Orlando Hotels – Analog Artist Digital World

Gay Days was held in Orlando from June 3rd to June 9th. There were pool parties galore but each had a rather pricy cover. I decided to document the Gay Days Expo at Doubletree by Hilton Orlando (10100 Universal Drive Orlando FL). The expo featured vendors of all shapes and sizes. I discovered that the hotel charges for parking, so I drove down the street to an office complex I had once worked in and borrowed their garage. I had to walk maybe a quarter mile over to the hotel. This is the way I work exercise into my daily routine. It was of course a hot sweltering day, but the rad near Sea World cut through ancient palmettos and palms. It was like taking a stroll through an undeveloped Florida landscape. The view was only occasionally interrupted by harsh stylish hotels.

When I got to the Doubletree, I noticed someone painting a curb yellow on the opposite side of the driveway. I could small the paint. As I walked toward the hotel entrance, I glanced behind me and was horrified to see a trail of yellow foot prints leading back to where I had stepped into wet paint. The guy had painted the curb I had stepped on and not bothered to put any warning tape around it. Who in Florida would ever walk into a hotel? It is unheard of I suppose. My yellow foot prints were fading as I walked. Hopefully all the paint would were off before I entered the hotel lobby. Just to be sure, I scuffed my souls several timed.

It turned out that the expo hadn’t started yet. Today was the day that vendors set up their booths. I was given a swag bag with condoms and other information for safe sex and invited to look around if I wanted to. Only a few booths were set up, but in a separate room, the sex toy paraphernalia was almost ready. Fairvilla Megastore had a booth that was ready for business. A mannequin wore some strange briefs that hugged the glut muscles. The vendor made sure the packaging was tight in the crotch. Another vendor unwrapped and hung his merchandise carefully. Several muscular men came in from the hotel pool and started asking questions. Their skin was still wet and glistening. The product the vendor was hanging is used to somehow stretch a mans ball sack. I never knew that a large and sagging ball sack was an attractive thing to strive for. One of the bathers noticed me and said, “He must be hearing everything we are talking about.” I shouted back, I sure can, why do you think my legs are crossed?” Everyone laughed and they continued to discuss the best way to stretch sacks. Now I have to wonder if my own sack lives up to the ideal.

Other items on display included blowup dolls, dongs, items in leather and lace and feathery masks with Viking horns. Now the Viking horns were an item that I add spice in my day to day life. There were Midget dolls, Milf dolls, and dolls named like Big Jon, Jack, Miss Anna, and Bareback. Boxes were unpacked with care and time was running out. Vendors were told they only had 15 more minutes to finish for the day. Plans were made to go to The Parliament House for a party that night. There were parties all over town, but this would be my small taste of Gay Days for this year. When I left, my yellow footprints were still visible in the parking lot, but a warning sign and tape were now around the painted curbs. “Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints.”

There was a Spring Fling presented by Orlando Style Magazine at Aloft Orlando Downtown (500 South Orange Ave Orlando, FL) on April 10th. I didn’t even know that this building nestled between OUC and City Hall was a hotel. The evening was a way to celebrate the opening of the W XYZ Bar and Re:mix Lounge with the City’s Premiere Luxury Lifestyle Magazine. There were select complimentary cocktails and appetizers, live Entertainment, fashion models and more at this Spring’s most exclusive event. The dress code was Spring-Chic but I didn’t get the memo. Neither did Bronze Radio Returns who performed live.

Fashion models were stationed all around the room showcasing skimpy swim suits. For heavens sakes, I could see their ankles! I sat on a couch and immediately started drawing the band. When I stretched my neck, I noticed two models right behind me on a mini stage. I wish I had noticed them earlier, I would have put them in the foreground. The music was lively and entertaining but it ended all too soon. Terry’s office is right across the street, so she came down to join me. She sat across from me on the other couch and fingered her phone. Psi, a former co-worker of hers stopped in and they went outside where it was less noisy to talk.

Several people introduced themselves to me as I worked and I picked up their business cards. With the sketch done, I went outside to join Terry and Psi. There were so many beautiful people clustered around on the patio. Aloft is also a hotel. A pool sat unused on the other part of the patio. Psi said the rooms at Aloft are rather industrial and not in any way plush. If you want plush, then you stay at the Grand Bohemian across the street.