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 Posted - 01/26/2003 : 10:49:56 PM
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Once Snubbed, Nudist Resorts Take Off
By Evan Perez
The Wall Street Journal
January 19, 2003
Land O'Lakes – When John Mitchell wanted to buy a $56,000, one-bedroom condominium here in 1991, he kept getting turned down for a mortgage. The problem: The condo was in a nudist resort.
But in November, when the 67-year-old nursing-home administrator and his wife, Adrian, traded up to a $135,000, two-bedroom condo, also in a local nudist development, Bank of America quickly approved their mortgage. "Everyone here now knows that we bring a lot of money to this area," Mitchell says of his fellow nudists.
Central Florida's Pasco County, home to six nudist resorts, has become perhaps the nation's hottest destination for people who would rather be unclothed. An estimated 100,000 nudists pour into the area each year, most of them sporting at least one personal belonging: a wallet. These free spirits' economic clout has made converts of local officials, who used to play down the presence of nudist developments in search of more mainstream visitors.
Nudists are a tiny but fast-growing niche in the tourism industry. The American Association for Nude Recreation, of Kissimmee, says it has 50,000 members, up about 20 percent over the past decade and now at an all-time high. Nudism may not be as widely accepted in the United States as in Europe, says Erich Schuttauf, the group's executive director. But for growing numbers of people, a stay at a clothing-optional resort is becoming just another vacation experience.
The AANR counted 262 clubs and businesses catering to nudists in 2002, compared with 189 in 1983. A 2001 survey conducted for the group found 19 percent of Americans have skinny-dipped in mixed company and 18 percent would consider visiting a clothing-optional resort or nude beach.
None of this has been lost on communities elsewhere in the country, where nudists are trying to win acceptance and local officials are looking for new revenue sources. Palm Springs, Calif., officials, eager to encourage expansion of the pricey - - - nudist resort, recently relaxed the town's stringent building restrictions to permit construction of a pedestrian overpass -- known locally as the nudist bridge – connecting parts of the resort. Local officials credit the resort with jump-starting
the revival of the Uptown neighborhood, a rundown part of town once known for problems with drug dealers and prostitutes.
"We're very proud of what they've done for that part of the community," says Palm Springs Mayor Will Kleindienst, who has presided over a welcoming ceremony for a group visiting the resort. "They've done a lot to increase property values and increase our tax base." Indeed, having a successful nudist resort in town, the mayor adds, could help draw more business visitors. "It could give our convention business an edge," he notes.
In rural Paw Paw, W. Va., the Avalon, a nudist resort featuring condominiums and hotel rooms, is expanding its housing subdivision, with undeveloped lots selling for more than $40,000. Phyllis and Patrick Gaffney, owners of the resort, which is located about 21/2 hours outside Washington, say they have even hosted the local Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce banquet.
The rise of luxury nudist accommodations is fueling nudism's growing popularity, says Joe Lettelleir, a nonnudist, former banker and part-owner of - -, a 77-acre, clothing-optional resort and housing development in Land O'Lakes. He is making plans to open more nudist resorts, starting with a second location north of Atlanta.
Unlike the naked hippies who came to nudism back in the 1960s, the new resorts cater to an affluent -- if not well-dressed -- crowd. On a recent day at - -, the parking lot was sprinkled with Jaguars, BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes. Lettelleir says many visitors keep their clothes on at first
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Big Tim
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 Posted - 02/06/2003 : 10:14:49 AM
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I don't know if you all have seen this article before...if so, you may delete it.
Found at: http://www.ticked.com/occidental/2000/ocnude1.htm
Baring it all on Vacation
The Occidental Tourist · August 18, 1999
The Tourist is tossing and turning in a nocturnal sweat for hours. His better half ordered him to the downstairs futon hours ago, and he still can’t shake the image of the nightmare he had: He’s staying at an upscale resort, one where cash never passes hands and the martinis are dry as Lauren Bacall’s “just whistle.” The golf course is pristine. The volley of tennis balls on clay courts breaks the morning air. At dinner, the jazz band plays “As Time Goes By” like Dexter Gordon used to.
And everybody at the joint is naked as a jaybird.
Better get used to the idea. Nude tourism has gone upscale and is aiming to hit the mainstream. Well, for sure, it certainly takes some of the complication out of packing. Screw carryon restrictions, right? When you’re contributing to the $400 million now spent on clothing-free cruises and resorts, you pretty much just need to tuck a toothbrush behind your ear and it's bun, er, bon voyage.
For sure, it seemed strange to the Tourist. But he’s been seeing a lot of this stuff lately. (Makes him wonder where that worm at the bottom of the tequila bottle had been.) In another sporadic, twisted installment of Odyssey of the Odd, OT takes you on a “see” cruise of the ever-exploding nude tourism industry.
It’s real. And it’s not your ex-hippie grandfather’s version of the pathetic nudist colony either. Today, travelers are letting it all hang out at music festivals, sporting events and car shows. That $400 million spent today triples what was spent in 1992.
Just look at Austin, Texas-based Bare Necessities Tour & Travel, which offered just a 36-passenger dive cruise in 1991 and now promotes four major ocean outings to destinations like the French Riviera, Jamaica and the Southern Caribbean in 1999, with packages hosting up to 1,200 passengers. (OK, the Tourist now can’t shake THIS revolting image: He sees Doc, Gopher, Isaac and Captain Stubing and wishes they had the decency to at least wrap a TOWEL around their waists!)
OK, back to reality. Favorite activities of nudists include swimming, fishing, cycling and -- watch out for that poison ivy! -- hiking. Alas, conceding to safety precautions, nudists have been known to put on a cup or a sports bra (damnit) for the runners. And, yes, nudists will often cave in and wear wet suits while scuba diving.
The lifestyle knows no class boundaries, apparently. After all, how can you distinguish blue collars from white collars when nobody’s wearing one? “It could be the librarian down the block,” says Roslyn Scheer, executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation. “A doctor, lawyer or a truck driver. It’s mainstream people.”
The association is bigger than ever, with 50,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. (And not one of them needs to shell out for dry cleaning at hotels, the Tourist gathers.)
Well, obviously, this isn’t the Tourist’s bag. Hey, he’s a dinner jacket man. The “Occidental” in his name dictates that he remain in the shadows, and he’s not entirely too comfy with the silhouette he’d cast on a nude cruise. But if you are particularly curious about the culture, this may be the time to check it out while the weather’s still good.
You could start at the AANR Web site, as the association traditionally touts art shows, Habitat for Humanity fund-raisers and strawberry festivals among the celebration events sponsored by its 233-club membership.
Next week, the Tourist clues you in on some clothes-free events and destinations that -- unavoidably -- caught his eye.
The Occidental Tourist is a magazine writer in Washington, DC. He writes for Maxim, POV, Capital Style and ABCNews.com. His column appears on Tuesdays, except for this week, when for reasons beyond his control, it appe
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chuckie30
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Posted - 02/06/2003 : 2:02:37 PM
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I think its about time that they woke up and smelled the coffee. And not to see it for commercial gain, but as a way of life that many choose. Hopefully to become more accepted.
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Country: New Zealand
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Admin
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Posted - 06/11/2003 : 5:15:38 PM
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WALL ST. JOURNAL reports "Nude Recreation bigger than golf" - Again!
The Friday, April 25 edition of The Journal said this in the Odds & Ends segment:
"Naked Truth: Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell got a surprise in its annual travel survey: 17% of 2,500 respondents would consider resorts that offer a 'nude recreation or clothing-optional beach experience,' outscoring interest in golf (16%) and tennis (7% down from 10% last year)."
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Wall Street Journal Recognizes Nudism Economy
