How to Beat the Nude Summer Heat this Year - Dare to Go Nude on your Family Vacation
 
Record heat waves. How does one stay cool and comfortable on their family summer vacation this year? One fun way is to try the fastest growing nude vacation trend around, staying at a nudist resort and participating in nude events.

With the long hot summer this year, you only have a few choices for beating the heat. You can exhaust yourself shopping at the local mall for new lightweight resort wear and spend an  equal amount of time worrying how you will look in your new, expensive clothes. Or, you can decide to pack light for this year's vacation. Real light in fact. All you will need to wear is your birthday suit, suntan lotion, and a smile. This is the year you should finally try staying at a clothing optional resort.

I can hear you thinking. "What, me vacationing at a nude resort? It sounds unusual." Not really. Europeans have been visiting naturist resorts and nude and topless beaches for decades. In Europe, when the temperatures go up, the clothes come off. A recent news story on Yahoo.com stated "Brits say bye bye to the bikini for an all over tan."

There has never been a better time to take a clothing optional vacation in America than now. Forbes Magazine reports that nude recreation is the fastest growing niche in the travel industry. Palm Springs, California is one of the most popular destinations as they have the best year round weather of all cities in the U.S. You never need to worry about hurricanes while relaxing poolside in sunny Palm Springs.

You may wonder, who goes to nudist resorts? Everyone! Democrats and republicans, the tall and the short, thin and not thin, and the young and old all have fun sunbathing au naturel. Baby boomers in particular have been flocking to nudist resorts lately. They have always been an experimental generation. It is only natural that boomers should seek out new travel experiences and fun adventures.

"But I need to lose 10 or 20 or more pounds before I can come to your resort." Tom and Mary Clare Mulhall, the owners of the popular Pure Nudist Clothing Optional Resort and Kids and Family of Palm Springs CA http://www.purenudism.com hear this comment all the time from "newbies." The Terra Cotta is famous for being the most mainstream nude resort in America. They are the best place for couples trying nude sunbathing for the first time. They are a beautiful boutique resort that was originally built as a celebrity hideaway. Repeat guests from around the world love staying there. "The good thing about vacationing at a clothing optional resort," says Mary Clare "is it really builds a woman's self esteem. She will see that all women are 'normal.' So many women tell me that they hate wearing bathing suits because they feel self conscious, but love going nude because now, for once in their lives they truly feel free and don't have to worry how they look in a suit.  It is a great feeling knowing how happy women are vacationing with us."

So this summer, if you are looking to beat the heat, try something cool. Book your vacation at a clothing optional resort. If you go, this will be the year all your friends will want to hear about your new fun adventure.
 
preteen pictures

I have met the nudist, and it is me!

by Leslie Nicoll

Early in 1998, if you had asked me to describe myself, nudist would not have occurred to me. Eight months ago I still would have been hesitant to call myself a nudist-in-process. Now, here I am, "naked-in-front-of-the-computer" and writing about my new nudist lifestyle for all the world. For me, the change was dramatic, profound, and personally transforming.

Becoming a nudist involved a process of self-exploration and reflection. It began as a solo endeavour, expanded to include my husband, then a world of Internet friends, and at the last my children. Although my first "real" social nude experience occurred only last spring, I feel like nudism has been part of my life forever. I share my experiences and look forward to being nude in social situations. All this in less than a year?!

Yes and no. Yes, many of these changes have occurred in just a few months. But no, because I realized that in my heart I have been a nudist for at least 30 years. I have clear memories of being young, happy, and nude, skinny dipping or playing in the sand.

When I was eleven with a friend named Jody we went out with our mothers, my grandmother, and another woman. The four grown-ups disappeared after telling Jody and me to wait in the car. It was a beautiful summer day, warm and sunny. The woods beckoned us. Somehow we got out of our clothes and out of the car. We fashioned some nature dance with elaborate steps and lots of "bottom bumping." We were so wrapped up in what we were doing, we never noticed the return of the four grown-ups. We looked up just in time to see four chins collectively fall to the ground and horrified looks replace previously smiling faces.

We were told several times how bad we were. But when we pressed the issue, they could never tell us what we had done wrong. Taking our clothes off is wrong? No, we do that every night before our bath. Dancing in the woods naked? That might not be socially acceptable, but we were in a secluded location where no one saw us. Finally, they settled on embarrassment. "You embarrassed me," said my grandmother. "That is what you did wrong."

For years that lesson framed my activities. If taking my clothes off would embarrass someone, then I should not do it. But I eagerly joined in situations which would not be embarrassing.

Here's an example. Years later, at a college fraternity party, there must have been 30 of us who sneaked into the university pool one midnight. No one had suits, no one cared. We swam, we lounged, we talked. It was less sexually charged than the party at the frat house. No one was sneaking off to the bedrooms upstairs.

For the record, when I met Tony, who became my husband, I fell in love and never looked back--20 years now. He and I have always enjoyed being nude together; but until recently, our nude activities were pretty traditional. We slept nude, read, watched television, but rarely ventured beyond the bedroom door. Our children often joined us in television or reading, so they saw us nude. But doing something non-traditional, like having a nude dinner, didn't occur to us.

Fast forward to 1998. I had the opportunity to visit with a high school friend whom I had not seen in 25 years. We had a terrific time laughing, telling stories, and looking at yearbooks. But like the old song, his happy mask hid an unhappy person. On the surface, he had everything he wanted: nice home, good job, fabulous car, lots of friends. But one thing he said stuck with me: "I am not happy with my body."

Now, this guy had no reason for that. At 180 cm he is a trim 77 kg. He plays tennis four times a week, is in terrific shape, and is much better looking than he ever was in high school.

But I could not get his comment out of my mind. It prompted me to wonder how I felt about my own body. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but I did not hate myself. I turned to my source of all information, the Internet, and began to read up on body acceptance. This quickly led to nudism and naturism, so I began to read about them too. As I did, my thoughts moved forwards and backwards. Forwards to "I would like to try this" and backwards to "I have tried this, but a long time ago."

In April I said to Tony, "I have a very strong urge to spend an extended period of time nude with you." He looked surprised but said OK. That very night, after we put the kids to bed, we decided to play nude backgammon. To be honest, we only managed to play about half a game before the love hormones overcame us. Something about being nude, I guess, led us to revert to a traditional activity!

But I was not ready to give up. That weekend, we arranged for the kids to spend the night with some friends. Once they left the house, at 14:00, our plan was to take off our clothes and stay that way until the kids returned at 10:00 the next day. Because we had a longer nude time ahead of us, and even at our most passionate knew we could not make love for 20 hours, we were able to pace ourselves. We did some laundry, watched a movie, read, and chatted. We went out to dinner wearing very loose clothes to keep the nude feeling. As soon as we got home, they came off again. In the morning we cooked breakfast and read the Sunday paper.

That weekend experiment was transforming. Suddenly clothes felt confining and restricting. I wanted to be nude, and I wanted to talk about it. Tony and I discussed our experience, but we felt like the blind leading the blind. How did others feel? What were their experiences?

I discovered an Internet mailing list and signed up. I lurked for a week, then dived in with a question about sunscreen. A wonderful thing happened: I was welcomed to the group like a special friend. Suddenly I could ask all the questions I wanted and people would reply, honestly and fully. I started corresponding off-list with a few people who shared many of my thoughts and questions. My nudist world had expanded from my bedroom to my house and suddenly to the world. I went from knowing no nudists to knowing hundreds. It was terrific.

Meanwhile, Tony and I continued to explore our nude time together. We have an outdoor hot tub and shower. Instead of running to get dressed after emerging from either one, we would sit on the deck and let the air dry us. (A fence and trees provide privacy.) We began to eat dinner nude occasionally. I watched the entire NBA playoffs sans clothes and not in the bedroom. I discovered NIFOC (naked in front of the computer).

In June we went to Denver. We made a deal that when we entered the hotel room, the clothes came off. What to do on our one free afternoon was very important to us. We decided to visit Mountain Air Ranch, a family nudist resort. How important was nudism becoming to me? I passed up a chance to visit the Figure Skating Hall of Fame!

Everything I had read was true: going to Mountain Air I was nervous at first, but that quickly passed. No one cared what we looked like or who we were, but everyone was friendly. Within minutes we felt relaxed and comfortable. When one fellow talked about "us" as nudists, I realized yes, I am in this group. I am a nudist.

I began to think of nudism as part of my life. I wanted opportunities to be nude with others, and not just on a trip. But how to handle nudism with my daughter, 7, and son, 10? My initial thought was not to involve them. After Colorado, I realized that was not realistic. To be nude only when they were in bed or at friends' houses would not be practical. I also recognized that many of our activities are family activities. It would be a dramatic change to get a baby sitter every time we wanted to go to the beach! Besides, isn't nudism supposed to be a family experience?

The solution came naturally. Shortly afterwards, we were all in the hot tub together, my husband and I nude (which has always been our custom) but the kids in suits. My son was fussing with a knot on the string of his suit, so I suggested he just take it off. He did, and my daughter soon did the same. My son immediately realized how good it felt in the warm water without anything on. That led to a discussion of being nude with others. Then we told them about our visit to Mountain Air. They were both very interested and appropriately curious. We showed them a brochure, with pictures, and answered their questions. My son was very interested in the concept of a club, wondering if there were any near us. So we showed him the brochure for Cedar Waters Village in New Hampshire, about an hour from where we are in Maine. Tony and I visited the place ourselves to check it out, then returned about two weeks later with our children. After that, my son told me that he was proud of being a nudist. My daughter seems oblivious to the title but enjoys the experience. I regularly get asked, "When can we go back to the skinny-dipping place?"

So that's how we went from a clothed family to nudists. We each choose when and where we want to be nude. I often have dinner nude while my husband wears a T-shirt or is even fully clothed. My daughter, a natural, is frequently nude around the house, while my son is usually nude just in the hot tub.

I am still surprised by how far and how quickly I have come. At first I was intrigued with the idea of a nude cruise or vacation--a once-a-year special event. After going to Mountain Air, I realized that a little more often to be nude would be nice, but it was still in the category of recreation. Now I understand I have a need to be nude. At times it is a physical need, at times it is a stress reliever. Nudity with others is lots of fun, but nudity at home with the family is also very important to me.

The process of becoming a nudist is not complete. There will be more I learn and incorporate into my life. I look forward to visiting different clubs and resorts and meeting other nudists. But one thing is clear: nudism is very much a part of my life. A friend recently commented about my status as a novice nudist and I gently corrected him: "Not a novice, just a nudist. Once you're there, you know it, deep inside the fibre of your unclothed body."

There is an update from Leslie to this story, called I Am Still the Nudist, One Year Later

Leslie Nicoll lives in Westbrook, Maine. This article appeared in the Winter 1998-99 (Vol. 13, No. 4) issue of Going Natural, the official magazine of the Federation of Canadian Naturists. Used by permission.

Copyright © 1999, Federation of Canadian Naturists

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Last updated: February 12, 2000



1) Why are you encouraging women to take their tops off in public?
We are not doing any such thing. We believe women have the same rights as men. Those who wish not to remove tops should keep them on--by choice.

2) Isn't it illegal for women to go topfree?
This activity is legal for women and men. A high court decision from December 1996 makes it clear that women and men doing so with no "sexual or commerical" intent are not indecent.

3) Is it legal for women to be topfree everywhere, then?
No, because there are places where it is illegal for both women and men to be topfree, e.g. where regulations require tops as well as other articles of clothing. This is completely consistent with assuring women rights equal to those of men.

4) Doesn't the Bible forbid this kind of activity?
We don't think so, nor do many others who are deeply religious. But this is not a religious issue. The laws in this country are not made according to certain avowed Jewish or Christian preferences, whatever their source, but to protect a variety of beliefs.

5) Aren't women's breasts sexual?
It's up to women to decide when and where they are or aren't sexual. Everyone can respect a woman's or man's decision to lie on a beach and not be bothered, whether she or he has a top on or not. It is unconscionable to restrict women because men have some opinion about them or their breasts. Men aren't required to wear tops because women find their uncovered chests sexual, so the reverse should not be required either.

6) Isn't this a morals issue?
It's an issue of rights more than morals. Those claiming that all topfree women are morally wrong do not usually give any reason except personal preference. The law must be applied equally to women and men and ignore such personal claims.

7) Aren't topfree women just walking pornography?
No. Are topfree men? The automatic connection between women's breasts and sexual activity is one which is often made. The media reinforce it. We can and should reject it. We may choose to be nonsexual when changing clothes, taking a shower, lying on the grass, strolling down a street, etc. What we wear does not have to be relevant to the sexuality of a situation. There may indeed be more flirting in complete outfits than in topfree attire.

8) Don't women's clothes incite men to do certain things?
A woman or man may wear clothes for many purposes, including to be noticed. Nothing anyone wears or doesn't wear is an invitation to harassment or assault. It's not a woman's task to prevent a man from harassing her--by wearing clothes men deem suitable on her! Women who wish to enjoy the same topfreedom as men are therefore not "asking for it."

9) Won't topfree women increase sex crimes?
Experience in Europe and elsewhere shows that the answer is No. Sociologists from various places have stated that there is no connection. This is true partly because women and men almost always remove tops only when they think it is safe to do so.

10) What will children will see and do?
Children are not harmed by seeing breasts but by adults' phobias about them. The breasts themselves are doing nothing, except perhaps providing a lesson in body education. Adults should refrain from passing their irrational fright, intolerance, or hatred on to children. Bigotry is not a family value. Far better to explain that topfree women are just doing whatever others, including topfree men or fully clothed people, are doing (walking, sunning, swimming, etc.).

11) Won't there be topfree women everywhere?
No, this will not happen. Women and men can determine for themselves where it is appropriate to be without a top, according to the social context. Most will choose to keep their tops on: that has been the case elsewhere, notably in New York State, where this matter was resolved similarly by an Appeal Court in 1992. But if a majority of women and men keep tops on, this does not warrant criminalizing those who choose not to. A majority must not remove a minority's rights just because that group doesn't conform to some other group's wishes. Issues of religious intolerance have surely taught us that.

12) Aren't topfree women, and men for that matter, ugly?
Perceived superficial qualities are not a cause for legal action. This question disguises a fear of anything different from a very narrow set of expectations and reveals an unhealthy lack of body acceptance.

13) How will recreation staff treat the matter?
They are trained now to handle the public in a variety of situations. Little further training is necessary. They may wish to counsel those complaining about topfree women or men that such people are harmless.


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