Sherman's Travel

While it’s only a week till the 2012 Miss America Pageant (apparently neither a gay porn scandal nor a move to Vegas can keep the glamour down), it’s what’s happening one week later at the drag’d up tribute/spoof Miss’d America Pagaent in Atlantic City that we really care about. With dates confirmed, the 4th Annual Out in AC weekend is set to take over Caesars Entertainment properties – Harrah’s, Caesar’s, Showboat, and Bally’s – for two days and nights of gay play on the boardwalk (January 21–22).

Fans of previous years can rest assured all the classics will be back, including the “Pre Miss’d America Loft Party” and “Out of Control Brunch and Bingo” to round out the LGBT-tailored weekend. Carson Kressley is set to host with special guest star Martha Wash of The Weather Girls for the main event at Resorts Casino Hotel. It’s all about diversity, pride, and of course, having a little fun. Bonus points if you hit a jackpot.

Read on for the full schedule below: Read more

The capital of Nova Scotia is gearing up to commemorate the Titanic tragedy’s centennial anniversary in 2012 with a series of concerts, museum exhibitions, tours, and more. Halifax, set on Canada’s Atlantic coast, has profound ties to the legendary ship’s ill-fated maiden voyage on April 15, 1912 – it ended up serving as the final destination and resting place for some 150 of the bodies recovered at sea. More than 1,500 passengers and crew perished in the tragic wreck when the “unsinkable” ship plowed into an iceberg at high speeds. Read more

The Music City will be living up to its moniker as it rings in 2012, thanks to its newly announced – and entirely free – Bash on Broadway celebration, featuring a musical lineup headlined by Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd. What’s more, Nashville will be launching a new “music note” drop, featuring a 15-foot tall musical note that will descend 115 feet as the clock strikes midnight, culminating with a fireworks display and a blitz of confetti. Read more

For more than 700 years, Christmas markets have been an annual event in German city squares. The tradition started with 15th-century farmers selling goods in the weeks leading up to December 25. More vendors joined as the markets gained popularity, and now a typical German Christmas market also includes booths selling traditional European food and drink and a variety of ornaments, crafts, and toys. Markets have become an annual event in German cities both big and small, and larger cities like Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne even have several markets each. Christkindlemarkets across Germany welcome millions of visitors each year, and many of those visitors come from neighboring areas and countries. For example, only about 50 percent of the visitors to the Munich Christkindlemarket actually live in Munich.

The popularity of these markets has expanded to other countries. Several British cities host German markets, and there are even markets in Osaka and Sapporo, Japan. The markets in North America offer different varieties of traditional European food and gifts. But no matter what market you visit, expect to see plenty of steaming mugs of glühwein (mulled spiced wine).

Read more

Winter weather already giving you the blues? Heat things up with the soulful sounds of Cuban singer Pepito Gomez at Drom dance club in New York City.

With performances at Carnegie Hall, The Fillmore, and the Havana Film Festival under his belt, Pepito Gomez’s signature tenor and Cuban authenticity have garnered resounding praise from Omara Portuondo of the Buena Vista Social Club. Gomez is currently recording with nine-time Grammy award-winning producer Jose Lugo.

Recently voted “Best New Dance Club” by the Village Voice, Drom earns raves for its welcoming atmosphere and happening dance floor, while delivering the hottest global dance music acts.

Our ShermansTravel Local Deals has the hook-up with a ticket to the show, a Cuban dinner buffet, and a beginner salsa class – all for just $28. The performances are coming up fast and tickets are limited, so hurry to get yours today!

For general trip-planning information, see our New York City Travel Guide.

Looking for a surefire remedy for that nasty New Year’s hangover? Try kicking off 2012 with an adrenaline-inducing “Polar Bear Plunge.” Your little headache will be the last things on your mind when diving in on this fun-fueled – and oftentimes, freezing – tradition in cities across the U.S., whereby participants fling themselves into typically frigid bodies of water in the name of fund-raising or just plain fun-raising. In what’s become a New Year’s Day mainstay, we’ve rounded up a list of locales where you can opt to either sign up for the silliness yourself, or to ogle the “brrr-aaave” participants from a safe – and bundled up – distance: Read more

Art Basel Miami is only a week away – have you nabbed your hotel room yet? If the answer is no, fret not: Lords South Beach is offering 10 percent off room rates, while they last. A real steal, considering most of South Beach is already sold out and/or raising rates for the event’s duration. And what is a gay to make of the pandemonium that takes over the city from December 1 through December 4? Why, keep it in the family, of course. Not only can you sleep at the Lords South Beach, but you can party there, too.

As the city’s premier gay hotel, you can bop from fair to trade show to gala opening and end up back at your home-away-from-home for a party amongst the queers – but not before first grabbing an ice cream sandwich from the CoolHaus (www.eatcoolhaus.com) truck parked out front, or hitting up the late-night action at Twist (www.twistsobe.com), just around the corner. While unwinding in the rooms, look for works by NYC-based artist Trong G. Nguyen, who will be installing his works at random, including Is Heaven for Homos, Grilla Girls Gone Wild, and HNH Oz Slippers. Think of it as your Art Basel Gay HQ.

Read on for the full schedule of the hotel’s Basel-week events: Read more

Yup, you read that headline right: There’s still a Pride left in 2011! Capping off an amazing year of celebrations around the world, the 25th annual Palm Springs Pride kicks off next weekend, November 5-6, with the typical trappings (parade, block parties, giant consumer festival in the baseball stadium) all under clear desert skies and 90-degree weather. Fall really is the best time to experience the Coachella Valley.

Although if you’re craving an alternative “yay to gay” at this point, the Ace Hotel & Swim Club (where else?) has you covered with Hands On, a five-day celebration of queer music and culture. From November 2-7, catch an incredible line-up of performers, artists, DJs from both coasts, plus film screenings, a gallery show by photographer Jeremy Kost, and a pop-up shop curated by BUTT Magazine with nary a camp rainbow in sight. Save 15 percent on rooms and treatments at the Feel Good Spa , too. Full details below.

Read more

Costume ready? Party planned? What, you don’t have plans yet for Halloween? With just six days left until the gayest holiday of the year, time is ticking to get your ghoul on – especially as its being on a Monday brings a whole weekend of frights beforehand. Let us be your guide with this crib sheet of the coolest gay events from coast to coast. As for costumes, just try to avoid one of these.

CHICAGO: The city’s biggest bash is in Boystown with a parade from Belmont to Bradley on Halsted Street with plenty of boozing, main stage entertainment (Musical of the Living Dead, Chicago Fire Tribe, and more) and after-hours action in the bars and clubs. Visit NorthHalsted.com for more info.

COLUMBUS, OHIO: Held early, on Friday the 28th, The Short North Highball Halloween combines both a public costume contest and a couture contest fashion show with plenty of queer creativity, pulling in crowds of over 20,000 from throughout the Midwest; from 5pm to 1am outdoors, under and around the area’s iconic arches. Read more

The leaves are blazing orange and yellow, there’s a chill in the air, no doubt about it, to quote the best TV show of the year: Winter is coming. But over in Vancouver it’s nowhere near hibernation time – not before the 1st annual Wild Weekend at least! From October 20-23, Canada’s most liveable city will play host to over a dozen events celebrating fur, embracing fun, all the while raising money and awareness for Camp Moomba, a charity/summer camp for children 6-17 that are impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Consider yourself a bear? More of an otter? Hungry like a wolf? Or any other masucline animal in the gay kingdom? (Squirrel!) There are over a dozen events all under $20 and most free – although donations encouraged, of course – put on by various promoters scattered around town, from literary readings to beer busts, karaoke, and mondo parties including:

Read more