Vacationer of the Week: John Garry
John Garry grew up in New York’s Catskill Mountains on a spring-fed lake, but he says he spent most of his time hanging out in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Currently, he lives in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City, where he works as a travel writer.
John’s work has been featured in print and digital publications, such as Lonely Planet and Matador Network, and he recently co-authored an NYC guidebook for Lonely Planet that is scheduled to come out in June. The 33-year-old travel writer also recently won a North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Travel Media Award for his article, “What is the Future of LGBTQ Safe Spaces?” for Matador Network.
In addition to penning prose about travel, John also teaches musical theater for CO/LAB Theater Group, a nonprofit organization that provides an artistic and social outlet for people with developmental disabilities.
We were able to catch up with John to ask him about his life as a travel writer, and he reveals his recommendations for first-time visitors to New York City, what authors inspired him to travel, why “going green” is a travel industry trend that continues to excite him, and which trip was like “eating magic mushrooms.”
Vacationer: At what age did you receive your first passport? What was your first trip?
John Garry: I received my first passport at age 9 for a family trip to Ireland. The international outing was a partial success. I convinced my family to stop at nearly every castle we passed, but I also locked the keys in our car rental, wet my pants on the plane ride home, and caught a nasty case of travel fever.
What trip or travel experience sparked your passion for travel?
I spent a few weeks backpacking around Europe during a summer vacation in college. I grew up in a small town and had no idea how vast and varied the world was. The trip was the vacation equivalent of eating magic mushrooms – mind-expanding.
What inspires or drives your passion to write about travel?
Travel continually enriches my life. To help others discover the wonder of wanderlust – or at least see the world through a different lens – is my travel-writer raison d’etre.
When it comes to inspiration, I have to shout out Alain de Botton, Pico Iyer, and Alexander Chee – a few authors I adore who craft expert tales about people and places.
Please tell us how you identify yourself on the LGBTQIA spectrum. Tell us if how you identify influences the way you travel. If so, how?
I identify as gay, and it influences a lot of my travel. Before visiting somewhere new, I research the local queer culture (bars, shops, or neighborhoods) and make a plan to explore what’s available and sounds interesting.
While I don’t need a destination to be gay-centric, I do need it to be relatively queer-friendly (i.e., I will not travel to Nigeria, where homosexuality can lead to 14 years in prison, if not death).
If you want to know more about the LGBTQ+ laws in a country you’re visiting, check out the LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index.
Is there a travel destination that most queer travelers would think isn’t safe to visit, but you’ve visited and enjoyed it? If so, where?
Small-town America gets a bad rap from urban queer folks, but that doesn’t mean those towns lack vibrant queer communities. Places like Fayetteville, Arkansas; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and swaths of Florida boast tight-knit LGBTQ+ enclaves. Samantha Allen’s Real Queer America is an eye-opening investigation on the topic.
I spent the majority of my 20s touring around the U.S. as an actor. During that time, I spent weeks in small American cities and found a reason to love almost all of them.
To note: so many intersectional identities make up the alphabet mafia. I speak from the experience of a white, cis, gay male. There are places I consider safe that might not be safe for others.
You’re not only a traveler, but you’re an actor and you were in The Book of Mormon. What plays or musicals would you recommend LGBTQ+ travelers see if they’re visiting New York?
A Strange Loop is the must-see queer-centered musical opening on Broadway this spring. Next fall, Kimberly Akimbo will transfer to Broadway after a successful run at the Atlantic. It’s
composed by Jeanine Tesori, the veritable Sondheim of 21st-century musical theater.
Speaking of Off-Broadway, that’s where you’ll often see meatier, grittier, and riskier productions. Take a chance on new shows at the Public, Signature Theater, or Playwrights Horizons.
Lastly, get thee to a drag show. Throw a dart in Hell’s Kitchen and you’ll hit at least three fierce queens, but make sure you don’t miss seeing Kizha Carr. She sings, dances, acts, and always comes dressed to impress.
If someone is visiting New York City for the first time, what are a few recommendations – must-see sights or things to do – that every LGBTQ+ traveler should experience?
1. Go dancing at Nowadays – an all-inclusive safe space for music heads in Ridgewood, Queens. It’s far from Manhattan but worth the trip.
2. Attend a pop-up party – they make gay bars look like child’s play. Horse Meat Disco is the go-to for muscle queens. Papi Juice celebrates queer and trans people of color. Hot Rabbit is excellent for ladies and gender non-conforming folks.
3. If you visit in summer, plan a trip to Fire Island. If staying overnight is too pricey, consider a day trip. It’s Never-Never Land for gay boys.
4. Spend time in Williamsburg and Bushwick. Brooklyn is NYC’s new LGBTQ+ mecca, and you’ll find a healthy helping of queer-centric attractions in both neighborhoods.
What’s the best tip you’d offer travelers?
Pack less. You never need the last three things you put in your suitcase.
What are your top three favorite places to visit?
Iceland (Seydisfjordur!), Germany (Berlin, but don’t sleep on Munich!), and Brooklyn (I live here for a reason).
What three places are still on your bucket list to visit?
New Zealand, Patagonia, and Japan
What’s one thing you never forget to pack in your suitcase?
My journal
You’re going on a road trip. What singer or band is always on your playlist?
I like musically-immersive trips. Iceland calls for Björk. Driving through the German Alps? Listen to Wagner. If you hit the open road in the U.S., you better make room for Simon and Garfunkel’s America.
What travel trend or industry shift are you most excited to see this year?
More people are going green! This year’s 52 Places by the New York Times focuses on sustainable travel. Phrases like ‘regenerative travel’ and ‘carbon footprint” are entering the zeitgeist.
Climate change is the biggest threat to the places we love, and as travelers, it should be top of mind – no matter how you identify.
