Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Travel: On the Beach(es)—In San Diego
by CYNTHIA A. MARQUARD
2004-03-17

This article shared 6540 times since Wed Mar 17, 2004
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


The waves roll up on the beach with a roar and ebb back with a whisper. Roar and whisper all night long. The sea is not just near, it is right under our bed. We are sleeping above the ocean on a unique pier located on one of the beaches that line the Pacific coast of San Diego.

No, we are not camping out. We are staying at the Crystal Pier Hotel and Cottages in Mission Beach. This is one of those 'finds.' Many people who live in San Diego are unaware that these blue and white cottages even exist. The cottages are not gay owned, but we experienced no problems or hassles.

The pier, which first opened in 1927, is lined with rental cottages that afford a unique way to experience the ocean. Each one- or two-bedroom cottage has a private deck overlooking the beach, a kitchenette, and outdoor table and chairs for lounging and enjoying the view. And you can park your car right at the front door of your cottage.

The Crystal Pier is half private and half public. A big automatic gate at the entrance is locked at sundown, so you can safely open your patio door at night to enjoy the sounds and smells of the sea. Imagine snuggling up with your honey to watch the white foam of the waves at night. Imagine waking up to see surfers paddling out in the morning and hear the calls of the sea gulls.

Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla are beach communities that are part of the City of San Diego. GLBT visitors to San Diego who want to maximize their ocean experience can make one of these beach communities their base as they explore all the great things that San Diego has to offer.

For Gay/Lesbian Families

San Diego is a great place for gay and lesbian parents to take the kids. If you stay on one of the beaches, there is plenty of opportunity to swim, sun, or build sandcastles. Take a walk along the beach and explore the seaweed, shells, and other things washed in by the sea.

San Diego is also animals, animals, animals. First, there is Sea World. This is one of the major attractions of San Diego, with exhibits of and shows put on by marvelous sea creatures. Then, there is the San Diego Zoo at one end of Balboa Park. Try the gondola ride across the zoo, and see the animals from the air. If that is not enough animals for your family, pay a visit to Wild Animal Park about 30 miles away.

Balboa Park is good for at least a full day's visit. There are lovely gardens and all kinds of museums, from an art museum, to an old car museum, to an air museum with an entrance flanked by jet fighters.

Tours for Everyone

Guided tours are often the best way for visitors to get their bearings in a city. San Diego has several tours worth mentioning. The Old Town Trolley Tours are a good way to get around. The trolley takes you to the eight stops, including the Old Town Market, the Cruise Ship Terminal where historic vessels are also anchored, Seaport Village for souvenir shopping, Balboa Park, and the San Diego Zoo. Stay on one trolley to visit them all, or hop off and stay awhile at any of the stops. You can always catch another trolley. They come by about every 30 minutes.

You can also take a SEAL tour, which is sort of like a Wisconsin Dells Duck tour. A SEAL is a boat with wheels that takes visitors to place of interest on land and in the water. There are also cruise ships that tour San Diego Harbor, home of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. One of the most unique tours is called Ghosts & Gravestones, and features places where visitors can learn about the darker side of San Diego's historical happenings.

On Gay Hillcrest

The center of San Diego's GLBT life is the Hillcrest area, a few miles inland from the beaches. San Diego has about 30 gay/lesbian bars, most of them located in Hillcrest. The Flame is where the girls hang out. Hillcrest is also home to San Diego's GLBT Community Center. Another plus for gay/lesbian families is the large Metropolitan Community Church that meets in the center and hold two services every Sunday morning.

Looking for a nice, casual place to grab a bite (to eat)? Try Hamburger Mary's.

Hillcrest also has a number of gay and gay friendly guesthouses, such as the Balboa Park Inn, Hillcrest Inn, and Park Manor Suites. Ocean Beach has Beach Place. Many of the guesthouses cater to adult males.

For GLBT singles, couples, and families who prefer full-service hotels, all the major chains are present and accounted for in the harbor area.

When to go? San Diego has one of the most perfect climates in the United States. It rarely gets too hot or too cold. Daytime temperatures in the summer can be quite warm, but it always cools off at night. In winter, daytime temperatures are in the high 60's but they drop to the upper 40's at night. Surfers ride the waves all year long, but the wear wet suits during the winter months. So whether it's snowing or sizzling in Chicago, you'll find San Diego's weather a really refreshing change.

Your travel writer: Cynthia A. Marquard is the owner of Aqua Terra Travel, 65 E Wacher Place, Chicago IL 60601. Cynthia can be reached at 312-787-2400 or 1-800-443-6869. Visit her Web site at www.aquaterratravel.com .


This article shared 6540 times since Wed Mar 17, 2004
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

Baby Tate grows up with 'Sexploration' 2024-01-10
- The multitalented pansexual artist Baby Tate has plenty to say on her Sexploration: The Tour. She's packing up her "Wig" and traveling to Chicago to perform an inclusive set of songs such as "Luv Everybody" at ...


Gay News

Disney exhibition chronicles a century of entertainment history 2023-11-21
- Disney100, a large-scale traveling exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, has opened at the Exhibition Hub Art Center, 2367 W. Logan Blvd., in Bucktown. Hundreds of props and artifacts from the company's ...


Gay News

Club Q shooting survivors to speak at Chicago's Beer Culture Summit 2023-10-15
- Last November, Jessica Fierro traveled back to Colorado after speaking at the annual Chicago Beer Culture Summit. Just one week later, her family changed forever at Club Q, a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs. Her daughter's ...


Gay News

Newsom ends California's travel ban against anti-LGBTQ+ states 2023-09-14
- On Sept. 13, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he signed SB 447 by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), which ends the state's restriction on taxpayer-funded travel by state agencies and departments ...


Gay News

After HRC's State of Emergency declaration, Canadian government recognizes threat of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation 2023-08-30
--From a press release - WASHINGTON— Just two months after the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued a National State of Emergency in response to the unprecedented and dangerous onslaught of anti-LGBTQ laws passed across the country, the Canadian government has updated ...


Gay News

Stonewall veteran Miss Major visits Brave Space Alliance 2023-08-09
- Miss Major, a Black transgender activist who has fought for more than 50 years for her trans/gender nonconforming community, is on tour to call attention to anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ laws across the country. Traveling with her ...


Gay News

Illinois Poor People's Campaign to join faith leaders from 30+ states on Capitol Hill to demand action 2023-06-18
--From a press release - WASHINGTON - Poor, impacted people, advocates and faith leaders with the Illinois Poor People's Campaign will travel to Capitol Hill June 19-21 to highlight poverty as an American death sentence and demand action to end murder ...


Gay News

Travel consultants release best and worst countries for trans rights 2023-06-06
- Asher & Lyric have released "The 203 Best (& Worst) Countries for Trans Rights in 2023." This new study is an accompaniment to its annual LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index to specifically address trans issues. The countries ...


Gay News

Yucatan adventures--with an LGBTQ+ twist--await in Mexico 2023-06-05
- The Yucatan region lies between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea in southeastern Mexico. It is home to the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo, and features a variety of destinations appealing to LGBTQ+ ...


Gay News

WORLD Zero Discrimination Day, African countries, facility damaged, travel items 2023-03-10
- On Zero Discrimination Day this year (March 1), under the theme "Save lives: Decriminalize," UNAIDS showed how the decriminalization of key populations and people living with HIV saves lives and helps advance the end of the ...


Gay News

SAVOR Peruvian spot Tanta; fundraiser for The Evolved Network 2023-03-09
- One of the best things about Chicago cuisine is that you can travel the world without ever leaving the Windy City. The River North spot Tanta (118 W. Grand Ave.; https://www.tantachicago.com/) embodies one such example. Tanta ...


Gay News

The Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade turns 25 2022-11-02
- The legendary Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade returned for the 25th time on Oct. 31. Kicking off at 7:30 p.m. from Halsted Street and Belmont Avenue, the parade route traveled north before looping back to a large ...


Gay News

Esquire: Chicago has three of the country's 'most fun' LGBTQ+-inclusive bars 2022-10-27
- Esquire magazine's editorial staff curated a list of the "most fun and inclusive LGBTQ+-friendly bars"—and the choices may seem surprising. The magazine chose the Uptown spots Big Chicks and Carol's Pub as well as the Andersonville ...


Gay News

ATTRACTIONS SkyBridge Michigan opens as world's longest timber-towered suspension bridge 2022-10-25
- SkyBridge Michigan is now open as the world's longest timber-towered suspension bridge. After more than a year in the works, SkyBridge Michigan made its debut to the public on Oct. 15, hosting thousands of guests on ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS






Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.