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Congratulations to Eric from Alberta, Canada. His submission to the Scenic Boy Photo Contest won him a 2-for-1 coupon to use on an Adventure this summer.
Thanks to the rest of the finalists for your great pictures, and to everyone who submitted a photo and participated in our first contest.
Just 2 more days of voting remains in our Scenic Boy Fan Photo Contest. As of right now, Eric from Canada is in the lead, but not by much! Be sure to get your votes in before midnight on June 26th. We'll announce the winner on Monday, June 27th.
For several big cities across the US, this weekend is GAY PRIDE! Dusty and I will be celebrating in Seattle this year, our first time attending an honest to god Pride Parade in 5 years. This weekend in late June is typically really nice, so we usually can't resist the temptation to ditch the festivities and head for the mountains. This year we're sticking around to spend some time Sunday promoting Scenic Boy Adventures. We've turned 5 of our favorite photos into postcards. We'll be walking around after the Parade handing them out - be looking for us!! :)
I realized I had a bunch more photos from the Taste of the Olympics recon trip a few weekends ago. Here is a little photo essay capturing some of my favorite pics from the trip:
This was a HUGE cedar tree just north of Ruby Beach. It seemed like 12 trees in one that formed this awesome thrown, perfect for Dusty to snag a quick ScenicBoy shot. :)
There was a cute old settlement near Lake Quinault. I loved this rusty old cookie delivery truck.
Ranger Mike played chef for the weekend. He's simply a phenomenal cook! What can't this boy do??
Dinner consisted of 3 delicious courses:
Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto with cream cheese and garlic.
Mashed potatoes with gruyere cheese and rosemary (from Mike's garden)
Sockeye salmon with a mandarin honey glaze dressed in Rainier Beer!
Breakfast the next morning was a TexMex Scramble: Eggs, tortillas, cilantro, black beans, fresh salsa, and avacados.
Dusty found this sand dollar, still alive! The underside was still fuzzy and moving. He tossed it back into the Ocean for good luck.
Here is the view of Kalalock beach from one of the campgrounds we'll be staying at. Washington has such a beautiful coastline!
Ruby Beach from the trail to the parking lot. This place was pretty popular, and for good reason.
Q: Which mosses will we see?
A: (H)all of the Mosses! LOL My best joke from the weekend. Hall of the Mosses is an easy stroll through several different interpetive loops. There's moss growing on everything, especially the Big Leaf Maple trees.
Our view of Lake Crescent from our campsite at Fairholme. Absolutely stunning scenery, the only downside was highway 101 runs along the opposite bank and the traffic noise cuts the peaceful air. It sort of sounded like the ocean after a while, though...
Dusty goes for a quick swim at Crescent Lake. The water was SO COLD, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take this shot. Way to go, Dusty.
Marymere Falls is another easy trail, this one closer to Port Angeles. The tunnels, handrails and trail improvements are a very nice addition to this fun little hike.
Our last stop before heading back to Seattle was up at Hurricane Ridge. In mid-June there was still about 20 feet of snowpack. Most all of this will have melted by the end of July, just in time for the alpine wildflowers to bloom!
We would like to thank everyone who submitted a photo for the Scenic Boy Photo Contest. 19 photos came to us from as far away as New Zealand. We appreciate everyone who shares our body positive philosophy.
Based on scenery, location, artistic expression, and photo composition, we have selected the top 5 photo finalists to receive a 2-for-1 coupon on an upcoming Scenic Boy Adventure.
Now it is up to our blog followers to decide the winner! Vote for your favorite Scenic Boy inspired photo in the right side column. The poll will close on Sunday, June 26th, 2011 and the winner will be announced on the June 27th.
Allen at Chiricahua National Monument, AZ
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Nils at North Cascades National Park, WA
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Matthew at Rock River, VT
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John at Curecanti National Recreation Area, CO
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Eric in a canola field by Labyrinth Lake, Alberta
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Good Luck to all the finalists!
Olympic National Park is Washington State’s largest federally protect land. With over 1,400 square miles of rugged coastline, old-growth rain forests, sparkling blue lakes, and glacier caped peaks, it is easily one of the most diverse National Parks in the world.
Scenic Boys: Olympic National Park road trip from scenicboys on Vimeo.
Visitors can play on coastal sandy beaches at Kalaloch, then drive two hours to Hurricane Ridge to enjoy views of the Olympic Mountains at 6,000 feet. Explore a lush forest community in the Quinault Rain Forest during lunch and then skinny dip in the Olympic Hot Springs after dinner.
There is so much to see in Olympic National Park that first-time visitors should either spend plenty of time researching which areas to visit, or hire fun and knowledgeable gay guides to provide you with a fun tour around the Park. :)
When we developed the Taste of the Olympics trip – highlighting our favorite parts of the Park, with an emphasis on local foods from the Pacific Northwest – we immediately though Ranger Mike would make the perfect addition for this excursion. Among his many talents, Mike is quite the culinary master, with years of experience cooking fine food for large groups. He grows his own veggies and herbs, and has a keen sense for what's seasonally available at local farmer’s markets.
Delicious food aside, Mike is also well known for his gifts as an artist, blogger, and educator. He is always a fun friend to have along on any trip and welcome addition to the Scenic Boy Adventures family!
Don't forget to email your best Scenic Boy Photo to [email protected] by midnight on Monday, June 20th to be eligible to win our Scenic Boy Photo Contest! Winner receives a 2-for-1 coupon for any of our 2011 Scenic Boy Adventures!
We will select our top 5 favorites and feature them on our blog. Our readers will then decide on the winner.
Contest Guidelines:
So grab a buddy and head out to your favorite scenic location this weekend. Be creative and have fun! :)
Vantage is one of our longest standing camping traditions, and probably the most anticipated event of the summer. After a dark and cold winter, nothing sounds better than a long weekend in the warm sun.
Scenic Boys: Vantage - Gay Spring Break 2011 from scenicboys on Vimeo.
Every Memorial Day Weekend hundreds of Gays from Washington and around the country head to Wanapum Campground on the banks of the Columbia River near Vantage, WA. We’ve lost track of how many times we’ve done this trip, but it’s been going on for at least 10 years now!
This year I arrived late Wednesday evening and staked claim to the best spot at the back of the campground (nearest to the nude beach). It was dark and drizzly when I arrived, but having the whole campground to myself was such a special treat.
The next morning I awoke to bright sunshine, birds, and wildlife all around me. As the day wore on, more people began to arrive and set up their camps. The terrain is uneven and filled with sage brush, willows, and little briars, so nice flat spots are the reward for those who can manage to arrive before the weekend rush.
As the weekend approached, the campground underwent a major transformation. On Thursday evening there were about 40 people, by Friday that number grew to 200, and by Saturday we had well over 300 Gay boys partying it up.
ScenicBoy George played a major role in organizing this year’s event. With the help of Kyle Prime, we enjoyed an impressive sound system, an unforgettable Drag Show by The Bearded Lady J and Magenta Mangina, and live performances by Seattle’s own Lisa Dank and DJ Skittle. No club could compete with the awesome venue we created this year!!
We're already looking forward to next year's Vantage! If you didn't make it this year, you should definitely consider making the trek in 2012. We know it's just going to keep getting bigger and better!
Check out www.biggayvantage.com
We've been so incredibly busy this past month! Running a company and this blog on top of our regular full-time jobs is no easy task. We've also kicked our camping season into high gear. Never before have we had our entire summer so well planned out this early in the season. But we love it ALL and wouldn't have it any other way. :)
Several of you have submitted photos for the Scenic Boy Adventures free trip give away. If you don't have the perfect photo on hand, grab a camera and get outside this weekend! Show us your beautiful back-sides! Remember, the deadline for submitting your photo is midnight on June 20th.
Our trips are slowly but surely booking up. Very exciting times indeed! If you're thinking about joining us for an Adventure this summer, be sure to reserve your spot before they're gone!
Here's some more photos from Ozette, the first trip we're guiding this summer.
Lounging on the rocky shore just north of Cape Alava. It was an overcast afternoon, but the temperature was PERFECT!
Dusty enjoys a tasty morsel from the tide pools. *Note: no sea-life was harmed in the making of this photo. :)
Garet snaps a self-pic at sunset. The sky lit up bright pink and orange just after the sun went over the horizon. Amazing colors!
This is just one of dozens of petroglyphs at Wedding Rocks, half-way between Sand Point and Cape Alava. How long does it take to carve something like this right into the side of a boulder? Clearly killer whales were important to the Makah Indian Tribe.
THE END. It was rapture afterall! We were fully expecting the world to end while we were out on the coast. Lucky for us, the summer isn't over before it even started.
Over the years we've received quite a few Scenic Boy inspired photos from people who follow our blog. It’s awesome to see others enjoying and capturing these playful moments. With the launch of Scenic Boy Adventures, we thought it would be fun to host a Scenic Boy Photo Contest, and the winner receives a 2-for-1 coupon for any of our 2011 Scenic Boy Adventures!
Send your best Scenic Boy photo to [email protected]. We will select our top 5 favorite shots which will be be featured on our blog. It will then be up to our readers to deicide the winner by voting for their favorite ScenicBoy Fan Photo!
Contest Guidelines:
All entries must be received by midnight on June 20. The voting will begin June 21 and the poll will remain open for five days. The winner will be announced on Monday June 27.
Good Luck and Send Us Those Pictures!
Iron Horse :
Float On (Pickin' on Modest Mouse)
Blind Melon:
No Rain
Neon Trees:
Animal
Tommy James & Shondells:
Draggin' The Line
The Who:
Join Together