In Transit Blog: Gay Pride Promotions

Companies such as Hilton, Kimpton and American Airlines have long marketed to the gay community. This month in a most public display of affection, Marriott International, a company with conservative Mormon roots, is wrapping three of its Washington, D.C., hotels in photo banners, including Jason Collins, the N.B.A.'s first openly gay basketball player, and Geena Rocero, a transgender model. The campaign urges travelers to share photos on Instagram under #LoveTravels @MarriottIntl.

In an email, Karin Timpone, global marketing officer for Marriott, described the campaign as "a universal, multicultural theme that appeals to communities throughout the world, resonating with consumers around the globe and especially with millennials and next-generation travelers who value inclusiveness."

The campaign comes during what President Obama has recently declared as L.G.B.T. pride month, which is now observed not just with parades and parties, but also with travel promotions aimed at the growing gay travel market.

Philadelphia newly advertises to the community with the social media slogan, "Brotherly, or sisterly, love is love."

With the recent passage of same-sex marriage laws in a number of states, destinations and hoteliers are increasingly welcoming gay and lesbian couples, honeymooners and celebrants.

In Chicago, the Hotel Allegro, across the street from City Hall, says it has seen an increase in post-ceremony restaurant business and plans to offer reception packages. Across town, the Hotel Lincoln offers marriage services by the assistant manager, also an ordained minister.

This month, Travel Portland in Oregon is updating its L.G.B.T. resources web page with information on wedding sites, photographers and florists.

"We have found that gay travelers do want to support gay-friendly destinations," said John Tanzella, president of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, based in Florida.

The impact could be sizable. NYC & Company, New York City's marketing and tourism organization, kicked off its "NYC I Do" campaign immediately following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011, and traced $259 million in spending to it in the next year.

A version of this article appears in print on 06/08/2014, on page TR3 of the NewYork edition with the headline: Gay Pride Promotions.

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In Transit Blog: Gay Pride Promotions

Companies such as Hilton, Kimpton and American Airlines have long marketed to the gay community. This month in a most public display of affection, Marriott International, a company with conservative Mormon roots, is wrapping three of its Washington, D.C., hotels in photo banners, including Jason Collins, the N.B.A.'s first openly gay basketball player, and Geena Rocero, a transgender model. The campaign urges travelers to share photos on Instagram under #LoveTravels @MarriottIntl.

In an email, Karin Timpone, global marketing officer for Marriott, described the campaign as "a universal, multicultural theme that appeals to communities throughout the world, resonating with consumers around the globe and especially with millennials and next-generation travelers who value inclusiveness."

The campaign comes during what President Obama has recently declared as L.G.B.T. pride month, which is now observed not just with parades and parties, but also with travel promotions aimed at the growing gay travel market.

Philadelphia newly advertises to the community with the social media slogan, "Brotherly, or sisterly, love is love."

With the recent passage of same-sex marriage laws in a number of states, destinations and hoteliers are increasingly welcoming gay and lesbian couples, honeymooners and celebrants.

In Chicago, the Hotel Allegro, across the street from City Hall, says it has seen an increase in post-ceremony restaurant business and plans to offer reception packages. Across town, the Hotel Lincoln offers marriage services by the assistant manager, also an ordained minister.

This month, Travel Portland in Oregon is updating its L.G.B.T. resources web page with information on wedding sites, photographers and florists.

"We have found that gay travelers do want to support gay-friendly destinations," said John Tanzella, president of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, based in Florida.

The impact could be sizable. NYC & Company, New York City's marketing and tourism organization, kicked off its "NYC I Do" campaign immediately following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011, and traced $259 million in spending to it in the next year.

A version of this article appears in print on 06/08/2014, on page TR3 of the NewYork edition with the headline: Gay Pride Promotions.

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T Magazine: A Ride Across America | An Unlikely Hotbed of Food Activism in Small-Town Virginia

Over the course of eight weeks, Ben Towill, the co-owner of the Fat Radish, and the photographer Patrick Dougherty are biking 4,500 miles across the U.S. to talk to strangers about food. Each week, they'll file a dispatch for T about their discoveries.

Like many kids growing up in the U.K., I was fascinated with the United States. Ten years after I moved here to work as a chef, my fascination remains. Some of the world's greatest chefs, restaurants, produce and vineyards exist within the country's vast borders. This is also, however, a nation with an ever-growing waistline and an insatiable appetite for junk food. One reason for this trip is to better understand this apparent contradiction.

Our first week took us through the beautiful state of Virginia. After a rainy third day, we pulled into a firehouse in Mineral, Va., to camp in the backyard. As we prepared our dinner, a fennel and tomato pasta, a firefighter named Dana Racette walked over to introduce herself. As I told her about the purpose of our ride, it became apparent that she was exactly the sort of person we were looking to meet. We chatted about how making healthy food choices was a huge priority for her, her husband Marc and their five children. They led a "crunchy" lifestyle, she joked. She acknowledged the many barriers to eating better — access to fresh produce, the cost of fresh produce, knowing how to cook fresh ingredients and having the time to do so. But she made it clear that she saw these obstacles as opportunities to teach her children lessons about food.

She told us about the Louisa County Community Cupboard, a local food bank that collects its stock from the nearby Walmart distribution center. When Walmart decides it can't sell food that is nearing its expiration date, the store donates it to the Community Cupboard. Dana and her husband take this food that would have otherwise gone to waste and pickle, jar and freeze it. Their frozen grapes and blueberries, mango salsas and pickling experiments sounded so delicious that we wanted to try them for ourselves.

Dana invited us for breakfast the next day at Floozie's Pie Shop, a few miles down the road in the town of Louisa. Dana, Marc, the kids and Dana's dad, Garland Knuckols, the Mayor Elect of Louisa, all greeted us. After omelettes, we headed to the Racette residence. Entering their kitchen was like stepping back in time. Everywhere you looked were signs of a family engaged with food. Marc showed us worn folders full of recipes for pickled beans and okra, apple sauce, kiwi jelly and even a recipe for a corncob jelly that his grandmother invented during the Great Depression. The tastiest dish of all was a corn and venison chili made with a deer that a friend of Marc's wanted only as a trophy. Brilliant. And delicious.

Our next stop was the Community Cupboard to meet Donna Isom, a woman so full of energy and compassion I had to give her a hug halfway through her description of her duties. She has created programs that fill the schoolchildren's backpacks full of food, stock the local churches and feed the elderly. She told me she "does not want to be part of a community that perpetuates dependency," so she educates local residents in the on-site community garden that she created. "Honey, take 10 boxes of free food today," she said, "as long as you take nine next year and you have learned how to grow the tenth."

I did not expect to leave Mineral and Louisa feeling as inspired as I do by these people who are doing everything they can to get great food onto the tables of their families and community. I am truly excited for what awaits us as we ride on into Kentucky.

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In Transit Blog: New Access to a Nicaraguan Island

The government of Nicaragua is betting that a new $10 million airport will boost tourism on Ometepe Island, a Unesco Biosphere Reserve known for its towering twin volcanoes.

When Mark Twain chugged by the twin peaks, one active, one dormant, on a steamboat journey across Lake Nicaragua in 1866, he marveled that they looked like two "magnificent pyramids."

But the ship bypassed Ometepe, and Twain never set foot on the island. Fifty years later, the Panama Canal opened, making the old shortcut through the lake to get from the Pacific to the Caribbean Sea obsolete.

The island has had ferry service for decades, but it has never been a particularly convenient place to get to. Most travelers arrive via a one-hour ferry ride that leaves from San Jorge, a port town about a 90-minute drive from Managua, or a half-hour from San Juan del Sur, a popular beach town on the Pacific. (There is also a much more infrequent ferry that departs from Granada.)

Nicaragua's national carrier, La Costeña, has begun flying round trip to Ometepe on Thursdays and Sundays on puddle jumpers that seat 12 passengers, with fares starting at $50 each way.

The airport, essentially a 1,500-meter airstrip with a small customs building, was due to open more than a year ago, and hopes that other regional airlines like Taca and Nature Air would offer service to the island haven't materialized.

La Prensa, a Nicaraguan newspaper, reported in 2012 that a local family sued the government after it expropriated 21 acres of their land to build the airport at a price they claimed was below market value.

Nicaragua's Constitutional Court ruled in the government's favor, allowing construction of the airport to proceed. A spokesperson at the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington would not confirm if the delay was connected to the land dispute.

The reality television program "Survivor" filmed its "Redemption Island" season on Ometepe in 2011 and in recent years it has become an increasingly popular destination for backpackers and hikers who come to hike up the 5,100-foot Concepción and 4,500-foot Maderas volcanoes.

As in any emerging destination, there are concerns about how Ometepe can develop its tourist infrastructure and maintain its natural beauty and low-key charm. Limited flight service from Managua is unlikely to have much of an immediate impact on Ometepe's reputation as a lush, natural haven for kayaking, hiking and bird-watching.

Sam Bauer, a real estate agent from Portland, Ore., who has lived on Ometepe for seven years, said that last winter was the best ever for the island's tourism industry. But he insisted that most residents aren't worried about the pace of development.

"This isn't Costa Rica," he said. "Nothing happens very fast here. There are a few grouches who don't want any changes, but most of us want to see some new faces here."

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In Transit Blog: For Father’s Day in London, a Brawnier Tea

In honor of Father's Day on June 15, the Milestone Hotel in London's Kensington neighborhood is offering "Gentleman's Afternoon Tea."

While the traditional tea menu at the property includes standard items such as 18 varieties of tea, finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted Devonshire cream, pastries and Champagne, this new version is notably different: Guests have a choice of a flight of three locally brewed ales or three single-malt Scottish whiskeys aged 10, 12 and 16 years, maple-cured bacon scones with truffle butter and small bites like mini pork pies, Cornish pasties, Scotch eggs and toads-in-the-hole.

The desserts, too, are far from dainty with items like a whiskey-soaked vanilla cupcake with whiskey cream cheese frosting, a berry tart soaked with brandy and a chocolate and orange liqueur torte. Fabrizio Russo, the hotel's food and beverage manager, said that demand inspired the Father's Day special.

"We get men coming to tea with women who order beer or ask for heartier food options, so we came up something more robust for them," he said in a telephone interview. "If it's successful, we will make it permanent." Prices range from 39.50 to 60 pounds, about $64 to $97

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In Transit Blog: Music Camp for Kids, Vacation for Parents

For parents potentially worried about sending their kids away to camp, one newcomer is simultaneous vacations – in Jamaica.

New this summer, Jamaica Music Camp promises a week of musical programming and immersion in nature for kids ages 9 to 16 ($895 per camper).

Although musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments, musical training is not required, and all participants will receive vocal and ear training; take music appreciation, music theory and world music; and study some of several instruments taught including drums, piano, violin and others.

Limited to 15 campers, the weeklong itinerary, June 29 to July 5, generally features morning musical training taught by professional American and Jamaican musicians and educators, followed by afternoons exploring the 2,000-acre Good Hope Heritage Park and Citrus Farm where the camp takes place, about five miles inland from the north coast port of Falmouth.

While the kids are at camp, parents can take advantage of a discount from Jewel Paradise Cove Resort & Spa in Runaway Bay, about 35 miles away. The all-inclusive adults-only resort is offering double rooms from $125 per person, or single occupancy at $210 per night, including meals, drinks, scuba diving and more (email info@jamaicamusiccamp.com for details).

The arrangement should make it easier for parents to catch the concert finale performed by campers at week's end.

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In Transit Blog: Through the Google Glass, Now at Hotels

When iPads were the gadget-du-jour, hotels often placed them in guest rooms and restaurants. Now that many guests carry their own tablets, hotels are checking in with new Google Glass wearable computers to entice travelers to check them out.

In Chicago, Acme Hotel Company, the first hotel to do so, began offering Google Glass to guests on complimentary loan (rooms from $189 a night). With only two sets available, use is limited to two-hour increments on a first-come-first-served basis. Beyond the hotel, users can get access to a downloaded app called Field Trip that offers relevant information on attractions, restaurants and landmarks as guests approach them on the street.

"It allows you to live your life without being buried in your phone," said Brent Hinton, the director of sales and marketing at Acme.

Following Acme's lead, Stanford Court in San Francisco recently began lending the technology to guests who book the Google Glass Explorer Package (from $199 a night). The deal includes use of the device throughout the stay, as well as breakfast and a drink at the bar. Orientation includes a written guide on how to avoid appearing creepy while wearing the device.

Anticipating more widespread use, programmers are working to create the next generation of apps that travelers can use while wearing the technology. Hotel Near Me from the online travel agency Destinia recently began as the first hotel booking app for Google Glass, giving access to hotels near the wearer pinpointed by G.P.S. signal. The app offers choices among 230,000 hotels on the Destinia website.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts also announced it is beta testing a Google Glass app soon to be available to members of its Starwood Preferred Guest program, offering voice search and booking capabilities at more than 1,150 hotels worldwide.

"The mobile revolution hasn't stopped at cellphones and tablets," said Chris Holdren, senior vice president of Starwood Preferred Guest and Digital. "Computing devices have gotten smaller and more powerful over time. Our SPG app for Google Glass was our effort to get in the water and start swimming around in the wearable space."

A version of this article appears in print on 06/01/2014, on page TR3 of the NewYork edition with the headline: Through the Google Glass, Now at Hotels.

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T Magazine: The Scene | Holland’s Opus

Thanks to its quaint streets and picturesque canals, The Hague, a jewel of a city in South Holland, has long attracted a discerning international crowd. And with this month's reopening of the renovated Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, home to Vermeer's "Girl With a Pearl Earring," there's more reason than ever to go. At the exuberantly packed antique store Il Mondo Stijl, tulipieres are transformed into lamps with oversize red shades, next to an Italian cachepot in the style of a Persian warrior and Capodimonte porcelain parrots. Rich with jewels of a different sort, Herman Romberg makes Tahitian pearl necklaces and turquoise drop earrings for a clientele that includes Queen Maxima and other members of the Dutch royal family. For those in search of culinary indulgence, there's South of Houston, a French-American restaurant that serves dry-aged beef and elegant desserts. But perhaps The Hague's grandest attraction is the Hotel Des Indes. Built as a palace in 1858, it has retained its Old World glamour — mirrored walls and marble columns — and it's an ideal place to savor the city's Dutch strawberries and Austrian sacher tortes.

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T Magazine: Food Matters | David Shrigley Puts His Twisted Spin on the Interior of the London Restaurant Sketch

"Less death and defecation. Fewer swear words. A lot of things about cooking." These principles have much to recommend them, the artist David Shrigley explains, when you are redesigning a restaurant.

The maker of crudely rendered cartoons that dredge the darker realms of the psyche for their disturbing, mordant humor, Shrigley is an unlikely commission for one of Londons most fashionable dining rooms. Another shock is that Shrigley, whose creative output might lead one to believe that he is a sociopathic drunkard, is a sharply dressed, neatly coiffed, uncommonly tall man who briefly interrupts our interview to photograph his vanilla éclair for the benefit of a friend who runs a patisserie in Glasgow.

The closest he had previously come to culinary collaboration, he says, was when a takeout restaurant in Manchester named a pizza after him. ("It was topped with sausages and oven chips.") He can expect a more sophisticated tribute from Pierre Gagnaire, the Michelin-starred master chef at Sketch, a self-styled "destination venue" for the city's well heeled.

The dining room at the restaurant is habitually populated by brightly attired scenesters, so there is something shocking about the sight of the 265 drawings by Shrigley that crowd the walls, salon-style, their black-and-white bleakness a pleasing counterpoint to the new salmon-pink furniture and art-deco curves designed by India Mahdavi. Shrigley and Mahdavi inherited the room's parquet floor from Sketch's first restaurant commission by the Scottish artist Martin Creed, who created an eclectic, discombobulating installation in which every item of furniture and cutlery was individually sourced. His primary objective, Shrigley says, was "to create a comfortable and easy space to dine in."

David Shrigley at Sketch opens June 6, 9 Conduit Street, London, sketch.uk.com.

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In Transit Blog: A Historic Ship Sets Sail From the Mystic Seaport

Connecticut's Mystic Seaport is showing off maritime history – and making it – this summer.

For the first time since 1941, the Charles W. Morgan has left its home waters, on a course that will bring the National Historic Landmark vessel to six New England ports.

The visits will include dockside exhibits and self-guided tours of the Morgan ­— the last wooden whaleship in the world. It's a chance for tourists to step aboard a slice of New England's whaling and sailing history as the Seaport studies the recently restored vessel.

"To see it alive and moving again is a phenomenal thing," the Morgan's Capt. Kip Files said. "We have the opportunity not only to tell you what it's like, but to show you that — the feel of a rolling ship."

During the ship's first journey under sail in nearly a century, the Morgan will stop in New London, Conn. (May 31 and June 1); Newport, R.I. (June 17); Vineyard Haven, Mass. (June 21 to 24); New Bedford, Mass. (June 28 to July 6); Boston (July 18 to 22), and Buzzards Bay, Mass. (July 26 to 27).

"For a traditional sailor, this is the most historic event of my lifetime," Mr. Files said.

Activities and exhibits ($5 suggested admission for those over age 5) will highlight the 173-year-old ship's role in maritime history and economics, juxtaposed with current sea life conservation efforts.

"We want people to think about how we balance our economic needs as a nation and share this earth with other species," said Elysa Engelman, exhibits researcher and developer.

The Seaport has partnered with organizations at each stop to offer family-friendly programs in tandem with the voyage. In Boston, for example, the Morgan will dock next to the U.S.S. Constitution – the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat – so visitors can step aboard the two in a rare meeting of iconic landmarks.

The ship will  also work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in whale research, and anchor off of Provincetown, Mass., before returning to Connecticut in early August.

"We've got deep content and serious conversations, but at the same time there's a lot of fun and chances to learn," Ms. Engelman said.

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