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Rick's Travelicious: Destin and Seaside in Florida's fabulous panhandle
Sure, you can listen to the media hype about the oil drenched beaches of beautiful Destin, Florida and surrounding communities and stay far away, or you can do as I did in the last month, and travel at least a couple times to indulge in some needed rest and relaxation . . . and do your part to help rebuild tourism. This place is hospitable, invigorating and sundrenched! While you may notice the slight black caps on some of the white sands and the occasional government workers swinging by to take sand samples, you’ll nonetheless enjoy a lot of rest and relaxation anywhere along the shoreline, whether Destin or Seaside, my two favorite coastal communities. You’ll also notice that traveling there these days is inexpensive, a reward for “brave travelers” like me and my friends. Find a Vision Airlines near you and fly them to their home base of Ft. Walton/Destin for as low as $19 each way (as I did)! Rent a fully-equipped and furnished beachfront condo for a partial week for less than $500 (a rate that hasn’t been honored there in decades)! And enjoy the landscape (both natural and human…it is a military town after all filled with handsome, tanned Airforce men and women)! Arrive on a Saturday or Sunday, as I did, and follow the lights immediately to Harry T’s Lighthouse (www.harryts.com). Ask for Kim, she’s a local and one of the best servers I’ve met in all my travels. Then order the Nachos for the table (as big as a bushel) and unlimited champagne or pineapple cranberry mimosas for under $10. There’s even a server devoted to refills who wears a belt adorned with champagne bottles. You’ll be overlooking Holiday Isle, a peninsula filled with revelers wearing barely anything, hanging from the beach-wrecked boats. You’ll see just how fun your week can be!
I’d suggest you stay on the other end of Holiday Isle or Sandestin, which is half way to Seaside. The beaches there are more grown up, more mature, more quiet. On three occasions, my friends and I even swam with porpoises less than 10 feet away from us. They are friendly sorts, and, between me and three friends, we saved over $1000 had we traveled to the recreated Dolphin World on the other Florida Coast. There are many travel sites that will save you money too such as sandestin.hotelreservations.com where you can search for the amenities, location, room sizes, views and prices you like! And the Goodwill shopping in Destin is amazing (with 50% off funky, recycled clothing on Mondays). You’ll want to rent a car to get around. Pickup is conveniently right at the airport (no shuttles) and as our Hertz rep flavorfully told us, “we aren’t big enough to have check-in and checkout folks for gates out there, so throw your keys back on the counter when you return.” From sunrise to moonlight, you’ll find beachcombing amazing! It was on a morning barefoot run, following inspiration from the full moon the night before, that I met a former Calvin Klein model who set my day off right. I got little sleep while in Destin, and I didn’t need much because when you’re in the Panhandle of Florida, all is bliss and you lose track of time, as it should be. There is a night life in the Destin area and like many places these days, the Str8 and LGBT communities mix together freely. Many folks will lead you to Nighttown on Palmetto Street (www.nightown.com) for dancing, however my female friends and I recommend you go to one of the various establishments at Sandestin’s Baytowne, a gated community with golfing, shopping and clubs. Check out www.sandestin.com/Baytowne. There are wonderful worship opportunities in this town as well, for the morning after. Easter morning, which fell during my first trip to the Panhandle, offered me a choice of two sunrise services, both on the beach: one Lutheran, one Methodist which have become tradition. On my second trip, I took the treasured advise of the Calvin model and my friends from Missouri, Matt and Kate (meet Kate Lauman at www.connectmidmissouri.com/about/bio.aspx?id=693) who became engaged in this area, to take my trio of friends to Seaside, Florida where Jim Carey shot his “Truman Show” (learn more at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truman_Show). I knew a print model, a liquor rep and and a morning news anchor couldn’t go wrong and they didn’t. While the beaches were a bit more family-friendly (and I mean it in the traditional way, not our way), they were every bit as gorgeous. Seaside, Santa Rosa, Grayton Beach and WaterColor, FL (you read it right, the community’s name is WaterColor; visit it first at www.joe.com/watercolor-community then visit it real time) are must-dos. The shopping around these communities were in a more stylin’, self-contained areas. The choice of unique dining experiences was amazing. Kate directed us to the Red Bar which you’ll recognize by its Indian-inspired door, funky interior and slate board menu . . . that’s right, there are only a few options for lunch and again for dinner. Each choice we made, based on the recommendation of Kim, another friendly server, was delicious (grouper fish and chips, a burger, fresh tuna salad, crawfish), topped off by Florida Key Lime Pie…where one slice easily fed four of us. Ask Dorothy, Rose or Sophia, my travel mates from Shreveport, LA (they know their crawfish) and they will confirm that this pie was the piece’ de resistance! Check out a sample menu at www.theredbar.com. This area is also home to the sweet Seaside Rep (www.seasidereptheatre.wordpress.com) where two recent theatre grads of Centenary College (in Shreveport) are performing this summer. Check out their current production of Commedia Pinocchio which runs through August 10th. Be sure to say hi to Destin and Scott! Yes, my friends and I travel as the “Golden Girls,” and just happened upon Florida this trip, appropriately and gladly so. Thanks gals for a golden good time! And thank you Kim, the other Kim, Matt & Kate, oh and Mr. CK, as well as the many happy folks working in tourism in this area of the Pandhandle for a wonderfully memorable May! I’m grateful, too, that this last four day adventure wasn’t broadcast 24-hours-a-day to billions of people across the globe ala The Truman Show, but then again much of it is, now, thanks to a blog. Travel deliciously!
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Essential sites and resources: SeniorNet
I’ll be adding these as I find them. SeniorNet is a great site for people who aren’t necessarily tech savvy but want or need to be. Check it out.
From SeniorNet.org:
SeniorNet’s mission is to provide older adults education for and access to computer technologies to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom. Find out how you can become a part of SeniorNet and start enjoying the benefits of membership today!
If you are looking for some help to learn new or enhance existing computer skills, you have found the right place. Welcome. Come on in and make yourself at home. SeniorNet is the nation’s most respected nonprofit organization that specializes in computer and Internet education for older adults. Since 1986, SeniorNet has empowered over one million Boomers and Seniors providing encouragement, lifelong learning opportunities and new worlds to explore via the Internet.]]> -
RIP Gil Scott-Heron – an innovative voice goes silent at 62
This was sad news for me, and one of those things I read that immediately takes me back to a point in time. 1978. Bloomington, Indiana. I was living there, a very messy life, rooming with a woman in a $95 dollar-a-month apartment. We were about 20 yards from the railroad tracks, and trains would barrel by every fifteen minutes or so, shaking the apartment. Even at that rent we had trouble paying, and every month was a struggle.
There in the soundtrack to our lives, among whatever else we were listening to, was Gil Scott-Heron. His album ‘Secrets‘ had come out that year, and we listened to it over and over and over. There was one song on it, ‘Show Bizness,’ that I still recite to myself (for Scott-Heron was an early innovator of the marriage of spoken word and music that came to be called rap and hip-hop; many of his songs were more recited than sung).
Do you really want to be in show bizness
It’s the highly constant come and go bizness
Got you hangin’ out in places you got no bizness
People sell their souls just to be in show bizness
Show bizness, it’s alright with me Gil Scott-Heron was brilliant, a trailblazer, a pioneer, and a very distinct part of the soundtrack to my life. Hats off and hearts out.]]> -
Affordable Care Act already saving millions for Seniors in donut hole
Pardon the tangent, but my late father always described his prostate (when he was explaining his frequent trips to the bathroom) as a donut, so every time I read about Medicare’s donut hole I think of my dad’s prostate.
The Affordable Care Act, while still being implemented in stages, has already saved $166 million for seniors in the donut hole (something I still don’t fully understand, but anyone in the donut hole knows it!).
From HealthCare.gov:
The Affordable Care Act is cutting the cost of prescription drugs for millions of people with Medicare. Starting this year, people with Medicare receive a 50% percent discount on covered brand name drugs bought when they are in the donut hole.
To receive the discount, no special action is required. Seniors simply purchase drugs at the pharmacy and receive the discount automatically.
So far, 271,000 people have used the discounts to save an average of $613 for a total of $166 million. These savings will continue to grow. Most people who reach the donut hole do so later in the year, so we know more and more seniors will be helped as the year progresses. But seniors with high costs are already receiving critical relief from prescription drug costs.
Most of these discounts are helping seniors with serious medical conditions – nearly 20% of the benefits provided to date – more than $32 million – are for cancer drugs and another nearly 10% – about $16 million – are for drugs provide to multiple sclerosis patients.
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LGBT families likely to travel in summer despite rising costs
Our families travel just like any other, and the Family Equality Council predicts LGBT families will continue their vacations despite the rising costs of fuel and accommodations. LGBT families with children find it important to vacation where they can have a sense of inclusion.
For my own part, my family is my partner Frank and we’re headed on a Caribbean cruise June 4. Look for photos and blog posts!
From the Windy City Media Group:
Boston, MA – (May 26, 2011) — The Family Equality Council, America’s foremost advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families, today predicted LGBT families will continue to travel in robust numbers during the summer season despite the rising cost of airfare and gas prices as well as current economic conditions. The traditional summer travel season kicks off this Memorial Day weekend. Brent Wright, Director of Programming for Family Equality Council, said LGBT families see their summer travel experiences as more than just discretionary vacations. “Our families tell us that they place a high value on the opportunity to take their children to destinations they consider life-affirming and culturally enriching as well as fun,” said Wright. “This is the one time of year where some LGBT families feel free to celebrate their diversity and make connections with other parts of their community.” Wright said there are more than 1 million LGBT parents raising 2 million children in the U.S. today. Millions more same-sex couples and individuals without children will choose to travel with parents, grandparents, siblings and extended families. Continue reading
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LIVING LEGACIES: Words of appreciation across the generations
One of my regular readers, Shannon, watched the trailer for the movie ‘Gen Silent‘ and was struck by a comment of one of the people in the film that younger people don’t know who these LGBT elders are. She suggested making a series of videos with appreciations from young people, and I said have at it! This is her video. I’m hoping there will be more, and I intend to do one of my own. Considering that it was the gay men in my life, not my father, who taught me to be a man, the least I can do is say thank you, you are remembered in the present, past and future. These will be posted here at lgbtsr.com. If you’d like to contribute contact me at lgbtsr@gmail.com. – Mark McNease]]>
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New Ewan McGregor movie 'Beginners' highlights coming out of elderly gay dad
I was a big fan of ‘I Love You, Phillip Morris,’ with McGregor and Jim Carey. McGregor’s new movie looks to be marvelous, but with an obvious heartbreaker at its center: his father, Christopher Plummer, comes out late in life . . . just in time to have a terminal illness. I don’t know if I’ll see this one, it looks like it could be as much a downer as an upper, but it’s on my list.]]>
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LGBT archivist in Northampton, MA, seeks space for collection
Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis before it. One archivist in Northampton, Massachusetts, has acquired a vast collection in his home and is looking for a space to house it. From MassLive.com: NORTHAMPTON – A newly formed foundation is hoping to bring information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender worlds all the way out of the closet into a dedicated facility that will serve as a resource for the entire East Coast. The Sexual Minorities Educational Foundation Inc. already boasts one of the most extensive archives on gay life, history and art in the country, but since 1979 it has been confined to the Northampton home of Bet Power, the president of the foundation’s board of directors. With the recent establishment of the 12-member board and a pending application for nonprofit status, the foundation is hoping to take the long-awaited next step and set up shop in a new location where the archives can be readily accessible to the public. “It’s always been my intention to have it open to the public,” said Power, who has hosted a steady parade of students and scholars at his home for decades. “I wanted to organize and give it a structure.” Continue reading]]>
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After 50 years, Amnesty International sees much work to do on LGBT rights
As it passes its 50th anniversary, Amnesty International enjoys the success of being a household name. One area it has played an important role in (and, as you read the article, there are criticisms of that role) is in bringing LGBT rights into the consciousness of people fighting for human rights around the world.
From SoSoGay.com:
Amnesty International’s influence provides a lifeline for people who have been deprived of their liberty and dignity. As an organisation that fights against injustices of human rights, it is unsurprising that gay rights are also firmly on the charity’s agenda. Amnesty International’s LGBT network addresses injustice for people who are marginalised, or worse, due to their sexual orientation. It puts pressure on governments and leads campaigns in order to empower individuals and groups. Clare Bracey, LGBT Campaign Manager for Amnesty International tells So So Gay that ‘over 60 countries around the world criminalise homosexuality, and in eight of these countries the maximum penalty is death. The criminalisation of people based on their sexual orientation contravenes international and regional human rights treaties.’ Some of Amnesty International’s recent achievements include helping legalise same-sex marriage in Argentina, campaigning for Lithuania to have its first Baltic Pride, and helping Turkey keep open Black Pink, an LGBT organisation that had been threatened with closure.
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Housing a major concern for 1.5 million LGBT seniors
There has been encouraging news of late regarding housing specifically targeted for LGBT seniors, with a growing awareness of the need for it. One of my personal concerns is that we must keep in mind that a lot of us won’t be able to afford higher-end assisted living or complexes designed for LGBT people of means.
That said, a new survey reflects housing as a major concern for LGBT seniors and those on our way to being seniors.
From Senior Housing News:
As the Baby Boomer generation approaches retirement age, starting in 2011, the population of American seniors is expected to double from 37.9 million to 72.1 million. A study released by San Diego’s The Center, an organization devoted to housing and related needs of the LGBT community, says there are an estimated 1.5 million LGBT seniors currently, and that number will continue to grow. The study lists senior housing as one of the top concerns for the LGBT community as it approaches retirement age.
Members of San Diego’s LGBT Community Center have met during the last two years to discuss issues affecting LGBT seniors, including senior housing. “The guiding mission of the group was to help to facilitate the development of a long-term community vision for affordable housing and other living facilities,” the study says.
[SNIP]
In light of the survey’s findings, the Community Center’s report lists a series of recommendations in regards to senior LGBT housing, including identifying “a low-income, senior housing developer who may be willing to work in partnership with the LGBT community to develop subsidized, affordable, low-income senior housing for LGBT seniors; existing low-income, senior housing options for LGBT seniors, including existing landlords or property owners who may be willing to work inpartnership with the LGBT community to expand their affordable offerings to low-income LGBT seniors; and existing market-rate senior housing communities who may be interested in the further development of market rate housing or retirement communities for LGBT seniors.”
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New York City creates hospital training video on LGBT health issues
I reported yesterday that New York City hospitals are providing training on issues facing LGBT patients. Their training video is out, and it’s superb.]]>
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Gerry Hoose, Stonewall veteran, discusses first NY Pride march and SAGE
This came over in an email from SAGE. Gerry Hoose was one of the people there that night in 1969 at the Stonewall bar. He provides a glimpse into what it was like then for LGBT people, and what we should never forget. He was also a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front – something I remember reading about in my own gay youth in Indiana when I searched for proof I wasn’t alone.]]>
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NYC hospitals to provide training on issues faced by LGBT patients
Reflecting the growing awareness of health issues unique to the LGBT population, New York City hospitals are adopting competence training for their staff.
From Advocate.com:
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the nation’s largest urban healthcare agency serving 1.3 million patients, will adopt cultural competence training for staff members to help improve the health of LGBT people.
The launch of the mandatory employee training program will be announced Wednesday by HHC president Alan D. Aviles, deputy mayor Linda Gibbs and National LGBT Cancer Network executive director Liz Margoiles. Dozens of elected officials, community leaders, patients, and hospital staff members are expected to attend the announcement at Bellevue Hospital to include a screening of the new training video, “To Treat Me, You Have to Know Who I Am.”
The 10-minute video, produced in collaboration with the National LGBT Cancer Network, is part of a curriculum that will reach 38,000 physicians, nurses, technicians, administrators, and support services staff at new employee orientations, annual in-service programs and upcoming employee town hall meetings.
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