Inspiration

I was at my favorite campground Saturday. The campground hosted a mini-version of Gay Naturist International, one of the major fraternal organization for gay nudists. Most of the guys were naked, and a lot of them were every so delightful. Real eye candy. Lots of nice events. Naked swimming and sunbathing. I was inspired by what I saw to create Sunday's posting. I hope you get an idea of what my day was like. A wine and cheese party which featured an array of cock rings that guys could try on. A hippie party, which included free-love experiences. Nighttime swimming. A bonfire. A dance admitting only those wearing required loin cloths or less. So you get the idea. Enjoy.

Photo by Luces de Bengala

The joys of Provincetown

For years, I’d vacation in Provincetown, the special little town at the tip of Cape Cod. Provincetown always beckoned. I use the past tense; for various reasons I haven’t been able to spend time there for several years. I had been a regular, staying at the same gay guesthouse on Bradford Street year after year. I’d stay at least for a week during June. Then, in September or October, I’d be back for a long weekend even though it was eight-hour drive each way.

A typical cottage on the West End of P-town

I became good friends with the proprietor and his partner. I also met men who seemed to be there whenever I was: a Boston retiree who had been one of the nation’s earliest consumer advocates (and who loved trying to pull my pants down in front of other guests in the living room); a quiet scholar from the Woods Hole oceanic observatory; a builder and landlord from Rhode Island. A few men I met only once but found memorable: a charming couple from Quebec, a gracious young man from Boston struggling with AIDS, and a sexually overcharged man from what then was called West Germany.

In my estimation, mid-June is the best time to visit Provincetown. The days are warm and pleasant and usually sunny; the nights are comfortable. Dining at a good restaurant does not require reservations or long waits. The shops are humming but not overcrowded. But starting with the July Fourth week, all that changes. The town becomes frenetic, a carnival, for the rest of the summer. That’s fine if you’re into that; I went there to relax and unwind. 

The long walk to the Herring Cove beach

As I mentioned, I often would visit more than one week a year. One October I encountered one of the most beautiful sights in my life: a bright orange wave of Monarch butterflies sweeping along the dunes at Herring Cove. I had wished then that I had a camera, but in retrospect nothing really could have captured the experience: the bright, warming sun; the waves tumbling on the sand; the gentle sea breeze; the yellowing grasses on the dunes—and that tide of orange advancing toward me, passing around me and then moving on to places I cannot imagine.

Almost there ...

When I met my first and only partner, I insisted that we spend our vacation week in P-town. You’d love it, I told him. Once there, he agreed enthusiastically about my choice. As long as we were together, the two of us spent one week every June in my favorite guesthouse in P-town. We always took the best room: the largest one in the building, with its saggy mattress, vintage armoire and dresser, and pair of windows that invited delicate breezes at night. One afternoon on the beach I was able to persuade him to sunbathe nude as I had been doing every year.

I’d love to return to Provincetown one day, but now I must be content with my current circumstances. So here’s to pleasant times—easier times when life seemed so carefree and full of the future. Here’s to Herring Cove and Carl’s Guest House and the Lobster Pot and Fat Jack’s. And here’s to comforting memories that will stay for life.

The hike through the dunes rewards you with Rugosa roses in bloom

Herring Cove officially is clothes-only ...

… But nudity is possible when the park rangers aren't looking

The tidal pool comes in--it provides a wonderful treat

The tidal pool, located opposite the bayside of the dune, is a respite from the heat

Nudity is commonplace in the tidal pool

The side of the dunes along the tidal pool

Chris at P-town harbor; photo by Kevin McDermott

Provincetown harbor at 6 a.m.

Sunrise at the harbor from the Boathouse deck; photo by Kevin McDermott

The Lobster Pot--a must for seafood lovers. Try the cioppino

Spiritus Pizza, a must-do during the mid-evening

Race Point is family-oriented (clothing required)

The field behind the old Coast Guard boat house; photo by Kevin McDermott

Same-sex couples begin marrying tonight in California

From left, Jeff Zarrillo, Mayor Villaraigosa and Paul Katami

Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, two of the plaintiffs in the challenge to California's Proposition 8, became the first same-sex couple to marry in Los Angeles this evening. 

The other lead plaintiffs, Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier, were married in San Francisco, also this evening.

Katami and Zarrillo were married by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the last business day of his administration. 

"I've done a few of these over the last couple of years, but never have I been prouder," Villaraigosa said at the beginning of the ceremony. "Never have I been more joyful than I am today. This is a special moment."

"On behalf of the state of California, let me pronounce you married," Villaraigosa said following the couple's exchange of vows.

Katami and Zarrilo have been together for 12 years. For the past five years, they, along with Perry and Stier, have sought to have Proposition 8 overturned. Their legal challenge finally succeeded Tuesday with a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The ceremony in Los Angeles was broadcast live during Rachel Maddow's broadcast on MSNBC. Maddow also interviewed California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who officiated at the marriage of Perry and Stier in San Francisco.

Photogenic men