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By Root 1474 0

Silver Lake and Long Beach in the LA area, the Hillcrest quarter of San Diego and the desert resort of Palm Springs. Laguna Beach in Orange County also has a small gay scene. All of these hubs have humming nightlife scenes, magazines, associations and support groups, and major Gay Pride celebrations. As elsewhere, the scene is predominantly male-oriented, although lesbians won’t feel left out. Click here for an overview of the LA scene, Click here for San Diego and Click here for Palm Springs.

California offers gays and lesbians extensive domestic rights but stops short of the legalization of gay marriage and civil unions. Californians tend to be tolerant but bigotry has not been completed rooted out and there have been cases of bashings even in metropolitan areas. In small towns ‘tolerance’ sometimes comes down to a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy.

Damron (www.damron.com) publishes the classic gay travel guides, including Men’s Travel Guide and Women’s Traveler, but they’re advertiser-driven and sometimes out of date. Damron’s Accommodations lists gay-owned and gay-friendly hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses nationwide. On the web check out www.gay.com for loads of information, including downloadable Out & About travel guides. If you’re looking for a gay mechanic or florist, see the Gay & Lesbian Yellow Pages (www.glyp.com).

If you find yourself in need of counseling or referrals of any kind, contact the Gay & Lesbian National Hotline ( 888-843-4564; www.glnh.org; 4pm-midnight Mon-Fri, noon-5pm Sat).

Other good resources:

Gay Travelocity (www.travelocity.com/gaytravel) Gay-specific articles, listings and hotels.

Out Traveler (www.outtraveler.com) Bimonthly magazine; free subscription to e-newsletter.

Purple Roofs (www.purpleroofs.com) Online directory of gay and lesbian accommodations.

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HOLIDAYS

On the following national holidays banks, schools and government offices (including post offices) all close, and transportation, museums and other services operate on a Sunday schedule. Holidays falling on a weekend are usually observed the following Monday.

New Year’s Day January 1

Martin Luther King Jr Day Third Monday in January

Presidents’ Day Third Monday in February

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Independence Day July 4 (aka the Fourth of July)

Labor Day First Monday in September

Columbus Day Second Monday in October

Veterans’ Day November 11

Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Day December 25

School Holidays

Colleges take a one- or two-week ‘spring break’ around Easter, sometime in March or April. Although SoCal is currently not among the sizzling-hot destinations for libidinous students to let loose, some hotels may hike up prices during this time. School summer vacations run from late June to early September, making July and August the busiest travel months.

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INSURANCE

No matter how long or short your trip, make sure you have adequate travel insurance. At a minimum you need coverage for medical emergencies and treatment, including hospital stays and an emergency flight home. Medical treatment in the USA is of the highest caliber, but the expense could kill you.

While you may find a policy that pays doctors or hospitals directly, many health-care professionals still demand payment at the time of service, especially from out-of-towners. Except in emergencies, call around for a doctor willing to accept your insurance. Be sure to keep all receipts and documentation. Some policies ask you to call (reverse charges) a center in your home country for an immediate assessment of your problem. For further details, Click here.

You should also consider coverage for luggage theft or loss. If you already have health insurance or a home-owners or renters policy, check what they will cover and only get supplemental insurance. If you have prepaid a large portion of your vacation, trip cancellation insurance is a worthwhile expense.

For information about what insurance you need while driving in Southern California, Click here.

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