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 Posted - 06/11/2003 : 5:27:01 PM
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Prevention Magazine---There is a superb cover story in the May issue encourages people to have "naked fun" this summer. In it, an instructor of psychiatry from Harvard medical school advises us all to bring out more of the kid in ourselves. Two things on his list of great ways to do that are "enjoy being naked," and to "skinny dip."
USA TODAY Gives Skinny on Growth of Nude Recreation
You can't ask for a better vehicle to promote the growth of nude recreation than the travel section of USA TODAY. On May 9th, the publication ran a story by Jayne Clark that has spawned additional stories and interviews around the world!
The article included the surprising response to the 2003 National Leisure Travel Monitor that gave a healthy 17% favorable response to those finding clothing-optional resorts "extremely" or "very desirable." Other topics in the article included the growth of AANR, expansion of nude cruising and other forms of nude recreation, like the nude dinner train planned for the fall by DeAnza Springs Resort. To see the complete story, click here.
Esquire Tells How To Take It Off
From the AANR Cyber-Bulletin
First-timers at a nude beach sometimes need a little advice before they shed their threads. A few pieces of wisdom were given in Esquire magazine's June 2003 issue. The "Guide to Summer" section covers several unique summer activities, like teaching your dog to catch a frisbee, playing watermelon polo and treating jellyfish stings. We're glad to see nude beach going ranks right up there.
Speaking of "ranking," in the same section Esquire also lists (taking a) "Skinny-dip. In the ocean," as the #2 thing you've "gotta do before Labor Day." Be sure to pick up the publication while you can.
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If you have an instance of nudism being accepted by the mainstream media, add it here by clicking Reply to Topic.
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mikeinthesouthwest
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Posted - 06/17/2003 : 4:59:26 PM
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We published a new guidebook, "All Over Hotels: Swimsuits Optional", on June 1, which lists over 250 hotels for nude sunseekers. We are pleased by the amount of national mainstream press cover in the UK (including 'The Times') since we sent out a press release 4 weeks ago. Some of the coverage is available on our site 'Media Comment'.
http://www.lifestyle-press.co.uk/media.html
Mike
www.alloverhotels.com
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Cheri
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Posted - 06/17/2003 : 5:03:29 PM
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Which countries does it list?
:) Cheri
Doing what I can to positively promote nudism
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mikeinthesouthwest
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Posted - 07/30/2003 : 8:50:37 PM
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Reprinted from CBSNews.com - July 2, 2003
The Naked Truth About Politics
Lloyd Garver - CBS Broadcasting
(CBS) Nudism is getting bigger and bigger in the United States today. And according to market research, suburban Republicans tend to be the group of nudists who stand out the most. So, unlike the image that many of you may have, these people are not irresponsible, wild "hippies." These conservative clothes-less citizens favor tax reform and enjoy reading "Golf Magazine." They just do their politicking and reading in the nude. It's interesting that when there is so much secrecy and subterfuge in politics, this particular group is for full disclosure.
Why are there approximately 25 percent more nudists today than 10 years ago, and why are so many of them Republicans? Have they become the political party with nothing to hide, or is this just a reflection of the sagging economy?
When you think about it, nudity is quite conservative. It certainly goes along with the concept of "back to basics." Benjamin Franklin liked to sit naked in front of an open window each day taking what he called, "air baths." George Washington and Thomas Jefferson regularly went swimming without clothes. Apparently, they weren't just anxious to be freed from the chains of tyranny, but from the seams of their britches as well.
Clothing has traditionally been used to demonstrate status. Kings and queens wore outfits that cost more than the homes of an entire village. Nudity is a living statement of egalitarianism, where nobody shows off their latest designer clothes. So, our Founding Fathers would agree that nudity is definitely democratic. But why is going without clothes becoming so popular today? Maybe people are troubled by the world that the business suit, the military uniform, and the cocktail dress represent. So they rid themselves of these clothes, and relax, temporarily forgetting about their responsibilities and troubles.
Nudism is big business — an estimated $400 million a year. That's an awful lot of money for a business without pockets. In addition to resorts, there are clothing-optional cruises, as well as summer camps for children and adults. So there's no indication that the nudist industry is going to go bust.
Although it's hard to know the exact statistics, experts believe that the state with the most nudists and the most naked tourists is Florida. That's right, the site of so much political wrangling in the last presidential election is also the home of the greatest concentration of unclothed voters. Now that we know how important Florida is politically, and now that there are even more naked voters there than a few years ago, we're bound to see a lot of campaigning for their votes. Obviously, the Republicans have an edge right now with nudist voters, but I think we can expect the Democrats to be standing right behind them (well, maybe not right behind them).
American politics being what it is, the Democrats will do their best to narrow the nudist gap. Don't be surprised to see candidates on both sides adopting "pro-nature" platforms. We'll probably hear speakers talk about how confining clothing is, and how we all have to accept each other for who we really are. If it's a close election, it's possible that at least one desperate candidate will doff his or her clothes and join in the volleyball game.
Citing national security, Attorney General John Ashcroft will probably propose that all airline passengers fly in the nude. That will make it much more difficult to conceal weapons. It may also do wonders for travelers' morale, reviving the spirit of "the friendly skies."
And is a clothing-optional Presidential Debate anymore preposterous than what happened in Florida last time? Going after the naked vote is completely consistent with American politics. After all, we certainly have a tradition of politicians getting caught with their pants down.
Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from "Sesame Street" to "Family Ties" to "Frasier." He has also read many books, some of them in hardcover.
By Lloyd Garver
©MMIII CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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irishred
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Posted - 07/31/2003 : 07:37:05 AM
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Great article of "naked summer fun." Don't knock it until you have tried it!
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calmnude
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Posted - 07/31/2003 : 09:52:19 AM
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interesting comment last week during the british open golf tournament. one of british commentators stated that nude beach abutted golf course. camera panned, rear shot of person, then quick turn to ocean. comment by peter alliss, " oh, thats the local nude beach. not to worry." everyone has them or something to that effect. nonchalant, unlike skittish americans. and they say the english are prudish!
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 Posted - 09/10/2003 : 4:53:50 PM
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ABCNEWS.com - July 15, 2003
Nudist Holiday Options
Big Growth in Au Naturel Recreation
By Buck Wolf, ABCNEWS
July 15 — Anything you can do, I can do naked — thanks to the fast-growing nudist recreation industry, which is allowing folks to play tennis, Jet Ski, and golf in the raw.
Nude recreation and tourism has grown into a $400 million business, more than doubling in size in the last 10 years, according to travel industry estimates. It now includes several nude cruises, nude flights to Mexico, and clothing-optional condos and luxury resorts in nearly every tourist destination.
"I think Americans are waking up to the peace and serenity that comes with taking off your clothing. For one thing, nobody has a pocket for a cell phone or beeper," says Carolyn Hawkins of the American Association for Nude Recreation, which boasts more than 50,000 members and 260 clubs.
"In a room of naked people, you don't know who's a judge, and who's a secretary. It's really leaving all those distractions that divide people behind."
Sun Bathers Now Nudists
Until 1995, Hawkins' organization was once known as the American Sunbathing Association, but in the last few years nudists have shed the stigma attached to folks who make their privates public.
The AANR even has a government affairs team that lobbies lawmakers for the right to enjoy an allover tan.
If nudism seems a little out of step with these conservative times, it should be noted that the AANR isn't exactly a youth group. About 92 percent of its members are 35 years old or older. Perhaps they're graying baby boomers trying to recapture their free-freaking days at Woodstock.
Not in all cases. "Nudism cuts across party lines," Hawkins says. "We've got plenty of Republicans in our ranks."
Hawkins believes young people tend to be hung up on appearance. Older people are more likely to accept the sagging, flabby imperfections — in themselves and others.
But if nudists tend to be older, it doesn't make them less desirable consumers. Even when they don't have pockets for their wallets, nudists tend to have income to dispose of — and they're not about to spend their free time in rusty trailer parks.
That's why - -, a top clothing-optional hotel near Tampa, Fla., entertains more than 80,000 guests a year. The 72-acre resort includes 340 luxury condominiums, a hotel, five tennis courts, three heated swimming pools, a health spa, two restaurants, and several boutiques.
More women are embracing nudism, too. Though the AANR is still about 60 percent male, the organization's annual conventions are structured more like family reunions, in scenic locations such as California's Anza-Borrego Desert.
Some of the events from a recent convention: nude fire-walking, a stripped-down soapbox derby, a naked coyote-calling contest and a nude piñata party for the kids.
Here's a look at some of recent developments in nudist recreation. Of course, it's not for everybody, but if you get any vacation ideas, don't forget to pack light.
The Bare Facts on Recreation
Airborne Nudity: You can unfasten a whole lot more than your safety belt when you reach a comfortable cruising altitude on Naked Air.
In May, the inaugural flight of the clothing-optional charter service allowed 90 passengers, paying $499 a seat, to shed their skivvies after boarding in Miami for a flight to Cancun, Mexico.
Castaways Travel in Austin, Texas — which booked the service — says that it had no problem filling up the 172-seat Boeing 727, but had to leave extra space for film crews documenting the historic flight.
All passengers received a commemorative towel to document their experience — and prevent their bare bottom from touching the seat. Additional flights are now being planned for Cancun and Jamaica.
The Federal Aviation Administration refused to weigh in on flying nude. "It's not a safety issue," says spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.
Cabin attendants and crew wore clothing, but didn't serve hot drinks for the safety of their overly exposed passengers.
Controversial Campers: In a June 12 New York Times report on the Youth Leadership Camp in Lutz, Fla., campers complained about having to play strip volleyball. They wanted to play volleyball the regular way — in the nude.
Ever since, the AANR-sponsored camp has been under considerable controversy. Florida Rep. Mark Foley called on Gov. Jeb Bush to investigate the summer program, worrying about the welfare of the children.
But an investigation revealed that the camp has been operating lawfully for more than a decade. Foley has since met with representatives from the camp and asked that it merely review the background-check procedure for its counselors.
No parents have stepped forward to complain, although some campers admit to mosquito bites in the strangest of places. Indeed, skinny-dipping is an honored tradition in many summer camps. The AANR camp merely allows kids 11 to 18 to combine skinny-dipping with all sorts of sports, games and sing-alongs.
A second nudist summer camp for kids opened three years ago in Arizona, with a third and fourth slated to open in Richmond, Va., and Texas.
Classic Car Buffs: Talk about sex drive: At the annual Nude Car Show in Cambridge, Wis., you can expect to see an unusual display of front ends and spare tires. You'll also see more than 50 classic cars.
The Valley View Nudist Recreation Club, which has hosted the event each summer for more than a decade, says a nude car show is just like any other car show. One big exception: Nudists can't sit in the cars.
Bridge of Thighs: You might have a body that could stop traffic. But that doesn't mean you want to cause accidents. In February, Palm Springs opened the world's first "nude bridge" — a $500,000 140-foot-long pedestrian crossing with canvas screens — allowing unclothed vacationers to cross a busy California intersection without being seen by motorists.
The city kicked in $185,000 to rework sidewalks and roads for the project, and held an elaborate ribbon-cutting ceremony, recognizing that clothing-optional resorts plays a part in Palm Springs' ability to attract tourists.
The bridge accommodates guests at the fast-growing - - - — a Mediterranean-style resort that includes a 33-room hotel, 59 one- and two-bedroom villas, 17 condos, four pools, a gym, putting green, and spa.
The resort was built on land where Errol Flynn and Doris Day once owned hotels. Flynn's property is now the nude tennis court, where players wear Velcro belts around their waist, to hold extra tennis balls.
Birthday Suit Brides: Jamaica's Hedonism III resort in Runaway Bay offers world-class water sports — sailing, Jet Skiing, and surfing — all in the buff.
But the picturesque beaches are also said to be quite romantic, leading some guests to exchange wedding vows with the bride wearing nothing more than suntan lotion.
Music legend Englebert Humperdinck even sent good wishes and advice to grooms at a multiple wedding in February: "Don't go in cold water before the ceremony."
Follow the Bouncing Ball: The competitive spirit runs high at the Lake Como Nudist Resort's tennis and volleyball tournaments in Florida. But you can't wear anything, except sneakers.
In May, the Tampa-area resort began broadcasting the nude competition over the Internet. "We wanted to step out of the box and show that we are accepting of all body types," says resort spokeswoman Elf Anderson. "This was nothing more than good, clean fun."
Lake Como features six volleyball courts, and more than 300 people competed in the last tournament. But the resort still has a long way to go if it is to displace Pennsylvania's "Super Bowl" of nude volleyball — which boasts more than 700 competitors.
Nautical Nudists: Nude tourists have been hitting the high seas for more than 13 years, thanks to travel agency Bare Necessities in Texas, which works with Carnival Cruise Lines to offer nude travel to exotic locals including Tahiti, the Greek islands and the Caribbean for 2,000 guests each year.
The voyages are clothing-optional for the crew. Everyone is clothed in the dining room and when the ship docks.
Richard Hatch, the winner of TV's first Survivor, whom David Letterman dubbed "the fat naked guy" for his penchant for regularly shedding his clothes on the reality show, is said to have sailed to Europe in the buff.
The cruise industry is weathering through some tough times. But Bare Necessities is currently arranging its largest nude cruise yet, booking an eight-day voyage on the Carnival Explorer for 2,500 guests in 2005. The travel agency's motto: "We want to see you nude — We really do."
Full-Frontal Ironing: You may not think ironing qualifies as a nudist recreation. However, Niagara Spray Starch reported last month that 46 percent of men and 34 percent of women have ironed in the nude.
Full-frontal ironing might be a practice born of necessity rather than adventurism. If you've ever been caught without a pressed shirt, just remember, freshly ironed clothing can be very, very hot.
People who get burned tend to learn little lessons as they get older. The telephone survey of more than 1,000 people suggests that most exposed ironers are young — nearly 47 percent are under 44 years old. Only 22 percent of seniors iron in the buff.
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Posted - 09/11/2003 : 4:44:43 PM
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OregonLive.com - 07/27/03
Making nude nice again
by WENDY OWEN
ROOSTER ROCK STATE PARK -- On a recent weekday morning, a stiff breeze kicks up waves on the Columbia River beneath overcast skies as temperatures hover in the 70s. But nude sunbathers are already gathering at the eastern end of Rooster Rock State Park.
"When it's in the 90s, it's just too hot out here," said a 37-year-old Portland man wearing only a black tank top, a backpack and sunglasses.
Summer weekends draw as many as a couple hundred nude sunbathers to the "clothing-optional" section of Rooster Rock. The beach's popularity reflects an increase in nude recreation and travel across the United States, according to the American Association for Nude Recreation, which reports a more than 30 percent increase in membership since 1990.
But despite the continued popularity of Rooster Rock's nude beach, problems during the years with voyeurs and sexual deviants lurking in overgrown brush along trails have changed the area's complexion and driven away families, park officials say.
Now, nudists are coordinating efforts to make the only state-sanctioned nude beach in Oregon more family-friendly.
"We used to see more families," said Kevin Price, Oregon State Parks assistant area manager, "but I truly believe some of those folks have gone away because of these activities."
Such problems have actually declined at the park during the past 15 years, but the families haven't returned, Price said.
Visitors agree that one of the area's problems is the abundance of hiding places along trails that narrow to 2 feet in some places, with the grass and bushes thick along the sides.
Earlier this year, Shirley Gauthier, a nudist from Springfield, was working as part of an unclothed work party clearing one of the trails and discovered a man standing in the bushes watching them and masturbating. She is among those who want to return the beach to its family-friendly past and has enlisted the help of nudists and those clothed alike to clean up the area Aug. 2 in hopes that it will also clear out the deviant behavior.
The eastern side of Rooster Rock State Park officially became a clothing-optional beach in 1979. Naked sunbathers and swimmers had made the entire park a de facto nude beach for three years before the state drew a line to separate the clad and unclad visitors.
Nudity is allowed at Sauvie Island in Columbia County, but it is not state-sanctioned. Sauvie Island has suffered some of the same problems as Rooster Rock from sexual deviants hiding in the brush, said Mark Nebeker of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the site. Two officers patrol, and the agency tries to keep people on trails and out of the bushes, Nebeker said.
State Parks contracts with the Oregon State Police to patrol Rooster Rock. Most of the lewd and obscene crimes committed at the park are misdemeanors, and the offenders are cited rather than arrested, said Sgt. Craig George, a retired Oregon State Police officer.
George oversees the Volunteers in the Columbia River Gorge, a group of 50 people ranging in age from 20 to 70 who will be helping Gauthier and other members of the American Association for Nude Recreation improve the nude beach.
George said he warned the volunteers that they would likely be working next to naked workers and to stay home if they didn't cotton to such things.
"We want to make it accessible to people and keep it from becoming like areas of Portland that even I don't go to," George said.
The American Association for Nude Recreation has 2,600 members in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, and about 50,000 members nationwide, said its national president, Pat Brown of Springfield.
Nationally, nude recreation and travel is booming, climbing 230 percent since 1992, a 2003 survey conducted for the American Association for Nude Recreation found, according to an April story in The Wall Street Journal. That reflects what Brown said is a greater acceptance of nudism.
"I think the days are gone when we get angry citizens" complaining, Brown said.
Some people, especially those who prefer clothing, might question the push for a "family-oriented" nude beach. But nudists see it as nothing more than recreation, such as taking children to the mall or a ball game.
"To us, nude recreation was a very important part of our lives," said Brown, 61, whose six children grew up visiting nude beaches and clubs. "They learned body acceptance at a young age, which is something that is important to all of us."
Brown's first public nude experience took place at Rooster Rock nearly 20 years ago, and it quickly became a family event.
"We were avid Rooster Rock goers for the first few years," she said. But that stopped when the "Looky Lous," as Brown calls them, went too far.
"Not only were they looking, but they were exhibiting poor behavior," she said. "It was not conducive to a family atmosphere."
Brown, her husband and six children frequented private clubs instead, but Brown missed the beach. She plans to return to Rooster Rock with her grandchildren once it's cleaned up.
"Being without clothing is a wonderfully free thing," Brown said. "It is just plain comfortable."
Wendy Owen: 541-296-0606; wowennews@aol.com
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calmnude
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Posted - 09/12/2003 : 10:26:50 AM
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another positive reference to nudity. USA Today, 9/12/03, in an article about St. Bart's, makes mention of nudity (phrase au naturel) in the first paragraph of the article in a front page article. then it just goes on in the narrative. simply an as is statement. no frills, no tut-tutting. which is the way it should be all the time. every forward step is a gain for our way of life.
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Admin
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Posted - 01/02/2009 : 10:35:16 PM
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This story was reprinted as one of the
Top 10 Travel Stories for 2008
on the online version of The New York Times - published December 31, 2008:
"From nudist resorts in Mexico to sea-scented villages in Ireland and the bohemian scene in Buenos Aires, these are the top 10 stories, as viewed by readers, in 2008 from the New York Times Travel section."
Now, here is the original story:
From The New York Times - April 27, 2008
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Worries
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
Published: April 27, 2008
See Slide Show and Photos at the original website.
WHEN Larry Massa says he likes to travel light, he means it. No need for a jacket and tie at dinner, a pristine set of tennis whites when he hits the court, or even a bathrobe to wear when heading from his hotel room to the pool or the spa.
For when Mr. Massa, 74, a retired Navy commander and computer science engineer from Virginia Beach, and his wife, Darlene, go on vacation, they do it in the nude. “If you haven’t tried it, there’s no way I can tell you what a fun thing it is, what an added dimension to a vacation it can be” said Mr. Massa, who has been taking “clothing-optional” vacations since 2001 and whose most recent trip was to an all-nude resort in Mexico. “I’ll never forget the day,” said Mr. Massa, recalling the couple’s first nudist vacation at a Caribbean resort. “The place was full. We went to the far end of the pool and Dar said, ‘I’m going to take my top off.’ I thought I’m not going to wear these stupid swim trunks in the pool. So I jumped in naked. She looked down at me and dropped her bottoms and we never looked back.”
To many, the mention of a nudist resort conjures up images of isolated beach colonies with volleyball courts, hippie-style gatherings in a secluded campground or R.V. parks tucked away in the woods for vacationers who still talk reverently about the Summer of Love.
And while those kinds of offerings still exist for Mr. Massa and his fellow naturists, as they prefer to be called, the real boom in nude vacations is coming at the high end of the business, as upscale hotels and resorts, and even some luxury cruise lines, have begun to see the economic potential in the no-clothes crowd — particularly those who want to shed their clothes but not their pampered lifestyles.
The $300-a-person all-inclusive Hidden Beach Resort, a nude-only luxury hotel that opened in 2003 along Mexico’s popular Mayan Riviera, greets guests with Champagne upon arrival. Rose petals are tossed on the beds at turndown, and beach butlers hand out towels and reading materials to guests relaxing in the nude, while they themselves walk around in discreet uniforms of buttoned-down shirts and khaki pants.
- -, a two-year old nude resort and spa in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., with room rates ranging from $269 to $900 a night, features Asian-influenced rooms with Egyptian bed linens, flat-screen TVs and natural mineral water pumped into the shower. The upscale Occidental Grand Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands has set aside entire blocks of rooms exclusively for nude guests. And several mainstream hotels, including Caesar’s Palace and the Mirage in Las Vegas, have introduced topless pools in the past couple of years.
Even in the vacation home market, a new clothing-optional condo-resort, Mira Vista in Marana, Ariz., is selling more than a hundred two-bedroom condominiums, priced from $244,500.
In 2007, nude recreation represented a $440 million industry — up from $400 million in 2001 and $200 million in 1992 — and it’s still growing, says the American Association for Nude Recreation, which promotes au natural vacations as “nakations.” According to the association, roughly 20 percent of members have a median household income of $106,000, drive luxury cars and spend $3,000 or more on travel.
The types of nude vacations have expanded too. Vacationers can now roll out a mat at all-nude yoga retreats, share banana bread with other guests at all-nude bed-and-breakfasts, gear up for nude mountain biking in California’s High Desert and saunter around the decks of cruise ships chartered specifically for clothing-free travel. In Germany, a travel operator has arranged for an all-nude charter flight this summer to take customers to a clothing-optional retreat in the Baltics. The naturists will take off and land fully clothed, but shed their clothes once airborne. (Flight attendants and crew will, however, keep their uniforms on.)
SpaFinder.com, an online spa search engine, recently created a separate category for “nudist spa vacations” after noticing an increase in searches for the term. Since November, searches on SpaFinder.com for such trips have averaged about 720 a month — beating out “pet-friendly spas” (284) and “waxing services” (298).
“It’s no longer just a grass-roots, nuts-and-sweets kind of thing,” said Nancy Tiemann, president of Bare Necessities, which specializes in nude travel and is offering a seven-day Greek cruise in September, along with four others in 2008 and 2009. Four months ago, Ms. Teimann’s company began selling an all-nude 2010 Hawaiian cruise on Celebrity Cruise Line’s Constellation, a 2,000-passenger ship. Already, about 90 percent of the ship is booked.
When the company, which she owns with her husband, Tom, began chartering small ships for all-nude cruises in the early 90s, she said many mainstream cruise operators dismissed them as a joke. “Now,” Ms. Tiemann said, with perhaps a touch of hyperbole, “they’re trampling each other to get our business.”
Most nude vacationers say that what they enjoy most is liberation from the typical pretenses of society. “When you don’t have any clothes on, you don’t know if someone’s a judge or a doctor, or a lawyer or a mechanic,” said Larry Massa. “You are what you are.”
Nude recreation, of course, goes back at least to the ancient Greeks, who competed in the Olympics sans clothing, and later, in the United States, both Benjamin Franklin and Henry David Thoreau lauded the benefits of nude nature walks, or “air baths.”
But it wasn’t until the dawn of the 20th century when nudism became organized in America, according to the American Association for Nude Recreation. Kurt Barthel, a German immigrant, is acknowledged as the founder of American nudism. On Labor Day of 1929 he led a small group of individuals to picnic in the buff in upstate New York and organized the first official nudist club, called the American League for Physical Culture, where nudists paid dues to gather to swim, socialize and relax in the nude.
Today, America’s increasing obsession with health and wellness may be contributing to the rise of clothing-optional vacations. “Americans have moralized healthy bodies,” said Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, who has studied moral emotion and judgment. He added that “a case could be made that people are traveling to these places to be pure for moral reasons — to achieve harmony in nature.” It’s really a form of self-expression, he added, that dates back to Walt Whitman and John Muir, as well as Thoreau, all of whom advocated being as true to yourself as possible. “The truest you can be is taking off those clothes,” he said.
Suzann Zane, a 26-year-old bartender from Baltimore, decided to try her first nude vacation this year — a weekend getaway in January to the Avalon Resort in Paw Paw, W. Va. — partly because of her interest in getting back to nature. “I consider myself a minimalist,” said Ms. Zane. “With this big societal push for becoming green, we need to kind of get back to our roots and I thought maybe this would be a good way.” The first clue that this would be a different kind of vacation came on the drive up the long winding road to Avalon. The first sign Ms. Zane said she spotted was one that posted the speed limit at 7 m.p.h. The second announced, “Beyond this point you will encounter nudity.”
When Susan Sullivan, 42, from New Jersey, visited her first nudist resort last year with her boyfriend, John Sheilds, 55, she said she had to warm up to the idea of disrobing in front of strangers by draping a towel over her body when she first went outdoors. But after a short while, she too lost any inhibitions. “You come to the realization you’re looking at those people, you’re not staring at people. They’re not staring at you.”
SpaFinder’s chief executive, Pete Ellis, theorizes that the increase of spas at resorts has influenced the growing acceptance of nudity. After all, disrobing for a massage has become a routine vacation ritual for many travelers. Even the staid Canyon Ranch Resort in Tucson, Ariz., has nude sunbathing decks off both the women’s and men’s locker rooms with an unlimited supply of sunscreen.
Warm-weather resorts from Palm Springs to Miami Beach to the Caribbean say they are seeing (and turning a blind eye to) more topless sunbathing at their pools and beaches as the strength of the euro brings more Europeans, and their more relaxed attitude toward nudity, on vacations to this country.
So many European guests were sunbathing topless on the beach at Starfish Trelawny, an all-inclusive family resort in Jamaica, that the resort put up a bamboo fence at the eastern end of its beach a few years ago to keep conservative guests happy and teenage boys from gawking. And Shan Kanagasingham, the general manager at The Tides, in South Beach, recalls her first stay at the hotel when she got the job about a year ago. “When I checked in for the first time to the Tides — and I’m not making this up — I opened the window and looked out, and all I saw was this sea of breasts and people walking around in G-strings.”
The spa at the Parker Palms Springs, which opened about two years ago, offers separate men’s and women’s areas each with pools and relaxation areas, all of which can be used in the nude. “And trust me, they are,” said Marisa Zafran, the hotel’s spokeswoman.
To make sure the experience doesn’t turn voyeuristic — or into a free love free-for-all, some resorts turn away single men. And most make it clear what the resort offers and what it doesn’t. “We make sure they understand it’s not a sexual kind of place,” said Tom Mulhall, who owns the Terra Cotta Inn in Palm Springs, with his wife, Mary Clare.
And while nude resorts say they don’t pressure guests to strip, guests are expected to be mostly naked for most of their stay. “We allow for the clothing optional until they feel comfortable with their own body and are willing to be nude in public,” said Dave Landman, co-owner of Mira Vista Resort near Tucson. “If someone we get is never nude I go over and say, “why are you here?’”
No matter how popular and upscale nude resorts become, one social convention is unlikely to change: Nudity and family vacations don’t always mix.
Just ask the Massas. They simply can’t convince their children, all in their late 40s, to join them on their two or three trips a year.
On vacation at the Couples Negril resort in Jamaica, which has a nude beach in addition to what she refers to as a “prude” beach, Ms. Massa said she casually mentioned to her son and daughter-in-law that she was going to check out the nude side.
“Mom,” replied her son, “I don’t want to see you naked.”
PLANNING A NAKATION? DON'T FORGET THE SUNBLOCK
The American Association for Nude Recreation (www.aanr.com) defines a nakation as: “1. A clothes-free interlude from one’s customary duties, as for recreation or rest; a holiday. 2. The part of your vacation you’ll brag to friends about.” Here are some of the growing nakation options.
NUDE RESORTS: Roughly an hour south of Cancún, Mexico, the all-inclusive Hidden Beach Resort offers 42 oceanfront suites with Champagne upon arrival and special touches like rose petals tossed on the bed at turndown. In addition to the pool, beach and hot tub, au natural amenities include nude dining, nude bars and a nude disco (888-754-3907; www.hiddenbeachresort.com). Rates begin at $215 per person a night based on two people sharing an oceanfront junior suite.
The - - in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., is a so-called nude lifestyle resort with an emphasis on “upscale adults only pleasures.” Rooms start at $269 a night and offer Asian décor, Egyptian bed linens and mineral water pumped into the showers. No single men allowed (877-928-2827; www.seamountaininn.com).
In Spain’s Canary Islands, the all-inclusive Occidental Grand Fuerteventura has 38 rooms set aside exclusively for nude guests. The rooms share an au natural swimming pool and Jacuzzi and start at $67 euros a person a night, or about $108 at $1.61 to the euro (34-928-873-600; www.occidentalhotels.com).
NUDE CRUISES: Bare Necessities Tour and Travel is offering several naked cruises including a nearly sold-out week-long sailing in February 2009 to ports in Florida, Jamaica and Mexico. Passengers must board and disembark fully clothed and dress for dinner in the dining room. Prices start at $1,949 for a cabin with a balcony on the upper deck (800-743-0405, www.bare-necessities.com).
Castaways Travel is selling a sail down the Danube in the nude, from Budapest to Vienna to Nuremberg, July 20 to 27, on a 75-cabin river boat. Rates from $2,199 to $2,799 a person (800-470-2020, www.danubeadultcruise.com).
NUDE FLIGHT: A German travel company, OssiUrlaub, is offering an all-nude flight from Erfurt, Germany, to the Baltic Sea resort of Usedom in July. Note to non-German speakers: ask for Sandra. Cost: 499 euros a person(49-361-6006-520; www.ossiurlaub.de).
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old hippie
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Posted - 01/11/2009 : 11:49:18 AM
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This most recent posting was originally from early 2008, before many Americans (and others) saw great declines in their purchasing power. Has anyone seen articles or reports of this sort in the past two or three months? Will the shrinking economy lead to fewer people going to upscale (or even any scale) resorts?
My wife and I just enjoyed a very pleasant week in Florida, visiting attractions from a "swim with the dolphins" place to Haulover Beach. Not too expensive, and a welcome break from the chilly Northeast. One need only plan carefully and spend prudently. Of course, I don't spend much on swimsuits.
Home now in time to watch the Eagles march to the SuperBowl.
(Cookie, I still owe you that beer from '06. Love to find a time to pay up.)
Ol' Hippie
Dum vivimus, vivamus!
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Edited by - old hippie on 01/11/2009 11:50:32 AM |
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Admin
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Posted - 03/19/2009 : 3:04:14 PM
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The BBC, when reporting a discovery at a beach in Devon popular with naturists, hardly mentions the nudity at all. Are naturists already that mainstream?
From BBC NEWS - 17 March 2009
Ancient giant worms clue in cliff
Page last updated at 20:21 GMT, Tuesday, 17 March 2009
 Scientists believe they have unearthed evidence of giant prehistoric worms, on a naturist beach in Devon.
Casts of the monster worms, thought to have been made 260 million years ago, have been found by geologists at the beach near Torbay.
Dr Kevin Page of Plymouth University believes they were made by worms 3ft (90cm) long and 6in (15cm) wide.
He found the casts while surveying the area for a project backed by Unesco, the environmental arm of the UN.
The English Riviera Geopark is one of 57 sites around the world which aim to protect geo-diversity and to promote geological heritage.
On his ramblings for the Geopark, Dr Page found the mysterious markings which appear to show a giant worm.
Dr Page, chairman of the Devon Regionally Important Geological Sites Group, told BBC News: "It's extraordinary. We are looking at an entirely new life form."
"They seem to be some sort of worm.
"These have never been seen before, so we have some of the last vestiges of a different world preserved in the rock."
Further surveys will be made before the research is published later this year.
Dr Page said: "I just couldn't believe my eyes. They are not in the books. They are new.
"I am very excited, needless to say."
One of the beach's regulars said: "I shall watch that cliff with renewed interest when I come down to sunbathe and sketch in the summer."
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FlCpl4NewdFun
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| Nudist-Resorts.Org Discussion Forum Bulletin Board Nudism Clothing Optional Resort Naturism Nude Beaches |
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Nudism becomes accepted in the mainstream media!
