December (and Christmas) 2010

Hi everybody! 

Hope you all had a GREAT holiday! We had a nice quiet Christmas Day here at the Inn (lots of food and a little napping!). We've also had a nice December overall, made better by some wonderful weather the second week of December (highs in the 80s), and our second annual Winter Yoga Retreat!

On December 17th, we welcomed back our great instructors, Ken Breniman, David Oliphant, and Tim Nguyen, for a reprise of their incredible Summer 2010 Retreat, and although we had some mighty strange weather during the retreat (can you say lots of rain!?!?!), I think everyone had a great time. Our own David (Scheide) took a bunch of the guys up to Joshua Tree for a hike (as we did last Summer), and from all reports, it was also a lot of fun!

I, of course, got to do no yoga this round, because I was producing a local holiday event for my clients at the Palm Springs Cultural Center - The Magic of Christmas, starring The Young Americans. It was an amazing show - three sold out nights - and everyone from the retreat got to come see the show on Saturday night! 

This project has been keeping me busy since this Summer - a major production, and enough to tell me that I don't ever want to get into the business of producing shows. What an undertaking! Whew!

I marched with The Young Americans in the Festival of Lights Parade this year as well (after a generator disaster in which not one, but two generators failed on us).

A quick Plan B got us into the parade, albeit a bit later than planned, and with a new, mostly undecorated truck (but with lights and sound for the performers).
I learned a lot about Fire Marshals during this process too - more than I probably ever wanted to know, but you live and learn, and now I know several things I never knew before! 

Stephen's been busy, as usual, with this year's Film Festival (which opens January 6th). It's been harder this year than ever, mostly because the film selections and information has been coming in so late. Stephen ended up working all through Christmas eve, Christmas Day, and is still tied to his desk even as I write! :)

My other December project (and Stephen's, since I have this tendency to volunteer him for things sometimes), was Coyote Stagecoach's production of A Tuna Christmas. It was also a lot of fun, and although not as commercially successful, was still a wonderful experience. 

The guys are great, and their goal of creating a new equity theatre in Palm Springs is to be lauded. It's tough to do in a small town, especially given our seasonality, but they are well on their way! (They also made the run a benefit for the Palm Springs Animal Shelter - a project which most of you know is near and dear to our hearts).

And, before I forget, there was another really BIG thing this December. Well, really things. David grew some of the BIGGEST sunflowers I think I've ever seen, and, of course, I had to capture them. 


It took some major coaxing (alright, begging), but I did finally get him to pose with one of the sunflowers just to give a perspective on how tall they actually grew. To say the boy has a green thumb is an understatement!

Lots more coming up as we move into the new year - 2011! 

Time definitely flies....

December Happenings

Join us December 16th through the 20th for our second annual Winter Naked Yoga Retreat! We're bringing back Ken Breniman and Tim Nguyen from San Francisco, and David Oliphant from Las Vegas to recreate the magic that made this year's Summer Retreat such a success.

We've also added a half day hike to the schedule because everyone enjoyed the Summer Joshua Tree extension so much. Our own David Scheide will be leading the hike, which will include a partner stretching session, led by Ken and Tim.

Want to know more?
Visit Winter Yoga on the web!

Plus, Take a Peek at What's
Coming Up In December!

Annual Festival of Lights Parade - Dec. 4th.

"A Tuna Christmas" Dec. 2 - 19.

The Palm Springs Cultural Center presents

The Young Americans in the Magic of Christmas Dec. 17th, 18th & 19th.

SHOP TIL YOU DROP!

 Downtown Palm Springs is filled with boutique and specialty shops with unique gifts, one of a kind collectibles, chic clothing boutiques, & some great LGBT shops - R&R Menswear, Don Vincent, Just Fabulous, the Palm Springs Aloe People, GayMart, Gear Leather, BearWear, Palm Springs Piercing, and Q-Trading to name a few!

 The Uptown Heritage District is filled with an incredible collection of art galleries, antique dealers, restaurants and furniture stores.

The Desert Hills Premium Outlets, just 15 minutes away, offer some of the very best bargains on name brand clothing and other gifts.

Palm Springs Cocktail Challenge Winner Announced!

Mary Jo Ginther and Bella

As many of you know, this year, the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism created a unique promotion for the LGBT community: The Palm Springs Pool Party and Cocktail Challenge! It's been lots of fun (I got to host one of the preliminary events,  held at The Lobby Bar in Seattle) and it's a great way to promote our city to our community! 

Georgie

Last night the finals were held at Georgie's Alibi Palm Springs, and all I can say is that a great time was had by all (and especially by our judges who had to taste 21 - count 'em  21 cocktails and still come up with a winner (not to mention add up their scores!!!). I got bunches of photos - some I'll share here - and some you can see on my facebook page.

Bella da Ball, one of our local drag celebrities was the hostess and emcee. Bella (and her non-drag persona Brian) are actually incredible ambassadors for Palm Springs (in addition to being the host/hostess with the mostest!). Bella made sure everyone was happy and having a great time

Georgie and his staff, our hosts for the evening, created a great atmosphere, complete with kiddie pools for the dancers (wearing skimpy swim suits, and sometimes just barely wearing them). We were also joined by the local branch of the Human Rights Campaign, and the Desert Gay Tourism Guild (the organization with which I am very involved personally) as well as Dick Haskamp from Streetbar, who was one of our judges (and is just about the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet). Matt Link was another Judge. Matt, who used to be the Editor of OUT, writes for publications, gay and mainstream, all over the country. We're lucky to have him as a local resident! :)

We also got to host one of the contestants - Andy Santiago from Micky's in West Hollywood. Andy and his partner, Grant Landry came in just for the night. They were both really sweet, cute as buttons, and Andy was a great contestant (but then all the guys were). 

All in all, we had quite a diverse group of cities that were represented. Will Douglas, from Las Vegas, represented Charlie's, and definitely had the BEST SHIRT! :) He was a really nice guy. Jae Cho represented Sidetrack in Chicago, Dale Phillips represented BJ's NXS in Dallas (and went shirtless for the crowd - I gotta go there!), Jeff Willey, representing The Lobby Bar in Seattle (I must confess I was a little biased because I'd done the event there (and had such a great time with Curtis, Paul, Joshua and the ever so FAB  Glamazonia)! 

Also represented was San Diego's Bourbon Street (whose contestant, Sean Brunle won second place!!!), and of course Georgie's Alibi Fort Lauderdale, whose contestant, Scott Newell was the first place winner!!!

Come And See Us In September...or October...or November! :)

September is a GREAT time to "Come Back To The Pool!"
September is shaping up to be a busy month here in Palm Springs; making it a great time to join us here at the Triangle Inn Palm Springs! Here are just a few of the reasons to come and see us in September...

Summer Splash continues through September 30th!
Continue to enjoy Summer Splash savings throughout Palm Springs with FREE Summer Splash Splash Passes.

September 12, 2010: Palm Springs Cocktail Challenge. The winning bartenders from eight cities across the country compete to win the National title!

September 24-26, 2010: Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. "Baby Jane?" You Betcha! It's not the old classic, but it's bound to become a new classic! And it's only one of the great films in this year's line-up!  Visit Cinema Diverse to find out more!




Plus, Take a Peek at What's Coming Up Later This Fall!

OCTOBER:

TING X - It's hard to believe it's been ten years since a few guys from the Naturists M4M AOL Chat Room got together at the Triangle Inn Palm Springs to chat in person for the first time!



Healthy Friction!
Host Bill Faulkner brings Healthy Friction back for a Fall 2010 Gathering. We learn something new every day! Edging. Gooning. Who knew?

Halloweenies!
Join us for our annual Nearly Naked Costume Party! It's always great fun, it's VERY creative (how could it NOT be?!?),  and it's usually full of surprises! And after all, where else can you go to get "UN" dressed for Halloween?






NOVEMBER:

Greater Palm Springs PRIDE! - November 4th - 8th

Leather PRIDE - November 11th - 14th

Plus....

Don't Miss Our Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner and Celebration
November 25th - 28th
Looking for something totally different to do this coming Thanksgiving? Join us at the Triangle Inn Palm Springs and soak up some sun while we do the cooking!

We celebrate the very best of Thanksgiving every year in our very own grand (naked) tradition! No family! No drama! And no guilt! Just relax and enjoy Turkey and all the trimmings in the buff and/or in pool!

DECEMBER:

Festival of Lights - First Weekend in December

Winter Yoga Retreat - Coming December 16 - 20, 2010.

The Holidaze! - December 24th, 2010 - January 2nd, 2011 

Happy Nude Year!!

Triangle Inn Palm Springs Summer Yoga, Massage & Wellness Retreat

Summer Yoga, Massage and Wellness Retreat
August 5th through August 9th (with Optional Joshua Tree Extension).

Join world-renowned yoga and fitness instructors for four days of naked yoga, pilates, stretching, massage, tantric explorations, and fitness consultations - all within our compound.

Schedule (subject to change):

Thursday, August 5th -
Welcome and introductions for those who arrive on Thursday.
Social Hour
Dinner (with group or on your own)
Midnight Swim and hot tubbing! :)

Friday, August 6th -
Morning Practice
Breakfast
Mid-day Session
Lunch  (with group or on your own)
Afternoon Session
Social Hour
Dinner (with group or on your own)
Midnight Swim and hot tubbing! :)

Saturday, August 7th -
Morning Practice
Breakfast
Mid-day Session
Lunch  (with group or on your own)
Afternoon Session
Social Hour
Group Dinner at the Triangle Inn Palm Springs
Movie Screening
Midnight Swim and hot tubbing! :)

Sunday, August 8th -
Morning Practice
Breakfast
Mid-Morning Session
Lunch  (with group or on your own)
Afternoon Session
Some departures.
Social Hour
Dinner  (with group or on your own)
Midnight Swim and hot tubbing! :)

Monday, August 9th - Wednesday, August 11th - 

Joshua Tree Extension (Join us for some high desert hiking, naked yoga, photo sessions and more!)

Monday, August 9th
Morning Practice
Breakfast
Departures or Lunch
Afternoon hike
Naked Photoshoot
Social Hour
Group Dinner at the Triangle Inn Palm Springs
Movie Screening
Midnight Swim and hot tubbing! :)

Tuesday, August 10th
Breakfast
Drive up to Joshua Tree National Park
Hiking/Lunch/Exploring Big Rocks
Naked Photoshoot/Naked Yoga
Social Hour
Group Dinner at the Triangle Inn Palm Springs
Midnight Swim and hot tubbing! :)

Wednesday, August 11th
Breakfast
Departures

Joining us will be:

Ken Breniman, San Francisco, CA - Ken Breniman has practiced yoga for over 8 years and became certified with Yoga Alliance as a RYT-200 after graduating from Yoga Tree's Yoga Teacher Training program in 2006. In the Bay Area, Ken offers a weekly Naked Men's class. Ken provides eclectic Non-denominational Hatha yoga guidance, honoring a variety of traditions, such as Iyengar aligment principles, invigorating Kudalini Kriya, and playful Acroyoga-inspired partnerwork. Ken's 'day job' is that of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Ken is currently working on his Yoga Therapist certification at the Ananda Seva Mission in Santa Rosa, CA that focuses on Structural Yoga that allows for the practice to be personalized for each participant to optimize health and healing.

Tim Nguyen, San Francisco, CA -  Tim Nguyen is a very talented Exercise Physiologist with years of experience in personal training with a special gift for motivating and inspiring people to reach their true potential. Tim has a B.S. from Berkeley in Immunology and a Master's of Science degree from San Francisco State University in Exercise Physiology. Tim brings his diverse knowledge of anatomy, physical fitness and nutrition to the Yoga retreat so that each participant can benefit from personalized assessment and goal setting so that he can build on his yoga practice and other healthy activities.

David Oliphant, Las Vegas, NV - David Oliphant, RTY (Registered Yoga Teacher) is the founder of Men's Naked Yoga Las Vegas which currently meets 3 times a week. David received his yoga certification in 2006 and has taught yoga in many cities around the country and no resides in Las Vegas. Most of his classes are Hatha Flow yoga involving poses, breathing, meditation and relaxation. The classes provid a physical workout, an emotional and mental cleansing, and an opportunity to reconnect spiritually. David also practices Thai Yoga Bodywork. Thai Yoga Bodywork is more energizing and rigorous than more classic forms ofmassage.  It is also called Thai yoga massage or bodywork, because the therapist uses his or her hands, knees, legs, and feet to move the client into a series of yoga-like stretches. Many people say Thai bodywork is like doing yoga without any work.  Muscle compression, joint mobilization, and acupressure are also used during treatment.  People describe Thai bodywork or massage as both relaxing and energizing.

For more information, or to book,

call us at 800-732-7555

Big Muscle Summer Splash Party - Palm Springs!

BIG MUSCLE
Summer Splash Party Palm Springs

July 2 - 5, 2010

The DGTG has teamed up with Bill and Andy from BIGMUSCLE.com to create our first-ever BIG MUSCLE Summer Splash event, and the Triangle Inn Palm Springs is one of the Host hotels! Join us over the Fourth of July weekend for sun, fun and BIG Muscles!

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, July 1st - Happy Hour Welcome Party @ Streetbar - Appetizers, T-shirt giveaways and drink specials for early arrivals and local BigMuscle members with wristbands.

Friday night, July 2nd - Tool Shed Muscle Party- Happy hour pricing on well drinks and domestic beers, from 10pm till midnight for all the guys with wristbands. Shot Specials for shirtless BigMuscle guys!

Saturday, July 3rd - CCBC - Noon to 5pm. 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND BBQ & PNN RADIO T-DANCE. MR YANKEE DOODLE DANDY CONTEST, at 3PM. $5 off admission to guys with wristbands.

Saturday Night, July 3rd - Club W - Fourth of July Cook-out: Free hotdogs, Happy Hour Prices, Drink Specials - 5pm - 8pm.

Sunday July 4 from 11am until ??? - Georgie’s ALIBI - $4 Bloody Mary specials $3 Mimosa specials, and Happy Hour Drink Prices.

Sunday Afternoon Pool Parties - Host Hotels - Check them out!

Monday – Departures.

Summertime is Coming!

The days are getting longer, the Roadrunners are getting friskier, and the nights are getting warmer. In Palm Springs, that can only mean one thing: Summertime is coming!

For Palm Springs visitors, Summer is considered the “value” season. That means it’s a good time to get great deals, and enjoy a relaxing sunny vacation. But in recent years, our “value” season has become filled with almost as many great events as “high” season.

Take a gander at some of our Summer Fare:

Restaurant Week 2010: Starting Friday, June 4th, and continuing through Sunday, June 13th (Michael’s birthday), restaurant week is a culinary celebration featuring restaurants from the entire Valley -  Palm Springs to Indio!

Participating restaurants offer three-course menus at the fixed price of either $24 or $36 per person (tax, beverages and gratuity are not included).

Don't miss this exciting opportunity to experience some of the best restaurants the desert has to offer.

Restaurant Week is the perfect time to visit your favorite restaurant or try something new, as chefs prepare delicious three-course meals for your dining pleasure at a fixed price. Want to know more? Visit http://www.palmspringsrestaurantweek.com/

2010 Palm Springs Int'l ShortFest: Be in Palm Springs from June 22nd through the 28th, to see the best selection of short films and the most exciting lineup of seminars, special presentations and receptions at the largest event of its kind in the country!

The Palm Springs International ShortFest is renowned worldwide for the extraordinary community of filmmakers it attracts, and for the quality and scope of its programming.

ShortFest 2010 will present more than 300 short films from over 40 countries. Discover more at: http://www.psfilmfest.org/

Palm Springs Summer Splash: Starting June 1st, and continuing until September 30th, Palm Springs Summer Splash is a Summer-long Promotion sponsored by the LGBT tourism community. The 2010 Edition of Palm Springs Summer Splash promises to be the best ever! We’ve even made a deal with American Airlines and Alaska Air for special discounts on airfare this Summer, and a deal with Enterprise Rent-a-Car for special rates on rental cars!

Sponsored by the Desert Gay Tourism Guild, Summer Splash brings Greater Palm Springs area hotels, restaurants, bars, retailers, promoters and entertainment venues together to create a vibrant and varied line-up of special offers and special events.

So come on! Jump in and join the Fun! 

And don’t forget to ask for your FREE SPLASH PASS - a FREE Discount Card that offers discounts and savings at bars, shops, restaurants and attractions all over Palm Springs and other desert cities.

For more information, visit http://www.palmspringssummersplash.com

Spring TING V Bids a NAKED Bon Voyage to Shann Carr and her crew!

The men from TING have had a special pace in their hearts for comedian Shann Carr ever since she made a surprise appearance at Fall TING, and performed her stand-up act in front of a crowd of over fifty naked gay men!



So once we realized that TING V’s dates coincided with the launch of Shann’s Summer Land Cruise, we just had to do a special naked bon voyage for Shann and her crew! Photos are attached!



About Out For Laughs: The Land Cruise.



Shann Carr’s Out For Laughs: The Land Cruise is currently motoring through cities across the US from May to mid-August, sprinkling fun-loving gay comedy out onto the landscape of gay (and not-so-gay) America.

Shann and her sidekick, aspiring comedian, Ken Cypert, a self proclaimed hillbilly from Arkansas, now residing in NYC, are performing at gay events, large and small, including pride celebrations, summer festivals and various truck stops and dive bars along the way. They're frolicking with other gay & lesbian performers and interacting with the locals they cross paths with - all the while capturing everything on film. And when they’re done, all of it goes 'in the can' to create a comedy/reality series called "Out For Laughs: The Land Cruise."



Want to know more? Visit www.shanncarr.com and follow the adventures of the BIG pink RV!

Shoots...of all kinds!

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Wildflower Watch in Southern California: Anza-Borrego State Park and the Salton Sea

I promise that I am not obsessed with the whole wildflower thing. Well, ok, maybe a little. But I enjoy Spring in general, and I particularly enjoy it here in Southern California when the wildflowers are in bloom. 

Lots of people are convinced that we don't really think we get seasons in Southern California, but I can promise you that we do. They're just a bit different from the seasons in other parts of the world....

A couple of days ago, I drive down to the Anza-Borrego State Park with our friends (and soon to be neighbors) Larry and Ed Sogolow. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Five-hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the California Desert.

The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish name borrego, or bighorn sheep. It's located just about an hour+ south of Palm Springs in San Diego County.

The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti, badlands, and sweeping vistas. It also runs almost right up to the Salton Sea - yet another of Southern California's interesting micro climates. But that's another story.

This Winter was rainy, which generally means a good wildflower season. And starting last week, the weather really warmed up, and that brings the blooms out.

I've included some of the pictures I took on our recent trip, and have uploaded many more of them on an album you can view at your leisure. If you want to come out, there's still time. Wildflower are peaking in the next couple of weeks in the lower elevations but will continue to flood the desert with color all the way up to the high desert and Joshua Tree for at least another month.

Yellow flowers that you'll see include (but are not limited to) creosote bush, brittlebush, palo verde, desert sunflowers, dune sunflowers, barrel cactus, desert dandelions, century plants and bladder pods.

Pink and purple flowers include Arizona Lupine (which are featured in several good shots), sand verbena, desert aster, chia and monkey flowers.

The Ocotillo were also in full bloom while we were in Anza-Borrego, and we got quite a few shots of them as well.

We also took some time to explore the badlands that are part of, and adjacent to the park. They always remind me of the old westerns I used to watch as a kid.

Some of the box canyons will definitely look familiar to you if you love that genre of movie and/or remember shows like the Virginian. I had a major crush on actor Doug McClure (RIP) who played Trampas on that show! Actor James Drury wasn't bad either! But I digress...

Finally we took a detour and went down to the Salton Sea. If you want to see a surreal world, you need look no further. Block upon block of infrastructure, but with no buildings. Entryways marking planned communities that never got built.

Block after block of empty and/or abandoned buildings. Abandoned docks, boats left to rot in the mud, some rather interesting churches, homes and a million birds!

And despite it all, there is a tragic beauty to the Salton Sea. To see the Salton Sea sitting in the middle of the California Desert is quite an experience!

Check out our March newsletter

March Newsletter

St. Patrick's Day!

In Honor of St. Patrick’s Day (and fair haired men, whether they be Irish or not)!

As many of you know, Stephen and I just returned from Detroit, and from his induction into the St. Andrew’s Society - a heritage and service organization for people of Scottish ancestry.

Quite an honor for him, especially considering that he is the third generation of his family to be inducted into the St. Andrews Society.

Stephen is descended from a long line of Scots on both sides of his family, and carries the Boyd surname - well-known among Scots.

But his heritage is not just Scottish. Rather, like most Americans of Western European descent, he is descended from a diverse melting pot of people from Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, France and Ireland.

I share a similar background, although my own mix is a made up of people from England, Germany, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Netherlands and Ireland.

With that in mind, I felt it was entirely appropriate for us to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and our mutual Irish heritage with a special tribute to fair haired men, no matter what their particular lineage.

There are a dozen or so hotties of exactly that type included here in our blog. And if you like them here, you're going to want to see more of them.

Good news! They also appear uncensored in a new photo album I’ve created on our Social Network:

www.triangleinnpalmsprings.com

I hope everyone enjoys the eye candy and joins us in a virtual toast in honor of St. Patrick’s Day (and fair-haired men)!

After all, there’s an old saying that everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

And finally, for those of you who are members of our social network, take a minute to visit the new photo album (and add a photo or two if your own favorite fair-haired hottie)!

I know you have them.

Some of you even fit the description!

Come on. You know who you are. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Michael