Continental promo
|| Travel > TRAVEL TOP 5  ||
< Back Comments (0)Post a Comment Bookmark and Share   
 

Clean and Clear: Top 5 Healthy Destinations

If you've had your fill of hectic nightlife, frantic traffic, smog and stress, book some R&R time at one of these gay-popular destinations. Breathe the cleanest air, stretch out on the most unspoiled sands, swim in the clearest waters and rejuvenate at the most relaxing spas.
Posted on Advocate.com April 28, 2008
Clean and Clear: Top 5 Healthy Destinations

1. HONOLULU
Not only does laid-back Honolulu make the list of the top three U.S. cities with the cleanest air, according to the American Lung Association, you also can combine your trip to the Hawaiian hotspot with sunning and surfing opportunities at a trio of Blue Flag winning beaches on the Big Island: Keauhou Landing and Halape Shelter in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and Ka' aha Beach in Hawaii Volcanoes National Seashore.

Stay healthy
Delicious, new, upscale boutique haven Hotel Renew (129 Paokalani Ave.; 808-687-7700; from $185) is quite a departure from the clichéd Waikiki tiki touches and torches that usually feature this close to the beach. Renew is a refreshingly chic, understated designer gem.

2. SANTA FE
In the top three cities for cleanest air in the U.S., the progressive, gay-friendly beacon of Santa Fe lures creative, spiritual and outdoorsy types.

Stay healthy
Cool off at Ten Thousand Waves (3451 Hyde Park Rd; 505-982-9304), a Japanese-inspired spa retreat with serene hot tubs. To continue the indulgence, Inn of the Anasazi (113 Washington Ave; 505-988-3030; from $459) is a gorgeous, intimate adobe hotel just steps away from the Santa Fe Plaza.

3. SCOTTSDALE
The Spa Capital of the World is a fantastic health-conscious choice for a vacation. Not only do you have some of the world's most decadent spas from which to choose, but the humidity-free desert air and 300-plus days of sunshine are sure to help you relax and recharge.

Stay healthy
Spend the entire day at Spa Avania at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Gainey Ranch (7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd.; 480-483-5558). Avania guests progress through 16 carefully chosen moods and tempos of music en route to the changing facilities. Massages are also synchronized to the energy of the time of day, with music to match. Spa visitors can take restorative dips in the co-ed French mineral pool, sip iced mint ginger water under palm trees and enjoy separate women's and men's eucalyptus rooms, rain and relaxation lounges.

4. VANCOUVER
Head north and join those fitness-conscious Vancouverites as they pelt the trails round Stanley Park, trek up the infamous Ground Grind up Grouse Mountain and hop into kayaks in False Creek. This fit city is always on the go.

Stay healthy
As glitteringly beautiful as Vancouver itself, the Opus Hotel (322 Davie St; 604-642-6787; from $239) adds boutique hotel chic to already hip Yaletown, mere steps from downtown shopping and the gay West End. The 97-room hotel is just feet from the Seawall and has mountain bikes for guests to use.

5. FIRE ISLAND
Feel healthy as you splash at the two Fire Island National Seashore beaches that can proudly wave blue flags this summer (Sunken Forest Beach and Watch Hill Beach).

Stay healthy
Cherry Grove Beach Hotel (631-597-6600; from $75) is a bit more respectable than some of its competition, though it is part of the Ice Palace, the Grove's entertainment complex -- and therefore also party central. 

See more articles from OutTraveler.com.

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max. HTML formatting and hyperlinks are NOT permitted.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • View From the Hill: The End of DADT?
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates revealed that lawyers are exploring ways to ease enforcement of the military's gay ban, but cautioned that the law doesn't leave much wiggle room. He need look no further than DOD history for a lesson in altering the policy.
  • Hot Sheet: Week of July 5
    When you get back from that big 4th of July barbecue, unwind with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno and your favorite B-movie-mocking, basic cable robots.
  • Hungry Like the Wolf
    A master of viola, ukulele, piano, and harp, Patrick Wolf is a music prodigy -- one who, the night before this interview, spit on a cop and got himself arrested.
  • Soapside: Advocate's Guide to Daytime
    Forbes March talks about playing gay, Otalia fans outraged, update on One Life to Live’s Patricia Maurceri’s firing over gay plot point, Phillip Chancellor III big reveal, and Erica Kane goes to Africa.
  • The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
    With the federal challenge to Prop. 8 moving full speed ahead, Advocate.com sits down with the two couples named as plaintiffs in the suit.
  • Mommy, the Gays Are Coming
    After a year of advancements and celebration for gay and lesbian Colombians, the community takes to the streets of Bogota for the country's biggest pride ever.
  • The Pride of Antwerp
    Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.
  • Excerpt: Mean Little Deaf Queer
    In an excerpt from her humorous and harrowing new memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer, Terry Galloway recalls her early childhood, describing feelings of ugliness, confusion about gender, and being one of the boys.
  • Top Political Blogs
    From Joe.My.God to The Daily Beast, Advocate.com spotlights a few of the best blogs that cover politics, inside and way outside the Beltway.
  • The Diva of French Television
    A hot young screenwriter who has made gay OK for millions of French viewers, Nicolas Mercier sips champagne, dons a feathered hat, and says he wants to see Colin Farrell and Jude Law go at it.