Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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It should come as no surprise that the city that organized the nation's first gay softball teams and bowling league has a highly popular queer sports bar, the Ballgame. The guys here definitely know the score and don't hesitate to express their allegiances during televised games. Milwaukee also has a saucy leather scene, and Boot Camp is a main player. It's dark in here (duh) and packed on weekends. For a breath of air, or to get a better look at your suitors, head for the patio. Similarly popular with the leather crowd are the Harbor Room and Kruz, which opened in 2006 and has become a local favorite.

One of the friendlier bars in town, Fluid is a mirrored cocktail lounge with a lively bar in front and lounge seating in back. You're sure to see Milwaukee's die-hard clubbers and stand-and-model scenesters at the LaCage, which comprises four different bars along with one of the city's larger dance floors. M's is a casual but elegantly decorated, mixed-gender, neighborhood bar that's especially popular during the early evenings for happy hour, and for Sunday brunch. Lesbian-owned Walker's Pint is a cool, super-friendly tavern with an attractive interior and a wide selection of brews - a big plus is the beer garden. Lesbians also make up much of the clientele at the amusingly named Kathy's Nut Hut, a low-keyed locals bar in the southern end of Walker's Point.

Around the corner from Cathedral Square, This Is It is Milwaukee's only downtown gay bar, with a retro-hip interior that resembles a 1960s airport cocktail lounge. The crowd is eclectic and at times eccentric, the drinks cheap and stiff. A relatively popular cruise and video bar in Walker's Point, the Triangle is a homey tavern with a plant-filled patio. And last but not least, Club Boom is a super-cruisy place that sometimes hosts performers from the adult-film industry; the guys here usually show up with one thing on their mind, making it a likely spot to end a night of bar-crawling. Speaking of which, Midtowne Spa is the city's quite popular gay bathhouse.

Milwaukee has several excellent, gay-friendly lodging options. A sophisticated all-suite hotel in a converted 1930s downtown building, Hotel Metro has touches of Art Deco in the large, open rooms outfitted with down comforters and spacious, slate-floor bathrooms. Also consider the luxe InterContinental Milwaukee, which sits right along the riverfront, close to area theaters, and has some of the fanciest rooms in town. County Clare is a distinctive boutique inn with reasonable rates. The beautifully appointed rooms have four-poster beds, free Wi-Fi, and double whirlpool tubs. Quaff a pint of Guinness in the Irish pub on the ground floor, which is a terrific place to get a first-hand sense of the friendly demeanor that so defines this up-and-coming Midwest city.

Related article: Milwaukee - Distinctly Gay-Friendly Vibe

Andrew Collins is the author of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA and as well as numerous other guidebooks.