Wat Phra Kaew Temple in Bangkok (Photo by Travel Mania)
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Bangkok is more than just a city I love to visit. During winters, I actually settle in and live there for a while, filling an airbnb refrigerator with trays of pre-peeled, pink-hued, pulpy pomelo and leftover pad sataw, a mix of plump fresh shrimp and garlicky, pungent, and accurately self-descriptive “stink beans.” Each time I return, Bangkok is both the same—with remarkable temples and iconography everywhere—yet profoundly different as modernization plows ahead and the skyline adjusts. Visitors and locals alike marvel at the new restaurants and food concepts, craft cocktail culture, art, and efficiency, including expanded subway and skytrain lines that completely avoid traffic jams. I love the Thai people, and I am thankful to have so many friends in Bangkok. I also enjoy their music scene that takes the best elements of Western pop and transforms them into something distinctly Thai; make sure to check out trans electropop star Gene Kasidit. My grasp of the language is still minimal, but having missed my Winter 2020 stay I’ll commit to some lessons before my next visit. Leaw jer kan na, Krungthep! (see you soon, Bangkok!).
—Lawrence Ferber
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Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur, California (Photo by Doug Meek)
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, CALIFORNIA, USA
In 1996, I moved to San Francisco from Chicago the Tuesday after graduating from college. As part of the move, I drove Highway 1 (aka PCH) from Los Angeles to the Bay Area and was smitten every twisty mile of the way. Four years later I happened to do it again, and decided right then and there to commit myself to making this majestic trek every four years until I die. Waving goodbye to LA’s madcap tangle of freeways and strip malls, stopping for tacos in Santa Barbara, skinny dipping in Avila Beach, howling in unison with sea lions in San Simeon, hiking Big Sur’s gnarly coastline, and celebrating with friends at journey’s end in San Francisco have become an election year ritual. Sadly, even though the journey begins in my backyard (I live in LA), at the moment it’s entirely out of reach. Fingers tightly crossed that all changes soon.
—Jason Heidemann
Gay Pride Parade in Palm Springs (Photo by Kamil Zelezik)
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, USA
People might think of Palm Springs as just desert, poolside fun, and parties. It’s all that, but it’s much more. Set in a stunning desert landscape, it offers ample opportunities to get away from it all and commune with nature (sorely needed after sheltering indoors). Restaurants are top-notch here, as are museums, a vast collection of outdoor art, and of course primo shopping. From the minute you exit your plane and see the circle of mountains as you leave the airport, you get a feeling you’re in for something special, and whatever your idea of a perfect holiday is, Palm Springs delivers.
—Rich Rubin
Louisville (Photo Courtesy of Louisville CVB)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, USA
After more than a decade in LGBTQ journalism, my heart still beats the hardest for Louisville, Kentucky. I discovered early on that a sense of place is most rooted in its people. There’s nothing better than being welcomed with open arms, and bourbon! I recently planned a milestone birthday getaway with friends (postponed for the time being), and Louisville was the first destination that sprung to mind for domestic travel. The Urban Bourbon Trail offers a deep dive into one of our country’s most celebrated spirits, Actors Theatre of Louisville presents award-winning productions, including the annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, and mouth-watering barbecue can be found in nearly every neighborhood. I can’t wait to stay at the newly opened Hotel Distil on Whiskey Row and then enjoy bar-hopping among the city’s LGBTQ-friendly bars. Louisville is one of the few cities I’ve visited where you can walk into a bar and everyone, regardless of age, race or sexual orientation, feels welcome. Southern hospitality with a progressive mindset lands Louisville on the top of my can’t-wait-to-travel-again list.
—Matthew Wexler
Aerial View of Las Vegas (Photo by Benny Marty)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA
My inaugural Las Vegas experience, in 1986, was an eight-hour blur. Driving cross-country from L.A. to Boston with a friend, we rolled into the Flamingo late and left at dawn. Walking in, I passed by Telly Savalas in a tuxedo. ‘Who loves ya baby!’ He was not impressed, I lost $250 at blackjack, and the rest is a haze. Not the hottest first date, but it’s been pure romance ever since. The history and the people who run this desert dream machine call me back time and again. Covering the Las Vegas meetings and hospitality industries now for over a decade, I’ve gained an insider’s appreciation of the city’s true personality and character. Beyond the razzle-dazzle, this is a community of hard-working doers. The choreography behind and on the scene is remarkable. Vegas happens because of their vision, talent, passion, belief and dedication. Many are now furloughed or laid-off. That hurts. It’s family here, and I cannot wait to get back and see the friends who have made Vegas feel like home.
—Jeff Heilman
