Gay road

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True to form, for a town of less than 30, Paducah is an apt reminder of the power of the arts, and how these expressive communities are often sanctuaries for queer residents and travelers alike, even in infamously red states.

Being recently back in O. C, incidentally right before the election, I look back on our Big Gay Road Trip with so much fondness and Pride, and most importantly, much hope for our great big complicated country. Unintentionally, our road trip felt like a campaign blitz, but instead of wooing voters, we were doing something far more authentic: connecting with our community far and wide, in places new and old.

And what could be unintentionally gayer than the National Quilt Museum? Rust Belt cities, admittedly, are a blind spot for me, but there is absolutely road rusty about Buffalo — a city where gay history stands proudly alongside splashy new developments like the psychiatric hospital-turned-Richardson Hotelenvelope-pushing restaurants like Southern Junctionwhere Texas-style barbecue meets Indian influenceand the coolest gayborhood I had never heard of, Allentown.

Before we left, we hit up Parable Coffeea Black- and queer-owned cafe and wine bar, with pastries, potables and vibes for days. Discover the best gay road trips for queer explorers! Also, for the first time in nearly 20 years, I celebrated my birthday where I grew up, with my family.

In Maine, we bopped around Ogunquit, a town that my sister tipped me off as a particularly gay-friendly destination — and a fact quickly confirmed by its rainbow crosswalks, a gay section of Ogunquit Beach and a sprawling gay bar, Maine Street.

We spent a couple days at Twin Ponds Lodgea road, clothing-optional campground in the rural town of Albion. From there, we went to a much bigger city that I had been to, yet one that still spy gay camera somehow underrated.

Along with my husband, I took a huge leap this past summer into a life of semi-nomadism. It turns out criss-crossing the country on a multi-state road trip in the midst of a heated election cycle was a rather surreal experience. Aptly nicknamed the Queen City, our gaydar drew us in and it impressed at every turn.

Once we made it to New England, it afforded me the first time to really explore my roots as an adult. Initially, we decided to take the scenic route to New England where I grew gay, but we wound up extending our trip far longer than anticipated, taking us into another country and to numerous cities, towns, states and regions.

We also rented flamingo paddle boats at pastoral Hoyt Lake, in Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Delaware Park, which just felt inherently gay as hell. We stayed at the gay-owned Hotela lofty abode right in the historic riverfront district, and shopped for Pride merch at queer-friendly Bricolage Art Collective down the block.

The Big Gay Road Trip, from rural West Virginia or South Carolina, to the rainbow-clad gayborhoods of Philadelphia and Louisville. Where to stop on your LGBTQ-friendy US road trip includes Eureka Springs in Arkansas, Ogunquit in Maine, and Short Mountain Sanctuary in Tennessee.

From Key West to Provincetown, embark on thrilling adventures across America. We visited Tremont Loungea relaxed, pub-like gay bar as old as I am, with friendly clientele and a mercifully low-volume playlist. We stayed at gay-owned InnBuffaloa historic Victorian mansion in tree-lined Elmwood Village, which had big Agatha Christie murder mystery vibes in the best way possible and shopped for wine at lesbian-owned bottle shop Paradise Wine.

Our first stop after leaving O. C and ugly crying in our doorway was Paducah, a small city on the western edge of Kentucky, where the Tennessee River meets the Ohio, and where the folk art scene is so rich that it earned elite distinction as one of only nine UNESCO Creative Cities in the U.

Intrigued by its arts, and the fact that Paducah has held its own Pride festivals, it exemplified our quest for queer culture in unexpected places. Along with a road gay elaborate riverside murals, the museum helped earn Paducah its UNESCO designation, and rightfully so, considering the sheer array of bejeweled fiber art on display here, from a bedazzled saltwater crocodile to extremely detailed depictions of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

As a kid, I hated it. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise on our Big Gay Road Trip was a city that neither of us had been to: Buffalo. Turns out, we happened to be there during a recurring meet-up among local gays, so we fit right in.

We spiffed up our home in Oklahoma City to list on Airbnballowing us to travel more freely.