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Posts by: backcountry

Nudist Club Trip Reports Suwannee Valley Resort, White Springs, Florida
backcountry Posted: Apr 13, 2013	You might check their website to see when the two weeks are scheduled. There's really nothing about Suwannee Valley that is risque or outside the norm for an AANR place, but it seems to cater to people like us who aren't as comfortable at a nude place with kids around. You are right about the location, though. Perfect for a stop on the way down.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Suwannee Valley Resort, White Springs, Florida
backcountry Posted: Apr 10, 2013	Suwannee Valley Resort is a brand-new (relatively speaking) AANR resort just north of Lake City, Florida -- near the junction of Interstate 75 and I-10. This old down-on-its-heels textile campground underwent a complete upgrade when it transformed to a nudist resort in April 2012. And it is now reported to be among the fastest-growing AANR campgrounds in the entire country! We spent one night here on our way back north from Florida in early April and can't recommend this place enough! Rates are low. And it is actually MADE for you if you are retired military, a biker or a nudist -- or especially all three. It is adults only for 50 weeks per year, but kids are allowed for two weeks annually. Among the improvements are a new pool and conversation-style hot tub. We stayed in a very reasonably priced cabin with a private bathroom. By the looks of things, though, it's pretty busy on the weekends and there are a lot of people who leave their campers set up there during the week. So if you're a Florida snowbird -- or just someone who travels south into the state along I-75 especially, be sure to stop by Suwannee Valley Resort for a look-see. It is a pleasant addition to Florida's many other clothing-optional destinations.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Rooftop Resort, Hollywood, Florida
backcountry Posted: Apr 10, 2013	We spent two nights at Rooftop Resort in early April and found the place to be greatly improved over the way it was when we first visited there in 2009. Rooftop is a five-story hotel north of Miami but south of Fort Lauderdale near the beach. It has a rooftop pool and a panoramic view of the beach, ocean, Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale as well as the towering condos of Miami beach to the south. The whole place is clothing optional though it does cater to the swing crowd. But you can visit there and have nothing to do with swing interactions if you wish. Some people have described this place as a dump, especially back three or four years ago, when it was in many ways deficient amenity-wise. But then some changes took place, possibly new management, and the hotel has been reinvesting in itself ever since and making some impressive progress. The room we had on our recent visit could be described as "good" to "nice" by most standards. They have invested a lot into new decor and the bed we slept on was really pretty good. The building has a central, open atrium that opens to the sky at the roof, but a canopy can be extended to keep out rain and wind. The place is really pretty nice and the prices are competitive with other hotels that aren't nude and aren't on the beach north of Miami. For example, we spent the night before we went to Rooftop at a local Econolodge hotel that wasn't near the beach, really was a dump, and we paid $20 more per night! The only knock on this place is that they allow people in on day passes. Most of these people are nice folks who add to the party. But a few of the guys seemed a little creepy although they didn't really bother us. You can bring your own alcohol to the pool but they have a bartender to fix your drinks or you if you'd like. This place has very few rules and you can stumble across sexual situations without even trying to. But if you have an open mind, a tolerance for sexual situations and are ready for a nice, nude hotel near the beach -- and only a few miles north of Haulover Beach -- Rooftop might be for you. (Side note: Another adults only nude hotel in this area -- Seagate in Fort Lauderdale -- has closed.)
Nudist Club Trip Reports Sawmill, Dade City, Florida
backcountry Posted: Apr 10, 2013	This is another GLBT nude campground that I've visited, and another one that's worth going to if you have good tolerance for gays and lesbians. My first and only visit was on a Thursday night in late March. I got a nice cabin with a toilet and shower for less than $40! So it is very competitive with any other lodging in central Florida. (Sawmill is owned by its property owners association, and it's located directly west of Orlando near I-75 -- half-way toward Tampa/St. Pete.) The clothing is optional at a nice in-ground pool with a nice poolside bar that serves good food at fairly reasonable prices. There is also another bar on the grounds that runs later into the evening but is not poolside. The people were friendly and understanding that I was not necessarily in the market to pair up with someone of my own gender. There also were some women campers, and I was assured that my wife would be welcomed there as my companion in the future. (I stopped at Sawmill for one night before my wife flew down to the Orlando airport and joined me for other Florida adventures.) Prices are higher on the weekends, but it's still a great value in my opinion. This is a low-cost alternative to higher-priced AANR and hetro/adult clothing optional places in the central Florida area especially on weekdays.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Pirates Cove - Pismo Beach, Calif.
backcountry Posted: Sep 3, 2012	Pirates Cove is probably the best, least-known nude place in the entire country. But with this review, I aim to change that among people on Nudistclubhouse.Com Of course, this is not to say that Pirates Cove -- a beach just west of Pismo Beach, Calif. -- is either great or unknown. There is just very little good info that I could find about it on the Net. And it was pretty good. Pismo Beach is a little less than half way between Los Angeles and the Bay Area, right off U.S. 101 south of San Luis Obispo. (To get there, you take the Avila Beach exit from the 101 just west of Pismo Beach. Go west a couple of miles until a golf course is to your right, then take the only road with a turn lane that goes left up a hill. Go about a mile until you find the parking lot for Pirates Cove.) So to start with, you have absolutely stunning views of the ocean and both Pismo Beach and the waters off Avila Beach. Head down a trail and, after some careful steps down some stair cases, you'll be on a very fine nude beach. This is not Haulover but it's cool. On a late Thursday afternoon, there were still a number of cool, friendly people there. This is the kind of place to spend most of an entire day if you have the time. But I didn't. One guy there called it "paradise" -- which I wouldn't disagree with. But he asked "What more could you want?" Well, maybe a waiter with my next cool drink. Maybe lodging that would be within crawling distance. Or maybe just some restrooms. That's the only down side. No facilities or restrooms of any kind. The walk back up is also a challenge, and while I was stopping to catch my breath, there was the unmistakable scent of dried urine in the air. Maybe it would be nicer after a good steady rain. In any event, this beats the hell out of no nude place to go on an otherwise fine trip up the Pacific Coast Highway. If you're a nudist traveling California Highway 1 or U.S. 101 -- you owe it to yourself to stop and get naked here.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Bonny Doon
backcountry Posted: Sep 3, 2012	I made a visit to Bonny Doon during a trip along the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to the Bay Area in late August 2012. My visit was during least optimum times: The weather was coolish, it was late on a Friday afternoon. Few people were there. But I didn't have any problems with a car break-in or with anyone there. It was a long way down to the beach and the most obvious way of getting there -- the trail directly across the railroad tracks from where the main trail comes up from the parking lot -- is pretty hazardous. We're talking break-your-neck-and-die hazardous. Instead, you should make your way down the railroad tracks to a point equivalent with the south side of the parking lot. You'll see a nice, sandy grade that goes all the way down to the beach. Take that one. Even if you go down the steep rocky trail that I just warned about, you'll probably want to go back up via the sandy slope on the south side. No facilities. But there is privacy and nudity is allowed without question. Be safe and have fun at Bonny Doon.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Sunny Rest - Pennsylvania
backcountry Posted: Jul 16, 2012	Sunny Rest, near Lehighton, Pennsylvania, is a fairly old AANR nudist resort but doesn't feel like it because of good maintenance and new construction that draws a dedicated following of regular guests and permanent campers. We spent two nights at Sunny Rest after traveling only about a dozen miles from The Woods, a primarily gay and lesbian nude resort. And it was like entering a whole new world. We counted something like 95 sites for perm and transient campers in addition to tent camping areas, motel units and actual houses. The resort is beautiful, built on a ridge with a fantastic view of a natural gap in the Pocono Mountains. The resort includes a store, restaurant, nightclub, poolside bar, large pool and a new conversation pool -- plus more that I'm surely forgetting now. As people who do not wish to deal with children as we enjoy nude recreation, we did not encounter many kids during our visit to Sunny Rest but there were a few there. The place seems to draw a mature crowd -- so much so that discounts are given for "Young Adults" ages 18-35 years old to balance out the demographics. And that's working well. During our stay we encountered lots of friendly people, most of whom were regulars and almost everyone seemed to know one another. There's little negative that we can say about the place other than its name sounds like a nursing home or, at best, some kind of old folks retirement community. But there's much more to Sunny Rest than its name. It's a great place to spend a few days or a fun-filled weekend.
Nudist Club Trip Reports The Woods - Pennsylvania
backcountry Posted: Jul 16, 2012	The Woods, near Lehighton, Pennsylvania, is a primarily gay clothing optional resort that is illustrative of what I think is an almost explosive new trend on the nudism landscape. In many cases, gays and lesbians have lots of disposable income and they are increasingly turning to their own nude resorts for recreation. Unlike some clothing optional gay campgrounds, The Woods is open to everyone -- gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and, actually, as the management explained, to anyone who wants to come and party "no iffs ands or butts." The Woods got its start seven to 10 years ago when the current owners purchased what has been described as an underperforming hunting lodge in the Pocono Mountains. Since then, they have poured a ton of money into the place and were in the process of doing so even as we camped there for three nights in July -- a paving crew was there laying a lot of expensive blacktop. Male-Female couples such as us are not unheard of at The Woods by any means. But we are definitely the exception. But the other residents and guests were friendly and treated us with nothing but respect. The place is quite large and getting much larger. A planned expansion of something like 100 new sites will still leave about 100 more people on a waiting list for perm sites. The resort includes a saltwater pool, cafe, store, volleyball courts, a lake and an actual band performance stage complete with a lighting scaffolding. Many permanent sites are elaborate and reflect artistic landscaping and decorating. Weekdays, such as when we visited, are fairly quiet. But be forewarned: the weekends are said to be generally pretty wild and crazy -- and not for the faint of heart. But if you are looking for a different type of nude resort experience, you might want to check out The Woods. It is educational to view things from a gay-and-lesbian perspective. And the camping and day fees are fairly low compared to a lot of other nude resorts.
Nudist News White Tail Resort
backcountry Posted: Jun 19, 2012	I am reasonably certain that there is still more to this story. Here's my theory: The nudist resort has almost nothing to do with the motivations behind the complaint. More likely, this is a power struggle between supervisors at the post office and these letter carriers and/or their union. Such as, "If you don't stop giving me crap about mis-delivered mail, I'll bring a ton of embarrassing publicity down on you for making me deliver mail to those naked people outside of town there." Or ... the Postal Service changed the mail routes that these two carriers used to deliver to and that they liked, and put them on a rotation for this route instead of the guy/gal who had perhaps done it for years. In any event, it sounds like this may have more to do with internal U.S. Postal Service politics at the nearby post office than anything at the nudist park. It should be fairly easy to solve on the part of the White Tails park though: relocate boxes to the road, add screening as necessary and instruct the postal service to use the call phone at the gate in the event someone needs to sign for a package -- clothed. End of problem. And if that doesn't solve it, rent a post office box at the post office, and get someone to run into town every day.
Kentucky Nudists Timberline Lodge & Resort - Crossville, Tenn.
backcountry Posted: Jun 7, 2012	--- 2012 UPDATE ---- Since I wrote the review above, some notable improvements have been made at Timberline. Biggest among them has been construction of an entirely new club building adjacent to the pool area with a sizable dance floor, and they are in the process of expanding this new building further. Meanwhile, a building away from the clubhouse that once housed the hot tub has been stripped down to become a pavilion for tent campers and soon will be equipped with sinks, cooking surfaces, etc. The surrounding tent area also has been worked over and made nicer in general. Site preparation is currently under way for development of a second lake with a number of new cabins and camp sites. Elsewhere, more pull-though sites are expected later this year or next year. So things are still headed up at Timberline. Crowds are much thinner during the weeks than on the weekends. But you can count on fun pretty much anytime you go.
1st Amendment Supporters Controversial Topic: GLBT Resorts/Campgrounds
backcountry Posted: May 13, 2012	I've looked all over this site and I still haven't found any core discussions about GLBT campgrounds and resorts. But here's the news, people The Gay/Lesbian community is making an impressive foray into the world of nude camping/resorting. And most of this has been ignored by AANR and such. Down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- when we were down there following our FantaSea II cruise, we ran across a lot of gay nude places. There was even an old 1960s era motel adjacent to the adults-only hetro nude place that we were at in Fort Lauderdale that was being made over into a gay resort with contractors working every day. It's probably even open by now. This summer, my wife and I are traveling to New England. But guess what? The only non-AANR adults-only nude resorts in the Northeast are GLBT type places. Ya know, we are just so not into the kids thing that we are definitely willing to go to a true GLBT place where male-female couples are welcomed. (As opposed to all-male resorts, which are prevalent and clothing optional is almost always the case.) Anyway, we are planning to go to some upscale GLBT nude places in the Northeast this summer and we'll live to tell about them. We'll give you a full report. And hopefully, we'll have a First Amendment right to tell about it.
Nudist News Palm Springs Nude Resort Sues to Protect No Kids Policy
backcountry Posted: Mar 25, 2012	This story was pointed out to me. Interesting question. ... http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/03/desert_sun_resort_palm_springs.php
Kentucky Nudists Sun Aura
backcountry Posted: Mar 25, 2012	Ah. Spring is in the air and thoughts of summer are becoming ever-present. And Memorial Day Weekend looms, along with the question of where we should spent it. At this point we are leaning toward Sun Aura near Lake Village, Indiana, though Timberline Lodge and Resort in Tennessee is our usual haunt and still could turn out to be our choice. But since Sun Aura is on my mind, I thought I'd write a little review about it. Us Kentucky people probably won't get a nude place inside of Kentucky because of a state law that I've discovered. So we have to go to nearby states. (Essentially, county judge-executives must approve a permit for any nude place in their jurisdictions. Seriously.) So, at about four hours north of Louisville, Sun Aura becomes one of the nude places we can go to in this region. Sun Aura is not an AANR place, though it may be the oldest still-existing nudist location in the entire country. It was first built in the 1930s! That was like 80 years ago! And it's a really large place, too -- more than 300 acres. Golf carts are definitely required if you want to move around a lot. There are many reminders of the age of the place. Memorials. Old non-working fountains, Old infrastructure. Things that were built in the 1960s. A huge sun dial that looks like a woman's leg. The place was once featured in Playboy back in the day, etc. Well, it's still going on and there are a lot of people -- a LOT of folks -- from up north who go there all the time. We were there for Memorial Day in 2009 and went on their crazy holiday poker run -- involving literally hundreds of golf carts and even more drunken wild people in actual golf-cart traffic jams. It was a hoot. The pool is a massive Olympic size thing, and very cold. Too deep for socializing and far from the main club house. The people who own the place really need to make some investments into NEW infrastructure, such as a new pool, perhaps. And definitely new bath houses. The club house itself had the look, feel and smell of an old VFW hall somewhere. But, hey, it was fun and it's actually closer than going to Timberline, where we'll go nine times out of 10 anyway.
1st Amendment Supporters Introductions - Please Introduce Yourself Here
backcountry Posted: Mar 25, 2012	I'll go first. We are a long-married couple whose kids are just about out the door and we're finding more time to pursue something called FUN. This usually takes the shape of the two of us in our old VW Westfalia camper van, camping usually at adults-only nude resorts. So I guess that's our first thing: We are of a different brand of nudist than the typical AANR type naturalist, whatever that really is or however that's defined. We have rarely been to AANR places, the main exception being the little Drake's Ridge encampment near the Ohio River in Indiana. Our preference for adults-only places is because we don't feel comfortable being naked around our own kids, let alone anyone else's. (My wife makes an exception around our own daughters but I don't.) And we like to party hearty. Wild, naked parties. These are not for children, period. But they can be a lot of fun for adults. A good example has been the two adults-only FantaSea cruises we've been on so we could pull in to Key West aboard a Carnival ship for Fantasy Fest. We've been to most of the adults-only nude places in the eastern US -- Northhaven Resort in Michigan, Sun Aura in Indiana, Caliente and Paradise Lakes in Florida and especially the Grove in Georgia and Timberline Lodge and Resort in Tennessee. We'd like to go to Hedo sometime. I know that even listing some of these places may rub some people the wrong way but, hey, it's my opinion and I feel free to express it. My special connection to the First Amendment is that I've been in the communications industry all of my life -- from print shops and newspapers as a young guy to web development as an older guy.
1st Amendment Supporters Introductions - Please Introduce Yourself Here
backcountry Posted: Mar 25, 2012	Hello, fellow First Amendment supporters! Now that we have enough members to be a serious group, please post an introduction when you get time. Be sure to mention any First Amendment issues that you have, or reasons for being particularly fond of the First Amendment.
1st Amendment Supporters Welcome New Members!
backcountry Posted: Mar 5, 2012	Well, I'm 54 years old and I recall a time when Americans were much less free than they are today -- particularly women and minorities. So I guess we just have different recollections of the "good old days." Thanks for your comment anyway. And welcome to the group.
1st Amendment Supporters Welcome New Members!
backcountry Posted: Feb 9, 2012	Whow! Now there's 35 members of this group! I usually sign on once or twice every couple of weeks to check postings on Nudistclubhouse.com and to approve new members. It would be cool to have an introductory thread so here goes: We are a couple, married 27 years, who have been active in the nude lifestyle since 2008. We are progressive types but can respect anyone who respects the U.S. Constitution and especially the First Amendment. We consider nude expression to be part of our First Amendment rights -- especially if we are infringing on no one else. We live in Kentucky, where there are some really repressive laws against nude resorts on the books. The only way to legally run a private location where people are nude is to get a permit from the local county judge/executive -- someone who must stand for election every couple of years. And of course that will happen when hell freezes over and pigs fly. So, in essence, freedom to be nude is banned in Kentucky. I think that violates my First Amendment rights, including freedom of expression. Too bad the ACLU or somebody won't challenge Kentucky's anti-nudism law. What about nude laws in your state? Please feel free to introduce yourselves! It would be nice to get this group active -- since the Second Amendment people seem to have dozens of topics.
Nude cruising Nude cruise plans
backcountry Posted: Nov 7, 2011	Well, the FantaSea cruise was pleasant but we met nobody from this site while on the ship. Call it an opportunity lost for Nudistclubhouse.Com. Word is that the ship sailed 10 percent empty and there's a big question as to whether they'll ever do another FantaSea cruise. I believe there's a market there for this cruise to Fantasy Fest in Key West, so we'll see if other travel groups pick up the slack here. We had a great time, though! Too bad the temps weren't just a bit higher and the clouds just a little fewer.
Nude cruising Nude cruise plans
backcountry Posted: Oct 17, 2011	The Bare Necessities cruise is only a week away! Whether or not we have an official NudistClubhouse M&G, we ought to try to get together anyway. We're planning on having a message board on the door of our cabin, 6244, so leave a message and we'll try to get together. We're also doing the pre-cruise party at Haulover. See you then!
Nude cruising Nude cruise plans
backcountry Posted: Sep 18, 2011	I'd love to send Brian an e-mail about our plans for a M&G on the FantaSea cruise. But as an unpaid member, I cannot do so. Anybody else want to play host for the meet-and-greet?
Kentucky Nudists Drake's Ridge
backcountry Posted: Sep 18, 2011	There are NO places to go in Kentucky. Unfortunately, Kentucky law defines operation of a nude park or camp as an illegal activity unless you get a permit from the local county judge-executive. And of course, we know how easy that would be! We have not been to the place up by Bloomington, though it looks very little better than Drakes Ridge with a whole lot more picky rules. But I can't say that from experience.
Nude cruising Nude cruise plans
backcountry Posted: Aug 19, 2011	We're going to be in cabin 6244. We'll let everyone know where the party is as the cruise approaches. But it won't be too long now!
1st Amendment Supporters So ... let's look at the actual text
backcountry Posted: Aug 19, 2011	"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Quite a Christmas tree of rights: freedom of religion, speech, press, assemblage and to petition the government. And, unlike some of the other amendments, it seems pretty unambiguous. But it has opened such a can of worms in so many areas. What do you see as threats to the First Amendment?
Kentucky Nudists Drake's Ridge
backcountry Posted: Aug 19, 2011	OK. We've now been out to Drake's Ridge three times this year -- all day trips. We are increasingly becoming fans of Drake's Ridge. No longer do we have any expectation of finding a party at Drake's Ridge. Most days, that just ain't happenin'. Still, it's the closest place to Louisville you can go -- and you can even make it a day trip. And, the people out there are really nice. Plus it's not too expensive either. There's something to be said about getting out and getting naked somewhere, where you can relax in peace and enjoy nature. That's what you'll find there.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Cherokee Lodge & Resort, Crossville TN
backcountry Posted: Jul 26, 2011	One of the strengths of this place, as I understand it, is that it also offers year-round residential options for some who seek that kind of arrangement. Some other nude resorts in the area are permitted to be "seasonal campgrounds" only. We did take a tour of Cherokee during the week in '10. But there was literally nobody there. Nice place, though!
Nudist Club Trip Reports Adult Venues in the Southeast
backcountry Posted: Jul 15, 2011	I know this will be Off Topic when it comes to AANR resorts. So be it. Two recently visited resorts: Timberline Lodge & Resort near Crossville, Tenn. and The Grove near Cleveland/Helen, Ga. Both seem to have been hit by the economic times but are still pulling in pretty good business. Since Timberline seemed to be an expansion of the adult nude resort business in the southeast, we expected The Grove to be suffering when we got there on a consecutive visit from Timberline just after July 4. And things were slow at the Grove (after a reported massive July 4 weekend party) but we've never seen it in better shape -- and we've been visiting there since '08. The strength of the place is the ownership and the many, many permanent residential members. Both of these resorts are for over age 21 only and for good reason. Truly, though, nobody is going to get into your face at either of these places and make you feel uncomfortable to do anything you don't want to do. The Grove has its wonderful custom pool still and has added a volleyball-only pool. Both places seem to be working on taking care of the adult-oriented crowd and could be a good choice for anyone who isn't trying to have a family nude experience.
Nude cruising Nude cruise plans
backcountry Posted: Jun 24, 2011	We wouldn't have a problem playing host for a nudistclubhouse M&G aboard the ship. We could head things up if it's OK with everybody. If anyone else would like to help, just holler!
Kentucky Nudists Drake's Ridge
backcountry Posted: Jun 24, 2011	Well, the 2011 season is well under way at Drake's Ridge. We went out there Saturday, June 18 for a pleasant afternoon. The crowd was ... sparse. But, it was peaceful and we made our own little party together. I'm increasingly believing that this might be a great place for us and a few other couples to start going. Even when there's nobody there, it's still a great place to go -- because it's the closest nude place to Louisville.
1st Amendment Supporters Welcome to the group
backcountry Posted: Jun 10, 2011	We just now got this group started. I think all nudist type folks can relate to freedom of expression and hold that as a core value. In the coming weeks and months we'll try to explore some of the issues relating to the First Amendment here.
Kentucky Nudists 2011 Season
backcountry Posted: May 26, 2011	So where's everyone going this season? We'll be at Timberline over the Fourth of July. We're thinking of a run to Drakes Ridge on Sunday, June 5. We know there's going to be a big Louisville-to-Sun Aura party over Memorial Day but we can't make it this year.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Florida Resorts
backcountry Posted: Nov 28, 2010	We just returned from our second trip to Florida resorts in the past six months. We've now visited Cypress Cove, Caliente and Paradise Lakes. Although all are quite nice, none of 'em completely fills our idea of a "dream resort." Cypress impressed us as being by far on the most solid ground in terms of infrastructure, stability and with the most steady business. But, with a lot of people older than our 50ish selves, it seemed a lot like a retirement community. But the amenities were very nice. We did find people in general less friendly than other places we've visited, both in Florida or elsewhere. Still, a very good time. Caliente - The swinger "vibe" does not bother us. But this place has made some terrible business decisions, including letting land sitting literally at the front door of the clubhouse get away and fall into other hands. So now they have a Berlin style wall separating its front driveway from a relatively new place called The Woods, which is also a nude resort that we haven't visited. You can't ask for better amenities and landscape architecture but sometimes during our recent (November) trip, it seemed like there was more staff than guests. Paradise Lakes: There's trouble in Paradise, between the condo associations (multiple) and the new owner. When we were there there this summer a campaign was under way -- complete with political style signs on golf carts -- for seats on a condo board. Meanwhile, a judge ruled against the resort owner in a lawsuit filed by the condo association. The amenities were great and the people were friendly. But we felt we were in the midst of a civil war!
Nude cruising Nude cruise plans
backcountry Posted: Oct 17, 2010	We've now booked our cabin for FantaSea II. So we'll see everybody there! We need to have a Nudistclubhouse get-together on the cruise sometime. Even though it's a year away, we can hardly wait.
Kentucky Nudists Timberline Lodge & Resort - Crossville, Tenn.
backcountry Posted: Sep 16, 2010	We have stayed a total of 17 nights since May at Timberline Lodge & Resort near Crossville, Tenn. and remain very impressed with the place. Apparently this was among Tennessee's earliest nude resorts, dating back to 1952 or something. But it had fallen into complete disrepair by early 2009, when it was sold to the new owners, a couple, Diane and Danny. For five years or so beforehand, the pool had not been in operation so it sat and collected leaves -- along with the entire former AANR campground. Luckily, the combination was right -- Diane is a business type and Danny has been in construction all of his life. So they set to work on this and have now totally transformed the place probably past it's original glory. A substantial crowd of people are now going there. Most of their RV lots have trailers that are there longterm. They have a nice lodge and a new tent camper pavilion. This is an adults only place and they do have facilities much off to the side for use by consenting adults. The place is thriving without much drama. Plus these folks are in the process of building a winter enclosure over the pool so it will be open all winter this year! It offers bar services -- beer and wine for sale plus setups for BYOB liquor. Nice restrooms. And everything is fairly compact within easy walking distance -- although some people there still have golf carts. We can't recommend this place enough. Do be aware it is non-AANR and adults only.
Kentucky Nudists Cherokee Lodge & Resort - Crossville, Tenn.
backcountry Posted: Sep 16, 2010	Cherokee -- talk about potential! But this place is teetering on the brink as far as we could tell. During a weeklong stay at nearby Timberline Lodge & Resort in early September, we decided to drive over to Cherokee for a quick peek to see what it was all about. We were immediately impressed with the extensive infrastructure and were given a free pass to tour the place by our very nice hostess. So we did. And man, were we impressed ... with the infrastructure. We're talking about a fairly nice lodge by any standard with many other buildings, including a nice hot tub building and just a LOT of amenities -- party hall, pool, you name it. Only problem: There were only about seven people there on the entire grounds -- and people who were there for Labor Day told us that's about the same number the place drew for the holiday weekend too! The overall situation is that the place has switched from being a nude place to a regular campground and back during the last couple of years. And there are lawsuits, according to what one can come up from Internet searches. Don't know much about that. Plus the place has been hurt by the advent of the reinvigorated nearby Timberline Lodge & Resort. Some Cherokee residents have moved their trailers over to Timberline and have staked out new landscaping, etc. there. Still, Cherokee is massive and it must take mega dollars to support utilities to the many buildings there. They also have a largely undeveloped residential subdivision that's ready for the right people to take over as well as we can tell. Even though this place is by far the bigger and, dare I say, nicest of the two Crossville nude resorts, it's also the emptiest. It's the only AANR place of the two. The pool needs work. Sorry I couldn't have been more positive.
Kentucky Nudists Drake's Ridge
backcountry Posted: Aug 15, 2010	We returned to Drake's Ridge this past Saturday and found more fun than on our previous visit, which was on a weekday. For those who don't know, Drake's Ridge is fairly conveniently located for people in Louisville, Cincinnati and Lexington. Just go to Exit 55 on I-71 -- the new exit they added for the Kentucky Speedway. Then just go up the road and cross the Markland Dam and go to Veevay, Indiana. The place is not far from there. There were a little over a dozen people there on our Saturday visit, and folks were very friendly. (See our earlier review under the "Closest Places" thread.) If you're looking for some peace and freedom to roam naked, this place is for you. If you're looking for a party atmosphere, this place likely won't be for you. We'll be back. But that will likely be next summer.
Kentucky Nudists closest places to go
backcountry Posted: Jul 30, 2010	Maybe we should start breaking this big ol' thread into separate ones about different places to go. But first, our report on a day trip we made Thursday, July 29 to Drakes Ridge in southern Indiana. ... Well, this place is definitely the smallest nude location we've been to and it was our first visit to an active AANR-affiliated place. My wife and I spent the afternoon pretty much by ourselves at the small above-ground pool and hiking around the property. Of course, it was a Thursday afternoon -- a time when attendance is slow at most places to be fair. A staff person we spoke to said attendance had been off lately. And the number of underused and possibly abandoned camper trailers underscored that. But a recent high-water mark came on a weekend this month when they got nearly 40 people into the pool at once for a national skinny dip observance. The lack of infrastructure hurts the place. All water must be trucked in and all sewage must be trucked out. Still, it's only 75 miles from Louisville and the surrounding countryside is absolutely beautiful in the summertime. If you're close, you might want to check it out. We had a good time.
Kentucky Nudists closest places to go
backcountry Posted: Jul 25, 2010	Well, here's our latest on Timberline Lodge & Resort near Crossville, Tenn.: This place improves every time we've visited and we've now spent 10 nights there since May. One of the key reasons this place is good is that it's run by a couple -- not a rich guy who thinks he can run a nude resort or a bunch of people who mistakenly think THEY run the nude resort -- as we've seen elsewhere. The husband of the resort owner couple has been a contractor by trade his entire life and has skills in all areas you'd need to build up a nude resort. His wife is the business lady. On Memorial Day 2009 they opened this place that had been a former AANR camp but was closed for three or so years before they bought it. They began by digging four or so years worth of leaves out of the pool. Now they have fixed three-fourths of the really badly neglected stuff and are turning the thing into a really entertaining first-class place to go. Yeah. It's adults only. No. They don't stick the swinger stuff in your face. In fact, you can avoid any contact with the swing lifestyle, pretty much, if you just avoid the play house they have at a place that's entirely separate from the pool and lodge. Timberline at one time was really a pretty big nude resort. It's on its way back. Every week they're really building -- as in constructing -- an even better place. If you're in for a cool, low-pressure party, this is a good place to go.
Kentucky Nudists closest places to go
backcountry Posted: Jul 25, 2010	Yeah. I mean. It looks as if this is a decked-up-to above-ground pool. Not to knock it. We're thinking about running up there for a day visit just to check it out. But 39 people in that pool? Where was the room for the water?
Nude cruising Nude cruise plans
backcountry Posted: Jul 11, 2010	Even though it's still a LONG way into the future, we also are planning to be on FantaSEA II. We're biding our time to buy in, though, hoping to latch on to a special. We're glad they're going with the Carnival Miracle again. The last cruise was a blast.
Nudist Club Trip Reports Recent visit to Florida
backcountry Posted: Jun 29, 2010	Hey. We just finished up a two-week trip to Florida with stops at Paradise Lakes (mostly) but also fun at Caliente Resort, Haulover Beach near Miami and a nude motel in Fort Lauderdale. First -- Paradise Lakes. We rented a fully stocked condo there and loved the accommodations. The place, overall, was better than any nude resort we'd been to before but it was just like landing in the middle of a civil war between a homeowners association and the guy who owns the actual resort. To make the drama worse, the homeowners association won a big court victory over the resort owner while we were there, and the homeowners association was in the final days of an election campaign for control of the association. I could write a small book on this place and this was only our first visit. OVERALL, we'll go back. The place is nice and fairly affordable. Their non-AANR status doesn't bother us a bit. But the AANR affiliation is still displayed on a wall as you enter the place. When you get past the drama and politics, the actual party was fine. And, yeah, we did see some kids there. But we didn't hang around them. CALIENTE RESORT Now this place is one of the nicest resorts of any kind we've ever been, period. But it was expensive and, in June with the oil spill and all, etc., the place was pretty empty. We're going back and staying at Caliente for four days later this year, though. HAULOVER BEACH We drove across south Florida to the Miami area for a two-day visit to Haulover during the middle of our two-week stay. Whow. What a huge place! It doesn't have a lot of amenities but it sure does draw a lot of people. We saw lots of interesting things there. This was our first visit there too. We also stayed at an adults only clothing optional motel in Fort Lauderdale called Seagate. It's not for the faint of heart or the AANR crowd. But we found it fun and sane. So that was our trip to Florida. I guess we should try Cypress Cove sometime but, again, we shy away from kids. So we'll have to learn more about that in the future. I hope I haven't offended anyone but that's our experiences.
RV'ing/Camping Nudists Camping Plans for 2010??
backcountry Posted: Jun 11, 2010	Hopefully, after pouring a boat's worth of money into our old '84 VW Westfalia camper during the past two or three years, we'll get even more dividends this summer. We're planning to spend nude and non-nude time in the camper this summer. Our nude time camping will probably be mostly at Timberline in Tennessee. There's also an outside probability of us attending Nudestock out in California. But we don't yet know much about that.
Nude cruising Nude Cruise Experiences
backcountry Posted: Jun 11, 2010	We feel the same way about balcony rooms. We've been on textile cruises before and had a stateroom with only a round port hole. But we had a balcony for the cruise we went on last fall and we're going to try to never go on a cruise again without a balcony room. The balconies provide a small, outdoor very private area on the ship. You could get naked on one even on a textile cruise too.
Nude cruising Nude Cruise Experiences
backcountry Posted: Jun 10, 2010	We're glad to be members of this group. I guess we could start by sharing a few sentences on nude cruises we've been on. Ours -- one so far -- was last fall on Bare Necessities Fanta-Sea cruise. This was adults only but NOT by definition swing friendly. We loaded up the Carnival Miracle and had a really great time. Nassau, Half Moon Cay and parts of two days at Fantasy Fest in Key West! But we also went on to Cozumel in Mexico before returning to Fort Lauderdale. More naked people than we've ever seen in one place. And a total buzz from beginning to end.
RV'ing/Camping Nudists New Members: Please introduce yourselves here
backcountry Posted: Jun 3, 2010	Hello. My wife and I are nude campers and love to set up our old '84 VW Westfalia camper and hang out. We have never been to an AANR approved resort because we are "adults only" nudists. We pass no judgments on "family style" nudists and hope others will not judge us. There are many things in common too. We made our first trip to a nude resort in 2008 and we were hooked! Stops have included the Grove in northern Georgia, Sun Aura in Indiana, Northaven Resort in Michigan, Timberline in Tennessee -- and we're going to Paradise Lakes and Caliente Resort in Florida later this month. Anyway, we love camping in our antique RV and are hoping to join in the discussion here about nude camping.
Kentucky Nudists closest places to go
backcountry Posted: Jun 3, 2010	We spent Memorial Day weekend at the newly invigorated and improved Timberline Lodge and Resort near Crossville, Tennessee. They've really done a lot of work on the place -- restored the pool, built a new bar, put in a new poolside dance floor and are building a massive new deck. Lots of other infrastructure improvements such as improved utility hookups at the campsites, renovated clubhouse, etc. It is a non-AANR adults-only place, which we think is just fine but I know others won't. Anyway, things don't get too wild there. People are friendly and prices are reasonable. If you don't have a problem with adults-only, you ought to check it out.

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