GAY AND AWAY The Adventures of First-Time Queer Road Trippers

My boyfriend and I are both based in the Washington, D.C. metro area (affectionately known by locals as the DMV), but neither of us had ever taken much time to explore our own backyard. This is surprising, given that we are both well-traveled and have each visited about 15–20 countries. When the pandemic hit, we wanted to find ways to keep the travel bug satiated while successfully social distancing. We began with easy trips to local parks and gardens in the DMV, including the National Arboretum and Brookside Gardens, but we both wanted to do more.

Soon thereafter, we started traveling further into our natural environs to escape the constant anxiety that came with city living, coupled with the chaos of the pandemic. We wanted to explore the breathtaking scenery in Harpers Ferry that we’d heard about, to encounter the diverse wildlife of the Patuxent Research Refuge, and to witness the wonder of Fallingwater