Shereen Travels Cheap Turns 16!

It's Sweet Sixteen time for my blog. It can drive now! Sorry I've been MIA for a while, I've been trying to get a lot of things done and it's all going great /sarcasm/. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, while also doing my job, planning two major events for my nonprofit, and dealing with yet another death in the family. So, I'm learning how to do everything, without overwhelming myself at every turn. I hope  your summer has been a lot more relaxing.

I just realized that last year we went to France and it feels like that was 5 years ago. We still didn't get to Toronto, and while it was on my calendar for a bit, it's not happening this year either. We'll be going to Cape Cod, Boston, and Salem this fall, and that's probably it for 2026. 

Where I did get to was Los Angeles/Burbank/Hollywood for a quick whirlwind trip to visit my uncle (RIP), hit up Fan Fest Nights at Universal, then road trip to Las Vegas for a cousin's engagement party, and then back for another short visit with my uncle before we had to go home. That was in May. 

In June I headed off to Salt Lake City for the Travel Goods Show. I will get to all those products and all the new multipurpose things I saw and tried soon. Promise.

In July, we went back to Vegas for our annual summer visit, and we tried so many new coffee shops, and generally just chilled. We saw family, we ate great food, we went to Omega Mart, and we watched some basketball. I'll be talking about some of the other things we did while we were there. If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen most of them, but I'll go into more detail.

I got back just in time to jump into our 3-day wizarding event, where we had a lot of hiccups, but overall made a ton of money and took in quite a few school supply donations for our charity. I kept the wizarding vibe going with our annual visit to a local tea shop that does a Harry Potter themed tea for a month around July 31st. We enjoyed tea, magic, finger sandwiches, and good conversation with friends.

That brings us to now, where we are getting set to take the dog to the beach with family for 4 days. This will be her first road trip and her first trip to the beach. (I assume. If anything, it's her first of both of those with us.) We're also planning our first visit to Cape Cod and Salem, Mass. I have never been to Boston, but my husband went to college there, so that's going to be interesting. We plan to spend a day on Martha's Vineyard to go on a Jaws tour, too. A lot of driving. A lot of history. A lot of spooky vibes. A lot of shark vibes. 

with my friend The Gay Traveler

Coming up, in February, I'll be back in Vegas for the Travel Goods Show and again in July. Maybe somethng else in between those, too. We didn't get to go to Palm Springs this year, like we planned, so maybe that. If things go well, we'll be heading to Japan in the fall. Maybe I'll meet up with one of my cousins while there, since my uncle was not well enough to go back to visit before he passed. 

And coming to this blog:

• Innovations in travel gear
• Things I didn't do in Salt Lake City
• The Dinosaur house in Henderson, NV
• All the amazing coffee destinations we visited in Las Vegas
• Hoover dam tour
• Free Las Vegas
• Little Tokyo in Los Angeles
• Packing light for a fall getaway

Here are some of my most popular posts that you may have missed or want to go back to:

• Horror Movies Based Around Travel
• 8 Budget-Friendly International Destinations for December
• Traveling for Pride
• Minimizing Your Travel Toiletries
• How to Pack Your Road Trip Cooler

Thank you for continuing to follow along on my travels, coming back to learn about cool destinations, and learning about the new travel trends and tips to make your trips cheaper and more fun. 

What else would you like to see in the future? Destinations I should cover, more videos, more packing tips, other travel goodies? Let me know in the comments. 

Traveling for Pride

Traveling for Pride is not new, but it seems to be a lot more popular, or easier to share, now. Pride is a celebration and a party, and a sense of community wherever you are. I love the idea that people want to experience Pride outside of their hometown, but also that they may not have celebrations at home, or even feel safe there, so they go where they can be themselves. 

The LGBTQIA+ community experiences similar discrimination wherever they are, so being able to engage with others is always joyful, celebratory, and has a feeling of understanding. Pride is so accepting and lovely, that I love going to events as an ally. It's one of those atmospheres where I always feel safe in the people around me and I hope that's how everyone feels. 

Outside of Pride celebrations, there are other ways you can learn about the history of Pride when you travel. A few places that are very important to the protest that has gotten us to where we are today:

California

The Black Cat in Los Angeles might sound familiar to you, as it was the site of a peaceful protest of 200 people in 1967; however, the LA area has many other great places to learn about the city's place in Pride history. 

You already know that San Francisco is sort of a gay mecca, but did you know that it also has the world's first official transgender district? I didn't, and I think that's amazing.

Georgia

The Atlanta Eagle bar is a leather bar that has moved locations, but still kept its community and welcoming atmosphere, plus it has officially been declared a landmark as of 2020.

Florida

Despite all the politics and intolerance of the state of Florida right now, it still houses one of the U.S.'s more important museums for Pride history. The World AIDS Museum in Fort Lauderdale. Wilton Manors is next door and is one of the country's most welcoming and LGBTQ-friendly communities. Now you can frequent a bunch of queer-owned businesses and historical sites, but you can also indulge in some of the many Pride events they put on every June. 

Louisiana

New Orleans is known for it's good times and party vibes, so it's no surprise that Pride has it's foothold there, too. Café Lafitte in Exile opened in 1933 and is the oldest continuously-operating gay bar in the U.S. (according to them). 

New York

Stonewall Inn in New York City is the beginning of most people's knowledge of Pride and where it all went down. But it's not the only landmark in New York that's important. Here are 14 other places to visit while you're there.

If you're traveling to New York during the warmer months and hope to get away from the city, there are even quite a few "gay" beaches, so bring your suit and sunscreen and relax at one of these places.

Texas

While religious organizations aren't really known for being that accepting of the LBGTQ+ community, but Dallas's Cathedral of Hope is known as being the largest LGBTQ+-welcoming congregation in the U.S. Their Interfaith Peace Chapel was designed by famous gay architect Philip Johnson.

Before it became known for it's accepting and "weird" reputation, Austin had a small district where the LGBTQ community found a safe space to be themselves and Oilcan Harry's was one such place, known to invest quite a lot in the art of drag, it is the city's longest-running gay bar.

A hotel in Port Aransas known for welcoming everyone, the Seahorse Inn has been a site for activism, art, politics, community, and also leisure and recreation. Not only was Pride a big part of the Seahorse, but you can enjoy the mid-century modern architecture, too. 

I hope this helps you find more Pride in your travels and life in general. We can all use more tolerance, diversity, and rainbows in our world. Do you have a favorite LBGTQ+ business, destination, or event?

The Top LGBTQ-Friendly Destinations

Pride isn't just for June, but it's a great time to give you another overview of the safest and most accepting travel destinations for queer travelers. Whether you're going to immerse yourself in the community and history, or you just want to know that you're not going to be uncomfortable out sightseeing with your significant other or just being yourself. 

Personally, I like to know that I'm spending my travel dollars in more progessive and tolerant places. Knowing that a destination is queer-friendly is a good indication that it's great for solo women travelers, too. I want my money to go to people who have everyone's best interests in mind and are working to make the world a better place for all travelers, because travel is for everybody. 

What are your favorite cities for queer travel, acceptance, and history?

Infographic by me:

New York City, New York - The birthplace of Pride, it has an established scene of gay bars, drag fests, and nightlife. Visit queer landmarks including the Leslie-Lohman Museum of LGBT Art, CubbyHole, & NYC Aids Memorial, then stop at Big Gay Ice Cream.

Amsterdam, Netherlands - A trailblazer in queer history, it’s home to some of the oldest gay rights organizations, was the first country to legalize gay marriage, and even has a (homo)monument to remember those lost in WWII. Get your queer merch and city info from Pink Point, then hit up some of the best queer bars and nightclubs.

Taipei City, Taiwan - The first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, Taipei has cemented itself as one of the best and safest cities for queer travelers. Specifically, the Ximen and Zhongshan neighborhoods are brimming with bars, clubs, and even speakeasies.

San Francisco, California - The home of iconic Harvey Milk, everyone knows the City by the Bay is a haven for queer activity, but did you know they also have the world’s first transgender district? Enjoy the rainbow crosswalks, the Aids Memorial Garden, and colorful murals.

Bangkok, Thailand - Not only is Bangkok known for being very queer-friendly and progressive, it’s also budget-friendly, so you can party and sightsee for less than most destinations. Take in the nightlife, markets, history, and more!

Sydney, Australia - Called a queer capital the world over, Sydney also puts on the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Pride is a BIG deal there. It has the largest collection of queer-owned establishments. You can even head out to Darlinghurst & Surrey Hills for a quieter, rainbow-filled visit.

Barcelona, Spain - Open and accepting to all, the city has it all. Gaixample, the official gayborhood is the heart of the queer community, filled with gay shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as the “hetero-friendly” gay-owned Axel Hotel.

Reykjavik, Iceland - In 2009, the first openly-gay Prime Minister was elected. Already one of the safest cities for women and solo travelers, Reykjavik became a safe haven for queer travelers, too. Pride sees 100K visitors and Rainbow Reykjavik celebrates the nature of Iceland over 3-10 days.

Berlin, Germany - With a long history of LGBTQ community, you can learn about the city’s queer story at the Schwules Museum, see a queer show at House of Presents, pay your respects to those persecuted at The Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism, and choose a safe hotel from the Pink Pillow Collection.