DALLAS

When I think of vacation spots, Dallas is definitely not on the top of that list. What is great about Dallas is that it is a very "livable" city. Its not expensive to live in (in fact, the cost of living in Dallas is relatively cheap!) and there is enough to do that will keep your attention.

I actually like Dallas a lot. It is in my Top-10 list of cities I could move to in a heartbeat. It is centrally located and you can fly just about anywhere from the sprawling DFW airport. There is a HUGE gay population in Dallas and a lot of nightlife. For a big city, it is just an easy place to reside.

When I visit Dallas, I usually stay in the Market Center area of Dallas. Being right on I-35, this area is easy to get all around the city. It is also just minutes from the gay area of Dallas. I prefer to stay at the Renaissance Hotel in the Market Center area. It is centrally located and has great views of the downtown skyline (the picture above was taken from the top of the Renaissance Hotel).

As far as gyms go, there are a few options I have tried in Dallas. There is a new LA Fitness about 5 minutes from Market Center. Since this gym is new, it is still relatively dead....so if you want eye candy then you are at the wrong place. If you want a quiet, nice gym then this is a great option for you. Also, if you are looking to swim, this gym has a great indoor pool.

The next option is the 24-Hour Fitness downtown. Built on top of a parking deck in the center of downtown, this gym is about half gay....but does not have the eye candy vibe I prefer at a gym. This gym does have a co-ed steam/sauna/hot tub....and I have heard they can get cruisy as well.

There is an Equinox intown in Dallas. I have not been to this gym....but I heard it is nice but small.

Finally is the Golds Gym on McKinney. This gym is AMAZING! It is half gay/half straight.....and FILLED with hotties!!!! If you are the type that gets intimidated at the gym, then this is definitely not the gym for you. It is all VERY HOT metrosexual straight guys and VERY HOT gay guys. Definitely the pretty boy gym. The equipment here is second to none as well. The gym is new, clean, and nice. But....if you are looking for cruisy....then this is NOT the gym for you. This is more of the stand-and-pose crowd....and not cruisy at all. This is definitely my gym of choice in Dallas.

If you get in the mood for some nude swimming, then Club Dallas is a great option. They have a nice outdoor clothing-optional pool where you can relax and get that all-over tan. Nighttime skinny-dipping is my favorite! They also have a pretty nice gym as well....so you can workout and tan nude all in one afternoon.

All in all, I would say Dallas is a great place to live it. There is everything you need in a big city....all without the cost and hassle of other large cities.

PORTLAND

Portland, Oregon sits in one of the most scenic parts of the United States. Resting between towering mountains and quaint hills, the setting is unbelievable (see picture above). Since the climate is not as extreme as the rest if the northern USA, the trees are green even in the winter. This adds to the year-round charm of the city.

Portland is also one of the "greenest" cities in the USA. The city prides itself on its stewardship of the environment. With everything from recycling everywhere (including in each hotel room --- which is rare)...to bike trails throughout the city...to an amazing public transportation system (which is nice, clean, and FREE in most parts of the city), Portland is all about the environment.

When I am in Portland, I always stay downtown. Since everything is within walking distance, I never get a rental car in Portland. Even if you want to another part of the city, there is a streetcar line close by to take you there. And....as I mentioned before....a good part of the streetcar system is FREE!!! As an added bonus, the streetcars go where you actually WANT to go (unlike a lot of cities....where you still need a car to get around).

If you get a wild hair, there is a bathhouse in Portland called STEAM. Although I have never been there, I am told it is quite nice. STEAM is located just outside of downtown and you can either cab it there or find your way on the streetcars. All of the gay bars are located downtown as well....so you have everything you need close by.

If you are looking for a great gym, the 24-Hour Fitness in the Pearl District is the place I like most. It is a mix of gay and straight...and there are always a ton of hotties working out. With eye-candy everywhere and great equipment too, this is a great choice of gyms.

Speaking of the Pearl District, this part of downtown is all old 2-4 story brick warehouses that have all been converted into a uber-cool hip area to live. With stunning lofts, cool art galleries, and great restaurants, the Pearl District is a must see when in Portland.

ORLANDO

Due to the nature of the attractions throughout Orlando (i.e. Disney, Universal, etc), this city is filled with gay boys. Although I have been to Orlando to go to the parks before (specifically for Gay Days at Disney), this trip I chose to stay downtown. If you are looking for more of the "city" experience, then downtown is the place to stay. If you are coming to Orlando to go to the theme parks, then I would definitely stay closer to those areas.

Although there are a lot of companies with offices in Orlando (this is the 3rd largest city in Florida), my feeling that most of the gay boys live in Orlando to work in the hospitality industry. There are a number of good bars in Orlando (including Firestone) and even a popular hotel/nightclub (Parliament House). I have not been to Parliament House in about 10 years, but last time I was there it was an interesting experience to say the least. It is basically an old motor lodge with outside walkways. The rooms all have large windows facing the walkway. The guest are all gay....and the place is cruisy as hell! When I walked around the complex, I saw everything from group orgies to guys jacking off in their rooms. If you are an exhibitionist, this is definitely the place to stay. There is also a nightclub attached to the motel, so guys go back and forth from the dance floor to the guest rooms. Like I mentioned before, I have not been there in about 10 years, but from what everyone told me when I was in Orlando, nothing has changed. It is still as cruisey as ever.

If you want somewhere to go for sex, then Club Orlando is a great option. I have not been here for about 5 years, but the one thing I remember is how nice a complex it is. A relaxing pool and hot tub outside and a pretty good gym inside. This makes for a nice Sunday afternoon experience. Of course, if you are horny, then there are plenty of places to take care of that too....this being a bathhouse.

If you are a gym guy like myself, then the LA Fitness on Colonial Drive is the place for you. This gym has it all....great equipment, hot guys (both straight and gay), and a pool if you want to swim. This is definitely the place to workout in Orlando!!!!

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!

HOUSTON

For those of you that have never been to Houston, it is one hell of a spread out city. The car definitely rules in Houston. Houston is also home to most of the major oil companies as well; so the automobile is king here (and traffic is bad too!).

When I am in Houston, I stay at (or close to) the Galleria. The Galleria Shopping Center is one of the largest malls in the country. You can find just about anything here. There is also a cool ice skating rink in the middle of the food court; so there is plenty to watch as you eat. The Galleria area is one of the Houston business districts; so there are a ton of hotels next to the mall (and some in the mall as well). I prefer staying in this area because you can get everything you want within a few blocks of the mall.

If you are looking for gyms, I have found 2 great options in Houston. There is a very nice (and new) 24-Hour Fitness on Richmond Ave (just a few blocks from the mall) that just opened recently. The facility is very nice and one of the best gyms I have found in the Galleria area. If you are willing to drive, there is a heavily-gay gym located across in the Montrose/Midtown area. This 24-Hour Fitness Super-Sport is not only very nice....but filled with gay-boy eye candy during the 5pm-7pm prime time hour.

If you are wanting to go out in the city, most of the gay bars are located in and around the Montrose section of Houston. There is also a very nice bathhouse (Club Houston) located between Montrose and downtown. The bathhouse has a nice relaxing outdoor clothing-optional pool that helps you escape from the south Texas summer heat. Although I did not make it to Club Houston this trip, I was able to visit the club a while back with a few friends that were also visiting the city. It was a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Also, as a bonus, it has a pretty nice gym as well.

Houston is also close to the Johnson Space Center. The space shuttle control center for orbiting spacecraft is located in Houston. That is where the picture above comes in. This is a piece of art in the middle of the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (the main airport in Houston). It is a statue of a cow in astronaut gear with the words "Houston, we have landed" at the base of the statue. It is one of the first things you see when you land in Houston....and I thought it was pretty cool.

FORT LAUDERDALE

I was born and raised in South Florida, so I have a unique perspective on Ft. Lauderdale. When I visited Ft. Lauderdale this time, I stayed in a gay guest house (Coconut Cove Guesthouse) just a few blocks from Ft. Lauderdale Beach (pictured above). This is the area that used to host the huge Spring Break party every year; but now this area is the host of some of the swanky Ft. Lauderdale Beach hotels (including the W Hotel, Westin, and Ritz Carlton). The Coconut Cove Guesthouse has an amazingly nice owner and staff. Although it is not a very large resort, it is quiet and very quaint. If you do not stay on the beach, I would definitely recommend staying close to either downtown Ft. Lauderdale or the Wilton Manor area (Wilton Manor is the gay "ghetto" of Ft. Lauderdale).

When visiting Ft. Lauderdale, there are a few good gym options. There is a Bally Total Fitness on Commercial Blvd. that has reasonably nice equipment and is pretty gay as well. It seems to be a little bit of an older crowd at this gym.

If you are looking for the younger hotties, the LA Fitness on US1 is packed with some amazingly hot guys. This is definitely a mixed crowd; but there is definitely a fair share of hot gay boys. The 5pm prime-time hour is definitely the time to go to see the best eye-candy.

I made this trip to Ft. Lauderdale to shoot porn with FabScout. Howard set up the porn shoot and Gio organized the actual shoot. That weekend was also the same weekend that FabScout organized a porn night at Club Ft. Lauderdale (the bathhouse in Ft. Lauderdale). I went to the porn night to meet up with porn superstar and Raging Stallion Exclusive Ryan Raz. Also at the event were Diesel Washington, Austin Wilde, and a bunch of local porn stars and strippers. The porn event was held outside at Club Ft. Lauderdale around the pool area. The shows throughout the night were definitely fun to watch!

The porn shoot itself was a blast. Working with Howard and Gio from FabScout is always fun. I definitely look forward to working with them again soon!

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.

CLEVELAND

Cleveland is a city of contrasts. Although it has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, there are some very good things about the city. Cleveland has some beautiful suburbs and some great shopping - especially on the east side of the city. When I am in Cleveland, I stay in Westlake. Westlake is on the west side of the city and close to the airport. From what I have been able to gather, most of the gay population lives on the west side of downtown. Westlake is right on Lake Erie, there are some beautiful areas close by including Rocky River.

When in Cleveland, I usually stay close to the intersection of I-90 and Columbia Road. Although this is about 10-15 min west of downtown, the area is quiet and there is a reasonably good gym nearby. I usually workout at the Bally's on Columbia Road. Although the gym itself is somewhat run-down, the equipment is new and you can get a good workout. There is some eye-candy at the gym (but not much)...especially around 4pm-7pm. The weekends are pretty dead; and the lunch time crowd is not the best to look at.

Although I have never been there, I have been told that Cleveland has 2 of the largest bathhouses in the country. Flex and Club Cleveland have the reputation of being huge. I can not independently verify that (since I have never been).....but that is what everyone tells me. I guess there is not much to do when it is freezing cold in Cleveland; so the bathhouse would be a great place to hang out.

One thing Cleveland does have is the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame. For those that like to find a touristy thing to do when visiting a city, this is a must see. Since I am not much on doing tourist things when I travel, I have never been. But you hear about it a lot when in Cleveland....so it must be good.