SAN DIEGO

When anyone asks me to name my top 10 cities I would consider moving to, San Diego is always on that list. The weather is amazing, the city is very liveable, and the guys are HOT! The only negative I see about San Diego is the cost of living. San Diego is not cheap. But it is worth every penny in my book.

The scenery in San Diego is hard to beat. Sitting right on the Pacific Ocean, the views are amazing. The city is hilly, so there are numerous places to look out over the ocean. One of my favorite places in San Diego is Black's Beach. This world famous nude beach is just north of the city. On the back side of the beach are towering hills; so getting down to the beach is a workout. But once you make it down the side of the hill, you will see what makes this place famous. Not only is it secluded, but it is beautiful as well. If you are a beach bum, then a visit to Black's Beach is a must!

San Diego is also a military city. It hosts one of the largest naval fleets in the world. And navy ships mean hot HORNY navy boys! Look online sometime in San Diego, and you will find a number of hot military boys in San Diego (although most hide the fact that they are in the military when they are online).

San Diego has a very walkable gay area known as Hillcrest. The picture above is of the sign that hangs over the main street in the Hillcrest area. This is where most of the gay bars are located and also where the "gay" gym is as well. The 24-Hour Fitness in Hillcrest is not large, but it is heavily gay. They used to have a wet area in this gym, but they have removed it (probably because of cruising). They only have shower now; but since the showers face the sink area, you can get a glimpse of guys cruising while you are at the sink.

If you want a fun place to eat, then Urban Mo's is a must. Formerly a Hamburger Mary's, this restaurant is teaming with homos. The food is great and the atmosphere is even better. A great place to eat and drink.

RALEIGH

Raleigh is not only the capitol of North Carolina, but it is also part of what is known as the Triangle area of North Carolina. The three cities that make up the triangle are Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. This area is also home to a number of well-known universities including Duke University, NC State, and University of North Carolina. Although I did not make it to any of the colleges during this trip, I was fortunate to take a tour of Duke a few years ago. The campus is architecturally stunning. It was originally Trinity College until Washington Duke endowed the university and it was renamed Duke. At that time, a new campus was also built in the Gothic style with the feel and design of an ivy-league school (pictured above).

When in Raleigh, I usually stay close to Crabtree Valley Mall. This area is not only centrally located in the triangle area, but it also offers good choices in both restaurants and gyms. I usually work out at the Gold's Gym in North Hills. North Hills is an outdoor "lifestyle center" with all sorts of shops and restaurants. The Gold's Gym in the middle of this shopping center is definitely worth the drive. The facility is nice and features a ton of great equipment. Although this gym is almost entirely straight, there is some eye-candy to keep your attention as you workout.

In addition to being a major college area, Raleigh is also about 45 minutes from Fayetteville, North Carolina. I stopped in Fayetteville for the night before coming to Raleigh. Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg; one of the largest military bases in the country and home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces. Since the city of Fayetteville is very small, a lot of the military men head to the Raleigh area to go out on the town. Although you will find some gay boys online in Fayetteville if you look hard enough, the majority of the gay military in Fayetteville stays hidden. Hopefully a change in military policy concerning "gays in the military" will change that....but at this point, gay life in Fayetteville is hard to find.