Perennial favorite Hawaii continues to garner top honors as Bay Area Reporter readers' favorite domestic getaway. And with travel to the Pacific island chain down this year compared to 2023, it is easy to find deals on flights and accommodations for fall travel.
According to the state's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, visitation to the Aloha State has been on a decline this year and well below that seen pre-COVID. In a May report, tourism officials disclosed that visitors had declined by 4.1% during the first five months of 2024 compared to the year prior. The 3,908,307 total arrivals also marked a 7.5% decrease from those seen in 2019 during the same timeframe.
Nonetheless, the stats do show gains from those seen five years ago. Total monthly visitor spending, at $1.41 billion, marked a 14.6% increase from that seen in May 2019.
"Though the U.S. market is weakening, arrivals in May 2024 were still 4.5 percent higher than the same month in 2019," noted James Kunane Tokioka, the department's director.
For those interested in learning about Hawaiian LGBTQ history, the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer History Trail continues to add sites to its list of important places for visitors to explore. During Pride Month local leaders in Honolulu unveiled a historic marker for the Glade Show Club that was once housed at 152 N. Hotel Street in the city's Chinatown.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the venue provided a safe space for transgender and drag performers and served as a de facto home for the city's LGBTQ+ Mahu community. It is now the inaugural stop for the LGBTQ history trail, which includes historic sites on the islands of O'ahu, Kaua'I, and Hawai'i.
"For too long our communities' stories have been hidden, our contributions overlooked, our resilience taken for granted," noted project directors Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer, adding that more places are to be added to the trail's list of stops. "We're looking forward to our team's continuing work on the Lei Pua ʻAla Queer Histories of Hawai'i project to make sure that our struggles and victories are not forgotten or erased from public memory."
The Hawai'i Tourism Authority has a dedicated page for LGBTQ-specific travel information on its website.
Runner-up
Palm Springs, California
Best Local Getaway Destination
Russian River, California
Another yearly winner in this Besties category, the Russian River region continues to charm LGBTQ travelers looking for a sojourn between the rugged Sonoma County coast and the sun-drenched inland vineyards. One of three wine roads in the area runs through the Russian River Valley, with maps and winery information to be found online.
Change is constant in the LGBTQ-friendly hamlet of Guerneville, which for decades has been welcoming out vacationers to the forested hotspot along the banks of the Russian River. For instance, the number of hotels marketed specifically to LGBTQ tourists has dwindled over the years while there has been an uptick in the number of LGBTQ-owned businesses.
Regulars of the R3 Hotel are hopeful it will remain a mainstay of Guerneville's LGBTQ lodging scene. As the B.A.R. reported in late June, the property with its 23 guest rooms, a bar and restaurant, pool, and an event space was put up for sale with an asking price of $4.564 million.
The current owners have said they want it to continue to cater to LGBTQ guests as it has over the last four decades. It is host to numerous pool parties for this year's Lazy Bear Week, which wraps up Monday, August 5.
On the eve of the start to fall this year will be the annual Russian River Pride parade and celebration. It takes place Saturday, September 21.
For more information about the various LGBTQ offerings in the Russian River area, visit https://gayrussianriver.com/
Runner-up
Napa (Wine Country)
Best Wedding Photographer
Steven Underhill
Northern California native Steven Underhill returns as the winner of this category for the third year in a row. He is a staple at LGBTQ events around the city, with his photos published weekly by the B.A.R.
He also can be booked to take headshots and portraits. Via his events page on his website, where the photos are available for purchase, Underhill provides a photographic time capsule of San Francisco's LGBTQ social scene over the last decade.
For more information, visit https://www.stevenunderhill.com/
Runner-up
Raul Salazar
Best Place to Buy Rings/Jewelry
Tiffany & Co.
Amid the changing retail fortunes of Union Square, Tiffany & Co. remains a staple of the San Francisco shopping district. And B.A.R. readers continue to reward the 186-year-old company for not shuttering its West Coast flagship store.
They again have named it the best place in the city to purchase engagement rings, wedding bands and other finely-crafted jewelry. The company's imposing storefront can be found at 350 Post Street.
For more information about its local store, visit https://www.tiffany.com/jewelry-stores/san-francisco/
Runner-up
D&H Sustainable Jewelry
Best Wedding Reception Venue
Legion of Honor
Once again, the city-owned Legion of Honor has won over B.A.R. readers as the best spot in San Francisco for couples to exchange their wedding vows. It is one of two sites operated by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Perched atop Lincoln Park, which had been a cemetery from 1868 until 1909, the museum was dedicated and opened to the public on Armistice Day, November 11, 1924.
Four different event spaces in or outside the neoclassical building can be rented out for wedding ceremonies. For evening affairs there is The Court of Honor outdoor entry area that can accommodate 450 seated guests or The Balustrade Lawn overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands, which has a capacity of 250 seated guests.
Daytime nuptials can take place inside the museum's Rodin Galleries, whose three connected spaces can fit 80 seated guests or 200 standing. Another option is the Terrace Level with its various indoor and outdoor spaces that can accommodate 150 to 350 guests.
For more information, visit https://www.famsf.org/about/weddings-private-events
Runner-up
Julia Morgan Ballroom
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