Laguna Beach, California

Mountain Road beach, Laguna Beach, California

Laguna Beach contains one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Southern California, most of it easily accessed down side streets or stairwells at various points along South Coast Highway. Although gays and lesbian have long frequented just about any part of the beach in Laguna, including the centrally located Main Beach section opposite the village's commercial center, two sections have had the strongest gay following, West Street and Mountain Road Beach (pictured here). The latter stretch of beach, accessed from Mountain Road or Cress Street and located behind the former Coast Inn/Boom Boom Room complex and the nearby Surf and Sand Hotel, actually draws a mix of people, gay and straight, locals and tourists. Since the Coast Inn closed in 2007, it's become a bit less of a focal point for gay visitors.

About 2.5 miles along South Coast Highway you'll find what's typically the most gay-popular beach in Laguna, West Street Beach (at S. Coast Hwy. and West St.), which is adjacent to Thousand Steps Beach and Aliso Creek Beach. If you follow the path down to the beach from West Street, turn right when you reach the sand, and walk a bit north to reach the area that draws most of the GLBT sun bunnies.

Vancouver, British Columbi

Kitsilano Beach Park, Vancouver, British Columbia

Fringing the north edge of Vancouver's lively Kitsilano neighborhood, which is just across from the Davie Street gay neighborhood via the Burrard Street Bridge, Kitsilano Beach Park (Arbutus St. and McNicoll Ave., 604-873-7000) is a beautiful spot to admire the Georgia Strait in the distance, and Stanley Park, English Bay, and the downtown skyline just to the north. At the park you'll also find a heated outdoor pool, tennis and basketball courts, and the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. At one end of the park, you'll also find the Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico

One of the prettiest spots in Albuquerque for a view of the region, and of the Sandia Mountains which rise above the city to the east, the Juan Tabo Basin Picnic Area is part of Cibola National Forest. Pictured here following a light snowfall (yes, Albuquerque actually receives about a foot of snow per year, a little less than Washington, DC), the Juan Tabo Basin is also the trailead for the strenuous La Luz Trail, which climbs more than 3,000 feet over 8 miles to Sandia Peak.

Although it feels remote and far removed from the city, this area is easy to reach - just follow Tramway Rd. from either I-25 or I-40, the same way you'd reach the base of the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. Turn east onto Forest Rd. 333 and follow signs up to the basin parking area. Note that there's a daily fee of $3 per vehicle.

Luray, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, Luray, Virginia

A long, winding linear park in central Virginia's scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935 and offers some of the most spectacular views in the southeast, plus wonderful opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, and horseback riding. The park is accessed along 105-mile Skyline Drive, a winding park road with numerous turnouts for taking pictures and embarking on short hikes. The park also has camping and hotel accommodations, a restaurant, and two visitors centers. A good place to orient yourself is Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center and Big Meadows Lodge - the latter has overnight accommodations and a restaurant serving very tasty home-style regional American food. About 10 miles north, there's a larger complex of hotel rooms as well as another well-reputed restaurant, the Pollock Dining Room, at Skyland Resort, an area that also affords magnificent views of the Shenandoah River Valley to the west, and Virginia's Piedmont region to the east. Aramark, which operates the park lodges, is very gay-friendly and enthusiastically welcomes GLBT visitors.

Must see Top 10 Monuments in India - Top 10 Tourist Places in India

1.Taj Mahal: Click To Know more about taj mahal.

2.Qutub Minar: Click to know more about Qutab Minar.

3.3.Red Fort : Click to know more about Red fort.

4.Agra Fort : Click to know more about agra Fort.

5.Hawa Mahal : Click to Know more Hawa Mahal.

6.The Ajanta Caves : Click to Know more About Ajanta Caves.

7.Umaid Bhawan Palace : Click to know more about Umaid Bhawan Palace

8.Udaipur Lake Palace : Click to know more about Udaipur Lake Palace.

9.City Palace Jaipur : Click To know more about City palace Jaipur.

10.Mysore Palace : Click to know more about Mysore Palace.

Mysore Palace - Tourist Places Inida

A silhouette of the Mysore Palace illuminated with ninety seven thousand bulbs shimmering against an inky black night is one of the most enduring images of the city.A priceless national treasure and the pride of a kingdom, the Mysore Palace is the seat of the famed Wadiyar Maharajas of Mysore.An eclectic synthesis of architectural styles the palace is one of India’s most dramatic national monuments. Today it is a museum housing treasures from across the world reflecting the rich and colorful history of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore.


The Mysore Palace is open all days of the week, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The palace is illuminated on Sundays, national holidays and state festivals from 7:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. The palace is illuminated between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. only during the Dasare festival.If you would like to treat yourself to a private guided tour of the entire palace complex, Mysore Palace Board certified tour guides can be found at the entrance to the palace. The guides will steer you to the highlights of the Mysore Palace at a nominal fee.

City Palace Jaipur - Tourist Places Inida

Located in the capital of Rajasthan, the City Palace of Jaipur or the main palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthan and Mughal architecture. The vast palace complex occupies one seventh of the walled city of Jaipur. Originally built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs, additions have been made to the palace complex by many of his successors. The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Badal Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
In the first courtyard is the 'Mubarak Mahal', built by Maharaja Madho Singh II in the late 19th century. The Mubarak Mahal, or the Auspicious Palace, contains the textile section of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. There is a magnificent gateway with a grand door in brass opening to a stately courtyard. There lies the Diwan-I-Khas or 'Hall of Private Audience'- an open hall with a double row of columns with scalloped arches.

On display are the two largest silver vessels in the world figured in the Guinness Book of World Records. These were used for carrying water from the holy Ganges for personal use, by Madho Singh II on his journey to England. Across the paved square, with its intricate decorations in deep red and gold, Afghan and Persian carpets, miniature paintings, astronomical manuscripts in Persian and Sanskrit lies the 'Diwan-E-Aam' or the 'Hall of Public Audience'. At the other corner is the gateway Ridhi Sidhi Pol, with four small doorways decorated with motifs depicting the four seasons.


To the north-west is the graceful seven storied 'Chandra Mahal', or the Moon Palace, home to the present Maharaja of Jaipur; Bhavani Singh, providing a fine view of the gardens and the city. Paintings, floral decorations, mirror walls and ceilings in the traditional style adorn the palace. Each storey has a distinctive name and is a place of sheer beauty and luxury. The ground and first floor of the Chandra Mahal form the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. The museum has an extensive collection of art, carpets, enamelware and 15th century weapons. The paintings include miniatures of Rajasthani, Persian and Mughal schools. A section of museum also contains dresses and costumes of the former Maharajas and Maharanis of Jaipur.

Udaipur Lake Palace - Tourist Places Inida

The Lake Palace is one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, arising out of the Turquoise Waters of the Pichola like an elegant fantasy in white marble. The Lake palace was built in the 17th century on a natural foundation of 4 acers of rock. It was initially called Jaginwas after its founder Maharana Jagjit Singh.

The Maharana, ruler of Jaipur from 1628 to 1654, was very friendly with Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and encouraged his craftsmen to copy some of the glories of his incomparable buildings at Agra. The successive rulers used this cool haven as their summer resort, holding their regal durbars in its courtyards. These courtyards lined with columns, pillared terraces, fountains and gardens all add to its impressive image.

The rooms are decorated with cusped arches, inland stones of pink, and green lotus leaves and painted mirrors. Apartments like the Bada Mahal, Kush Mahal, Ajjan Niwas, Phool Mahal and Dhola Mahal. All enhance the romance of the elegant setting. Among the facilities available are swimming pool, conference hall and a bar. Other events of recreation organised here are excursions in and around and a bar other events of recreation organised here are excursions in and around Udaipur.

Umaid Bhawan Palace - Tourist Places Inida

Perched high above the desert capital of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan Palace is the last of the great palaces of India and one of the largest residences in the world. Designed by famed Edwardian architect Henry Lanchester, the golden-yellow sandstone monument was conceived on a grand scale, in fashionable art deco style, and took 15 years to complete. Today, the palace offers guests a taste of royal living, once only available to kings and queens. The palace, which served as the principal residence of Jodhpur’s royal family, was named after Maharaja Umaid Singh Ji, the grandfather of the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji. All the rooms and suites are embellished with Art Deco interiors and equipped with modern conveniences. All accommodations have plasma TVs, DVD players and a mini bar.

The Ajanta Caves - Tourist Places Inida

The famous Ajanta caves are situated about 99-kms away from Aurangabad district in the state of Maharashtra. These caves are regarded as a world heritage site and were carved out from the 2nd century BC to 6th century AD. They are placed in a horseshoe shape about 3.5 m away from the village. The river Wagura, a mountain stream flows along the bottom of the ravine. This river falls from a height of 200 ft, thus making a series of waterfalls. The sound of the waterfalls can be heard in the caves also.

The intriguing Ajanta Caves are carved out of large rocks and are 30 in number. These caves are dedicated to Lord Buddha. The followers and students of Buddhism resided here to study this religion. They have decorated these caves with the help of their excellent architectural skills and artistic paintings.

The carvings and the paintings in the caves depict the life stories of Lord Buddha. Along with this, several types of human and animal figures are also carved out of the rocks.

Hawa Mahal - Tourist places in India

The Hawa Mahal, which adjoins the famous City Palace wall, was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and has now become one of the major landmarks of Jaipur. The palace is shaped like a pyramid and is a five-storied building,with number of small windows and screens, with arched roofs. As one looks at this building, one realizes that the rear side of the building is comparatively very plain and lacks much of ornamentation. One is rather surprised at the contrast, since in the front there is intricate carving and much attention has been paid to even minute details yet the backside is more a mass of pillars and passages.

The Hawa Mahal is a great example of the Rajputana architecture, which was strongly influenced by Mughal style of architecture. This particular style of building that we observe in Hawa Mahal, uses the best features of Mughal architecture with other features that could better adapt to the inhospitable weather conditions of Rajasthan.


The Hawa Mahal is a popular place among visitors to Rajasthan because of the amazing view it offers of the city and particularly Jantar Mantar (another tourist attraction). Many insist that the best time to visit Hawa Mahal is in the early morning, right when the sun is rising. As the palace bathes in the golden light of the sun, it looks like a fantastic image conjured up by the mind in a trance. The palace glows like an impalpable dream, which makes you feel that even if you dare
blink your eyes, it will quickly dissolve into thin air.

Agra Fort - Tourist Places in India

Started in 1565, it took eight years and thirty-five lakh rupees to complete its construction and is second only to Taj in Agra. Qasim Khan Mir Barr-u-Bahr supervised the construction of this building.

One of the large fortified residences built at various strategic points of Mughal Empire; it had over five hundred buildings, as mentioned by Abul Fazal in his chronicles. Most of the buildings added later use marble as the chief construction material. At the time of Akbar, River Yamuna touched the fort and thus, a number of ghats were built here. Some of these ghats were meant to load and unload goods transported through river and other covered passages were for use by the harem inmates only.

Red Fort - Lal Quila - Tourist Places in India

Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad and laid the foundation of Red Fort, or the Lal Quila, on 16th April 1639. It took nine years to build this mighty citadel and it got completed on 16th April 1648. It is said that about one crore rupees, an astronomical sum in those days, was spent on its construction. Half of this sum was spent to build the exotic palaces within the fort. Built of red sandstone, it is octagonal in shape, with two longer sides on the east and west.

The perimeter of its strong ramparts is about 2.41 km. Red Fort rises to a height of 33.5 m on the town side and 18 m along the river. A wide moat surrounds the fort, which was originally connected with the river and was always filled with water. The two main gateways, known as Lahori Gate and Delhi Gate (named so, as they face Lahore and Delhi respectively), are three storeys high and are flanked by semi-octagonal towers. They are situated on the centre of the western and southern sides respectively.


The main entrance to the Lal Quila is through the Lahori Gate. Beyond the gate, there is a roofed passage, flanked by arcaded apartments leading to the palaces, known as Chhatta Chowk. These apartments are now used as shops. Besides these, there are three more gates on other sides, which are kept closed now. The master builders of the Red Fort were Hamid and Ahmad. Visitors are allowed only in a part of Red Fort, as the army occupies the rest of it.

Qutub Minar - Tousist Places in India

Qutab Minar is among the tallest and famous towers in the world. The minaret is 234 feet high and the highest individual tower in the world. Other towers in the world are the Great Pagoda in Pekin, China and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy but these towers are not as high as the Qutab Minar in Delhi.Qutab Minar is another great masterpiece of Mughal architecture. It has a number of floors or storeys which has beautiful carvings like the one on the tomb of Iltutmish. There are inscriptions all round the tower and these inscriptions reveal that Iltutmish finised the tower. The structure of the wall is made as such that it widens from top to bottom, just to make the minar stronger.The architectural wonder is surrounded by a lush green manicured garden, which is a much favoured leisure pad for Delhites, and you can see people lazing out their afternoons here and there.

Taj Mahal - Tourist places in India

Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world, and some Western historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description, particularly at dawn and sunset. The Taj seems to glow in the light of the full moon.

On a foggy morning, the visitors experience the Taj as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim, Emperor Shah Jahan (died 1666 C.E.) in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees.

Ouray, Colorado

Ouray Hot Springs Park, Ouray, Colorado

Although little Ouray was established as a silver- and gold-mining town, it's the area's geothermal hot springs that have helped turn it into a small but thriving tourist destination. You'll find hot springs throughout region, but the most famous and easily visited are at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool and Park (U.S. 550 at the north end of downtown, 970-325-7073), located just off Main Street (U.S. 550) at the north edge of downtown. Here the public is welcome to swim, soak, and frolic in a huge outdoor pool where the waters hovers around 100 degrees.

The town pool is great on a few counts - from it you can not only rejuvenate tired muscles, you can also soak up the views of the mesmerizing San Juan mountains that surround Ouray. Also, the springs here have no sulfur in them, and so are basically odorless. The pool is divided for lap swimming and diving, and there's also water volleyball and a slide - this tends to keep the kids in one section, leaving other areas for adults who'd rather not be part of the splashing. Most days the pools aren't overly crowded, although weekends tend to be the worst - arrive early afternoon or on weekdays if you'd rather avoid the crowds (hours are generally from late morning until 9 pm - check the site for exact schedule). Daily admission is $10, and that includes access to the adjacent fitness center. You can also book a massage treatment at the pool's spa facility.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale gay beach, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale's most popular gay beach lies where Terramar Street meets the ocean (about midway between Sunrise and Las Olas boulevards), directly across Highway A1A from the Atlantic Hotel. From the Atlantic's rooms (as pictured in this photo), guests have a clear view of this gay-popular stretch of Fort Lauderdale Beach, which attracts many of the guests from the nearby gay resorts, such as the Royal Palms, Villa Venice, Alcazar, Cheston House, Elysium, and several others. This is a section of Fort Lauderdale beachfront that the city has done a fantastic job revitalizing and cleaning up in recent years, and it's now one of the most attractive beachfronts in the state.

Girdwood, Alaska

Girdwood, Alaska

About 40 miles southeast of Anchorage on the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, the small, outdoorsy village of Girdwood is home to one of the state's most luxury ski and sports resorts, the Alyeska Resort, along with a number of vacation rentals and a few B&Bs. It's a tiny town, perfect for a weekend getaway from Anchorage, or as a stopover en route to the Kenai Peninsula and towns like Whittier or Seward. The nearest gay scene of any kind is back up in Anchorage, but this is a welcoming, laid-back community, and the Alyeska Resort is quite gay-friendly - it's the best spot in town for dining as well as a great ski area and a popular spot for mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and other summertime adventures.

Denver, Colorado "Red Rocks Park"

Red Rocks Park, Denver, Colorado

Just a 20-mile drive west of downtown Denver, rugged and picturesque Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre (4600 Humboldt St., 303-295-4444‎) is one of the most alluring - and popular - attractions in the region. The stunning landscape was once a gathering spot of Ute Indians, and by the late 19th century had been named Garden of the Angels, and then later Garden of the Titans. Today the park and its dramatic red sandstone boulders are a favorite hiking venue, and home to an dramatic open-air amphitheater that stages top-name concerts.

Concerts have, in fact, been a part of the Red Rocks legacy for more than a century - an early owner of the property produced concerts here as early as 1906. In the 1920s, the Denver Parks Department purchased the property, and soon enlisted the considerable manpower of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) - part of the WPA New Deal program - to building the elegantly simple yet visually mesmerizing concert venue that Red Rocks is today. In recent years, Red Rocks has hosted some of the most important rock acts in the world, plus plenty of shows with a strong gay following (i.e., the True Colors Tour with Cyndi Lauper, the B-52s, Rosie O'Donnell, Carson Kressley, etc.), REM, Abba, the Bee Gees, Tori Amos, the Dresden Dolls, Margaret Cho, Debbie Harry, Erasure, Ani DiFranco, the Indigo Girls - the list goes on and on