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December, 2007 - Volume 9, Issue 11
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Welcome to the Purple Roofs Travel Newsletter! This Month's Travel Articles This month we have a report on Kooza, a new Cirque du Soliel show currently performing in San Francisco. We also have three great articles: one from the Gay Travel Guys, Donald and Ray, on travel scams and overcharges! We also have a great article about Portland, Oregon, from Steve at The Lion & The Rose - thanks, Steve! And finally, we have a bonus column from Don and Ray - a review of a new book called Gay Vegas! Innkeepers - write us an article about your area, and we'll include it in a future issue of this newsletter with credit and links to your website and email addresses. Contact wheretostay@purpleroofs.com for more details. Special Offer Accommodation Notices As always, we also have our Late Availability & Special Offer notices (120 offers in 16 countries/regions) all at http://www.purpleroofs.com/lateavailability.html, or just check your favorite destination page - these notices are also right there on the regular listings. Student Request - Women Visiting Thailand I'm a female PhD student from the University of Nottingham in the UK doing research on women's tourist experiences in Thailand. I'm focusing at Phuket and Pattaya, and would be particularly interested in how lesbian and bisexual women interact with these cities. If you've travelled to either of these places recently (or are planning to travel there in the near future) and would be willing to be interviewed about your experiences please contact me on LQXES2@nottingham.ac.uk. Interviews should take about 30-45 minutes and can be carried out over the telephone or email/MSN if necessary. Thanks! Erin Sanders Travelers - Try a Home Trade Membership for Just $60 for 3 Years... ...and stay for free with other gay, lesbian, and gay friendly travelers around the world. More details on our Mi Casa Su Casa site at: http://www.gayhometrade.com. Seen Our Real Estate and Wedding Sections Lately? We've been beefing up our realtor, mortgage lender, and wedding vendor listings over the last several months, and now have 450 real estate professional listings in 45 US states, Spain, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. We also have over 690 Wedding Vendor listings in 42 US states, Asia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Mexico and the South Pacific. Check out our real estate professional listings here: http://www.gayrealtynetwork.com That's it for this issue - see you next time! :) Mark & Scott, PURPLE ROOFS |
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Something a little different this time - we visited San Francisco for a new Cirque du Soliel show, and enjoyed the red carpet treatment!
Charivari (photo by Olivier Samson Arcand, Costumes by Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt) If you've never been to a Cirque du Soliel show, you probably have no idea what to expect. Is it a circus? Are there lions, tigers and bears? Or is it a Vegas show?
Our first exposure to Cirque du Soliel came in the mid-nineties in Las Vegas. We were there for a business conference, and got tickets for two shows - Sigfried and Roy, and the one Cirque production in Vegas at the time - Mystere. After all the hype, the Sigfried & Roy show was disappointing - yeah, the tigers were beautiful, yeah, it was fun trying to guess Sigfried and Roys' actual ages. But stripped down, it was basically a bunch of variations on how to make something disappear in front of an audience. And the price didn't even include drinks! By contrast, Mystere was a revelation - a constant series of surprises and WOW moments - you know, when you gasp outloud because you can't believe what you've seen? Blended with crowd interaction to help keep you on your toes - like the sudden plop of shaving cream on your head from behind as one of the clowns runs past your seat. But hey, at least they hand you a towel to clean up afterward. Gee, creamy white stuff, clean-up towel - why does that seem so familiar? <grin> And just like sex, your first time at a Cirque show will always hold a special place in your heart - no matter the thrills that may await you the next time.
What do you get for the extra money? First off, access to the best seats in the tent - front and center. Second, you also have access to the Tapis Rouge itself, a red-carpet tent with free champagne, appetizers before the show, and sumtuous desserts during the half-hour intermission. There are also some funky, red inflatable couches that are amazingly uncomfortable (but look really cool), displays of cirque pictures and costumes from other shows, and a huge merchandise wall where you can buy almost anything Cirque (but not the Kooza CD, which is not due out until late winter). Finally, you have direct access to and from the main tent, bypassing the lines at the front of the show. All in all, it was a fun experience - if you have the extra cash, we recommend it, but you'll enjoy the show itself just as much without it.
The show itself was great - not as awe-inspiring as our first show, Mystere, or as epic as Ka (in Vegas), or as naughty as Zumanity (also in Vegas), but entertaining in its own right. It tells the story of an innocent who meets a series of outlandish characters, and in the end finds the key to his dreams. Of the many acts, several stood out above the others:
The third one actually isn't listed on the Cirque site, and so we have no name or pics for it (they don't allow photography during the show, for proprietary and safety reasons) - but it was a two-person act, with a gorgeous man and beautiful woman, again in full body suit - this one designed to look like a series of henna tattoos that accentuate the shapes of their bodies. In other Cirque shows, similar acts have been homoerotic all-male versions. But this one was amazing too - both for the feats of physical skill, and the amazing way the costime patterns flexed and moved with the muscles of the dancers.
Most Cirque shows are written in Cirquish, a French-influenced made-up language that adds an additional layer of mystery to the show, but Kooza abandons that for english (though very limited) dialogue. Kooza is coming next to San Jose (Jan 31-Mar 16), Hartford, CT (Apr 1-Apr 30), Philadelphia (May 8-May 25), Chicago (Jun 26-Jul 27) and finally to Boston (date tba). If you have a chance to see this or any other Cirque show, jump on it - in addition to the traveling shows and Vegas shows, there are also shows in New York City, and at Disney World in Orlando. Our favorite shows to date include: Mystere (Vegas): again, our first and favorite, not because it is necessarily the best show, but because it popped our Cirque cherry. And the music is fantastic. Zumanity (Vegas): the "adult" Cirque show - a throwback to the days of Vaudeville erotica. Buy one of the cozy couch seats in the front row for you and your honey, but be ready to be outed by the host. Ka (Vegas): the most Epic of the Cirque shows - in a huge theater built for the show, with an amazing hydraulic lift that provides some of the show's most stunning moments. And it has the best storyline of any of the shows we've seen. If you come to San Francisco to see Kooza, we recommend a visit to Tru Spa at the Hilton (750 Kearny, San Francisco) - everyone was extremely friendly, and the masseuses give great massage. We tried the 105 minute massage, and came out feeling like new men. All photographs this article - Photo: Olivier Samson Arcand, Costumes: Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt |
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The columnists below are not affiliated with Purple Roofs, and no connection is expressed or implied. The editorial opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Purple Roofs. Traveling in Our Fabulous World Anytime of the year we need to always be on the lookout for travel scams but over the holidays we all seem to be more in a hurry and really don't have time to think about them. Some of the obvious ones are overpacked baggage fees. Airlines hit overpackers in three different ways... It's too heavy, too big or altogether, too much! And the cost for having too much luggage can run from $25 to $50 for an overweight bag to $80 to $100 for an oversized bag! And, the restrictions are getting tighter. Many airlines have changed their policy by first lowering the free checked-bag allowance from two to just one and most recently opting to charge for EVERY bag! Different airlines have different policies so BE SURE and check them out BEFORE you take off. Some airlines now charge $10 for their first two checked bags and then up to $100 for the third! Many airlines have simply stopped accepting bags heavier than 51 pounds. To add insult to injury, it's possible to have a bag that is both overweight and oversized, which means you'd pay a minimum of $105 on most airlines. It it's also your third piece of checked baggage, that could double to more than $200! So, before you begin packing, check your airline's web site for it's baggage rules. Seems as thou they all have slightly different requirements, depending on where you are flying. For instance, Continental allows coach passengers to check two bags weighing up to 50 pounds before fees kick in. On most international flights, excess baggage fees are calculated at a per-pound rate based on the distance flown. So when you are taking out on a trip, be sure and pack only what you really need. And of course don't forget that we all shop so we always bring back more than what we take with us. Another travel scam is the Minibars in hotels. Hotel minibars have gone very high-tech. Many are equipped with sensors that register when an item is picked up or otherwise moved. Just rotating that jar of peanuts to check the calorie content may be enough to trigger a charge. Or you could be charged for jostling aside bottles to squeeze in a bottle of water you brought from home and then charged again for later removing the chilled drink! And you most likely have noticed that their prices are extravagantly high! Plus some even have a re-stocking fee! Also be wary of items that have the look of (free or complimentary) but aren't specifically marked as such. Many a thirsty traveler arrives to their room to see a bottle of water on the side table and just assumes that it is complimentary. But the moment you open it, there is a CHARGE ! The same goes for those fruit baskets, coffees and other treats that are an extension of the fully-priced mini-bar. Only if you read EVERY LINE of your room service menu do you realize that they are charging you. Phone service can also be extremely high. It seems as though the more you pay for a room the higher the phone charges are. And we think that WiFi Internet services are free at a hotel? Think again. At most hotels, the WiFi IS free but others charge up to $10 a day for this service. To get around this just plug your notebook/laptop into a phone line instead. It is all the little added charges that can really add up to your hotel stay. Just be sure and always find out in advance if something is really complimentary or not. Car Rental Airport Facility fees can be a major travel scam. Rent a car at the counter and you'll see your rate soar an average of 28% through airport-specific taxes and surcharges. Many major cities now charge a very heavy "extra" tax for visitors who rent autos at their airports as well as charge the rental companies extra. Naturally this fee is passed along to the consumer as part of the price of doing business at the airport. The best solution to this problem is simply to rent off-site from the airport. All major auto rental companies have free shuttle service to their other facilities and that will save you a lot of money. In Atlanta, for example, consumers renting at the airport see rates increases of over 53.5% with taxes and fees while those going to a off-site location will pay just 14.4%. Just be sure and do your homework ahead of time. When it comes to redeeming airline frequent-flier miles, don't expect a truly free ticket. If you're lucky, you can get away with just the $15 to $25 surcharge most airlines charge for booking reservations over the phone. People trying to use miles are basically forced into paying a fee by calling for help. There are so many capacity constraints in place that it's difficult to get your first, second, even third choice of flights booked yourself online. And what if you're looking for a last-minute getaway and are actually lucky enough to find a seat available with rewards points? Be prepared to pay even more. Northwest Airlines charges $50 if you redeem frequent-flier miles within 10 days of your travel date. We wish all of our thousands of readers the very best wishes for a FABULOUS HOLIDAY SEASON! Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from Coast to Coast. You can email them at: gaytravelers@aol.com or visit their webpage at: http://www.hometown.aol.com/gaytravelers. An Update on Visiting Portland, Oregon
Over the last six years here’s some of what we have learned about Portland:
To help our guests learn their way around Portland, we developed a 7 minute video introduction to central Portland which is posted on You Tube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lN3D0Y-dQs ).
Only two B&B’s in Portland are gay owned and operated (the Lion and the Rose and Portland’s White House); however, all the B&B’s welcome gay travelers. Our local bed and breakfast association has a web-site with links to many of the attractions in Portland: http://www.portlandinnkeepers.com/pages/2.html. You can also check room availability at 12 B&B’s in Portland all at once by going to http://www.portlandinnkeepers.com/. City Life
Restaurants to Check Out
We also recommend: Wildwood on NW 21st Ave., Mother’s Bistro downtown, Higgins (downtown). Day Trips Besides visiting the Oregon Coast (90 minutes drive to the west) her are dome other fun excursions:
Experience a bygone era of comfort and grace. Wake up to a delicious full breakfast served every morning in the formal dining room, and enjoy light refreshments into the evening. There’s even a small fridge stocked with complimentary soda, juice and spring water. The inn is located in the Irvington Historic District -- an ideal location for enjoying Portland. Shops, boutiques, theaters and restaurants are steps away, and the near by light rail whisks you to the Convention Center, the Saturday Market and downtown for free! You can view rooms, check availability and make a reservation online at their website: http://www.lionrose.com. Travel Book Review
Then he tells about the "best of the best" and the MUST DO and MUST SEE things about Las Vegas. Any gay person going to Las Vegas whether for the first time or if they have been there many times should purchase this book. Steve's "Gay Las Vegas" book deals with lodging, restaurants, shows, gay nightlife, shopping, gay weddings and is the most definitive book for gays going to Las Vegas. Steve has lived in Las Vegas since 1996 and was originally from Long Island, New York. Friess and his partner, NBC producer Miles Smith, co-host "The Strip" podcast, a weekly Vegas-centric celebrity-interview program found at TheStripPodcast.com. Friess and Smith wed at the Palms Hotel-Casino in March 2007 and live with their two chihuahuas, Black and Jack. Steve is a former contributing writer for The Advocate, Friess has also covered gay topics for USA Today, the New York Times, Newsweek, and dozens of other major periodicals. If you can't go to Las Vegas, buy Steven's book and read it and you will think that you are there! He writes so directly and tells about all aspects of the city. There should be a informative book like this written about all the great gay cities in the country. Steve LOVES his city and it shows! He has certainly done his research and pulls no punches in describing the different aspects of gay life and gay destinations when going to Las Vegas. Gay Vegas - A Guide to the Other Side of Sin City can be purchased around the country at many Borders and Barnes and Nobles and also on line thru Amazon.com. We HIGHLY recommend this great book! It will save you a lot of time and money the next time you visit Las Vegas. On a side note. Kansas City's own Wes Winters entertains at the Liberace Museum weekly in Las Vegas. As always, when we write anything about Las Vegas, we like to remind everybody to remember the words of Liberace, "No one will believe in you unless you believe in yourself !" TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from Coast to Coast. You can email them at: gaytravelers@aol.com or visit their webpage at: http://www.hometown.aol.com/gaytravelers. |
About the Lion and the Rose Victorian Bed & Breakfast Inn: One of two gay owned and operated B&B’s in central Portland, this majestic 1906 Queen Anne mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, transports you to another time. The seven guest rooms (all with private baths) are each unique and emanate Victorian charm. Historic yet up to date, the rooms are air conditioned and equipped with telephones, cable TV, and high-speed wireless internet access. The parlors and dining room are comfortable, spacious, and decorated in period furnishings. The Middle Parlor features a gas fireplace. There is a "PC Nook" where you can check e-mail and print boarding passes.
We have just read one of the finest travel books every written about gay life in a city AND for gays traveling to any city in the country. Steve Friess's new book, "GAY VEGAS - A Guide to the Other Side of Sin City" published by Huntington Press is a MUST for any gay person traveling to Las Vegas. We have gone to Las Vegas over 25 times in the last 33 years and we thought that we knew all about gay life in Las Vegas but Steve's new book has educated us much more on where to go, where to stay, what to see and where NOT to go. Steve tells it exactly how it is in Las Vegas, the good, the bad and the different with a great honest description of the comings and goings in Las Vegas. He explains about some of the awful Casinos, the dreadful restaurants and the bad shows and rates them all.