The Out of Towners

The Out of Towners

Whenever a three-day long weekend rolls around, a steady stream of Out-of-Towners always passes through the doors of the baths. Whether it is Labor Day weekend or Easter, it is still the same for tourists who are gay (single or couples). The trip would not be complete without visiting the local gay baths.

Here is a statistic: some guys stay at the baths all weekend. Consider it; renting a room, even for a whole day, is much cheaper than a hotel. Typically these men who come and stay for the long weekend are from small rural areas surrounding the city. These small towns hardly have gay men, and the gay ones are not “out.” But smaller communities are not the only ones with a gay bathhouse drought. Some larger cities have made gay baths illegal. So for these men to experience the gay baths, they must cross state lines. But long-distance travel is worth taking part in the gay baths regularly. Every long weekend, men from surrounding towns and borders trek to the nearest gay Bathhouse and make a mini-vacation.

When you rent a room for three days, it gives you in and out privileges, so you can come and go as you please – just like living in a hotel with all the amenities. Every Bathhouse features the same things. There’s a communal shower area with sinks and toilets. Nearby is a “wet area” featuring a steam room, a sauna, and a whirlpool. The room you purchase will have a bed, a little closet, and a small night table. There are two lounge areas, one with porno flicks playing and the other with regular TV. You have a snack bar that serves food and coffee. But if you prefer something else to their menu, you can get dressed and eat out. Or order in and get delivery right to the baths! The pièce de résistance is naked bodies running around, right in front of your eyes, 24/7 during your stay at the baths. No wonder why so many men check into the baths for the long weekend.

For example, I know of one patron from a small town who drops by the baths not just during a long weekend but every weekend. He is a television reporter working on his craft in a small local station, dreaming of making it at the network level. To achieve his dream, he has to climb the ladder up. Subsequently, the tiny town he works in has a gay population of one – him. So to combat that, he jumps in his car every Friday after the 6:00 newscast and drives three hours into the city – just in time for happy hour at the gay bars. He checks into the baths first and then makes a weekend of bar and club hopping, drinking, and getting as much sex as possible, mostly with men he runs into. He even manages to find time with the gay volleyball league on Sunday Mornings! Then on Monday morning, he will get up at 5 AM to drive back to the small town he works. In seven days, the cycle will start all over again. Fortunately, he is anti-party drugs. Good thing, as he would never be able to handle his weekends as he does.

Other tourists come out of curiosity to see what the gay baths are all about, like any other person out of town. They’d stop at the local gay bar, gay restaurant, gay bookstore, and even the gay coffee shop. Why not the gay baths? It would not be a complete visit without checking out that scene. They visit the baths solo or as a couple, probably in an open relationship. Regular bathhouse customers have the best sexual experiences with people out of town at the baths. One friend, Joey, told me of a sunny, hot Saturday afternoon; Joey ran into a lawyer from the South. He had a terrific Southern accent and was in town for a weekend conference. He had a few hours before meeting with other delegates for dinner. Joey found him cute, but it was always his experience that men who like to talk do not necessarily want sex. So Joey and the lawyer spent two hours together talking in the lounge, sauna, whirlpool, and even on the outdoor patio deck, catching a few rays. Joey felt the lawyer was cruising him but dismissed it. Having been wrong so many times, Joey just forgot about it. Then the lawyer had to go, so Joey walked him to his room. Suddenly the lawyer pulled Joey in for a goodbye hug. As the lawyer hugged Joey, he could feel the lawyer’s erection. The lawyer shut the door and was all over Joey. The lovemaking was beautiful, but Joey could not help berating himself for the time he wasted by talking. The two hours Joey and the lawyer spent talking could have been used for sex instead. But on the other hand, since Joey got to know him on that intimate level, the lovemaking was even more passionate than Joey had experienced with other men.

Out-of-towners can be some of the best sexual experiences bathhouse regulars have. About a third of them are in an open relationship, and the other third are married and in the closet. With the men in open relationships, some couples have a rule that they can fool around if either is out of town. There are those men who take full advantage of it. Instead of wasting time cruising gay bars, these men can cut to the chase and score with up to five guys at a bathhouse. Closeted married men in town for a conference or convention love the gay baths as well. They don’t have to worry about anyone seeing them in a gay bar trying to pick someone up. Gay bathhouses are out of the way, secluded, and behind closed doors. There is no worry about getting caught in the act.

What is fascinating about these out-of-towners is meeting some of the most interesting new people. I have met men from not just across the country but worldwide. You get to hear what their gay community is like and how it compares to the gay communities they visit. You also hear what gay baths are like in countries like Great Britain, Germany, Poland, and even Hong Kong.

So if you are looking for a cheap place to stay on your next trip, try looking up the local gay baths. Even though you are far from home, you will feel quite at home in a familiar atmosphere.