These are hard times for clothing-optional travelers.
Last summer, thanks to two highly-publicized incidents, naked became synonymous with crazy. In one, a passenger stripped during a US Airways flight and resisted an attendant’s efforts to cover him; in the other, a Southwest Airlines flight was forced to turn around after a male passenger went au naturel.
The American nudist community has endured other recent controversies as well, including the withdrawal of a Florida clothing-optional resort called Paradise Lakes from the American Association of Nude Recreation (AANR) after running a controversial ad campaign that violated AANR’s “family-friendly principles.”
All of this has taken a toll: The number of people who say they’re interested in what’s being called a “nakation” slipped from 11 percent in 2008 to 10 percent this year, according to the Orlando-based market research firm Y Partnership. Erich Schuttauf, AANR’s executive director, acknowledged his concerns in a recent interview.
“It is fair to say that members are traveling less and visiting clubs closer to home,” he told me, adding, “There is a lot for which we are thankful.”
With all of this happening, why would you still want to consider baring everything on your next vacation?
First a warning: A clothing-optional vacation isn’t for everyone. For example, when I posted Schuttauf’s interview on my blog, I illustrated it with what I thought was an appropriate photo of four unclothed women running into the Baltic. The picture only showed their uncovered derrieres, but the outcry from some of my readers was loud. They demanded I remove the “not-safe-for-work” image, and because I love my readers, I did. (Even if they’re prudes.)
And by way of full disclosure, no, I haven’t taken a nakation. But I’m open to it.
Here are a few reasons you might consider vacationing in the buff.
It’s not what you think
There are so many misconceptions about vacationing sans clothing, it would take an entire article to address them. But let me clear up just a few. Nudists are not perverts, and their resorts — at least the ones represented by AANR — are not seedy. They’re not all retired, though many of them are. And they aren’t exhibitionists looking for a date. In fact, you don’t have to remove all of your clothes at a clothing-optional resort (that’s why they call it clothing optional.) For more information on these and other nudism myths, click here.
It’ll open your mind
Take it from someone whose neighbors were nudists: Going clothes-free can be an enlightening experience. I only mention this because many of us are looking for a different perspective when we’re on vacation, and removing our clothes can certainly offer that.
It’s a good time
“Nude recreation is fun,” says AANR’s Schuttauf. “Anyone who has ever gone skinny-dipping or as a kid romped through the back yard sprinkler in their birthday suit knows.” Fact is, most of the mainstream media coverage of nude recreation skips over this important point. Instead, we’re fed a lot of titillating nonsense — lists like the “Top 5 naked events” and “Top 5 nude beaches” that leave many of us firmly convinced that all nudists are hedonists. Truth is, a clothing-optional vacation can be wholesome fun for the entire family, according to the nudists I’ve spoken with.
It’s a deal
The entire travel industry is on sale, and nude resorts are no exception. For example, the Terra Cotta Inn in Palm Springs, Calif., was offering a two-day nude sunbathing special for as little as $149 a night per couple, as I wrote this. That’s $20 a night off the normal price.
Cypress Cove Resort and Spa in Kissimmee, Fla., was offering a generous stay-two-weeks, get-one-week-free package, for those who can’t get enough. And DeAnza Springs in Jacumba, Calif., offered one free night when you book a week (rates change quickly, so check with the hotel before booking). Clothing-optional clubs and resorts are under the same pressure as the rest of the hotel industry, and maybe even more, considering that interest in nude recreation appears to be on the wane. Put differently, you might pay less for your nakation than your vacation.
It’s easy to pack
You can blame Air New Zealand for this idea, since it came up with the clever ad campaigns featuring flight attendants in body paint. But packing for a clothing-optional vacation is so easy and you won’t ever have to worry about additional luggage fees. That’s a compelling argument when your carrier wants to charge $15 per bag — and more on some flights. You might wonder why they don’t just start a clothing-optional airline. Ah, but someone has thought of it, although from what I can tell, it hasn’t launched yet.
Ready to strip down on your next vacation? While it’s true that you could save a couple of bucks on baggage fees and hotel rates, and that it definitely will broaden your horizons, allow me to add just one piece of advice: Try it before you book a whole week. Visit a clothing-optional club — many offer affordable day passes — and see how it feels.
If you like it, have a nakation.
If you don’t, you can join the rest of us prudes — yeah, I guess I’m probably one of them — and keep your clothes on.
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Of course the funny part is that being a nudist does not necessarily cut down the number of suitcases. Nudist ladies also like to “undress up” at night with gowns, matching shoes and jewelry. It’s a time to really do something different so naked during the day and gowns (see through of course) at night. As I age i love the part where nothing is “age appropriate”. the 80 year old woman might be in a “teddy”, smiling like a teenager. Being a nudist does rekindle the spark, at any age. I appreciate that you talked about the clothing optional part. Many nudist wear something most of the time.
A “nakationer” who wants to avoid skin cancer would need quite a bit of sunscreen to cover their entire body. Since that can’t possibly fit in a Freedom Baggie under the TSA’s Perpetual War On Liquids, it would require checking at least one bag. Whatever advantages a “nakation” might offer, saving baggage fees isn’t one of them. On the other hand, a “nakationer” would probably consider the TSA’s virtual strip-search scanner as a perfect way to start off a trip!
Very clever.
Well, you have five good reasons there, so I fail to see why you reckon you won’t be trying it!
For me there is a sixth reason that you have missed; when people shed the mask that is their clothes, they also shed their prejudices and become much nicer people to know. That’s my experience anyway.
On the point made by Hapgood, nudists don’t expose much more skin than someone wearing a swimming costume, so why would they need more sunscreen? In fact, most of the naturists I know take every opportunity they can to get out in the sun (naked, of course) from early in the year, so we build up our tans slowly and probably use LESS sunscreen overall!
We’d also like to mention our resort – Living Waters Spa in the Palm Springs area city of Desert Hot Springs. We are socal’s only clothing optional mineral water spa! We bring pure, odor free, mineral water right from mother earth into both of our pools. It is amazing to skinny-dip in such wonderful water. We have poolside rooms and vacation condos for guests to stay in. We’ve been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Ellen Degeneres / AOL.com and others. We think you’ll enjoy us too!
Come and “get in hot water with us!” Jeff & Judy, Owners