Welcome Aboard
NOW BOARDING
Please visit our new home at www.vonSchmitt.com
Beginning 2011, vonSchmitt.com takes flight to the best gay destinations in the American Southwest… and beyond.
With featured cities, spa and hotel reviews, global travel news and in-depth looks at gay-owned businesses and notable figures, vonSchmitt.com promises to be your virtual airline to exciting, real-life destinations of interest to gay travelers the world over!
Thank you to WordPress for the temporary hosting. It’s been grand.
There will not be any new postings to this site as of 2011. But our new home looks fabulous and we’re excited for your visit.
www.vonSchmitt.com
Cool Cats in LA – Fitz and the Tantrums
Head over to YouTube to check out their new video – MoneyGrabber. Style and substance go very well together.
Michael Nichols in the Redwoods; Extreme Exposure
The Huffington Post has a terrific post by famed photographer, Michael Nichols, about his relationship with a 1,500-year-old tree. Michael Nichols, a native of Alabama, is an award-winning photographer and editor-at-large for National Geographic magazine whose work has taken him to the most remote corners of the world. Nichols has devoted himself to producing photography that affects environmental change. His work with conservationists, such as J. Michael Fay and Jane Goodall, has resulted in numerous books, as well as the creation of 13 national parks in Africa and reform in chimpanzee conservation.
His work can be viewed currently at The Annenberg Space for Photography in the exhibition, Extreme Exposure. This exhibition celebrates five photographers who thrive in environments that few dare to explore braving dangerous conditions in order to capture rarely seen moments in the life of our planet. October 23, 2010 – April 17, 2011. Click on the link above to read his post and see some spectacular images that’ll make you run and hug the nearest tree.
Kimpton, American Airlines and the Southwest Most Favored by GLBT Travelers
According to Community Marketing’s (www.communitymarketinginc.com) 15th Annual LGBT Tourism Survey from October 2010, the Southwest continues to be a favored destination for gay travelers, with destinations in California, Nevada and Arizona taking 8 of the top 20 slots! The list is reflective of the 4,296 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender respondents who are residents of the United States, who traveled to the city in the past 12 months, and spent at least one night in a hotel.
As a write-in, unprompted question, participants were also asked which hotel brand and airline have done the best job promoting themselves to the LGBT community. American Airlines was the top airline, while Kimpton (www.kimptonhotels.com) moved to the topposition for hotels.
Top 20 Leisure Destinations (Not Including Business Travel)
1) New York City 19%
2) San Francisco 17%
2) Las Vegas 17%
4) Chicago 14%
4) Los Angeles 14%
6) Washington, DC 13%
7) Ft. Lauderdale 11%
8) Palm Springs, CA 10%
9) Orlando, FL 9%
9) San Diego, CA 9%
11) Boston, MA 8%
11) Miami 8%
11) Philadelphia 8%
11) Seattle 8%
11) New Orleans 8%
16) Provincetown 7%
16) Sonoma, CA 7%
16) Napa, CA 7%
19) Hawaii 6%
19) Denver 6%
19) Phoenix 6%
19) Key West 6%
Take More Than Heavy Coat When Visiting Alaska
Historically, with so few women in Alaska, they’ve long said that the odds are good, but the goods are odd; referring to the men. Now it seems, the odds of catching more than just a man are also in your favor, but that’s not the kind of odds that’ll get you excited.
According to Anchorage Daily News online, the state is fighting an uphill battle to reduce its growing gonorrhea rate. “Between 2008 and 2009, the number of gonorrhea cases in Alaska rose an alarming 69 percent, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. State health officials began calling attention to a spike in gonorrhea cases in Southwest Alaska more than a year ago and highlighted the statewide rise in March.”
The good news is that according to the article, only a single dose of one pill is required to get you back in the sack, er… saddle.
Money Saving Tips from Airfarewatchdog.com
Airfares are going up, especially with all those pesky add-on fees. Here are some tips for frugal shoppers from www.airfarewatchdog.com.
Zipline Canopy Tour Coming to Smugglers’ Notch Vermont
In partnership with ArborTrek Canopy Adventures, Smugglers’ Notch will open a year-round zipline canopy tour on December 20. The tour will feature 8 to 10 ziplines (depending on the season), two suspension bridges, and one rappel. The longest zipline will provide a ride of about 1000 feet, and the experience will be thrilling and memorable for new as well as veteran zipline riders. Scenic tree platforms will be the vantage point for breathtaking views of the Resort, Mount Mansfield and the Smugglers’ Notch area. In keeping with Smugglers’ commitment to environmental stewardship through nature-focused programs that combine learning and fun, the canopy tour guides will highlight local ecology and natural history. The canopy tour will be available to overnight guests, day visitors and groups.
Flower Power coming to Philadelphia this Spring
image courtesy of PHS (Pennsylvania Horticultural Society)
The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show will transport visitors to the beautiful City of Light – the capital of art, fashion, food and love — from March 6-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. A blooming “Springtime in Paris” will greet guests with a bucolic park scene along the Seine. Flowering trees, lilacs, roses and borders of lavender will lead visitors through gardens inspired by the Tuileries. In the distance, a daring Moulin Rouge atmosphere will pulse with cabaret performances, spectacular flower sculptures and carousel topiaries.
“Paris intrigues and entertains like no other city,” said Flower Show Designer Sam Lemheney. “The horticulture and culture will transport visitors to another place, all while inspiring them to create wonderful gardens at home.”
Featured displays will highlight:
- Opulent Paris, a time of Victorian glamour.
- Romantic Paris, tête-à-tête down the Seine.
- Gourmet Paris, amid rooftop and edible gardens.
- Artists’ Paris, from canvas to landscape.
- Underground Paris, a catacomb of avant-garde art.
- Timeless Paris, courtyards and cafes form a Parisian paradise.
“Springtime in Paris” will capture the unforgettable fragrance of the French jardin, the soulful song of the chanteuse, the intimate ambiance of a Left Bank café, and the grand beauty of a Parisian park. The 2011 Flower Show is for lovers, and everyone else.
Proceeds from the Philadelphia International Flower Show support PHS’s (www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org) acclaimed Philadelphia Green program that restores neighborhood parks, creates community gardens, conducts large-scale tree plantings, revitalizes vacant land, engages thousands of citizens in community development activities, and maintains treasured public landscapes. As the nation’s largest comprehensive community greening program, Philadelphia Green serves as a model for cities across the U.S.
‘Museum’ Without Hours
In Philadelphia, the month-old “Museum Without Walls” audio program was created to be used like a customizable museum that’s free and never closes. Its self-guided audio tours are available 24-7 in several different formats: You can call phone numbers listed with each sculpture, use a free smart phone app, download the audio at http:// museumwithoutwallsaudio.org to an MP3 player, or scan a special bar code (known as a QR or quick response code) on the free “Museum Without Walls” map at locations around the city.
Click below to read the whole story.
Philly’s new ‘museum’ is free, outdoors, open 24-7 – Yahoo! News.
BLACK SHEEP THANKSGIVING WEEKEND 2010 – PALM SPRINGS
Jackie Beat
VICTOR RODRIGUEZ, CHRIS BOWEN & MARIO DIAZ present
BLACK SHEEP THANKSGIVING WEEKEND 2010
NOVEMBER 26 – 27, 2010
Friday November 26 at 9:00pm the party weekend kicks off with the JACKIE BEAT SHOW, featuring the amazingly naughty lyrics and antics of Jackie Beat. Followed by a BLACK SHEEP kick-off party at 10:00PM.
On Saturday, November 27, there will be a day-long gathering of colorful Black Sheep at the Main Pool, then at 9:00 pm: CHLOE SEVIGNY COCKTAIL HOUR with DREW DROEGE. DJs VICTOR RODRIGUEZ and CHRIS BOWEN take to the tables at 10:00pm for the main party, “Flock Ewe!” with performances by LADY BEAR, PHYLLIS NAVIDAD, MISS BARBIE-Q, DETOX ICUNT.
At the ACE HOTEL & SWIM CLUB (701 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. www.acehotel.com/palmsprings). Mention Black Sheep Thanksgiving for special rates.
Cruisin’ the Castro Tours ranks #19 out of 481 San Francisco tours!
Cruisin’ the Castro (Tel: 415-255-1821. www.cruisinthecastro.com), which offers historical walking tours of San Francisco’s queer history and rich gay heritage, has reason to celebrate. Says Kathy Amendola, owner and guide, “Wow, many thanks to dear supporters for sharing their Cruisin’ the Castro Tour comments on TripAdvisors.com! Because of you, we’ve been voted one of the TOP tours in the city!”The recently introduced “Harvey Milk Tour” is offered Wednesdays from 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. The tour starts in Harvey Milk Plaza, on Market and Castro streets, where a photo timeline of his life is installed. Visitors will see Milk’s former residence, photo shop, campaign headquarters, and the final resting place of his cremated ashes. Kathy Amendola also offers more generalized tours for visitors interested in San Francisco’s overall gay movement. Kathy says she “enjoys sharing the wealth of information regarding sex and sexuality and how the foundation of the gay culture in San Francisco began in the Gold Rush and continued on through Harvey Milk, who, in the course, changed humankind.”
Ace Hotel Celebrates Gay Pride Palm Springs – “WEST COAST LOVE TRAIN”
“WEST COAST LOVE TRAIN” is Gay Pride Weekend in Palm Springs at the Ace Hotel, November 4-7, featuring DJ Victor Rodriguez. Live Music – Drag Shows – Pool Parties!
Ace Hotel and Swim Club, (www.acehotel.com/palmsprings) Tel: (760) 325-9900. 701 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA.
“West Coast Love Train” is in its 2nd year and featuring some of the best Queer artists, performers, musicians and DJ’s from Seattle, San Francisco and L.A. An alternative inclusive event over Pride Weekend.
Happy Pride Palm Springs!
Palm Springs is for Animal Lovers
The much-needed new Palm Springs Animal Shelter won’t open until next year, but there’s already reason to celebrate. A new mini-dog park that just opened this month gives shelter dogs a safe place to play and sniff around. The park was built with the generous support of local businesses and volunteers from the Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter is the only municipal no-kill shelter in the Coachella Valley, but its current location is over 50 years old and woefully inadequate. A significant portion of the cost of the new shelter is being raised by local pet lovers, and you can help too. Donations can be made online at www.PalmSpringsAnimalFriends.com
Money Saving Asses and Green Studs Take Back Europe’s Streets
From the guardian.co.uk - Long before recycling became a household word, a Paris prefect called Eugene Poubelle, introduced three separate containers for household waste – glass and pottery, oyster and mussel shells, and the rest – and had horse-drawn carts empty them. Six years later, his surname entered the Academy dictionary as the word for “dustbin”. Now, over a century later, a growing number of French towns are returning to horse-drawn kerbside waste collection, as a better way to recycle.
In Sicily, another place bringing back four-hoofed transport, Mario Cicero, mayor of 14th-century town Castelbuono, pioneered glass and cardboard collection using two packsaddle donkeys in 2007. Three years on, Cicero has done his sums and calculated a cost saving of 34%, as well as winning over a sceptical population and putting more donkeys to work.
Good News for ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Holdouts
The ancient pagan tradition of Druidry has been formally recognized as a religion in Britain — a decision its followers hailed Saturday as as a long-overdue status for the worship of spirits and the natural world. The Druid Network, a group of about 350 Druids which seeks to inform, inspire and facilitate Druidry as a religion, will receive exemptions from taxes on donations after the semi-governmental Charity Commission granted it charitable status just like mainstream religions such as the Church of England.
Before you go making fun of Druids, as tempting as it sounds, just remember that other religions offer burning bushes, reincarnations, parting seas, virgin births and floating prophets. Suddenly, communing with nature by talking to plants doesn’t seem so odd.
Comic-Con to San Diego, “I’m not leaving you”
Comic-Con International, the largest comics convention of its kind in the world, today announced it will be staying in San Diego for the foreseeable future. Comic-Con reached a self-imposed attendance limit at the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) in 2007 and has had to cap attendance at approximately 125,000 people each year since. In looking at ways to better accommodate the growing demand from attendees and exhibitors, the nonprofit organization considered proposals for a move to larger facilities in Los Angeles or Anaheim after the expiration of its SDCC lease in 2012. This decision keeps Comic-Con in San Diego through 2015.
Comic-Con was first held in 1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel, where it attracted 300 people. As the event grew, subsequent homes included the downtown El Cortez Hotel in the 1970s and the San Diego Convention and Performing Arts Center in the 1980s. Comic-Con moved to the then newly built SDCC in 1991. Comic-Con celebrated its 41st year in 2010.
