nudist – Page 13 – Active Naturists

Country Club in New Orleans

31 October 201214 November 2012 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

In the aftermath of Frankenstorm in New York, I would like to post some happy photos from New Orleans, another city that 8 years ago suffered severely from a hurricane, and actually much stronger one than Sandy…

Despite being surrounded by water, New Orleans is not known for beaches, let alone naturist beaches. But there is a clothing-optional club with an open air pool, jacuzzi and bar all surrounded by lush tropical plants. It is called simply The Country Club, and the atmosphere is very laid-back.

It is located in the most charming and picturesque residential area I’ve ever seen, Bywater, rivalled only by the neighbouring Marigny (imho).

It is located close to bustling French Quarter, but in this neighbourhood, there are only few quiet cafes.

So it may be your perfect oasis of tranquility in the city. You can simply chill on a lounger by the pool or in a more secluded corner in the garden; there is WiFi, in case you need to work and stay connected to the outside world.

You can also order pretty decent food from the indoor restaurant (far not the best one in New Orleans, but that still means good in the culinary mecca!) or get drinks from the bar by the pool. Speaking of which, there are floating mats in the pool, that is what I call ultimate relaxation!

Queer Woods of Pennsylvania (part II)

24 October 201219 July 2013 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

In my previous post, I promised to continue about queer woods of Pennsylvania that were only going to get queerer, so here is where we ended up on another hot summer weekend: not a haunted house this time, but a lively campground, ‘the Woods’, oriented to gay and lesbian clientele. As you can expect from the name, it is located in the woods in the rural part of Pennsylvania. Most people stay in trailers or cabins, but you can also opt for a tent. The atmosphere is very laid-back, so clothing-optional policy only helps to ease your mind; on the other hand, they organise themed weekends, so you’re likely to find company with similar interests. Needless to say, it was a nudist weekend, when I was there with more than a dozen of naked friends.

One of the obvious things to do in the woods is, of course, hiking, and ‘the Woods’ provide plenty of room for hiking au naturel.

There are designated trails on the territory that belongs to the campground, but when we ended up at the edge of the Christmas tree farm, it was hard to resist posing in front of those in my favourite attire… I wouldn’t mind this kind of Christmas!

This guy in fur coat was clearly overdressed. It wasn’t a white Christmas!

Or was it?

There was a field full of chamomiles.

The field was so big, it seemed easy to get lost there!

So we returned to the campground for lunch and some relaxing time by the pool. There is also a small lake, but surprisingly very few people use it. Maybe this funny warning note is to blame for that.

Of course, it didn’t stop me from swimming there. To me, presence of fish is rather a sign of a healthy lake.

Shallow area in the middle of the lake indeed had numerous nests of sunfish.

But you can also explore the pond without getting wet: a pedal boat and a canoe are provided as well.

You can also see it as a work out: first legs,

then upper body 😉

And maybe some balancing exercises on a small rock in the middle of the lake?

I wasn’t the only one to claim the rock, but its true owner is this pond slider turtle.

Next to the pond, there was a sunlit meadow full of daylillies.

Activities don’t stop at ‘the Woods’ at night. They even offer a midnight hike! Many people have actually joined. Just watch out for ticks (it’s actually good to stay naked, so they cannot hide in and under clothes). The nights when we stayed were very warm, but in case it cools down, there are two hot tubs and a huge fire as well.

What else do you need to stay warm than a bunch of naked friends and a fire?

And to top it all up, the campground boasts a decent night club, well-decorated and with good sound. Unlike at Sunny Rest, another naturist club in this part of Pennsylvania, most people were dancing in the buff.

The choice of music didn’t necessarily fit my taste, but I surely enjoyed the night.

It was a fun retreat, special thanks to Ryan for organizing it!

Fire Island

15 August 2012 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

Finally I am adding info on this famous getaway destination. New Yorkers, especially from LGBT community, flock to Fire Island, and for a good reason, or rather many reasons. On the one hand, it provides a totally tranquil and rustic environment, with its wooden houses and deer walking on the roads instead of cars. On the other hand, there is a number of bustling bars and a pretty big dance club, as well as special performances and private parties. Many rental houses are clothing-optional too, especially by the pool.

And of course, this narrow stretch of land between the bay and Atlantic Ocean is a lot about the beach. The part of the beach between Pines and Cherry Grove is commonly known as clothing-optional.

The beach turned out to be a good place to make friends. That’s where I got to know David, who showed me a backflip and thus inspired me to take a gymnastics class. Also I got to know two sweet dudes with a dozen of kites. Their parrot seemed to like me, or at least I was able to tame him, although at first he appeared somewhat crazy. It was so nice to get it as a present in the end! But I preferred to keep my distance from the shark, however.

Agistri island

20 July 2012 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

If you go from Athens port Piraeus along Aegina island you will notice a small hilly island of Agistri. Unlike other islands around, it is fully covered by forest. Also, it has plenty of small bays with sandy and pebbly beaches. One of them is known as a naturist beach. Considering that getting to Agistri from Piraeus takes about 50min, it is an excellent alternative to naturist beaches around Athens on the mainland. Or if you are on Aegina island already, you can get from there too (Flying Dolphin in 10min, Agistri Express in 15min).

Flying Dolphin brings you to Megalochori pier

From which you’ll need to take a bus to Skala beach (€1.5), but ferries and Agistri express come directly to Skala pier.

Skala is a neat beach with clean sand, small tavernas and hotels.

Go further south along the sea and eventually the road turns into a trail.

You’ll see a hill covered with pine trees that has an entire tenting camp site. And no wonder, fresh sea breeze and pine smell create a perfect atmosphere.

The bays is hidden behind a small cape, and the way down is not obvious.

When I came to the edge of the cliffs, right by my feet, a head of another naked tourist appeared.

That’s how I found out the trail leading to the beach. From down there I saw some people above who probably couldn’t find there way down. Oh well, but I couldn’t complain, as that was what probably helped to keep the beach so pristine!

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This story and photos were contributed by our reader from Moscow, Igor.

Bouncing Buns – exciting results!

13 July 201215 July 2015 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

I wish I could write as fast as I run! 😀 Here is the exciting news (almost 3 weeks later…), that yours truly came in 3rd in the naked 7k trail race and got the second prize in his age category! (With the time of 30:38.)

I already announced it earlier and was looking forward to participating in my first ever naked race.

What I find particularly encouraging, that this event wasn’t organized by a naturist organization (Pretzel City Sports for American Cancer Society), which indicates that people in general are open to the idea! But it was hosted, however, by a naturist resort Sunny Rest. It’s a very spacious place with all kinds of accommodation provided, from tenting to [almost] mansions. There are tennis courts, pool, beach volleyball field and pretty big section of the forest with the so-called Nature Trail, where the race took place.

We took advantage from arriving one day in advance and went for a walk to see the trail.

There is a wigwam with some kind of cute folk art.

Parts of the trail go through dense rhododendron bushes that create tunnels.

And the season of their blooming was just starting.

At some point there was a bifurcation for an ‘Easy’ and ‘Hard’ trails, and after some consideration we went for the hard one, of course.

Well, there were a few parts of quite steep up- and downhill trails, but nothing too demanding, most of the time it was rather flat. All trails are also clearly marked, so it would be unlikely to get lost.

We loved those parts of the forest where the floor was totally covered by ferns, which created a sea of green.

Other areas were covered by peculiar clubmosses, which aren’t mosses at all but ancient relatives of ferns.

clubmosses 0000 Sunny Rest, PA, USA

After we came back from the hike, we saw a bouncing bunny at the lawn and thought it was a sign of luck 😉

rabbit 0000 Sunny Rest, PA, USA

Then we had a naked dinner at the restaurant by the pool. Unfortunately, they close the main kitchen early (by 9pm), so we could only order from limited menu which was mostly fast-food. We went to check out the dance club afterwards, but to our dismay, we (3 persons) found ourselves to be the only ones naked. We couldn’t understand why there was such a change in attire by the night, as it was definitely warm enough to stay naked, especially when dancing. But some women even wore evening dresses and high heels – definitely overdressed for a naturist venue!

… after a quick breakfast next morning, it was time for some stretching with the new friend from Brazil who came not only to run but also write about the event for a Brazilian runners magazine.

Then we warmed up by running forth and back around the start/finish line 😀 (this was the only part of the race that was on asphalted road)

and the time for the race came! There were about 150 participants, the record number for this race, and many of them seemed likes pro runners. So it came to me as a surprise that I finished third. This year, I haven’t been jogging this year much (just a couple of times in early spring), so although I do many other sports, I wasn’t sure at all about my running performance. But I think I knew and used some tricks that might have helped me, I’m planning to write about it soon in a special post about running.

After finish, there were refreshments and snacks, and a ceremony for winners by the pool – very good idea!

I also befriended the guy who got the third prize in our age category, and as if the race wasn’t enough we played badminton on one of the lawns. I guess we still didn’t feel the pain… it came only the next day! But in any case we were very cheerful at the moment.

Bouncing Buns it was indeed!

Sandy Hook

5 July 20125 July 2012 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

Happy Independence Day! As a present for our US American readers, here is the post about Gunnison Beach at Sandy Hook. It is definitely one of the top clothing-optional beaches in the US, and for a good reason.

This beach is huge, even though large part of it is closed for protection of shorebirds, primarily plovers.

This part usually opens in the end of summer, when nesting season is over, but you can just go strolling or jogging in the protected area.

Once, the water was full of fish roe,

and it left beautiful crystal-like traces, or rather footprints, of the waves on the sand. And plovers were happy to feast on it.

But even the designated area is big enough to host numerous beach goers from NYC metropolitan area as well as Jersey shore.

Most people stay close to water, so there is a vast sandy part between people and dunes that may be used for jogging

and of course nudists’ favorite volleyball.

The limiting factor is rather space at the parking lot which fills up quickly on weekends.

If you don’t mind spending more money – $45 0r $30 with this coupon on certain times – it is way better to get to Sandy Hook from Manhattan by ferry.

It leaves from two locations Midtown and Downtown, and you have an easy ride with fresh breeze and nice views.

Speaking of views, what makes Gunnison Beach very special is that there’s no other nudist beach that could boast with Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. You’ll definitely want a naked portrait with that background, just prepare a pair of glasses against the bright sun.

There you go!

Another option is to turn upside down 🙂

Oh wait, I think I did manage to get at least one ‘normal’ portrait. It is somewhat surreal to let it all hang out while seeing that crazy city so close.

Coming back to Manhattan after that feels like coming to another world.

Nikita beach and forest (Crimea)

4 July 201226 June 2014 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

Русский

One of very few places where primeval dry subtropical forest meets the sea on the South coast of Crimea. Simply a beautiful place! This is my last post about naturist places in Crimea for now.

Probably you’re surprised to hear about subtropical forest in ~~Ukraine~~ Russia (depending on your political views and the map issued by your state), but the South coast of Crimea is indeed one of the northernmost areas with subtropical climate, as it is protected from northern winds by Crimean mountains and warm Black Sea keeps temperatures milder.

The protected forest of Nikita, officially known as Cape Martyan Reserve, is right next to the Nikita Botanical Garden (and formally, it is a part of it), and it hosts some plants that are common in the Mediterranean, for example, arbutus, or strawberry tree. I couldn’t resist resting on low branches of one of those the way to the beach: the bark is very smooth and has a very pleasant, slightly velvet-like, touch.

Just too bad its strawberry-like fruit were not ripe yet.

First time, I was came the beach walking by the shore starting at this point, where I also paid a park fee, but sometimes it was too rough too hike through the rocks, and later I discovered that it was easier to walk by the trail starting here. In both cases, you can use trolleybus #34 from Yalta in the direction of the Nikita Botanical Garden.

When I first reached the beach, it really appeared like paradise lost!

And after having walked behind that upright rock, I saw a man walking in Adam’s suit, so I knew I was in the right place 😉

By the way, Cape Martyan Reserve does not only include the forest but a part of the sea too, with many fish species. Numerous cormorants resting on the rocks indicated at the sea riches.

And indeed, the underwater rocks seemed teeming with life.

Second time, I brought my sister too. She is not an adamant nudist like me, but she was impressed by my photos from the first trip to cape Martyan and was eager to come along. We got some rain, but we didn’t mind it, as it was warm.

And this was what kept this place so green at the height of summer. After the clouds started disappearing behind the hills,

we climbed some of those strawberry trees again.

And then, with the beautiful sun rays on the background, I felt like posing in the role of some ancient sun-god.

The “sun” that I held in my hands was a juicy Crimean melon, which we happily ate afterwards :p

What a nice day it was to celebrate both the rain and the sun!

Forested area near Balaklava, Crimea

29 June 201221 July 2014 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

Русский

Balaklava is a former home of Soviet nuclear submarines, but now it is merely a small colorful port full of tourist vessels (but you can still check out the natural submerged cave where submarines were located).

You can go by scheduled boats and then hike to a remote beach; or you could just rent a smaller boat that would bring you directly to one of the numerous secluded spots to the south of Balaklava.

There is a dry pine forest, and small pebble are beaches squeezed between the rocks. We went there just for a day, but apparently it is very popular for camping. Nudity is a commonplace.

On the way back, my sister and I saw a bunch of guys covered in grey mud, but it didn’t occur to me to take a photo, although they were posing like statues. I guess I’ll have to return there!

Uchkuyevka beach, Sevastopol (Crimea)

29 June 201221 July 2014 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

Русский

Uchkuyevka (aka Lubimovka) is the only beach within Sevastopol city area with well established nudist area. This beach is very long, with nice soft sand and picturesque sandstone cliffs. You can get there from the main part of the city by boat directly (once an hour from Artilereyskaya bay) or by more frequent ferry to Severnaya side first (from Grafskaya pier) and then minibus.

Naturists gather at both southern and northern edges of the beach, but the latter is more popular. As soon as you pass these sandstone cliffs,

you will see most of the people enjoying the sun and the sea without swimsuits. So you can disrobe immediately and pick your spot, there is still a couple of miles of beach ahead!

So you can find a quiet spot for yourself, come with your family (like I did, but I will talk about it some time later), or a big group of friends.

Goluboy [Blue] Bay (Crimea)

28 June 201231 July 2014 by αNaturist, posted in active naturists

Русский

Another picturesque location to enjoy the sea au naturel in Crimea is Blue Bay near Simeiz. It is located under Mount Koshka, which means ‘cat-mountain’ because of how it looks from a certain point.

Coming from the centre of the town, you’ll have to walk by this beautiful alley on Lenina Street, which already has some hints promising clothing-optional leisure in the end.

After this building, Lenina Street becomes Golubaya Street (Blue Street).

Then, watch out for this sign on the left.

Like at Cape Fiolent, there are some politically-charged signs too, with a very different tone, however: this one says “Freedom to gays!”

Simeiz is actually the only known holiday destination that attracts a large proportion of gays from Ukraine and Russia, and by coincidence the name of this bay, Goluboy, means both ‘blue’ and ‘gay’ in Russian. Which meaning you think is of more relevance is up to you to decide 🙂

From the bay itself, you can see Crimean mountains including the highest peak of Ai-Petri.