Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 11:00:52 -0800 From: Editor Subject: DAMRON AMSTERDAM debuts *************************************************************** To Whomever receives this email: Please print it out, and Route it to the Travel and/or Book Editor ATTENTION: Travel/Book Editors please contact Ian Philips for a Free Review Copy of the "Damron Amsterdam" travel guide, just debuted from the Damron Company: PHONE: (800) 462-6654 or (415) 255-0404 WRITE: PO Box 422458, San Francisco, CA 94142-2458 "The First Name and Last Word in Gay Travel since 1964" *****************P R E S S R E L E A S E********************* GAY GAMES AND GOOD POLITICS MAKE AMSTERDAM THE TOP DESTINATION FOR LESBIAN & GAY TRAVELERS Quaint, queer Amsterdam is the number-one destination for queers on vacation this year. Ask any savvy travel agent, and they'll remind you that Amsterdam is hosting the Gay Games 1998, coming up the first week of August. Ask any gay friend who's been to Amsterdam, and they'll regale you with tales of the enchanting Dutch city that combines small-town friendliness, old-world charm, and thoroughly modern urban culture. Crisscrossed by peaceful canals, Amsterdam is a traveler's dream. It's easy to get around the city, and there are plenty of places to relax between museum-visits and shopping trips. The tourist circuit is well organized and easy to navigate. And, according some reports, as many as one-third of Amsterdam’s residents are gay or lesbian! That's probably due to Amsterdam's liberal political climate: homosexuality has been officially sanctioned since 1811, and there's a city monument to those persecuted in World War II for their sexuality! This Dutch trait of respect for individual privacy and rights extends to other areas as well: soft drugs, including marijuana, hash, and psychedelic mushrooms, are legal; and commercial sex—of every persuasion—in Amsterdam's famous Red Light District is government regulated and taxed (of course). So you're ready to plan your trip? Just in time to rescue the gay visitor from the mire of clueless straight travel books covering Amsterdam, the Damron Company announces the first edition of DAMRON AMSTERDAM. DAMRON AMSTERDAM ALL-IN-ONE TRAVEL GUIDE DEBUTS Carefully designed to be the only guide a lesbian, gay, or bisexual traveler needs, this book is stuffed with all the usual tourist info, in addition to queer-specific listings. If you've traveled with a gay guidebook before, you know the frustration of flipping back and forth between the gay book and a more extensive "straight" guidebook detailing shopping markets, museums, and other "non-gay" entertainment. DAMRON AMSTERDAM packs all that in, plus the lesbian/gay centers, B&Bs, nightclubs, bookstores, gyms, cafés, saunas, smoke shops, and much more. And of course it's all written from a queer perspective, so you get "all the facts" about those mainstream amusements, with a “dash of diva" for spice! And the sleek 2-color design is sure to delight the "queen" in anyone. DAMRON AMSTERDAM is split into seven conveniently marked chapters: • FYI — general information like things to know before you go, money, transportation, medical info, Customs, and much more • STAY — queer and queer-friendly B&Bs, hotels, hostels, and even camping • EAT — restaurants & food, from upscale to cheap! • DAY — daytime pleasures including outdoor activities, sports, shopping, tours & museums, social & spiritual groups, and kid's stuff • NIGHT — performances, "smoking" cafes, bars & discos, the Red Light District, and Amsterdam's famous leather scene • GAY GAMES — schedules, cultural events, getting tickets, and more • INDEX — an annual calendar, information & tourist resources, helpful websites, a handy glossary, and complete indexes by subject, and by name! COLOR MAPS AND TAKE-ALONG SIZE MAKE DAMRON AMSTERDAM THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE-YET-COMPACT CITY GUIDE AVAILABLE In addition to tons of well-organized information, the book features 9 detailed full-color maps, so you won't have to lug around an unwieldy map too. The maps have more street detail than many stand-alone maps do, plus both gay and straight points-of-interest, tram lines, taxi stands, parks and buildings, and much more. And the 2-color maps inside the chapters show you the exact locations of accommodations, museums, and lesbian/gay centers, bookstores, bars, and nightclubs. The practical traveler will appreciate the book's size: small enough to fit almost any pocket, at only 4" wide by 5" high. And there's also a handy tear-out wallet card you can take on the run! Hard to believe all that's packed into 200 pages, but it's been carefully designed—from the clean, easy-to-read typeface, to the colorful sidebars, standout boxes, and numbered maps—for maximum ease of use in a compact size! Unlike many guides, DAMRON AMSTERDAM is meant to be the most useful guide you can carry with you. You don't have to wade through pages and pages of literary essays, just to find a listing for that shop or gallery you're interested in. DAMRON AMSTERDAM gives you "all the facts" so you can creatively experience the city the way you like to. Read those armchair travel books at home; when you're on-the-go, you'll want DAMRON AMSTERDAM. And at only $9.95, it's also the most cost-effective city guide available. FOR OVER 30 YEARS, THE DAMRON COMPANY HAS FORGED THE WAY FOR LESBIAN & GAY TRAVELERS Even if you haven't used a Damron guide before, you've probably heard of the Damron Address Book, or other Damron gay & lesbian travel guides published in the company's 34-year history as a gay-owned & run publisher. Guiding queers into the 21st century, Damron is determined to remain the "First Name and Last Word in Gay Travel" for decades to come. For a Free Catalog, call Damron at (800) 462-6654, or browse the Damron website at http://www.damron.com