We lost one of the great leaders in naturism a few weeks ago, when Lee Baxandall passed away.
I had only met Lee one time in person, but we have corresponded over the last 16 or so years that I ran the CO Digest newsletter. We didn't always agree on things, but I respected Lee's opinions, and I think he respected mine.
Lee Baxandall never shied away from controversial topics, and some of those topics probably cost him in the long run (an expose on Mardi Gras and sex in New Orleans, an ill-fated Naturist Gathering, ultimately canceled at the Reverend Moon's retreat are some examples). But Lee Baxandall was a shining star in bringing naturism to the forefront in the United States, at the same time that AANR was continuing to lag in the past. I truly think that if we had not had Lee Baxandall on our side, there would be no nude hotels in Palm Springs, or topfree and nude beaches in South Florida. For that matter, there might not be any nude recreation of any kind in the US.
Lee Baxandall was a pioneer, and his legacy will be one for the ages. I will miss him.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Another nudist camp lost
We recently received word (through the special interest nudist group of the Escapee's travel club) that another nudist club is going swinger.
Riverside Resort, near San Antonio, Texas, will switch from a family nudist camp to a clothing-optional lifestyle (swinger) friendly park. Riverside is a 22 acre camp, located about 15 miles south of San Antonio, and is the only nudist area in the San Antonio area, which makes this announcement all the more surprising.
We understood that Riverside was making good money as a nudist resort, but yet they have decided to make the jump. We found this news hard to believe, but an email from the owners confirmed that Riverside Resort would be a lifestyle club as of January 1, 2009.
It makes one wonder... is the family naturist/nudist club a thing of the past? We continue to hear reports of nudist clubs that are seeing fewer and fewer visitors. Nudists seem to want to only go to the beach, or to destinations, such as Jamaica, Bonaire, or even Europe. We now have a proliferation of luxury locations to get naked, and while these new locales are a positive, I think that the clubs have not kept up with what the modern nudist wants.
We did a survey many years ago and discovered that around 1/3 of nudist were swingers, and about 1/3 of swingers were nudists. So, there is definitely a market for the clothing-optional lifestyle resort. Hedonism resorts in Jamaica have made a fortune attracting this genre. The Desire resorts in Mexico have hopped on the bandwagon, as have other resorts in Texas, California, and Michigan.
So I ask the question.... are today's nudist camps a thing of the past? Is there a future for nudist camps in the US?
I think the answer is no. So what do you think?
Riverside Resort, near San Antonio, Texas, will switch from a family nudist camp to a clothing-optional lifestyle (swinger) friendly park. Riverside is a 22 acre camp, located about 15 miles south of San Antonio, and is the only nudist area in the San Antonio area, which makes this announcement all the more surprising.
We understood that Riverside was making good money as a nudist resort, but yet they have decided to make the jump. We found this news hard to believe, but an email from the owners confirmed that Riverside Resort would be a lifestyle club as of January 1, 2009.
It makes one wonder... is the family naturist/nudist club a thing of the past? We continue to hear reports of nudist clubs that are seeing fewer and fewer visitors. Nudists seem to want to only go to the beach, or to destinations, such as Jamaica, Bonaire, or even Europe. We now have a proliferation of luxury locations to get naked, and while these new locales are a positive, I think that the clubs have not kept up with what the modern nudist wants.
We did a survey many years ago and discovered that around 1/3 of nudist were swingers, and about 1/3 of swingers were nudists. So, there is definitely a market for the clothing-optional lifestyle resort. Hedonism resorts in Jamaica have made a fortune attracting this genre. The Desire resorts in Mexico have hopped on the bandwagon, as have other resorts in Texas, California, and Michigan.
So I ask the question.... are today's nudist camps a thing of the past? Is there a future for nudist camps in the US?
I think the answer is no. So what do you think?
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