Three Cool Small-Town Getaways

Choosing someplace quiet and slow-going, away from the big city, can be the perfect strategy for a relaxing vacation. But even when you're seeking peace and tranquility, it's nice to be able to sneak out for a sophisticated dinner, or a couple of hours of sidewalk strolling or gallery-hopping. Here are three delightful, gay-friendly communities that balance small-town friendliness with the style and culture you might expect of big cities.

Covington, Louisiana
Although it's actually a fast-growing suburb of New Orleans, friendly Covington feels equal parts urbane and countrified. The surrounding region's dense stands of towering pine trees, meandering bayous and swamps, and Arts and Crafts bungalows and Victorian houses create an almost rural visage, but the bounty of smart eateries and shops reminds you that you're not far from one of the South's most cosmopolitan cities.

In Covington's downtown, you can browse for antiques, upscale housewares, and the artwork of some of Louisiana's most prominent talents at businesses strung along historic Columbia Street. Be sure to wander through the Brunner Gallery, one of the most prestigious galleries in the state. You can mingle with local foodies at the open-air Covington Farmers Market, a great source for Creole cream cheese, fresh seafood, locally produced mayhaw jam, and other Louisiana foods. Pop inside Judice's, a quirky, art-filled cafe, for pancakes or shrimp remoulade with fried green tomatoes.

Excellent dinner options include Ristorante del Porto, an intimate neighborhood spot acclaimed for its innovative, globally inspired Italian cooking, and Bistro 124, which is a short drive south in the historic lakeside village of Old Mandeville. This dapper eatery serves a kicky version of a Louisiana classic: barbecued shrimp with roasted garlic, sweet onions, and a rosemary beurre blanc.

Old Mandeville is just one of several nearby towns worth exploring. In Slidell you can book one of Dr. Wagner's Honey Island Swamp Tours. During these fascinating trips, led by a thoroughly entertaining and knowledgeable wetlands ecologist, you're likely to see alligators, ibises, and red-eared slider turtles cavorting beneath the boughs of cypress and tupelo trees. Nearby Ponchatoula is famous for its antiques shops, and in Abita Springs you can tour the Abita Brewery, which produces some of the state's most famous beers.

There's an attractive and modern Courtyard by Marriott right in Covington, but the area also has some delightfully distinctive B&Bs. A favorite is the gay-popular Little River Bluffs in nearby Folsom, which anchors a lush 60-acre wooded property on the Little Tchefuncte River - it's a paradise for swimmers and kayakers. Another charming option, just north of Covington, is the Woods Hole Inn, which comprises three secluded and romantic suites with fireplaces. Right in downtown Covington, Camellia House B&B has just one room, but it's a beautiful space with plush linens and its own private entrance.

Covington is 45 miles north of New Orleans, 135 miles west of Mobile, and 330 miles east of Houston.

Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City, which began as a rough-and-tumble mining town in the 1870s, has emerged as one of New Mexico's funkiest little towns. The well-preserved, bustling community has about 12,000 residents and is situated in the southwestern corner of the state, nestled in the foothills of Gila (pronounced "heel-eh") National Forest. The town itself has long been popular with artists (there are some three dozen galleries) and New Agers, and it's about the only New Mexico town south of Albuquerque with a visible gay following.

Hiking trails, ghost towns, deserted mines, and Indian cliff dwellings are among the top nearby attractions, and the area is also ideal for watching wildlife, from roadrunners to javelina to elk. There's also an excellent, free art museum at Western New Mexico University; specialties include Navajo rugs and pottery, basketry, and art from the Southwest's prehistoric cultures.

Spend some time strolling about the eminently walkable downtown historic district, where you'll find many galleries as well as a handful of offbeat boutiques and antiques stores. Catch your breath with a coffee drink at Rejuvenation, a funky gift shop and espresso bar that sells whimsical housewares, bath products, and tchotchkes. Nearby A.I.R. Coffee Co. is a cheerful, sun-filled storefront cafe in the historic district with a shady garden out back. It's a nice spot for a snack, and the walls are hung with local art.

Another way to relax is with a spa treatment or yoga session at Cienega Spa & Salon, which also rents out a pair of comfy suites (with full kitchens, and sleeping two to five guests). An outstanding and charming spot for lunch or dinner is Diane's Restaurant, where you might sample house-marinated grilled tuna with caper-ginger tartar sauce at lunch, or a garlic-herb marinated rib eye at dinner. The onsite bakery makes fabulous desserts. First-rate New Mexican cooking is prepared just down the street at Jalisco's.

Silver City doesn't have much in the way of explicitly gay-oriented accommodations, but this is a fairly laid-back and open-minded town, and same-sex couples are commonplace and well-received. One of the more interesting places to stay is Casitas de Gila, a secluded compound of five romantic cottages in the Gila mountains, about 30 miles northwest of town. There's a hot tub, and guests can also stargaze through a telescope. There are several chain properties in town, the best being Holiday Inn Express. One inexpensive and captivating alternative to the cookie-cutter motels is the Palace Hotel, a renovated Victorian property in Silver City's historic district. The 18 rooms and suites are simply but comfortably decorated.

Silver City is 155 miles northwest of El Paso, 200 miles east of Tucson, and 240 miles south of Albuquerque.

Woodstock, Vermont
Since July 2000, when Vermont passed a law sanctioning same-sex civil unions, this least urbanized state in the country has become a magnet for gays and lesbians. The sleepy but swanky village of Woodstock - long a favorite hideaway for the Rockefeller clan - makes a particularly inviting retreat. A big plus is that it's centrally located, just a 15-minute drive west of where Vermont's two main highways, Interstates 91 and 89, intersect. In the village center, which is traversed by gurgling streams, you'll find dozens of neatly preserved Federal and Victorian brick and clapboard houses. Venture just outside of town to reach the verdant woodlands and high peaks of Green Mountain National Forest, not to mention miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails.

Whether you stay in the heart of the village or somewhere farther afield, you're never far from enticing shops. A highlight is the Marketplace at Bridgewater Mills, an old woolen mill packed with stores selling antiques, crafts, books, and furniture. Or drive just a little north of town to sample homemade maple syrup and gourmet cheeses at Sugarbush Farm. Other great activities include mountain biking (you can rent supplies at Cyclery Plus) in summer and cross- country skiing in winter; for the latter, head to the Woodstock Ski Touring Center, where you can pick up lessons and equipment.

Also be sure to visit the former estate of Laurance S. Rockefeller, the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, which encompasses 550 acres of hiking trails, gardens, and a mansion filled with priceless American landscape paintings. Take a break from shopping and sightseeing with lunch at either Bentley's, known for its hearty comfort fare, or Pane & Salute, a great stop for first-rate regional Italian fare.

If it's ultra-luxury you're seeking, check in to the Jackson House Inn, a lavishly restored 1890s Victorian mansion with a white-glove restaurant and 15 cushy rooms and suites. A smaller and less formal option, which serves some of the most delicious contemporary cuisine in the state, is the reasonably priced Village Inn of Woodstock; it also rents out seven warmly furnished rooms. At dinner, sample such creative treats as hazelnut-crusted rack of lamb with potato gratin, braised fennel, and rosemary. On the west edge of Woodstock, the Lincoln Inn at the Covered Bridge sits on 6 rolling acres lapped by the crystalline Ottauquechee River. This is the only lesbian-owned inn in Woodstock, although the owners welcome everybody.

Woodstock is 140 northwest of Boston, 190 miles southeast of Montreal, and 260 miles northeast of New York City.