Good Friday

With Holy Week coming to an end on Sunday with Easter, what better destination to write about than Rome. The Eternal City. Home of the Catholic Church. Full of HOT Italian men.
Rome was the predominant power at the time of Christ. The Empire stretched form England to north Africa to the western edge of Asia and most of in between. At the time the city was ruled by Caesars, and was a mixture of religions, though mostly pagan. Temples to various gods and goddesses survive to this day, though most are in ruins. One building is relatively well preserved, the Pantheon. The imposing facade with its soaring columns and large dome is breathtaking. The immense dome is an engineering feat. Done as a single pour of concrete, the shell decreases in thickness as it climbs to the oculus. A drainage system in the floor keeps rain from accumulating. And all this built around 200 AD.
The current St Peter's replaced a much older structure with construction starting in the early 1500s. In the over 100 years it took to construct, it had many architects and many variations. Michelangelo was the main contributor to the design, with only the extension of the east end into a long nave being the only modification. The large square directly in front of the entrance was surrounded by a colonnade designed by Bernini in the mid 1600s.
Jumping back to the Roman Empire times, the Roman Forum is a collection of ruins from various temples. The Colosseum is adjacent along with the Trajan Markets. All are feats of constructions and are testaments to the engineering skills of the Romans. Sheer gravity is all that hold the Colosseum up, there is no mortar in its joints.
Modern Rome offers a wonderful array of places to dine. Of course Italian is the predominate cuisine. The various regions of Italy provide a wide variety of menu options with different shapes of pasta and sauces. The section of Trastevere is a great place to wander, window shop and eat. Rome also has a lively gay scene with most of it located near the main train terminal. just bring your Damron Guide.
To get to Rome, call an agent at Damron Vacations. With over 25 years in the travel business, the agents have a vast knowledge of the city. So is ancient wonders, delicious food and even tastier men sounds like a dream vacation, Damron Vacations can make it all come true.

All about the Hoops!!

It is the last week of March and Spring is trying to get established across the country. Here in South Florida, it never was winter as most Americans know it. Yes, it did dip into the 30s a few nights, but when those chilly nights are followed by sunny and 70, it is hard to call it winter. We have been rather dry the past few months, though that was helped some a week ago with a rainy few days. But it is definitely better than the residents of Fargo, ND. It seems the river has crested but there is a chance of several inches of snow during this week.
In various cities around the country the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is being played. From the original 64, only 4 remain and they are heading to Detroit for the semi-finals on Saturday and the finals on Monday. In years past, the colleges were placed in brackets to provide good match-ups and also occupancy for hotels. This year, because of the economy, teams started their quest much closer to home. This allowed fans to drive to the venues instead of flying.
Memphis was the scene for the quarterfinal game of UNC and Oklahoma. Both of these school are a days drive away from Memphis, yes it is a long drive, but $75 in gas for 4 people is a much better deal than several hundred each if flights were needed. Remember, there is no 14 day advance purchase, more like 7.
I will watch the game with my alumni association in a local sports bar. Going to the finals would be fun, but VERY $$$. And tickets to the game would be EXTREMELY hard to obtain for less than the value of a kidney. If I had planned to attend, Damron Vacations could have booked my flight, hotel and car. Even though Detroit is not known as a gay mecca, it is one of the destinations offered by Damron Vacations. So if a last minute dash to Detroit to watch UNC win the championship is needed, call or go on line to Damron Vacations, and hake it happen.

On Line vs With an Agent

There are so many travel websites, booking a trip can be quite confusing. There are sites from the major airlines, discounters, last minute specialists, niche groups to name a few. Which one to use?
The travel sites associated with a major airline are well established. But the main problem is that they only offer flights on their airline and partners. This limits destinations and travel options. Most of the discounters do offer various airlines, but sometimes the flight connections are on different lines and the chance of lost baggage is increased. Plus, the flights and hotel are usually separate reservations. The last minute operators do not disclose flight times and hotel selections until payment is received. This can be problematic if the hotel needs to be in a certain area, or flights arrive by a certain time.
The main drawback to the last minute and volume discounters is customer service. There is usually no phone number to speak to a live person. Everything is done electronically. Changes are either not allowed or extremely difficult to make.
The niche operators while catering to a specific group of travelers or a certain destination, usually offer more options and can better tailor a trip to meet one's needs. Websites like Damron Vacations offer the flexibilty to book on line, or with an agent, same price. The agents are extremely well trained and knowledgeable about the destinations and optional features. The Customer Service Department is willing to work out issues with hotels or flights within established policies.
While Damron is an established name in the gay and lesbian section of society, the hotels offered include major chains in most cities that have an airport. So if the next trip is home to Butte, Montana, Damron Vacations can arrange a flight, hotel and car for a great rate. You will also be offered a selection of flight options based on service to the destination allowing for additional miles for your favorite carrier, the least expensive, or the best flight schedule.

The Conch Republic

Home of Parrotheads, wreckers, Robert the Doll and Mel Fisher, Key West has quite a colorful past and present. Located at the southern end of the Florida Keys, it is the farthest south you can get in the continental United States. The actual island is only about 6 square miles not counting the lagoons and canals.
The drive down starts of rather boring, interstate highway to the Florida Turnpike. In western Miami/Dade, there are subdivisions and gravel pits. At the end of the turnpike at Florida City, traffic is routed onto US1. Built for the most part on the former East Coast Railroad, it crosses vast grasslands of the southern Everglades. To get to the actual keys, a new bridge replaces an old drawbridge, and Key Largo starts the journey. Made famous by a Bogart movie, it has the feel of most beachside town. Since it is the largest key, views of the water are rare. South of Key Largo the islands are smaller and water views are common. Bridges from small 20 foot spans to the famous 7 mile bridge carry traffic farther south and west to the end f US 1 at the Post Office on Whitedhead.
The island and town are essentially one with not town limit signs to be seen. The western end of the island is Old Town, the original settlement area and the tourist area. In the last few years cruise ships have started to use Key West as a port of call, much to the detriment of the town's quaintness. Duty Free shopping areas and the major chains are replacing the small mom and pop shops and restaurants.
Before the advent of cruise ships, Key West was mostly known for its alternative lifestyle. Gay men would flock to the island to stay at one of the many guest houses catering to men. Most located in old Conch style cottages enclosed in a compound with pool, hot tub etc, and clothing optional is the norm. Many gay bars lined the streets from the Copa in an old movie theater on Duval to smaller bars catering to niche clientele on the side streets.
The La te Da complex is alive an kicking with its guest rooms, restaurant, bars and show room. It is a convenient base of operation. The New Orleans House and Bourbon Street Pub are a short stroll up the street, along with the 801. This past Saturday night, a pedi-cab delivered a large drag queen in her sequined gown along with two yummy bartenders in Speedos for their shifts. This is the same bar where on New Year's Eve, a drag queen named Sushi is lowered in a large red slipper.
The 801 is a more laid back kind of neighborhood bar. With doors and windows opening right onto the Duval sidewalk, tourists cannot not help but peak in. Upstairs is a show room where performances are held nightly and the performers stand out front to attract people into the show. Something that the straight tourist would not do at home, but since they are on vacation in Key West, it is okay. Attached is Saloon One on the side street and is much more cruisy.
After checking into the Fairfield Inn, we took the bus to town. We had lunch at the Conch Republic Seafood Company overlooking the marina. Several of the afternoon cruises pulled out loaded with tourist to do some snorkeling, look for dolphins and just enjoy the great weather.
With lunch done we walked to Duval Street and headed south. Since there was no cruise ship in port the sidewalks were manageable. Eventually we made it to the far south end after numerous stops along the way for browsing, shopping and a few photo ops. A quick spin past the Southernmost Point Monument and then back up Duval. After all that walking, a drink was needed and the $2 mojitos at Island Dogs quenched it well.
Some more wandering around and then a stop at Mallory Square. Unfortunately it was too early and the sunset vendors were just arriving for the nightly show. Bargain tee-shirt shopping and then the search for dinner. Menus are posted outside to make selection easier. Christine's was the front runner until it started to rain, and most of their seating is al fresco. Jack Flatts finished first.
Inside Jack Flatts was a rowdy sports themed bar. Maybe because all the televisions, at least 6, were turned to the NCAA Tournament. Luckily our booth was in front of the UNC vs LSU game, GO HEELS!! My roommate was for LSU since it was the last SEC team left, though he went to Auburn, but I informed him that I could make a four hour drive very annoying. Plus, I'm a UNC graduate. There seemed to be an equal number of fans for both sides, but LSU ended up loosing. After the UNC lead was more than 10, other closer games were switched on by the network. BTW, the food was quite good and very reasonable.
Back on Duval after dinner we headed back to the hotel. we flagged down one of the pedi-cabs, but he said it would be like $50 to get there, so we passed it up. Since the Fairfield was out on N Roosevelt, there would be no return fare and we think that was why the price was high. So we walked the mile and a half back.
On Sunday we enjoyed the free continental breakfast and checked out of the room. It was a grey overcast morning and we took a tour of the island. Just before lunch we headed back to Fort Lauderdale for a late afternoon nap. The drive home became sunny after about an hour of driving and was an easy trip, no wrecks on US1.
If Key West seems like a fun place to visit, it is. There are many options of gay guesthouses to gay friendly resorts and spas. Damron Vacations can help make all your arrangements. So plan a trip to America's Caribbean and enjoy the slow lane where most people walk, ride a bike or scooter, or takes a pedi-cab. your stress will melt away in the warm tropical sun.