Tuesday, April 29, 2008

NAC ACTION ALERT - Seattle, Washington

via USAnudist.com by USAnudist on 4/29/08

Supporting local activists, NAC is asking you to participate in an online survey to indicate that you favor the inclusion of clothing-optional areas in the City of Seattle's consideration of future strategic plans.

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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
ACTION ALERT
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http://www.naturistaction.org
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Copyright 2008 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration.

DATE : April 28, 2008
SUBJECT: Seattle, Washington
TO : All Naturists and others who are interested

Dear Naturist,

This is an Action Alert from the Naturist Action Committee concerning an important situation in Seattle, Washington.

A SPECIFIC OPPPORTUNITY

Supporting local activists, NAC is asking you to participate in an online survey to indicate that you favor the inclusion of clothing-optional areas in the City of Seattle's consideration of future strategic plans.

Please take a few minutes to participate in the online survey to show your support. The last day to complete the survey will be Wednesday, April 30, 2008.

ANYBODY may participate, including those who are not residents of Seattle. Take the survey at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vxDlUmH3_2f2KzWCHhiMd6kg_3d_3d

The survey is divided into six goals areas. The first four are most important to us. The last two are intended mainly for internal issues.

SUGGESTED COMMENTS

Goals I - IV are the most appropriate to fit in comments about wanting to have clothing-optional beaches. For your suggestions, you may wish to use the page referring to Goal II - "Provide Recreation and Learning Opportunities to Support Healthy & Diverse Communities."

Additionally, you may use the area entitled "other feedback" at the end of the survey. You may choose to make your survey comments anonymously, but NAC encourages you to lend strength to your suggestions by standing behind them with your name and address.

The survey invites you to respond to the question: "What, if anything, is missing from this goal area?" Use your own words to add comments. Here are some general suggestions:

1) Call for Parks & Recreation to help work with local groups
for the development of European-style clothing-optional beaches
that are properly signed along the 24 miles of available Seattle
Park & Recreation shoreline.

2) Quiet areas with a history of clothing-optional use on the
shoreline of Magnuson Park would be an excellent candidate for
clothing-optional use.

Use your own words. Suggest another beach area, or bring up other issues in which you are interested.

FURTHER IDEAS

You may also want to point out:

1) For years, several beaches in Seattle have included areas that
have been used quietly and informally for clothing-optional recreation.
However, despite a high demand and preference for such areas,
there are currently no areas officially set aside or properly
signed for such purposes.

2) Many major cities on the west coast have many popular clothing-
optional beach destinations close by and there is high demand in
Seattle for the same type of opportunities. (You might want to
mention Wreck Beach in Vancouver BC, Collins Beach and Rooster
Rock State Park near Portland and the several state-owned
clothing-optional beaches that exist along the California coast.)

3) Relate your own positive experiences of skinny dipping at Seattle
beaches. This could be casual use of a traditionally used area or
as a participant during a WNBR, Magnuson Beach Bares, BFC or other
organized event.

4) Seattle is a major body-positive town with large numbers of events
which have some social nudity aspects including many naked bike rides
(artistic and political), body painting parties, Magnuson Beach Bares,
Sun Lovers Under Gray Skies, Body Freedom Collaborative, and nude swims
at municipal pools (pioneered by NAC) There are several large social
nudity communities in the Greater Seattle area.

5) You may also want to direct attention to http://NudeBeachesYes.org
for more general info on the Web and/or to http://MagnusonBeach.org
for a local Seattle skinny-dipping group.

6) If you live outside the Seattle area you may wish to add
(probably under Goal II): You and your family enjoy traveling to the
West Coast/Pacific Northwest and visiting clothing-optional beaches
is a major activity that you look forward to when vacationing.

7) You expect that every civilized city will have clothing-optional beaches
for local use and as tourist attractions, and you don't understand why
Seattle, of all cities, has no officially-designated beach areas.

Perhaps these comments can go on the Goal III page OR at the very end of the survey under Section 7 "Overall and About You" under "other feedback"

COMMENTS FROM A LOCAL ACTIVIST

Local activist Daniel Johnson offers these important remarks, which NAC is including verbatim in this Action Alert.

"If you're going to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk. Actions speak louder than words. If Parks really intends to do outreach and do relationship building, work with local non profits and support diversity, as is indicated in the SAP, it must recognize the steady call for clothing-optional beaches by locals and discontinue stalling against any real long-term change. It is time to move beyond the status quo and begin working with locals on creating partnerships for building healthy, family-friendly, clothing-optional beaches along with other forms of clothing-optional recreation in the City.

"Parks & Rec must find a way to properly staff clothing-free swims by local groups with lifeguards. The recent policy change which has resulted in canceling nude swims at Ballard Pool is discriminatory and ridiculous. By all conventional measures of being an adult, including the fact that 18 year olds are adult enough to go to war, marry and raise children, why are 18 year old lifeguards not considered adult enough to staff the swims? Parks & Recreation purposefully raised the age limit recently for lifeguards from 18 to 21 knowing that most lifeguards are younger and tend to move on after a few years as a lifeguard and that having no staff to fulfill the ridiculous new age requirement would force these events to be canceled."

BACKGROUND

Seattle Parks and Recreation is seeking input from the public regarding its Strategic Action Plan (SAP), an important document that will determine the direction of Seattle Parks & Recreation for the next five years by defining its priorities and values. Seattle Parks & Recreation was charged to create the SAP by the Mayor's Office and the Seattle City Council because they felt that Parks & Rec was not being held accountable to the public.

Info on the SAP is at

http://www.seattle.gov/PARKS/Publications/ParksActionPlan.htm

This is our big opportunity for our voices to be heard and counted!! They have to acknowledge our comments in a formal manner!

The SAP meetings and the online surveys are a great opportunities for us to convey to Seattle Parks & Recreation that we need opportunities for European-style clothing-optional recreation, especially designated clothing-optional beaches. It is absolutely critical that the skinny-dipping community be represented in the Strategic Action Plan.

Thanks for participating!

FURTHER INFORMATION

For additional local information, contact:

Daniel Johnson
(206) 369-2661 cell

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

The Naturist Action Committee is a volunteer nonprofit organization that exists to advance and protect the rights of naturists throughout North America. Identifying and fighting bad local lawmaking is necessary, but it's expensive. To do its job, NAC relies entirely on the voluntary generosity of supporters like you. To donate to NAC, use the address below

NAC
PO Box 132
Oshkosh, WI 54903

Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation:

http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/

Thank you for choosing to make a difference.

Naturally,

Bob Morton
Executive Director
Naturist Action Committee

—————————————————————
Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Dir. Bob Morton - execdir@naturistaction.org
Board Member Mark Storey - storey98@aol.com
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com
—————————————————————

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Naturist Clubs in the United States




View Larger Map


The locations provided on this map are not guaranteed to be geographically accurate. Please contact each Club, Resort, or Group for directions.

Club NameCityStateSource of DataClassification
Gymno-Vita ParkVandiverALAANRPark / Resort
Canyon State NaturistsMesaAZAANR,TNSTravel Club
Spiritual Naturists SIGMesaAZTNSSIG
Shangri La RanchNew RiverAZAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Arizona WildflowersPhoenixAZAANRTravel Club
El Dorado Hot SpringTonopahAZTNSHot Springs
Buff-A-TeersTusconAZAANRTravel Club
Our Sun HomeAnaheimCATNSB&B
Sutter Buttes Sun ClubAntelopeCAAANRTravel Club
Friends of Deep CreekApple ValleyCATNSGroups
Bakersfield Sun ClubBakersfieldCAAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Friends of TravertineBridgeportCATNSGroups
Friends of San OnofreCapo BeachCATNSGroups
Sequoians Family Nudist ParkCastro ValleyCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Olive Dell RanchColtonCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Glen Eden Sun ClubCoronaCAAANRPark / Resort
Golden Oaks ClubEl CajonCAAANRTravel Club
Swallows Sun Island ClubEl CajonCAAANRTravel Club
Amateur Radio SIGEncinitasCATNSSIG
Air A TansGardeniaCAAANRTravel Club
Sanrobles, Inc.HaywardCAAANRTravel Club
De Anza Springs ResortJacumbaCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Blacks Beach BaresLa JollaCATNSGroups
Naked VolleyballLaguna NiguelCAAANRTravel Club
Mystic OaksLake ElsinoreCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Central California BeachfrontLompocCATNSContacts
LlasaLos GatosCAAANRTravel Club
Lupin naturist ClubLos GatosCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Silver Valley Sun ClubNewberry SpringsCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Desert Sun ResortPalm SpringsCAANNR, TNSPark / Resort
Morningside InnPalm SpringsCAAANR,TNSB&B
Terra Cotta InnPalm SpringsCAAANR,TNSB&B
Turtle Back MesaPalm SpringsCATNSB&B
Central Coast NaturistsPismo BeachCATNSContacts
Natural Manner Club of CAReedleyCAAANRTravel Club
Northern California ExposureSacramentoCAAANRTravel Club
Deer Park Nudist ResortSan BernardinoCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Canyon Sun ClubSan BernardinoCAAANRTravel Club
Le ClubSan DiegoCAAANRTravel Club
Naturally CaliforniaSan DiegoCAAANR,TNSContacts
Camping BaresSan DiegoCATNSGroups
Bay Area NaturistsSan JoseCATNSGroups
Wee Bear ClubSanteeCAAANRTravel Club
Sierra SunchasersTracyCAAANRTravel Club
PacificansVan NuysCAAANRTravel Club
The Olympian ClubVictorvilleCAAANR,TNSContacts
Laguna del SolWiltonCAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Rocky Mountain NaturistsDenverCOAANRTravel Club
Orvis Hot SpringsRidgwayCO
Hot Spring
Mountain Air RanchIndian HillsCOAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Front Range NaturistsTimnathCOAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Valley View Hot SpringsVilla GroveCOTNSHot Springs
Garden Of Eden Travel ClubPlymouthCTAANR,TNSContacts
Sun Ridge ResortSterlingCTANNRPark / Resort
Solair Recreation LeagueWoodstockCTANNRPark / Resort
LGBTA SIGWashingtonDC TNSSIG
Southwest Florida NaturistsCape CoralFLAANRTravel Club
Seminole Health ClubDavieFLANNRPark / Resort
Gay Naturists InternationalFort LauderdaleFLTNSContacts
Sanibel Naturists, Inc.Fort MeyersFLAANRTravel Club
Sunnier PalmsFort PierceFLANNRPark / Resort
Sunsations Travel ClubFt. MyersFLAANR,TNSContacts
Gulf Coast ResortHudsonFLAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Northeast Florida NaturistsJacksonvilleFLAANRTravel Club
Cypress Cove Nudist ResortKissimmeeFLAANR,TNSPark / Resort
American Association for Nude RecreationKissimmeeFLTNSContacts
American Nudist Research LibraryKissimmeeFLTNSContacts
Club Paradise at Paradise LakesLand O'LakesFLANNRPark / Resort
The Island GroupLand O'LakesFLANNRPark / Resort
CalienteLand O'LakesFLAANRTravel Club
Sunsport GardensLoxahatcheeFLANNRPark / Resort
Naturally YoungLutzFLAANRTravel Club
Lake Como Family Nudist ResortLutzFLAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Vacation Au NaturelMiamiFLTNSTravel Consultant
Sunburst ResortMiltonFLANNRPark / Resort
Southern Exposure of NaplesNaplesFLAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Friends of Apollo BeachOrange CityFLAANRTravel Club
Central Florida NaturistsOrlandoFLAANRTravel Club
Rivera Naturist ResortPaceFLANNRPark / Resort
Sunny Sands ResortPiersonFLAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Hidden River ResortSandersonFLAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Singles SIGSt. PetersburgFLTNSSIG
Tallahassee Bare-DevilsTallahasseeFLAANRTravel Club
Bare BuddiesAtlantaGAAANRTravel Club
The Augusta NaturistsAugustaGAAANRTravel Club
Mountain Creek GroveClevelandGAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Serendipity ParkClevelandGAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Paradise ValleyDawsonvilleGAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
CyberbaresLawrencevilleGAAANRTravel Club
Bell Acres ResortMaysvilleGAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Southern NaturistOxfordGAAANRTravel Club
Mountain Oak Bares Naturist Travel ClubWarm SpringsGAAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Hawaii Naturist SocietyHonoluluHIAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Kona Sun KlubKailua KonaHIAANRTravel Club
SunChefsPearl CityHITNSSIG
Maui Sun ClubPuuneneHIAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Bare BackersBoiseIDANNRPark / Resort
Running BaresMoscowIDAANRTravel Club
Sun Meadow ResortWorleyIDAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Blue Lake IncErieILANNRPark / Resort
Danvers
IL
AANR, TNS
Park / Resort
Chicago Sun ClubWascoILAANRTravel Club
Illi Mo UtopiansWood RiverILAANRTravel Club
Drakes Ridge Rustic Nudist RetreatBenningtonINANNRPark / Resort
Fern Hills ClubBloomingtonINANNRPark / Resort
Bo KiserBloomingtonINTNSContacts
Sunshower Country ClubCentervilleINANNRPark / Resort
Fort Wayne NaturistsFort WayneINAANRTravel Club
Sunny Haven Recreation ParkGrangerINAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Second NatureIndianapolisINTNSContacts
Lake O'The Woods Club IncValparaisoINANNRPark / Resort
Sandy Lane Club IncHutchinsonKSANNRPark / Resort
Lawrence Area NaturistsLinwoodKSTNSContacts
Prairie HavenScrantonKSANNRPark / Resort
Heartland NaturistsShawnee MissionKSANNRPark / Resort
Lake EdunTopekaKSTNSPark / Resort
Bluegrass NaturistsNicholasvilleKYTNSContacts
La Pines RanchLacombeLAANNRPark / Resort
Ketchum
ME

Skinny Dipping Hole
Richmond
ME

B&B
Outdoor Recreation SIGArlingtonMATNSSIG
Berkshire Vista ResortHancockMAANNRPark / Resort
Sunchasers Travel ClubLudlowMAAANRTravel Club
Sandy Terraces AssociatesMarstons MillsMAANNRPark / Resort
Sherwood ForestNorth ReadingMAAANRTravel Club
Chesapeake Jay BirdsBaltimoreMDAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Columbia Area NaturistsColumbiaMDTNSContacts
Pine Tree Associates Inc.CrownsvilleMDANNRPark / Resort
Maryland Health Society Inc.DavidsonvilleMDANNRPark / Resort
Pen-Mar ClubHancockMDANNRPark / Resort
Sunshine Gardens ResortBattle CreekMIAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Traverse Area NaturistsMedickMIAANRTravel Club
Whispering Oaks IncOxfordMIANNRPark / Resort
Forest Hills ClubSaranacMIAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Turtle Lake ResortUnion CityMIAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Oakwood Club IncCoon RapidsMNANNRPark / Resort
Avatan IncMinneapolisMNANNRPark / Resort
Sno-Birds, IncMinneapolisMNAANRTravel Club
Forty Acre ClubLonedellMOANNRPark / Resort
Bare HuntersSt. LouisMOAANR,TNSTravel Club
Show Me AcresStoverMOAANRPark / Resort
North Carolina NaturistsCharlotteNCAANRTravel Club
Pamlico PinesNew BernNCAANRPark / Resort
Central Carolina NaturistsRaleighNCTNSContacts
Bar-S-RanchReidsvilleNCANNRPark / Resort
Coventry Club & ResortTabor CityNCANNRPark / Resort
National Nudist CouncilKeeneNHTNSContacts
Sky FarmBasking RidgeNJTNSPark / Resort
Tri State Sun ClubBroadwayNJAANRTravel Club
Miniten SIGChesterNJTNSSIG
Sun Airs of New JerseyHackettstownNJAANRTravel Club
Goodland Country ClubHackettstownNJTNSPark / Resort
The Road WarriorsMays LandingNJAANRTravel Club
Naturally MagazineNewfoundlandNJTNSContacts
The Friends of GunnisonSayrevilleNJAANRTravel Club
Rock Lodge ClubStockholmNJANNRPark / Resort
Solaramblers Sun ClubWest CaldwellNJAANRTravel Club
Four Corners BaresAlburquerqueNMTNSContacts
Faywood Hot SpringsFaywoodNMTNSHot Springs
Magic CircleElyNVTNSContacts
Christian Naturists SIGRenoNVTNSSIG
Nevada Sun RanchoSandy ValleyNVAANR,TNSPark / Resort
SunFunBrockportNYAANRTravel Club
Friends of BuffaloBuffaloNYAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Buckridge Nudist ParkCandorNYAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Juniper Woods Inc.CatskillNYAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Northern Exposure Sun ClubClifton ParkNYAANRTravel Club
Bare Bones CampgroundLockeNYTNSPark / Resort
Empire Haven Nudist ParkMoraviaNYAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Rochester Naturist SocietyRochesterNYAANRTravel Club
Full-Tan Sun ClubSprakersNYANNRPark / Resort
Long Island TravasunsWantaghNYAANRTravel Club
Green Valley Inc.BathOHANNRPark / Resort
Cinci GymnosCincinnatiOHAANRTravel Club
Paradise GardensCincinnatiOHAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Northcoast NaturistsClevelandOHAANRTravel Club
Have Sun Will TravelMarionOHAANRTravel Club
Alpine ResortMillersburgOHANNRPark / Resort
Sunn Jammers Recreational ParkNewarkOHTNSPark / Resort
Cedar Trails RetreatPeeblesOHANNRPark / Resort
Great Lakes SunSeekersSylvaniaOHAANRTravel Club
Oaklake TrailsTulsaOKANNRPark / Resort
Willow Beach Nudist ClubTulsaOKTNSPark / Resort
Travel AmericaAlohaORTNSTravel Consultant
Rogue SuncatchersAshlandORAANR,TNSTravel Club,Contacts
The Central Oregon TumbleweedsBendORAANRTravel Club
Jerry MorselloEugeneORTNSContacts
WillamettansMarcolaORAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Socially United Nudist ClubMedfordORAANR, TNSTravel Club
Restful Haven Health ClubNorth PlainsORAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Hidden SpringsTravel ClubPortlandORAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Sun RoversPortlandORAANRTravel Club
Friends of Rooster Rock Nude BeachPortlandORTNSContacts
Beechwood LodgeAshfieldPAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Metro Naturists IncBensalemPAAANRTravel Club
White Thorn LodgeDarlingtonPAANNRPark / Resort
Susquehanna BaresDuncannonPAAANRTravel Club
Timber TrailsHersheyPAAANRTravel Club
Penn Sylvan Health SocietyMohntonPAANNRPark / Resort
Sunny Rest LodgePalmertonPATNSPark / Resort
Broken ArrowPolkPAANNRPark / Resort
Hilltoppers Sun ClubRed LionPAAANRTravel Club
Dyer Woods Nudist CampgroundFosterRIANNRPark / Resort
HootervilleWyomingRITNSContacts
Low Country NaturistsCharlestonSCAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Carolina FoothillsChesneeSCAANR,TNSPark / Resort
ColaBaresColumbiaSCAANRTravel Club
TravelitesColumbiaSCAANR,TNSContacts
Sunair Health ClubGranitevilleSCAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Creek Bend BaresGray CourtSCTNSContacts
Cedar CreekPelionSCANNRPark / Resort
Cherokee Lodge & ResortCrossvilleTNANNRPark / Resort
Timberline ResortCrossvilleTNAANR,TNSPark / Resort
UtopiaJacksonTNTNSContacts
Naturist TennesseeKnoxvilleTNTNSContacts
Rock Haven Lodge IncMurfreesboroTNANNRPark / Resort
Smokey Mountain TravelersNewportTNTNSContacts
BluebonnetAlvordTXAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Bare Necessities Travel AgencyAustinTXAANRTravel Club
Central Texas NudistsAustinTXAANRTravel Club
Hill Country NudistsAustinTXAANRTravel Club
Heart of Texas NudistsAustinTXAANRTravel Club
Acorn AcresBolingTXAANRPark / Resort
Travelin BaresCameronTXAANRTravel Club
BB's HideawayCantonTXANNRPark / Resort
Wildwood Naturist's ResortDecaturTXANNRPark / Resort
Natures ResortEdinburgTXAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Sandpipers Holiday ParkEdinburgTXAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Riverside RanchElmendorfTXANNRPark / Resort
Bolivar United Naturist SocietyGilchristTXAANRPark / Resort
Emerald Lake ResortHoustonTXAANRPark / Resort
Healthy Hides of HoustonHoustonTXAANRPark / Resort
The Natural TravelersHoustonTXAANRTravel Club
Natural TravelersHoustonTXTNSContacts
Castaways TravelHoustonTXTNSTravel Consultant
Buff Divers SIGKatyTXTNSSIG
Gulf Coast Nudist Yacht ResortKemahTXAANRTravel Club
The Sun StrokersLivingstonTXAANRTravel Club
Massage SIGLivingstonTXTNSSIG
Star RanchMcDadeTXAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Natural HorisunNeedvilleTXAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Bexar Recreation SocietySan AntonioTXAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Live Oak ResortWashingtonTXTNSPark / Resort
Vista Grande RanchWeatherfordTXANNRPark / Resort
Pondarosa Resorts, IncWills PointTXAANRPark / Resort
Utah NaturistsSalt Lake CityUTTNSContacts
White Tail ParkIvorVAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Capitalsun.comLeesburgVAAANRTravel Club
Soul Barers SIGMerifieldVATNSSIG
Potomac Rambling BaresOaktonVAAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Bare Buns Family Nudist ClubOaktonVAAANR,TNSContacts, Travel Club
Abbott's Glen(near) WilmingtonVTANNR, TNSPark / Resort
Coventry Club & ResortMiltonVTANNRPark / Resort
Naturist Life InternationalTroyVTTNSContacts
Fraternity SnoqualmieIssaquahWAANNRPark / Resort
Forest Murmers IncLacyWAAANRTravel Club
Kaniksu RanchLoon LakeWAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Free SpiritsManchesterWAAANRTravel Club
Lake Associates Recreation ClubMt. VernonWAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Lake Bronson ClubSultanWAAANR,TNSPark / Resort
Uptown Village Hot TubsVancouverWAAANRPark / Resort
Hot Springs SIGVancouverWATNSSIG
The Naturals Club of SpokaneVeradaleWAAANRTravel Club
Valley View Recreation ClubCambridgeWIANNRPark / Resort
Brillion
WI
TNS
Park / Resort
Badger NaturistsMadisonWIAANRTravel Club
Free Beaches Documentation CenterOshkoshWITNSContacts
The TravaliersRacineWIAANRTravel Club
Friends of Mazo BeachSauk CityWITNSContacts
AvalonPaw PawWVAANR,TNSPark / Resort
WyotansGilletteWYTNSContacts




Desert Shadows will Re-Open as Desert Sun Resort

From the Shadows to the Sun: Desert Shadows will Re-Open as Desert Sun Resort

from NaturistMusings by





From an e-blast from Cheri Alexander, well-connected naturist leader:


Re-opening of DSI as " http://www.desertsunresort.com/ " by new owners Desert Sun LLC
John and Elizabeth are the new legal owners of the resort as Desert Sun LLC, and condo owners and residents at the resort.


The facility will be opened as a family naturist and nudist resort allowing singles soon as the required permits and licenses, and inspections, furniture, and fixtures are in place.

The new Resort web site reference: http://www.desertsunresort.com/

Refer to the new web site for new contact, phone, and reservations, opening, and planned events.

List of what will be available soft opening this weekend:


The rooms are in fine shape and have all received or are receiving a thorough cleaning.

The phones should be operational upon (PBX) installation today Tuesday, 4/22/2008

The condo rental pool is being slowly formed. At least one of each condo type in the rental pool is available now, more are expected by the weekend.

They'll try to provide some food, perhaps pizza, perhaps a BBQ, perhaps ordering out, but it's definitely BYOB for now.

It's possible that one pool or hot tub might be under maintenance at various times during the weekend.

They are still on track to having everything up and running by the holiday weekend.

What's not available:


The restaurant, Spa, in-room Movies on Demand.


The state of the in-room and condo rental cable TV is unclear at the moment. The status of the volley ball pool, new poles and net is unclear at the moment.

Please check the website http://desertsunresort.com/ and phone # 1 (800) 960-4SUN before arriving. 1533 Chaparral Road, Palm Springs, CA 92282


Cheri Alexander
PO Box 90836
Columbia, SC 29290
http://pages. prodigy.net/cheridonna

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Palm Springs resort with naked bridge set to reopen -- Desert Sun

from: http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080423/BUSINESS01/804230310/1006/news01

Palm Springs resort with naked bridge set to reopen

Ownership transition causes some confusion

Debra Gruszecki • The Desert Sun • April 23, 2008

PALM SPRINGS - The sun has set on Desert Shadows Resort & Spa, a clothes-free retreat on Chaparral Road, but only because there's been an ownership change.

Advertisement

The resort, known for its famed Lee Baxandall Memorial Bridge - the "Naked Bridge" or "Bridge of Thighs" - over a main thoroughfare into Palm Springs, noted in its Web site that it had closed.

Reservations weren't being accepted, it said.

But Michael Williams, hotel manager, said Tuesday that it only appears that way: The naturist resort will reopen Friday as the Desert Sun Resort.

The ownership transition was not seamless, Williams said.

That's because John and Elizabeth Young, who bought the resort at an April 8 auction, learned afterward of the need to negotiate the purchase of furnishings in the resort that included office equipment and the phone line for reservations, Williams said.

"Our phone service arrives on Thursday,'' he said. "We've had a few people getting a bit panicky over their future reservations, and we're doing everything we can at this time to confirm these reservations over our personal phones."

The Youngs, naturists for about five years, declined to cite the purchase price at this time.

Former owners Linsu Corp., which filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California in Riverside in late 2007, could not be reached for comment.

Privately owned Desert Shadows condominiums are not linked to the sale, Williams added. However, the condominiums are connected to the grounds and, in that way, are impacted by the transition.

Initially, the condo association was leery but concerns since have been allayed, Williams said, noting, "We're all working together to bring this property back to its glory days."


Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Group Seeks To Market Nudist Offerings -- Pasco Tribune

Group Seeks To Market Nudist Offerings

from: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/21/pa-group-seeks-to-market-nudist-offerings/?news-pasco

By JULIA FERRANTE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 21, 2008

DADE CITY - A group of local naturists wants to share their secret: Pasco County is a nudist Mecca.

"The naturist community is a diamond in the rough," Marcia Stone, a member of the grass-roots group www.PANDAbare.org, told the Tourist Development Council on Wednesday. "We want to market Pasco County as a nudist destination. We need to let them know what we have."

PANDAbare, which stands for Pasco Area Nudist Development Association, is reaching out to local organizations for support. Stone and organization president Paul Brenot asked the TDC on Wednesday for a $15,000 grant to promote Pasco as a nudist destination through its Web site.

Pasco has about a dozen nudist communities, including Lake Como, Caliente and Paradise Lakes, all of which are in Land O' Lakes and double as year-round resorts, Brenot noted.

The TDC, which makes recommendations to the county commission, told Brenot and Stone they do not award grants to organizations for general promotion through a Web site but encouraged the group to seek a grant to promote a specific event they want to advertise.

"We look at funding different sporting events," County Commissioner Jack Mariano, chairman of the TDC, told Brenot at a meeting at the historic Pasco County Courthouse. "We've never done anything like this at all. ...I don't see an event here. I see this as a promotional thing that's not event-tied."

TDC member Jack Phethean of the Little Everglades Steeplechase said the TDC allocated funds to promote events that encourage overnight stays at hotels in Pasco.

"We need a hook," Phethean said. "If you have a specific event, fine, but just as an ongoing special event, that's where we have a roadblock."

Toby Caroline, a TDC member representing clothing-optional Paradise Lakes Resort, said she encouraged PANDAbare to focus its pitch on specific events, such as a volleyball tournament and a car show.

State law says revenue from a 2 percent tax on hotel stays and short-term rentals may be used for activities, services, venues or events that promote tourism, Pasco Public Communications Manager Eric Keaton said.

"They don't have an event, but they do have a service, which is the Web site."

PANDAbare.org lists nudist-friendly businesses, resorts and events at local nudist communities.

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

Friday, April 11, 2008

We've discovered our friends are nudists (from Globe and Mail Online)

As naturists, we are probably unaware when our friends find out about our lifestyle.. The article below brings an interesting perspective.

from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080328.wldamage28/BNStory/lifeFamily/home

We've discovered our friends are nudists

DAVID EDDIE

From Friday's Globe and Mail

March 28, 2008 at 9:11 AM EDT

A reader writes: My wife and I have been very close friends with another couple for more than 30 years. We are all in our late 50s. We have shared and supported each other through the births of our children, the deaths of our parents, health crises and career changes. But over the past three years they started spending weekends away in a small trailer.

Being curious, and based on cumulative facts gleaned over time, we Googled some of their camping locations. It seemed our friends had become naturists ... nudists. Then we saw their picture in a naturist magazine. Now, we are not prudes - skinny-dipping is not foreign to us. Our problem is that it seems our friends have decided to move on to a new chapter of their lives without including us. Do we tell them we know or do we simply ignore the whole thing and hope they will eventually take us into their confidence?

The answer

Regular readers of this column will know I'm all about hanging on to old friends. Recently I quoted Polonius from Hamlet: "Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried/Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel."

But on the other hand, there's such a thing as taking a hint. And it does appear, at first blush, your friends are kicking you to the hamper like yesterday's boxers.

Sometimes we need to peel off old friends, like a pair of too-tight jeans, in order to grow and evolve.

I discovered the truth of this when I went away to college.

My high-school friends knew me as "crazy Dave." Class clown, streaker, stoner, shoplifter, bookworm, the long-haired hippie freak in ratty jeans, wire-rimmed glasses, and my dad's army jacket. I was also "no-date Dave" - in all of high school I had one date and the whole thing was a lecture on why I never got dates.

But to the downy limbed beauties of Middlebury College in Vermont, I wanted to reinvent myself and be known as Dave the haunted, slightly troubled troubadour; Dave the romantic poet; Dave the playwright, dropping aphorisms and bon mots like President Johnson dropped bombs on Vietnam. Above all, Dave "the lover."

To my amazement and everlasting joy, they bought it. I'm not one to kiss and tell, but suffice to say for the next four years the new Dave was perhaps among the happiest young men on the eastern seaboard.

But my high-school friends would never have allowed this metamorphosis to occur. They would have mocked my scarf and pretensions. They wouldn't have allowed me to "fake it until I make it."

Maybe your friends are thinking along similar lines. Maybe they're worried that (warning: tortured metaphor approaching) unless they untether the belt of your friendship, they'll never be able to drop their old selves to the floor and step forward into the sunshine of a brave nude world.

To get a sense of whether this could possibly be the case, I spoke to Stéphane Deschênes, owner of the Bear Oaks Family Naturist Park in Ontario, and member of the Federation of Canadian Naturists.

He said you shouldn't take your friends' secretiveness personally. They're probably just nervous about your judgment.

Naturism is about many things, he says, including equality: "When you're naked you can't express your feelings of social superiority over others through your clothing."

But when most people think of nudist clubs or societies (don't say "colonies," they don't like that any more: it sounds too much like a cult), they tend to think (or maybe this is mostly me) of alfresco sex; unbidden, total giveaway erections; and not knowing where to look when you're talking to someone.

(Personally, if I were a nudist and a hot woman, I'd get a tattoo on the upper part of my left breast, saying: "If you're reading this, you're probably not listening to me. Shall I repeat what I just said?")

There's still a stigma attached to it, and Mr. Deschênes said a lot of naturists find it hard (cough cough, sorry) to tell old friends about their new clothing-optional lifestyles.

He says he didn't tell a lot of people at first. When friends found out after he appeared on a cable TV talk show extolling the virtues of doffing your duds, many asked him: "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't like I'd taken up golf and could ask them, 'Hey why don't you play a few rounds with me?' " he says.

It's a ticklish thing and continues to be ticklish at times. He says to this day when people invite him to pool parties they sometimes nervously ask him if he plans to, you know - that is, if he wouldn't mind wearing a suit, please.

But he says that, especially if your friends have contributed to a naturist magazine, they're probably quite passionate about it. And he predicts that if you approach them, "you probably won't be able to get them to shut up about it."

In all likelihood, they'll feel a huge sense of relief, and be more than happy to welcome you into the fold, should you so desire.

So yes, I would say: doff your reticence, approach your friends and whip out your knowledge of the new direction their lives are taking. Just say you saw them in the magazine and start talking about that. If you wind up nudists - well, I have to say it sounds like a fun way to spend your weekends. Send me a postcard.

Of course, there's a chance your friends' evasiveness might have nothing to do with naturism. And I can imagine a horrible, embarrassing scene where you're all standing around naked sipping Cuba libres and they say: "No, it wasn't that we were embarrassed by our naturism. We were just bored of you guys."

But that doesn't sound like the case here. Mostly because of the timing. If you're as close to your old friends as you say, it's just too big a coincidence that they started being evasive about the time they became naturists.

If you approach them with open hearts and minds, I predict you will soon be a happy foursome once again, perhaps playing nude gin rummy in the sun.

If you do go that route, one last note, courtesy of Mr. Deschênes: Naturists love being nude, they love playing basketball and frolicking in the buff, but they're practical about it, too. They understand the need for clothing as protection: "I like to tell people," he says, 'Wear an apron when you're arc-welding or frying bacon.' "

Now that, my friends, is what I call good advice. And don't forget lots of sunscreen.

David Eddie is a screenwriter and the author of Chump Change and Housebroken: Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Dad.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

German nudist flight could be grounded

Photo: dpa

German nudist flight could be grounded

Published: 6 Apr 08 15:16 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/11127/

A planned and much publicized charter flight for nudists from the town of Erfurt to the Baltic Sea island of Usedom might not take place after all. The carrier appears to have gotten cold feet.

It was meant to be an occasion for nudists to let their hair down and take their pants off at 30,000 feet. Earlier this year, the Internet travel agency OssiUrlaub.de announced a textile-free flight to the Baltic Sea in July which grabbed the attention of the clothes-averse and media outlets from around the world.

The flight was sold out almost immediately.

But according to a newspaper report, the Ostfriesische Luftransport air carrier has gone back on their pledge to provide one of their airplanes for the flight.

"The carrier apparently got cold feet due to the intense public interest," Enrico Heß from OssiUrlaub.de told the Ostthüringer Zeitung newspaper.

A spokesperson for the air carrier, however, said they get hundreds of requests daily for charter flights and a special contract for a nudist trip was never negotiated.

DDP/The Local (news@thelocal.de)

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Orient Beach Update

Although we haven't been lucky enough to make the trip to St. Martin this year, our friends have. We got the following update when they returned from their trip in March:

The updates at Club O - new mesh lounge chairs at each unit instead of the orange vinyl ones. The boutique is larger, brighter, and a better check out area. Not too much in the way of new products but they certainly have room to add things as needed. Papagayo has new tables and chairs(not plastic) and new large ceiling fans in the tropical paddle style. Kitchen and bar have been redone w/ new tiling. The food quality was consistently good and the menu had some nice additions, like a couple chicken dishes. Denis the GM [told us] that Papagayo will have pizza next year. Beach was in good shape. Unfortunately, no more burgers, etc at the Perch Bar. Word was they changed to a regular charcoal grill which caused too much smoke and now can't find the gas grill they used to have. We did not walk the entire beach naked - seems they are frowning on that more and more.

http://www.clubfantastico.net/images/DSC_0159.jpg

On Thursday, Club Fantastico has a wine and cheese w/ music that is open to the public ($35/couple for non-guests). It is a 6 room villa w/ pool and hot tub and is now affiliated w/ AANR. In fact, the night we were there, a PR person from AANR East was there and will be doing an article for the Bulletin. It is a bit more expensive than Club O but does include breakfast, all your alcohol, free calls to the US and free WiFi. The guests that were staying there were great and showed us their rooms. Very nice - king size beds, huge tiled bathrooms, a/c. It really is an easy drive also if you want to get to the beach. It sits above the beach at the Coco Beach end but the road to it is very close to the entrance to the Club O road.

Monday, April 07, 2008

The Naked Truth (from EdmontonJournal.com)

Paypal revoked FCN's right to service in late March, calling FCN's publication -- Going Natural -- pornography. The article below appeared in the Edmonton Journal on April 4.

copied from: http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/ed/story.html?id=a3770f76-22cc-4788-93f3-422fdbbe8b45&k=11530


The naked truth
Nudist mag or nudie mag? The difference between advocacy and pornography is all about context

Jennifer Parks
edmontonjournal.com

Some kinda sick puppy, that.
CREDIT: Illustration by Nickelas Johnson
Some kinda sick puppy, that.

PayPal's recent decision to revoke services to the Federation of Canadian Naturists reveals just how misunderstood nudists are in our society.

The e-commerce giant has cancelled its subscription processing contract with the FCN, claiming their club magazine takes nudity too far because it depicts naked minors.

"It's an incredibly ignorant stand that shows they haven't done their research as to what a naturist is," says Karen Grant, President of the Federation of Canadian Naturists.

"Child pornography is a very specific and sad part of our society right now. But this is not it. I'm a mother of two kids, and I wouldn't be a nudist if I felt my child were in any danger."

Like any special interest magazine, the FCN's publication, Going Natural, promotes a hobby or lifestyle, and provides information on holiday destinations, products and other tips relevant to that lifestyle.

"Yes, the magazine does carry some pictures of naked families, including children, but there's nothing pornographic or gratuitous about them. For some reason, in our culture the word 'nude' evokes sex. But is that the only reason we undress?" asks Grant, who lives in Edmonton.

PayPal says the content of the group's magazine is "obscene" and violates their acceptable user policy, according to e-mails sent by PayPal to FCN.

"PayPal prohibits all account holders from buying or selling any sexually oriented goods or services involving minors or made to appear to involve minors," says PayPal spokesperson Jamie Patrichio.

"While we generally do allow nudist websites to accept payments with PayPal, when those sites feature children, we will typically take a stricter approach."

If you've ever skinny-dipped or lounged around at home in the buff, there's something to be said for letting it all hang out. As adults, many of us worry that our parts are imperfect: too big, too small, too stretched or too flabby. But young kids haven't yet learned to judge themselves so harshly. Intuitively, they know that being naked is perfectly natural. They take to it like fish to water, and embrace the freedom of being in their own skin, which is all too often lost as one grows up.

That is why, as a society, we celebrate childlike innocence, and why we protect it tooth-and-nail from the ugly realities in life, like pedophiles or child predators. But is PayPal taking things too far?

While one long-time member of a local nudist association applauds our society's desire to guard children against exploitation, he says this is a case of misplaced concern.

"I don't know if PayPal did it out of political correctness, but someone thought, 'adults and kids -- nude? Uh-oh. We don't want to be associated with that.' There will always be people who equate sex with nudity. No point in trying to explain your lifestyle to the closed-minded," says Perry, 48, a two-decade member of Helios Association in Tofield, Alberta.

"Lust," he adds, "is in the eye of the beholder, not in a naked child at play."

If so, then society's prurience can be summed up in a Google search for the words "naturism" or "nudist," which quickly inundates a person with pop-up windows hawking every nude sexual fantasy imaginable.

And it probably doesn't help that a magazine like Going Natural is the easiest legal access a pedophile has to nude material. But why should wholesome and family-oriented groups like FCN have to pay the price for others' ignorance or perversions?

"It's a fine line, what's pornographic or not," says Patrichio. "PayPal is erring on the side of caution. Whenever there are children involved, we want to be stricter with our policies."

Alberta Film Classification Board director Paul Pearson says there are no hard and fast rules about discerning sexual content in his line of work.

"We ask why there's nudity in a film. Is it gratuitous, or integral to the story line? Is it sexual or non-sexual nudity -- because there is a difference," says Pearson. "It's all about context."

An honest look at context is what's missing from PayPal's assessment.

"Generally, naturism is typically non-sexual nudity," concludes Pearson. "And non-sexual nudity tends not to be rated as high as sexual nudity."

So why isn't PayPal making that distinction, wonders Ryan, 23, a born-and-raised nudist.

He says he wouldn't trade his childhood days of skin-bare freedom at the Helios nudist club for anything.

"It was just a place to hang out and meet other kids my age, play games and swim," he says. "We just happened to be naked a lot of the time."

You can't compare their brand of nakedness to porn at all, he adds.

"It's not related. We're just people who don't like tan lines. It's about comfort, and being comfortable in your own skin," says Ryan. "As kids, nudism taught us to be ourselves and not pass judgment on others. It was a great way to grow up."

The PayPal vs. nudists case evokes the tale of the psychoanalyst whose patient only saw sexual images in his ink blot tests.

"What do you see?" asks the doctor, holding up a card. "I see a naked girl," says the patient. Displaying another ink blot, the doctor asks, "What do you see in this one?" "I see a naked girl eating ice cream," replies the patient. Flashing a third card, the doctor asks, "And now, what do you see?" To which the patient replies, "I see a naked girl on a bike."

"Why are you such a pervert?" condemns the doctor. "What do you mean?" responds the puzzled patient. "You're the one with all the dirty pictures."

The naked truth, in this case, has less to do with skin-bare minors than with fear and blame over our lost innocence. FCN is merely a scapegoat for society's anger at those who reduce our children to the objects of sexual enjoyment. And PayPal is pointing their finger at the wrong target.

© Edmonton Journal 2008

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Del Ray Beach, FL: Advocates say nude beach would be a boon

from the Palm Beach Post Online

Advocates say nude beach would be a boon


By Pilar Ulibarri de Rivera
Neighborhood Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Some people like to fish, others like to ride bicycles or read books. Dave Armstrong likes to lie out in the sun naked. To Armstrong, 43, sunbathing nude is a hobby. It's something the Delray Beach resident enjoys and he doesn't see anything wrong with it.

But city officials don't agree. At the annual citizens' roundtable meeting with city officials earlier this year, Armstrong proposed designating the northern end of the public beach, which is unguarded and sparse on visitors, as "clothing-optional."

It would be designated by signs reading: "You may encounter nude sunbathers" and "You are leaving a clothing-optional area," he proposed.

"They giggled when I brought it up," Armstrong said.

He said he told them it wasn't professional to laugh at one of their residents. After all, it was a public forum for people to make suggestions of things they would like their local government to consider.

Perhaps making the suggestion while others were talking about neighborhood safety and trash pickup wasn't the best timing. But Armstrong is not going to give up, even though City Manager David Harden said the commissioners he has spoke to about the suggestion have "absolutely no interest" in it.

Armstrong is gathering signatures on a petition and has enlisted the help of Richard Mason, one of the founders of Haulover Beach in Miami-Dade County. Established 17 years ago, Haulover is Florida's most popular clothing-optional stretch of sand.

Mason is president of South Florida Free Beach/Florida Naturist Association, a nonprofit established in 1981 that's committed to "representing naturism and nude recreation" to government, business and civic leaders.

Mason said that 25 or 30 years ago there was so much remote beach that people could skinny-dip without notice.

"As the coastline got gobbled up by condominiums and hotels, we were driven out," he said. "With the lack of remote areas, the only solution was to create designated areas, just like there are designated areas for tennis, baseball or golf."

Mason said he, his wife, Shirley, and other nudists did research and found that in 1974 the Florida Supreme Court ruled that "mere nudity, with the absence of lewd and lascivious behavior, was not indecent exposure." In other words, if there was no public sexual behavior involved, it was not unlawful, according to the court.

"Let's face it, you can be lewd and lascivious and still fully clothed," Mason said.

Armstrong said he didn't realize his rights when he was arrested on the beach in Delray in 2006 for sunbathing nude. He pleaded no contest and was ordered to do 10 hours of community service cleaning up the beach. He's still fighting the decision.

"The truth is when you talk to people about 'rights' they don't care to listen," Mason said. "But when you talk to them about money, that's a different story."

The numbers at Haulover speak for themselves, Mason said. The beach has about 1.4 million visitors a year and "it grows every year," he said. About 60 percent of the visitors are from outside Miami-Dade County, something Mason said that his organization discovered during skin cancer screenings on the beach. Many of them are from Europe and Canada.

The county's tourism board estimates that tourists spend $245 a day on hotel rooms, restaurants and shopping when visiting the county.

"That's an economic impact of over $200 million a year from the number of people that are attracted to Haulover," said Mason, adding that the quarter-mile stretch of beach, which he said was a haven for criminals before it was a nude beach, is now the safest and cleanest in the county.

The Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that the average tourist spends about $200 a day in Palm Beach County.

Mason said it would take only a few phone calls to police and officials in Miami-Dade County and cities such as upscale Bal Harbour, for Delray officials to see the monetary potential of a nude beach.

"If Delray Beach is seeking to bring new money to its economy, this would be a good way to attract people from all over the world," Mason said. "And they wouldn't even need to spend any money to do it. All they would need is two signs and the naturists would pay for that."