SAINT LOUIS

Growing up in a small town in southern Illinois, my ex-boyfriend used to refer to St.Louis as the "big city". He would fondly tell me of his overnight trips to the bars (and bathhouse) in St.Louis. Since there was not much going on in his small town, trips to STL were very exciting.

What I found was a city in transition. At one point, the city was filled with industry. Since a lot of that industry has left the city, there are a lot of cool loft-style building that are abandoned and boarded up. In the downtown area, a number of these old brick buildings have been converted into some really cool structures. One of my trips to STL I stayed at the Westin Hotel downtown. The Westin is in one of those old converted warehouses...and what they were able to accomplish was simple amazing. It was reuse at its best! Unfortunately, there are still a lot of abandoned buildings throughout the city that have not yet received the same attention.

Although I have stayed downtown in the past, I prefer to stay in the Galleria area of St.Louis. In addition to a very nice mall, there are also a ton of great hotel and restaurant options in this part town. Also....unlike downtown....parking is easy!

In the Galleria area, there are 2 notable gyms. The first is the Bally Total Fitness in Clayton. If you want a basic gym, this is not terrible (but it is not great either). I stopped going there a few years ago because the gym was in major need of a renovation. It is entirely possible that the Bally's has been renovated....but highly unlikely (considering the financial condition of the entire chain).

My gym of preference in STL is the 24-Hour Fitness in Kirkwood. It is about a 5-10 min drive from the Galleria. Although it is not one of the larger 24-Hour Fitness gyms, it has everything you need. Also, the gym is very clean. The guys at this gym are totally straight....but HOT!!! If you like a gym with hot straight jocks, then this is your gym!!!!

St.Louis is also the hometown of a bunch of porn stars. Scottie Brooks and Raging Stallion Exclusives Ryan Raz and Austin Wilde are some of the porn stars that are originally from St.Louis.

No visit to St.Louis is complete without a visit to the Gateway Arch (see the picture above). The Arch towers over the downtown skyline and is visible for miles around. Underground (below the arch) is a visitors museum where you can watch a movie showing the construction of the arch. Having a degree in Civil Engineering, building projects like this fascinate and excite me. Although most people might find it a tad boring, I was glued to my seat during the video presentation of the building of the arch. You can also take a elevator (it looks more like an amusement park ride) to the top of the arch. There you can look out over the city. It is definitely one amazing monument!

CHICAGO

Chicago is truly one of the best cities in the USA. Although it is a huge city, Chicago does not feel overwhelming at all. From a vibrant downtown to quaint neighborhoods, Chicago has a little bit for everyone. The only negative that Chicago has is its miserable winters. The Windy City's winters can be unbearable with wind that cuts right through your body. The other 3 seasons (especially spring and fall), Chicago weather is great.

Chicago is an easy city to get around. With the above-ground trains (called the "L") to the walkable streets, Chicago is a great city for those that like the convenience of a big city. Being on Lake Michigan, Chicago also has a ton of outdoor activities centered on and near the lake. Chicago was designed and planned with beautiful linear parks that front the lake.

One thing nice about gay Chicago is how close everything is to each other. Although there are gay bars spread out throughout a number of the neighborhoods, the center of gay Chicago is Boystown. Halsted Street runs right through the center of Boystown and is the location of many of the popular gay bars. On Halsted Street you will find SideTrack (a great video bar!), Spin (Dance and Cocktails), and Hydrate (Dance). There is also a huge bathhouse in the center of Boystown (Steamworks) right next to all of the gay bars. The one thing that is different about Chicago is the type of guy that goes to Steamworks. In most cities, bathhouses are something everyone goes to....but no one admits (or talks about). In Chicago, Steamworks fills up with the hotties after the bars close....and everyone talks about going there. They come in groups....and hang out together. Going to Steamworks is more like an after-bar hangout for the hot guys (as opposed to a place to get laid).

The one night I went out in Chicago, I met up with my Porn Star friend Scottie Brooks. Since he works as a bartender at Spin, we started there. After a few drinks, we made our way to SideTrack. SideTrack is always packed and the night we went was no exception.

When I visit Chicago, I prefer to stay in Boystown. The hotels in the area are more like neighborhood inns, but it makes a bar night easier when you are staying closeby. There are a ton of gyms in Chicago, but when I stay in Boystown I usually work out at either Bally Total Fitness (not that great....but a lot of the hotels offer free day passes) or Fitness Formula (nice gym in the middle of Halsted Street). There is a new Lakeshore Athletic Club on Broadway that opened recently and I was told this is the new "place to be" in Boystown...but I have not tried it out yet.

Now for the picture at the top of this post. These towers (with the colors of the gay flag) line the street in Boystown. Once you see these towers, you know you have arrived at the center of gay Chicago.

PHOENIX

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