Justin Ocean

Checking in with Out's correspondents as they criss-cross the world...

Who: Benjamin Solomon, Editor-in-Chief of Next Magazine

Where I Went: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui in Thailand

What I Did: Celebrated Songkran Festival (Traditional Thai New Year turned giant wet T-shirt contest) with locals in the inner city of the country's religious and cultural capital, Chiang Mai; rode a private boat through the sprawling Angthong National Marine Park for hiking on giant limestone karsts, snorkeling and private beach exploring; climbed to the hill-top temple Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep to be blessed by a Buddhist monk; partied till dawn in Silom.

What I Recommend: Explore the sprawling traditional markets in Chiang Mai and sample divisive local delicacies like fish-covered sticky rice, durian and century eggs; a shopping spree in one of Bangkok's high-end malls, like the travel themed Terminal 5, which houses local artisans and fashion designers next to international brands; launch traditional lanterns into the sky from the secluded beaches of Koh Samui while sampling traditional Thai whiskey; dance all night on the beach with thousands of Aussie tourists during the Full Moon party; search for treasures in the amulet market in Bangkok.

A decade after shopping nirvana Opening Ceremony debuted, the store is still winning golds for its design collabs and retail manifesto, a fashion twist on the founding principles of the modern Olympics: countries squaring off against each other. Score limited-edition, Games-inspired capsule collections by Band of Outsiders and the sport-meets-street debut of its “Adidas x Opening Ceremony” line at its newest global outlet, a 3,000-square-foot pop-up shop in Covent Garden (31-32 King St.). A larger, more permanent space opens up a few doors down later this fall.

Photo: Flickr/simonsun08

Happy Holiday Homos! We at OutTraveler are off today, and so should you be. Have a picnic or BBQ, hit the beach, go for a jog, call the buds over for a construction project, take your bike out for a spin, catch some rays by the pool, or join in one of our country's numerous events and festivals that have Independance Day Gone Gay.

In honor of our nation's birth, and today being Hump Day, we've scoured from sea to shining sea the hive brain voyuers at Tap That Guy to find guys engaging in July 4th-appropriate activities -- and their birthday suits. God Bless America.

Shameless patriotism after the jump. (You're welcome.)

Though just a short drive from San Francisco, the charming city of Los Gatos can feel like another world entirely.

The fashion industry would not be the same if it weren’t for iconic French designer Jean Paul Gaultier. After premiering his first ready-to-wear collection in 1976 he went on to become an icon in French couture designs. Finally, they have made their way to the U.S. in an up-close-and-personal museum exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

The openly gay Gaultier uses his designs to tackle gender and transgender issues through androgynous, gender-bending styles, meanwhile delving even further into some of the darker areas of the sexual revolution. Always provocative, he addresses issues of multiculturalism by bringing ethnic diversity to the Paris runway. Despite the gritty and sometimes controversial context of his collections, the clothes remain beautiful, superbly crafted with the finest dressmaking and detailing skills.

To experience the country at its most mellow, visit Morocco’s first eco hotel.

Facebook might have paid $1 billion for Instagram, but Pixable just made it priceless. The new photo inbox app collects pictures from social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then delivers them to your phone or into a live online slideshow based on what's most relevant. As far as our gay travel lives are concerned, that means one thing this time of year: PRIDE.

Check out the slideshow above, which culls everything with the hashtag #pride and sorts it based on popularlity (in this case, the number of re-tweets). So even if you weren't able to see the sashay down Fifth Avenue in New York this past Sunday, you can catch up here -- and everywhere. Check our Pride Calendar to know when to check back here and get your geographical fix.