With summer here, off-beat seaside resorts offer fun in the sun (part 1)
NORTHERN EXPOSURE | Don’t dismiss Alaska as a summer beach destination — Homer offers beaches and a breathtaking view of Kachemak Bay and the state’s glacier-capped Kenai Mountain. (Photo courtesy Andrew Collins)
ANDREW COLLINS | Contributing Writer
outoftown@qsyndicate.com
Beach vacations come in many forms, especially in the context of gay travel. In prior years, gay travelers seeking summer fun focused on some tried-and-true destinations: Provincetown, Ogunquit, Rehoboth, Fire Island, Laguna Beach, Key West and Saugatuck. Although all are still popular, America is expanding its reach with quirky, scenic communities with progressive bents and welcoming vibes.
Here are four great little coastal towns (two on the West Coast this week, and two on the East Coast later this month) you may not have thought much about, especially if you live outside the regions they’re in.
Homer, Alaska
You may not think of Alaska when you’re planning a beach vacation, but the offbeat fishing town of Homer (HomerAlaska.com) is an endearingly funky and gay-friendly coastal getaway popular both with residents and visitors to the Last Frontier. On the Kenai Peninsula and reached from Anchorage either by a stunning 220-mile drive or an easy 40-minute flight, the town is situated at the mouth of Kachemak Bay and affords dramatic views of the glacier-capped Kenai Mountains.
You can stroll among the cool coffeehouses and seafood restaurants along Homer Spit, which pokes out into the bay. Good bets include Captain Patties Fish House, which serves delicious crab cakes and a nice selection of Alaska microbrew beers and Coal Town Coffee & Tea. A must-see here is the fascinating Alaska Islands & Oceans Visitor Center, but also note Homer’s many outdoorsy activities, from sea kayaking to road-biking to wildlife- and whale-watching tours.
For a splurge, consider taking a water-taxi across Kachamak Bay to spend a couple of nights at the secluded and rustic-elegant Tutka Bay Lodge, which overlooks a crystalline fjord and has its own cooking school run by talented chef-owner Kirsten Dixon. Back in Homer, charming, gay-friendly accommodations include Brigitte’s Bavarian B&B, on a bluff outside town, and the Bay Avenue B&B, a modern house with plenty of big windows and great views over the bay.
In Homer’s funky village center, notable dining options abound — be sure to check out colorfully decorated Mermaid Bistro, which serves out-of-this-world salads, sandwiches and pizzas with an emphasis on organic ingredients; colorful Café Cups, where you can feast on platters of tiger prawns with honey-habanero sauce and charbroiled filet mignon; and Adorable Two Sisters Bakery, which is known for seafood chowder, creative salads and delectable baked goods. There’s not a ton of nightlife in these parts, but offbeat Alice’s Champagne Palace is a fun spot for live music, cold beer and juicy burgers.
Mendocino, Calif.
Among the many jewels of the rugged California coastline, the beautiful little town of Mendocino (VisitMendocino.com) stands out for its rugged sea cliffs, charming New England–inspired cottages and serene seclusion. The town is just 150 miles up the coast from San Francisco, and 80 miles via the lovely Anderson Valley from the heart of the Sonoma Wine Country.
This cliff-top community is in the heart of a region where loggers, tourists, winegrowers, writers, farmers, hippies, yuppies and fishermen all more or less coexist harmoniously. And while it’s not really a gay mecca, it does have a strong following among same-sex couples who appreciate the low-key vibe and alluring setting.
The most intriguing activities in coastal Mendocino County usually involve one kind of touring or another. You can rent mountain bikes, kayaks or canoes and explore the region’s rivers or country lanes. And you can hike along oceanfront bluffs that loom high over the frothy Pacific surf and watch whales during the spring and fall migrations.
A great place for this is Mendocino Headlands State Park, an easy walk from downtown. Just north of Mendocino, the once-prosaic lumber town of Fort Bragg has lately gentrified with hip coffeehouses and fun restaurants — it’s also home to such attractions as the 47-acre Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and the historic 21-mile Skunk Train scenic excursion railroad, which passes through soaring redwood groves.
You can also go wine-touring in the adjacent Anderson Valley, whose cool climate is particularly suitable for turning out stellar chardonnay and pinot noir. Mendocino County Wine
(MendoWine.com) has information on tastings at dozens of vineyards open to the public. The region has no shortage of stellar restaurants.
Occupying a dark, wood-paneled room with big windows overlooking colorful gardens, 955 Ukiah serves sophisticated California cuisine. The unassuming Moose Café, warmed by a fireplace, offers exceptional mod-American fare and laid-back yet efficient service, and the MacCallum House serves some of the most accomplished regional American cuisine on the Northern California coast (and makes for great accommodations).
Mendocino and nearby villages have a bounty of gay-friendly inns and B&Bs, with an emphasis on unpretentious, rustic luxury. The J.D. House is a lovely eight-room B&B surrounded by fragrant gardens and with an invitingly simple and fresh country-chic aesthetic. Innkeepers Andrew Hindman and Damien Wood also run two sister inns, the Packard House and Blue Door Inn. A stylish “eco-resort” with one of the country’s most acclaimed vegan restaurants (Ravens’), the Stanford Inn by the Sea has a breathtaking location overlooking Mendocino Bay.
A short drive south of town near verdant Van Damme State Park, the gay-owned Glendeven Inn looks like a Maine farmhouse and is surrounded by lush gardens and dewy meadows. Most of the rooms here have private decks overlooking the ocean and are warmed by fireplaces, and the on-site wine bar is a wonderful dining option. Another highlight is the gay-owned boutique resort Stevenswood, which is nestled among tall trees and open meadows and has 10 rooms decorated in a light and airy contemporary style. A big draw here is the serene full-service spa. Also nearby is the 65-room Little River Inn, a rambling and comfy hideaway with a friendly staff and charming rooms. It’s perfect for a romantic getaway — rooms all face the ocean, and some have fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 12, 2013.