Story by Joseph Alexiou
Photos in Order: Courtesy Lonely Planet, Courtesy David Ozanich (2)
We're eager to be among the first to announce a whole new series of U.S.-based travel guides from one of the most popular publisher's of travel and language guides, Lonely Planet.
Geared towards weekend excursions, the new series Trips consists of six books representing six regions across the country: New England; the Carolinas, Georgia, & the South; New York, Washington D.C., & the Atlantic Coast; the Pacific Northwest; Arizona,New Mexico, & the Grand Canyon; and California. Each of these guides offers over 50 different regional outings, which includes a slew of day trips departing from each region's major cities. The series will be in bookstores March 2009.
We had the chance to speak with one of the contributing authors, David Ozanich, who talked to us about the books and his own experiences traveling to Virginia.
"Trips is organized more like a magazine or newspaper," Ozanich explains. "The travel info is written essay-style to more effectively evoke a theme and mood for the curious traveler." Lonely Planet's guides always have a well-reported gay and lesbian travel section.
"As a gay tourist," Ozanich continues, "I know what it's like to land in a town and be like 'I know there's gotta be a gay bar around here somewhere…' The Lonely Planet reader tends to be reasonably upscale, educated and urban and pretty comfortable with suggestions like drag shows or lesbian-leaning dance clubs." In other words, you can depend on Trips to cater to all kinds of travelers.
Ozanich's coverage of Virginia appears in the New York, Washington DC, and Mid-Atlantic Trips guide. He recommends visiting the city of Lexington for its beauty, and suggests Richmond as the most gay-oriented destination after Washington D.C. But for the more offbeat gay interest, he mentioned staying a night at the Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon and checking out the town's top-notch repertory theater.
But our author's highest recommendation is the Inn at Little Washington. "An amazing restaurant about an hour and a half outside DC nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains," Ozanich gushes. "The restaurant was created by a gay couple, 
and one of them, the chef, is still there after 30 years. A must for any gourmand or fan of luxury, the Inn was named by the International Herald Tribune as one of the ten best restaurants in the world."
With its impeccable service, interesting and delicious menu, this romantic and sumptuous inn is a perfect weekend getaway for any couple.
