lived up to the hype.

Stay

Staying in Capitol Hill is an absolute must. Aside from being the gayborhood, it’s adorable and walking distance to everything you could want. We stayed in an amazing apartment in the hood managed by a friendly New Zealander. It’s the only place I’ll ever want to stay in the city.

Eats

As I found in Portland, the northwest is at its best when it brunches. Seattle is no different. We had an excellent breakfast in the quaint and quiet Pettirosso. Looking for a livelier scene? Americana is in the heart of the gayborhood and most likely will have a wait that’s worth your while.

Seattle’s obviously a great place for coffee and there are plenty of cafes to stop into. While traipsing around the Fremont neighborhood, we ducked into Pie for an espresso and a slice of heavenly goodness. A short walk from our Capitol Hill apartment was Cafe Solstice, which we both loved so much we stopped in for lunch twice during our visit.

Like any good gay man, I’m obsessed with mid century modern design and that’s exactly what you’ll find at the Carlile Room. It’s perfect for Instagram and features a menu of craft cocktails and shareable plates of hearty late night bites. For two people, our waitress recommended choosing 2-3 dishes off the plants section of the menu and 1-2 proteins.

Drinks

As most know, I love my dive bars and Seattle is packed with plenty of gritty drinking spots. I picked up my first Seattle drink at Linda’s Tavern, which grunge fans may know as the last place Kurt Cobain was seen. Some of my other favorite dives were Cha Cha Lounge with it’s fiesta decor and Unicorn dressed up in a circus theme. For fancier fare, Witness is a good option for Southern-influenced late night bites and craft cocktails.

I was impressed by the number of gay bars and the diverse scenes they represent. They’re all worth stopping into for a well-rounded experience. The three story R Place was my favorite with karaoke downstairs and and a hip hop dance party upstairs. We also checked out Purr for a low key cocktail lounge, Pony for dancing, and Cuff for that x-rated leather vibe.

Sights

Seattle has a great number of tourist attractions, museums, and outdoor activities. Be a good tourist and check out the Fremont Troll, statue of Lenin, Space Needle, and Pike Place Market. The Experience Music Project museum has actually been on my bucket list since I was a teenager and I was ecstatic to finally get to check it out. During our visit they had excellent exhibitions on sci fi and horror movies. I’d budget somewhere around 4 hours for your visit.

One morning, Richard and I rented a car and drove about an hour from the city to Bridal Veil Falls and Lake Serene. You’ll need a Northwest Forest Pass, which you can pick up from a coffee stand down the street from the trail. The coffee stand is actually next to an office built for the movie Harry and the Hendersons. This is definitely a strenuous hike up a rocky mountain path about 8 miles round trip but it’s very much worth the effort. The falls are impressive but Lake Serene is definitely one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

Seattle has easily become one of my favorite cities. If you haven’t made a visit, book a flight now!

See the Gays & Confused Travel Guides to discover more queer friendly travel tips.

The first stop on my Pacific Northwest Excursion was Portland. Due to the endless comparisons to Austin, it’s long been on my list of places to visit. And yes, I’ll admit it’s pretty familiar territory. Like Austin, it’s a great city to grab a beer and hang out in. Here’s what I did while visiting the PDX.

Where to Stay

One of the things I loved most about Portland was how developed and contained neighborhoods were. We stayed at an apartment right at the Hawthorne/Mount Tabor line and could not have been happier with the location. We were a quick walk to Mount Tabor, where we ran trails all week long, and a ton of boutique shops, restaurants, and bars. As Portland goes, Hawthorne is pretty hipster.

Eats

Portland, and the northwest in general, does a great job with breakfasts and brunch. Practically every restaurant I researched was recommended for breakfast, but unfortunately there were only so many breakfasts I could eat.

One of my favorites was at Clyde Common from the Ace Hotel. It’s spacious with plenty of communal seating and a menu of simple dishes. We also picked up bagel sandwiches at Spielman Bagels, where you have plenty of delicious options to build your breakfast.

When I leave Texas, I’m generally suspicious of any Mexican food and flat out avoid it. But as we were walking through Hawthorne we noticed ¿Por Que No? and thought the name was hilarious. Our local Texan had raved about it so we decided to give it a try. While sadly, breakfast is not on the menu, these tacos are actually pretty amazing. It’s definitely no secret and most days there was a line outside the door. I’d recommend the chorizo and barbacoa tacos.

Every trip, I like to spend one night at a more upscale restaurant and for this trip we chose Tasty n Alder. It’s a modern take on a steakhouse with a menu that encourages sharing. The warm but industrial interior design is gorgeous with lots of rustic wooden accents. They only accept a few reservations, so be sure to get there early or you’ll most likely wait a while for a table.

Drinks

Just down the street from Tasty n Alder, we had pre-dinner cocktails at Shift Drinks. Their menu is full of playfully named beverages like the Psychedelic Quinceañera or Besos for Pesos.

There are also more than a handful of breweries in town. We stopped into 10 Barrel Brewing Co, located in downtown Portland. The restaurant sits on a corner of the block with both sides featuring glass garage doors that open to make the space light and airy. Plus, their craft beers are pretty delicious.

As for the gay nightlife, I’m surprised to say the most active bars were actually strip clubs. Silverado appears to have the best “talent” while Stag seems to be more like your run of the mill gay bar. Euphoria Night Club is the queer bar in town and reminded me the scene in Austin. It’s a huge space with plenty of room for dancing. You can also see the Portland, Oregon neon sign from their outside deck.

Sights

The beauty of the great outdoors drew me to the Pacific Northwest and there are plenty of great hikes just outside of Portland. We spent an afternoon hiking the Eagle Creek Trail to Punchbowl Falls where we stopped for lunch. The total hike is about 4 miles and is rather easy. There are a couple of narrow spots on cliffsides, so that’s one thing to watch out for.

Depending on when you visit, you may be able to catch First Thursday, which features exhibitions at the art galleries downtown.

Shops

If you stay in Hawthorne, you’ll definitely need to spend an afternoon perusing thrift shops. There are plenty of great furniture stores with gorgeous mid century pieces at ridiculously affordable prices. I was seriously contemplating having things shipped back to Texas.

It’s also impossible to put together a guide to Portland without mentioning Powell Books. There are a few throughout town, so you shouldn’t miss your opportunity to peruse some good reads.

I had such a great time, I can’t wait until my next visit! What are some of your favorite spots in Portland?

Last month, I found myself business traveling through Europe and had the chance to take a quick trip for fun to Berlin. I’d been dying to check this city out and was determined to make the most of my 48 hours there. Here’s my guide to Berlin.

Where to Stay

Since I was only going to be in Berlin for a short time, it was really important that I pick a place that offered a great location and an even better experience. The Michelberger Hotel offers both of those things. Located in the eastern part of the city, there’s a train station right across the street and a second one just around the corner from there. It’s also a short walk from a bustling entertainment district. 

Most importantly, the hotel is a total hipster haven and everything is Instagramable. A certain indie rock band was even checking in at the same time as me, but I ain’t no TMZ. Aside from trendy interior design, the hotel also leaves quirky notes around your room reminding you to lock the door or informing you about what time you can get breakfast at.

Eats

Eating is one of my favorite things to do, just ask my jeans. In all seriousness, I was excited to try the Berlin food scene, especially anything that could be considered Modern German. For lunch, I hit up the trendy deli Mogg & Melzer. This restaurant is easy to miss since there’s not an obvious sign on the street. It’s inside a building that also houses the Kennedy museum.

For my last night, I really wanted to treat myself to a nice dinner so I headed to Lokal. They were pretty booked for the night but I was able to snag a spot at the bar. The menu’s only available in German but the staff was super helpful and translated it for me.

Drinks

Aside from eating, drinking is typically a major part of my vacations. Maybe it was because I took this trip alone but I rarely drank in Berlin. I set out with a list of trendy watering holes and skipped each one. But if you’re in the area, or staying there, the Michelberger Hotel’s bar is excellent. I actually ended each night with one of their speciality cocktails. My absolute favorite was the Rosemary Bourbon Sour made with lime and maple cinnamon syrup.

Sights

Berlin has an insane amount of museums. It’s overwhelming if you’re in town for a short time. Also, be aware that unlike the US where museums tend to be closed on Mondays, museums in Berlin are closed on Tuesdays. I was in town for a Tuesday and Wednesday. After trudging around to closed museums, I made it to the Jewish Museum which was open. It’s huge and contains so many thought-provoking pieces and moving installations.

After I’d given up on getting into museums on this trip, I happened onto the KW Institute for Contemporary Art on Wednesday afternoon. Their current exhibit, Fire and Forget. On Violence, is a collection of work that examines the conventional ideas about war and weapons. I saw plenty of interesting pieces you can find on my Instagram.

If you know anything about me, you know I love graffiti and street art. Berlin is covered in the stuff. If you’re a fan, check out East Side Gallery, which is a huge section of the Berlin wall covered in artwork. It makes for wonderful photo ops. There are also plenty of famous sites that are easy to check off your list. My favorites were the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and the Fernsehturm Berlin, also known as the TV Tower.

Shops

If you’re looking for a great shopping strip, you’ll definitely want to check out Breitscheidplatz which contains tons of larger stores. I was most excited by the abundance of neighborhood boutique shops. One of my favorites was Feinspitz, where I picked up some adorable gifts for my pup.

Visiting Berlin was an absolute pleasure and I only wish I had more time to explore the city. If you’ve ever been, please let me know your favorites in the comments below!