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Gentlemanly Pursuits

Be a Gentleman for your Gentleman

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Pack your partner but skip the passport with these homegrown American gems—both polished and a bit more relaxed for men in the know.

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Photo: Tenaya Hills

EL COSMICO
From the whimsy of Liz Lambert, Austin's favorite lesbian, comes a richly textured getaway experience in tiny Marfa, Texas, a powerhouse art beacon next to nowhere. Choose from five refinished vintage Spartan trailers (the Rolls-Royce of Airstreams), yurts with bamboo floors, a 22-foot-diameter tepee, or outdoor tent camping on the hotel's sprawling 18 acres. Just imagine how brightly the romantic spark will burn when you're cozied up around a fire pit while stars awe in the wide-open night. For daytime destinations, walk to the gallery space at Ballroom Marfa, downtown-hub Marfa Book Company, or the town's main event, Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation.

802 S. Highland Ave.; 877-822-1950; ElCosmico.com; from $12 per night per person (for tent camping)

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Photo: Courtesy Kalani Oceanside Retreat

KALANI OCEANSIDE RETREAT
Unplug, unwind, and connect with the LGBT spirit of aloha at the remote 120-acre back-to-nature Kalani Oceanside Retreat, snuggled between the state's largest tropical conservation area and the Pacific Ocean on the isolated southeast coast of the island of Hawaii. Earth, air, water, and fire (in the form of a volcano) are all represented here. What you won't find are TVs, phones, or even reliable cell coverage. Doff your clothes, do some yoga, and rediscover each other instead. Choose from rustic jungle-inspired rooms or simple camping sites.

12-6860 Kalapana-Kapoho Beach Rd., Pahoa; 800-800-6886; Kalani.com; from $40

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Photo: Courtesy Wishing Well Guesthouse

WISHING WELL GUESTHOUSE
Smack between New York City and Philadelphia, genteel countryside and city chic combine in New Hope, Penn., a burgeoning gay haven (imagine Ptown as a toddler). Beloved among repeat visitors, the six basic yet comfortable rooms of the 175-year-old gay-owned Wishing Well Guesthouse sit astride an ancient Indian path turned stagecoach route. Sip wine, listen to music, and fall back in love around the central hearth, its roaring fire warming frosty nights. Lower rates and picturesque snowfall make New Hope especially attractive in winter. Sleigh rides, anyone?

144 Old York Rd.; 215-862-8819; WishingWellGuesthouse.com; from $99

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Photo: Courtesy Canoe Bay Lodge

CANOE BAY LODGE
A state whose inhabitants are proudly known as cheese-heads doesn't exactly scream "Cupid," but there's romance yet in Wisconsin. Canoe Bay Lodge, a luxury resort (Relais & Chateaux's only Midwest property) nestled on a 280-acre country estate riven with crystal lakes, is like an Abercrombie ad come to life. If you're looking for idealized Americana, you'll find it here among the 18 Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired cottages, all with private decks, terraces, and fireplaces. And you'll find it canoeing onto the mist-covered lake, reading Edna Ferber (from nearby Appleton) with a picnic basket full of Prosecco and cheese sandwiches, of course.

W16065 Hogback Rd., Chetek; 715-924-4594; CanoeBay.com; from $250/per room (or from $440 for cottages)

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Photo: Courtesy Post Ranch Inn

POST RANCH INN
Big Sur's beatnik and Birkenstock past may be long gone, replaced by high-end resorts dramatically perched thousands of feet above the crashing Pacific, but that's not to say you still can't enjoy the mystical isolation of a tree house like the hippies of yesteryear--now upgraded to five stars. The Post Ranch Inn offers stylish triangular forts hovering nine feet above the forest floor amid twisting California coastal oaks. More like mini-homes, they come complete with huge decks, fireplaces, soft mood lighting, and stargazing skylights above the bed. A full spa, cliffside pools, and the gourmet Sierra Mar restaurant (with its epic Pacific panoramas) complete the resort.

Hwy. 1; 888-524-4787; PostRanchInn.com; from $675/night

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Photo: Courtesy Little Palm Island

LITTLE PALM ISLAND
Near the Florida Keys' southernmost point and reachable only by seaplane or boat, remote Little Palm Island Resort is a world of isolation and beauty comparable only to the far reaches of Oceania. Void of digital distractions and children, the back-to-basics island is all about nature, you, your partner, and the luxe Robinson Crusoe props found in and around its thatched-roof bungalows. Liberating outdoor showers, seductive canopy beds, and private oceanfront verandas are built around a placid ecological playground of mangroves, wild Key deer, Zen gardens, and orchids.

28500 Overseas Hwy., Little Torch Key; 800-343-8567; LittlePalmIsland.com; from $690.

Advocate Channel - The Pride StoreOut / Advocate Magazine - Fellow Travelers & Jamie Lee Curtis

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