I see naked people.

If you do, then either you’re at Haulover Beach or the Cabanas Guesthouse in Wilton Manors.

There’s a line from My Chauffeur, an old 80’s movie that goes like this, “If I see something I haven’t seen before, I’ll throw a rock at it.”  Good thing there are few rocks at either places.  If you’re uninhibited and don’t mind tanning your nether regions, this is your beach to commune intimately with Mother Nature or your resort to let it all hang freely.

So say you made it to the beach or lounging by the Cabanas’ pool and you’re taking in the rays as well as the scenery when something or somebody catches your eye.  What do you do?  It’s bound to happen, after all, let’s be honest, people visit clothing-optional places because they want to see people comfortably being naked and to see something pleasing.  But if you’re new to the world of naturists, here’s some helpful advice on how to gawk without being an obvious gawker:

Sunglasses:  If you go to any clothing-optional place, these are a must have.  Consider sunglasses camouflage for your eyes.  Perhaps you’re looking at the beautiful waves or maybe you’re admiring the beautiful Cabanas landscape or better yet you can’t stop staring at the hunk laying in front of you in all his glory. This is where your glasses come in handy.  If you act casual, no one will be the wiser to what you’re actually staring at.  Sure people may have an idea, but with your gaze hidden behind your glasses, you’re free to stare away.

Books and Magazines:  Prop up a magazine or book and while you’re “reading,” you can steal glances.  Position the book or magazine where your interest lie, then intermittently look up.  This way you won’t look like your blatantly staring but just taking a break from your reading. 

Cell Phone:  Ok, disclaimer here:  It’s extremely rude to take photos without the subject’s consent, so please be respectful of people’s privacy.  With that being said, you can use your cell phone camera like a telescope.  This may take some practice, but you can pretend to be texting or surfing the Internet, while strategically positioning the phone so your camera focuses on target.  Use your camera’s zoom, to get even a better view.

Friends:  Ask your friends to sit or lie down in the direction of your interest.  This way while you’re conversing and laughing it up, you can also admire the beauty from far away.  When you’ve seen enough, you can return the favor for your friend.

These are just some suggestions.  If you are discreet and not rude, most people don’t mind the visual adulation.  Just remember, as you’re staring at other people, they are staring at you too.  Being clothing-optional, you don’t have to go all centerfold naked, but why not give people something to stare at?  Plus think about all the money you’ll save, after all, birthday suits don’t cost you a dime.

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And of course, be sure to cast a vote for The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa in their respective category.

The mile-high club got redefined yesterday as two couples, one gay and one lesbian, became the first same-sex couples to get married on board an airplane. This spectacle was organized by SAS Scandinavian Airlines, which hosted a wildly successful social media campaign, Love is in the Air, to marry the world’s first same-sex couple on its plane.

The two winners of the competition, German couple Aleksandar Mijatovic and Shantu Bhattache, and Polish couple Ewa Tomaszewicz and Gosia Rawińska, received the most votes in the campaign and became the ones to create history, as they celebrated their unions on aboard flight SK903 flying from Stockholm to New York.

Besides being a unique way of celebrating their unions, both couples also saw their ‘mile-high marriages’ as an opportunity to fight for gay rights in their countries. Aleksandar said, “We saw this as a great opportunity to spread the word about gay marriage. In Germany where we come from, there’s no gay marriages. It’s only registered partnerships. It’s not really equal. So we thought we’d inspire gay people back home to get married. Or even better, we could inspire people to fight, to get on the streets, fight for their rights and change the law.”

Aleksandar and Shantu had been planning to get married for close to two years. Aleksandar shared, “On December 24, 2008, [Shantu] went on his knees and gave me a ring and asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him [Aww!]. We always wanted to do something special. We had thought about renting a castle and inviting lots of friends and partying three days in a row, or something similar. Then we saw the ‘Love is in the Air’ campaign on the internet and we thought: that’s special!”

Ewa and Gosia, who reside in Warsaw, have been together for six years. They said that they would have gotten married already if Poland allowed gay marriage. Ewa said however that they’ve received a lot of support from Poland. “One of the highlights of the entire experience was when we received a message from some amazing Polish leaders – these four women who are real heroes in Poland. They’re feminists, they’re fighters. And they wrote to us saying that what we’re doing in this contest is really important for the fight for LGBT rights in Poland. It was fantastic,” she said.

The celebrations didn’t stop when the flight landed in New York. There was a reception for the couples yesterday night held at the Ramscale Loft, and they let their hair down and boogied!

Designer Efva Attling, who gifted the couples with their wedding rings, showed up at the reception in New York and she also had some advice to dish out to the newlyweds. “Respect each other, and you need a lot of humor. Be sure to forgive and forget, but most of all, remember that love conquers all. I’m sure of that,” she said.

Besides the two European couples who flew into New York from Stockholm, there was an American gay couple who won the chance to get married on an SAS flight as well. Except they’ll be doing it in reverse – they’re flying from New York to Stockholm!

Thomas Landreth and Brett Kessler, both from North Carolina, won SAS’s VisitSweden love competition and they are heading to the IceHotel in northern Sweden for their commitment ceremony. Till death (by freezing) do us part indeed!

Thomas and Brett both come from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and they credit support from the school community for their victory in the competition. “[UNC - Chapel Hill] has the oldest college LGBTQ publication that is still around, so they have a history of supporting LGBTQ causes. We kinda put the word out among our friends. Then, it got to the school papers, and it just spread like wildfire. We have support coming left and right,” Brett said

Brett shared that this trip will be only his second time out of the country. “It’ll be nice to see Sweden, and it’ll be a story to bring back home for the family, that’s for sure,” he said.

And as for Aleksandar and Shantu and Ewa and Gosia, the couples are now enjoying their honeymoons here in the good ol’ US of A, in both New York and Los Angeles.

Here’re some lovely pictures of the historic event from the Facebook page of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association!

Travelocity, a leading online travel booking service, has announced today that fares from the Washington, DC area to top gay-friendly destinations in the US and worldwide are the up to 25% or more lower than they’ve been in the last 30 days.

This includes sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Fort Lauderdale is fanous for it’s “gayborhood”, Wilton Manors.  Fort Lauderdale and Wilton manors are gay meccas of South Florida where GLBT’s of all types are readily welcomed and far from being considered a minority. Wilton Manors offers gay-friendly everything – from shopping and dining to gay beaches and nightlife.

Wilton manors is also home to The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa, Fort Lauderdale’s premier gay mens clothing optional resort. The Cabanas is located right in the heart of Wilton Manors, just minutes from the beach and within walking distance of everything gay. For more information on a gay South Florida vacation or a gay nudist vacation, visit our website at www.thecabanasguesthouse.com

by Ed Walsh, SF Gay Travel Examiner

If you are tired of the Bay Area cold and are considering a trip to Florida, it doesn’t get any gayer than Fort Lauderdale.  Just 30 minutes north of Miami, the Greater Fort Lauderdale area boasts more gay clubs and gay resorts than Miami and Key West combined.

And airfares are dirt cheap now.  Just after Christmas, I found a roundtrip fare from SFO to Fort Lauderdale for as little as $215!  Check out my favorite flight search engine, sidestep.com, for the very lowest fare from your closest Bay Area airport.

The City of Fort Lauderdale’s next-door neighbor is Wilton Manors, one of the gayest cities in the country.  According to City-Data.com, the small city of just 13,000 has the highest percentage of gay male couples of any US city.   Estimates put its gay population at 40-50%.   While almost all the gay resorts are in Fort Lauderdale, most of the gay nightclubs are in Wilton Manors.  Unlike Key West and Miami Beach, where you are better off without a car, it’s a good idea to rent a car in Fort Lauderdale if you want to explore the city’s nightclubs and dining scene.   But if you are content to stay at the beach, you can get along without wheels.

Accommodations

If you want to be in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, close to all the bars, clubs, gay restaurants and the most popular gay area Wilton Drive, you should stay at the Cabanas Gay Guesthouse and Spa. The Cabanas is the only gay guesthouse and spa in Wilton Manors and is just a short walk from exciting Wilton Drive.  This gated private resort is also the only gay waterfront resort in Ft. Lauderdale, and once inside you’ll know why The Cabanas Guest house is a perfect gay bed and breakfast. The tropical settings of palm trees, lush foliage, and serenity are what make our accommodations unique.  Once you see the beautiful waterfront accommodations, you’ll know why The Cabanas Guesthouse was voted Best Gay Guesthouse Accommodations by the “Peoples Choice Awards.”

Nightlife

The club scene is centered in Wilton Manors with Georgie’s Alibi and the Boom nightclub which are part of a strip mall that includes a wide variety of gay-focused clothing stores and shops. One of the newest gay clubs in town, Scandals,  is western-themed and already attracts a big following.   Sidelines Sports  Bar features flat screen televisions, pool and darts. The Cloud Nine Lounge  is a lesbian club in Davie, which is just southwest of Fort Lauderdale.

The Sights

Fort Lauderdale (pop. 186,000) is a city of canals where the super-rich can ride their million-dollar yachts up to their multimillion dollar homes.  The famous Jungle Queen Riverboat  is good way to get an up-close look at how the other half lives in style along the canals.

The huge Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, just across the street from Fort Lauderdale beach, affords great views of some of the canals   The park offers some great cycling, picnicking and you can even take a guided Segway tour of the park, offered by the MCruz Rentals concession in the park.  Or if you want to go supergreen, they will also rent you a bike.

Eating Out

The super-rich of Fort Lauderdale support some of the finest restaurants you will find anywhere in Florida.     The Trina restaurant is the signature restaurant for the Atlantic Resort and Spa.  It features Mediterranean dishes.   You can dine outside overlooking Fort Lauderdale beach.

Other gay favorites include the gay-owned and operated Hi-Life Café with fine dining by candlelight, and the newly opened Lips which is beautifully decorated to resemble a jewel case.  The dinner here includes a drag show here.

If you need assistance with your travel arrangements, contact The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa

411 magazine has a great map on their website.
For upcoming invents visit their website HERE

You can also download a Gay Fort Lauderdale Funmap HERE
They also have a great guide to Gay Fort Lauderdale and Gay Wilton Manors Nightlife

Our Nearby Beaches in Gay Fort Lauderdale and Gay Wilton Manors
Presented by: The Cabanas Guesthouse

Fort Lauderdale Beach
Get Map

Fort Lauderdale Beach lies along State Route A1A. (also known as Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. and Seabreeze Blvd), and is divided into two main sections, North and South.

The more popular area is the southern section, which is the area from Sunrise Blvd south to the Las Olas Blvd area. One can’t help but to take a stroll up and down the golden sandy beaches that provided the setting for the now famous movie “Where The Boys Are.” You’ll probably find that most of the gays and lesbians hang out in the area between Las Olas Blvd up to Sunrise Blvd. at Sebastian Street, since there are a lot of gay owned and gay friendly resorts/hotels located near here. There is a cross walk signal right at Sebastian with a City parking lot just West of the Gay Section of the Beach.

Although not as popular, the northern beach is just as beautiful, and provides a nice escape from the crowds. This section of the beach begins at Sunrise Blvd and continues to Oakland Park Blvd.

Parking: Limited and Pricey beachside parking in southern section; Free parking on A1A north of Sunrise Blvd and $3.25 per car all day at Hugh Taylor Birch State Rec Area, located just west of A1A on Sunrise Blvd.
Food: Numerous restaurants and bars along southern section, none along northern section
Facilities: Restrooms and Private establishments along southern section, No restrooms along northern section except for Hugh Taylor Birch State Rec Area (accessible by tunnel from beach)
Lifeguards: 10am to 5pm daily along southern section, none along the northern section

Thank you for visiting our blog! Come visit us!
Bill and John

The Cabanas Guesthouse

Haulover Beach
Get Map

Although not actually in Fort Lauderdale or Broward County, Haulover Beach is a favorite spot for many gays and lesbians. The northern part of the beach is clothing optional (nude). If you prefer to stick with family, go to the northern part of the clothing optional area. No matter where you go, you will be welcome, as everyone here seems to have a live and let live attitude.

Haulover beach is located just about 1 mile south of North Miami Beach Dr (State Route 826) on Collins Ave (State Route A1A) Driving time from Fort Lauderdale is approx. 35 minutes.

Parking: $4.00 for cars and motorcycles at 2 large lots across from beach on west side of Collins Ave – A1A (Park in the north lot if possible – it is closer to the gay beach)
Food: Usually vendors on weekends, or Marina at south parking lot. No glass bottles or containers are allowed.
Facilities: Beachside restrooms, outside shower, lounge chair and umbrella rentals.
Lifeguards: 9am to 5pm daily
Pets: Pets are not allowed on the beach or within the park.

Thank you for visiting our blog! Come visit us!
Bill and John

The Cabanas Guesthouse

Our Nearby Beaches in Gay Fort Lauderdale and Gay Wilton Manors
Presented by: The Cabanas Guesthouse

Fort Lauderdale Beach
Get Map

Fort Lauderdale Beach lies along State Route A1A. (also known as Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. and Seabreeze Blvd), and is divided into two main sections, North and South.

The more popular area is the southern section, which is the area from Sunrise Blvd south to the Las Olas Blvd area. One can’t help but to take a stroll up and down the golden sandy beaches that provided the setting for the now famous movie “Where    The Boys Are.” You’ll probably find that most of the gays and lesbians hang out in the area between Las Olas Blvd up to Sunrise Blvd. at Sebastian Street, since there are a lot of gay owned and gay friendly resorts/hotels located near here. There is a cross walk signal right at Sebastian with a City parking lot just West of the Gay Section of the Beach.

Although not as popular, the northern beach is just as beautiful, and provides a nice escape from the crowds.  This section of the beach begins at Sunrise Blvd and continues to Oakland Park Blvd.

Parking: Limited and Pricey beachside parking in southern section; Free parking on A1A north of Sunrise Blvd and $3.25 per car all day at Hugh Taylor Birch State Rec Area, located just west of A1A on Sunrise Blvd.
Food: Numerous restaurants and bars along southern section, none along northern section
Facilities: Restrooms and Private establishments along southern section, No restrooms along northern section except for Hugh Taylor Birch State Rec Area (accessible by tunnel from beach)
Lifeguards: 10am to 5pm daily along southern section, none along the northern section

Haulover Beach
Get Map

Although not actually in Fort Lauderdale or Broward County, Haulover Beach is a favorite spot for many gays and lesbians. The northern part of the beach is clothing optional (nude). If you prefer to stick with family, go to the northern part of the clothing optional area. No matter where you go, you will be welcome, as everyone here seems to have a live and let live attitude.

Haulover beach is located just about 1 mile south of North Miami Beach Dr (State Route 826) on Collins Ave (State Route A1A) Driving time from Fort Lauderdale is approx. 35 minutes.

Parking: $4.00 for cars and motorcycles at 2 large lots across from beach on west side of Collins Ave – A1A (Park in the north lot if possible – it is closer to the gay beach)
Food: Usually vendors on weekends, or Marina at south parking lot. No glass bottles or containers are allowed.
Facilities: Beachside restrooms, outside shower, lounge chair and umbrella rentals.
Lifeguards: 9am to 5pm daily
Pets: Pets are not allowed on the beach or within the park.

Thank you for visiting our blog! Come visit us!
Bill and John

The Cabanas Guesthouse

This exciting city surrounded by rivers is called the “Island City.”

Wilton Manors has become the ‘gay center’ of the Fort Lauderdale area. A wide variety of Gay and Lesbian owned Restaurants and other small businesses including Real Estate offices, Attorneys, clothing and home decorating shops are located in this delightful gay village.

With swaying palm trees, a relaxed friendly atmosphere, exciting nightlife, wonderful restaurants and shopping; Gay Wilton Manors is a great place to be anytime of the year.

Wilton Manors is changing rapidly and has some extremely progressive plans for adding upscale housing and more businesses. It is the only City in Florida to have a openly Gay Mayor.

Wilton Manors is also the home of the STONEWALL Library & Archives which collects and preserves the GLBT records of its Culture and History.

On behalf of the conveniently located Wilton Manors Resort, The Cabanas Guesthouse, we welcome you to visit Gay Wilton Manors to enjoy all this wonderful area has to offer.