Desert Shadows Inn (Recently changed to Desert Sun Resort)
Located in Palm Springs, California.

The first actual naturist "resort" my wife and I visited was Desert Shadows Inn.  During the latter part of the summer of 2005 we stayed there for four nights and the following summer extended that to eight.

For our first visit we booked one of the Courtyard rooms, conveniently located near the quiet pool.  Since the resort's policy was "nude required" and my wife was still a little apprehensive about the lifestyle, we felt she would be more comfortable towards that end of the property.  Our precaution, as it turned out, was unnecessary.  First of all, my wife found that she got accustomed to being nude around other people within about a ½ hour of arriving.  Secondly, because we went during the summer time, it was the off season for the Palm Springs area.  Consequently, there were very few guests at the resort while we were there.

For our second visit we again selected a room in the courtyard.  This time, however, it was not for the privacy.  On our previous visit, we had noted that the corner unit in that section had a small kitchenette and we thought it would be nice if we could stay on the property for most of our visit without having to venture into town every night for dinner.

Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were notified that the A/C was not working well in that section of the resort due to the excessive heat that Palm Springs had been experiencing over the last week.  Since the courtyard units are much older their air conditioners could not keep up with the intense heat.  As a result, they had to shutdown that section and relocate any guests scheduled to stay there.  Much to our surprise, the desk clerk told us that they would upgrade us to a garden villa at no extra charge.

The resort itself is well kept and has a number of facilities for the guests.  There are three pools; quiet, volleyball and condo. There is also an outdoor hot tub located near the quiet pool area, plus a second jacuzzi near the condo pool.  A fitness room and spa are located on the property, as well as a full service restaurant.  The restaurant hours were limited and not open for every meal, especially during the weekdays.  Of course, this wasn't a major issue for us as we had the kitchen in the villa and had already planned to prepare many of our own meals.

During our stay in 2006, I decided to take advantage of the spa facility and have a couple of massages.  I had never had a message before and found the experience to be very relaxing and beneficial to my body.

Overall the resort was very nice and comfortable.  The price may be a little high for some, but considering it is located in Palm Springs we didn't think it was too much off the mark.

Desert Shadows Inn has recently (in 2008) gone through a change of ownership and has been renamed Desert Sun Resort.  We will have to go back in the future and see if the resort has retained the quality we experienced on our previous visit while operated under the original ownership.

Caliente Caribe (formerly Eden Bay)
Located in Dominican Republic.

After taking a nude Caribbean cruise with Bare Necessities during February of 2007, we thought it would be great to spend some time in a naturist resort down in that area.  After some research we selected Caliente Caribe (formerly Eden Bay).  Under new ownership with Caliente Florida, we had read some good reviews on the resort.  Additionally, they were offering a number of promotions to entice guests to visit during their slow season of the summer months.

We planned for a July visit and flew down via Miami, Florida.  When we arrived in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, we were greeted by the taxi driver that the resort had arranged to pick us up.  Before getting us settled into his van, he offered us both a nice cold beer from his cooler to enjoy on the 90 minute trip.

After traveling through a number of small towns and villages, and seeing some very "unique" driving techniques by the locals, we arrived safely at Caliente Carib.  We were escorted to the front desk, very quickly checked in, and then taken down to our room.  In the meantime, our baggage had been taken by one of the staff and was waiting for us when we got to our villa.

We decided to stay in one of the ocean view villas located in the cove, on the lower section of the property.  The one bedroom villa had 635 square feet of living space in addition to a 177 square foot terrance.  It came complete with a living room, kitchen and bath with large walk-in shower.  The beach, pool, beach bar, volleyball pool and hot tub were only several hundred feet away.  The dining room and large conversation pool was located at the upper section of the property and did require climbing a number of stairs to get there.

Caliente Caribe is clothing optional throughout the resort so you may remain naked during your entire stay, including in the main dining rooms.  Because of this optional policy, you will also find some guests not removing their clothing as readily.  The resort is all-inclusive which covers all of your meals and drinks.  If you are interested in something light and tropical to drink try the Coco-loco, served in its own coconut.  You must also ask (or if you don't, you may be offered by the staff) to try Dominican Mamajuana.  This drink, made from various local plants soaked in honey, wine and Dominican rum, has the legend of being an aphrodisiac - you be the judge.

Each day there are a number of activities hosted by the entertainment staff.  Some of these include Spanish lessons, pool volleyball, bocce ball, rock painting and testicle toss (if you don't know what that is I am not about to spoil if for you).  You can also go for a massage, spa treatments, or simply relax in one of the pools or by the beach with a good book.

If you are looking for a resort where you can enjoy your time au natural, relax or socialize by a pool, and not worry about anything, this place may be just right for you.  However, if you are looking for a nice beach where you can go swimming in the ocean, you may be a little disappointed.  While the resort has beautifully kept grounds, very attentive staff and provides a comfortable atmosphere, the beach area is quite small, and there are a lot of rocks in the water.

The only other caution I would mention is that we found the food only "OK".  It was functional and tasted all right, but was not spectacular.  The evening menus were fixed to a limited selection each evening and repeat each week.  If you are staying over a week you may find this doesn't offer enough variety.  We did make a note of this in our comment card at the end of our stay, so hopefully that will be addressed in the future.

Despite the few minor shortcomings, I would still recommend Caliente Caribe and we would consider returning again in the future.  We met a nice group of people during our visit and had a great time.

One thing to consider before booking your trip.  If you like a quieter vacation, go in the off-season.  There are fewer guests (we had less than 10 one day and a max of 16 during our stay) and the resort offers good discounts.

Sorobon Beach Resort
Located in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles.

Our visit to Sorobon Beach Resort was very brief as we were only there on a day visit while docked in Bonaire on our Bare Necessities nude cruise.  Our excursion consisted of a bus ride to the resort, about three hours on the beach, and the bus ride back to the ship.  Consequently, we can only comment on the beach itself as we did not have the opportunity to see the rooms or eat at the restaurant.

Situated on the Caribbean Sea this peaceful beach is for the private use of guests and day visitors for Sorobon Beach Resort only.  The shallow bay is protected by a barrier reef keeping the water calm and providing a great opportunity for snorkeling.  In fact, the water is so shallow that you can walk out almost to the barrier reef and still have your waist out of the water.  The property itself has 30 chalets facing the water, a restaurant, shop and extensive library.

From what we could see the resort seems somewhat rustic and is without a lot of amenities.  The island of Bonaire itself did not appear to have a lot of activities either.  Of course we were only there for the day and may not have an accurate conception of what is available.

The water is the typical turquoise colour often seen in photographs of the Caribbean and is a very pleasant temperature.  There is a great deal of corral beds scattered around in the water off shore, requiring you to navigate between them.  It would be a good idea to bring water socks to prevent hurting your foot should you accidentally get too close to the corral.  To get fully submerged in the water you almost have to lie down on your back.

On one side of the resort is a windsurfing club and on the other is a nature preserve.  Although the beach is private and access is restricted, many of the windsurfers do cross into the waters directly in front of Sorobon.  They don't seem to be disturbed by the nude swimmers, nor do the guests appear to be bothered by them.

The climate is very temperate due to the islands proximity to the equator.  Even when we were there in early February the air temperature was in the mid 80's.  Also, because it is so far south in the Caribbean Sea, the island tends to be a very low risk to hurricanes in the summer.

Club Orient Resort
Located in St. Martin, FWI.

In June of 2008 we decided to try Club Orient in St. Martin.  Situated on the southern portion of Orient Bay, this clothing optional resort may very well be on one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.  An inviting white sand beach surrounded by crystal clear turquoise waters, and the freedom of being able to enjoy this all au natural makes this location sought after by many a traveler.

This resort is not all-inclusive and your rate includes only your room plus the use of loungers and an umbrella on the beach during your stay.  You also have to arrange your own transport from the airport on the Dutch side of the island.

We elected to stay in one of the waterfront chalets and ended up with unit #47, which is second closest to the Papagayo Restaurant.  To save a few dollars, we decided to buy some groceries and prepare our own breakfasts and lunches in the chalet.  Dinner we always had out at the restaurant.

Our daily routine didn't vary much during our visit.  Each morning we got up, showered and headed over early to the boutique to get our fresh French Baguette and pastries.  After breakfast we would wander out to the beach and catch a few rays on the lounger or swim in the warm bay waters.  We would go back to the chalet for lunch and return to the beach for the remainder of the afternoon.  When the sun started to get low in the sky, we would go back, shower and then head over to Papagayo for happy hour followed by dinner.  After our supper we would return to our chalet, sit out on the loungers on our patio and enjoy a glass of wine while listening to the waves and constant trade winds.

One afternoon we ventured off Club Orient's beach for a brief time.  We both threw on a wrap and took a short walk further up the beach.  It wasn't long before we just wanted to head back to Club O and get naked again.  It's amazing that after only a few days of being au natural, putting on any clothing in the heat of the day became uncomfortable.

On the Monday we took a nude catamaran ride on the Tiko Tiko over to Ilse Tintamarre.  This small deserted island, a short distance from Orient Beach, makes a great one-day getaway.

Our captain, Philippe, met us over at the Papagayo Restaurant around 9am and we took care of all of the business matters.  Before long we were on our way over to his catamaran, which he keeps anchored in Orient Bay near Club Orient's property.  Taking nothing more than a towel, sunscreen and a desire for adventure, we set sail for the island of Tintamarre with a dozen other passengers.  Once underway our host and his assistant Nelle brought out the beer and punch for us to enjoy during the trip.  After a short sail we arrived at a peaceful cove and Philippe dropped anchor.  He then proceeded to tell us a little about the island and informed us that he would bring over the umbrellas, rafts, shorkel equipment and more beverages.  Then he told us to hop into the crystal clear 12 foot deep water and swim ashore.

At one o'clock, Philippe called us back aboard for lunch.  He started us off with a glass of champagne while they were putting the finishing touches on the meal.  Lunch consisted of either beef, chicken or talapia, baked potato or corn on the cob, salad, rolls and wine.  To finish off there was creamy cheesecake and a shot of Philippe's homemade plum rum.  After lunch it was back in the water to swim to the island again.

About three o'clock, Philippe came over to shore with a small pail and proceeded to scope clumps of clay from the cliff into it.  He then added water from the bay and mixed it up.  Then each of us rubbed the watery clay paste all over our bodies and allowed it to bake dry.  Afterwards, we all jumped into the water to wash off.  The clay left our skins feeling soft as silk.

Unfortunately, this climax signalled the end of our day and we all had to get back on board the Tiko Tiko for the sail back to Orient Bay.

We had such a great time on the day trip to the island, we signed up for the Thursday nude sunset cruise.  One of the other couples that had been on the previous excursion with us also came out again.  This time we met late afternoon and set sail a few hours before sunset.  The water was somewhat rough that afternoon so Philippe asked if we would mind going to the other side of Tintamarre instead of the original destination of Grand Case.  Everyone was quite flexible and told him to proceed as he thought best.

Once we had set sail, Philippe brought out beer and snacks for everyone.  Upon arriving at the cove, Philippe dropped anchor and we relaxed while waiting for the sun to set.  A friend of Philippe's came by on his windsurfer and stopped in for a brief visit.  Once the sun began to set it was time for the return sail.  Once again, it was a fantastic trip.

We highly recommend that anyone visiting Club Orient must take the Tiko Tiko cruise.  It was a great experience well worth the money.

In summary, we found Club Orient to be a great place to visit.  A little pricey when you consider you don't have a lot of extra amenities (no television, radio, pool), but the peaceful tranquility of the location along with the naturist lifestyle can't be beat.  I know that we will definitely be going back, quite probably next year.

Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park
Located in Sharon, Ontario

My wife and I first went to Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park for the Canada Day weekend in 2006.  At the time it was still known as The New Forest Family Naturist Resort and was operated by different owners than today.

After we set up our tent, we went for a walk around the park and met up with Keith M., who was preparing hips of beef on the Beast (custom made party size BBQ) for Keith B. & Lynn's wedding.  He asked us if we were coming to the wedding and when we told him we didn't event know the groom or bride he went into the Outback (old clubhouse), brought him out and introduced us.  At that point Keith B. not only invited us to the ceremony, but insisted we attend the reception afterwards as well.  It was quite an experience witnessing the park's first nude wedding.

We were made feel so welcome on our first visit that I think we already knew we would be coming back.  We only managed to return for one other long weekend of camping that summer, and did not get back again after that until 2007.

In December of 2006, the owners sold the park to Stéphane Deschênes and the name changed to Bare Oaks.  We came up and camped several weekends early in the summer of 2007 and then decided to become members of the club.  With their current rate schedule, if you come to the park more than 14 times per year it is cheaper to take out an annual membership.  Membership also gives you the privilege of using the facilities 24/7.

Now that we were members, we started to get more use out of the club.  In addition to our previous weekend camping trips, I would often meet my wife there after work to go for a swim.  This is a definite treat on those hot summer afternoons.

By the end of the summer we decided to go one step further and invest in a trailer, which we now keep on one of the sites in the park.  With the trailer we can extend our stays beyond the summer months.  In fact, we often stayed up in the winter for a night on the weekend and made use of the hot tub and clubhouse.

The club itself is somewhat rustic, although it is fully serviced with water and electricity.  Bare Oaks has a salt water outdoor pool, salt water hot tub, two saunas, children's playground, several ponds and a clubhouse with lounge and party room.  The grounds are surrounded by mature woods providing both privacy and a tranquil relaxing atmosphere.  There is space for both tent and trailer camping, with some sites having water and electricity.  The seasonal camp area also has a comfort station with co-ed indoor and outdoor showers, toilets and sinks.

One thing that makes this naturist park stand out is the outgoing and friendly membership that always welcomes new guests to the club.  Whether this is your first time at a naturist club or you are a veteran, you will enjoy Bare Oaks.

Solair Recreation League
Located in Woodstock, Connecticut

In August of 2009, Liz and I went to visit our friends Rob and Veronica at Solair Recreation League in Woodstock, Connecticut.  We met Rob and Veronica at the beginning of our Bare Necessities Cruise in 2007.  By the end of our voyage, we were friends, had exchanged contact information and had invited each other to our respective clubs.

We arrived on Saturday morning and after passing through the main gate proceeded to the front office to check in.  Once we had provided the necessary personal information and were given the rules of the park, we were told to meet Tim, one of the membership committee, outside for our tour.

Tim directed us to the parking lot, allowed us time to get undressed, and then began our tour.  We were shown around the various features of the park including the community centre, pool area, beach and some of the activity areas.

Solair, like many clubs, likes to give new guests an opportunity to see the facilities and get oriented.  What we found unique here though, was that the management required those guests to be nude while they take their tour.

Now we realize it is difficult to get a feel for any place without actually going there, but we'll do our best to paint the picture.  Rather than just talk about what the park is like today, we would first like to take a look at its beginnings.  Fortunately we had the opportunity to speak with Ed Paulovske, President of LRI Corp at the time of our visit, and were given some of the history of Solair.

Back in June of 1934, three individuals got together and formed the Solair Recreation League.  They did not have a permanent site and spent the next several years using different properties as a camp.  Membership slowly grew, but it wasn't until the spring of 1937 that a permanent camp was established.

The property that was to become Solair was initially a logging camp that was clear-cut during the 1920's.  The pond, dam and sluiceway where the waterfall is located are all that remain of the original sawmill.   A number of the roads around the property, including the main road into camp, were formerly the logging roads.

From the beginning, financing for the new camp was achieved by selling shares and paying dividends.  The camp was essentially run as a cooperative, with its members contributing directly to the operations.  The new camp was given the official name of Laurel Ridge.

Those that were involved with the early beginnings automatically became Laurel Ridge Associates.  Newer members had to be at the camp long enough to be judged congenial and truly interested in the camp before receiving that privilege.

The Associates worked hard through the years clearing and building up the property, giving both time and money, above and beyond the requirements of their annual dues.  By October of 1952 the group was incorporated as Laurel Ridge Inc., creating the management structure still in use today at Solair.

In 1957, an artesian well was driven behind the Canteen, bringing fresh water into the park.  Electricity followed shortly afterwards, allowing for the installation of a submersible pump, providing year round water for the showers and two faucets.

Over time this was expanded and by 1962 a water committee was formed, pressure tank installed and well water was carried to all facilities and lot sites.  Members had to pay a yearly fee of $10 each to recover the costs.  By the fall of 1965, a second artesian well was driven, and a new pressure tank and water heater was added the following spring.

As the park continued to grow, a youth centre was erected in 1965.  In 1985 a community building, fondly known as the Round House, was completed to replace the “Old Lodge” that had burned down from a lightning strike in 1977.  A heated outdoor swimming pool was added in 1995, an outdoor pavilion in 1997 and finally the new community centre adjacent to the pool in 2002.

Today the park consists of over 450 acres of beautiful natural woodlands and marshlands, with roughly 75 acres that have been developed.  There is a small lake complete with a sand beach, a picturesque waterfall located within the serene surroundings of the forest, and approximately 30 miles of hiking trails.

While there are around 200 cabins and trailers owned by members, there is also areas reserved for visitor RVs, platforms for tenting and cabins available for rental.

The community centre, located near the lake and beach, is a central focal point for the park.  The upper level, adjacent to the pool deck, houses the hot tub, sauna, showers and party room.  On the lower level one can find an indoor game room with ping-pong, air hockey and billiards, along with the canteen that serves food during the peak season.

In addition to the facilities found within the community centre, there are five restroom and shower units conveniently located throughout the park.  Tennis and volleyball courts, children's playground and shuffleboard are also centrally located for the use of members and guests.

Currently, there are over 300 members and 180 associate members at Solair.  Members own shares of the corporation, have the privilege to lease a site for a trailer or cabin, and hold the right to vote at meetings.  Associate members may access the park at any time, but cannot hold a permanent site or vote.

During the summer season, Solair plans various events to add to their visitor's experience.  While we were there for our visit, the Bare Buns Bikers Show and an Art Show and Sale were on during the daytime.  In the evening, a live band played at the pavilion by the beach, while a slide show displayed the actives of the day.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to Solair Recreation League and plan to return there again in the future.  Not only is the property peaceful and beautiful, but also the members we met were so welcoming.  After spending the weekend at Solair, we felt like we had known some of them for years.

Thanks Ed, Mimi, Richard and Leo for all of the information, Rob, Lorette and Jerry for introducing us to everyone, and Judy for all of the help with the pictures.