The waiter brought another cocktail as I was drying off in the sun after a nice swim. 

My bathing suit’s silky material was skin tight, but I didn’t realize it was so revealing until the fellow in the neighbouring chaise asked, “Are all of you Canadian guys uncut?” with his eyes focused on my goodies.

Only a dozen men lounged around the pool. After Labour Day along the Michigan shore, the high season has ended. The leaves started to turn with brilliant flashes of reds and yellows. But afternoon temperatures were in the high 70s (mid-20s Celsius), and the huge swimming pool at The Dunes Resort was heated and open to guests and day visitors alike.

The conversation about my foreskin led to me discreetly showing him, and Marty was in ecstasy over the sight of my cock. He offered to suck me and rim me better than anyone else ever had. Well, my room was nearby, and I had no plans for the afternoon. 

I offered Marty just that invitation, and true to his promise, Marty followed me to my suite, his hands grabbing me and sliding down to my crotch, eager to remove the thin swimsuit, which he did as soon as the keys went in and the room door swung open.

Marty’s tongue moved from my lips, to my nipples and down to my crotch; his mouth taking on the verbal agreement made by the pool to suck me better than anyone else.

The challenge was accepted as Marty’s mouth moved from the tip of my uncut cock to the shaft, all the way down to my balls. He eagerly choked on me as his hands moved to my ass, his fingers trying to get closer to my horny hole.

Marty removed my cock from his mouth and looked up at me with a smile, moving his tongue down to my back, rimming me and jerking off my now fully-erect cock; in moments of intense flashes of passion, we moved from the floor to the bed where Marty brought me to a shattering climax, and I fired my pent-up juices over us both. 

So far, these Mid-Western American boys were generous lovers. On my first night at the resort’s bar, a cute 36-year-old followed me to my room. Shy and nervous but eager and affectionate as a puppy, he lovingly sucked my cock and swallowed my load, smiling prettily as he licked the last drops before he left. 

With Marty, the Dunes was not living up to its name, but in the best way possible: gone from my imagination was a dry ridge of desert sand, replaced with encounter after encounter that was wet and wild and just what I needed as a checked-in only days ago.

Where is The Dunes Gay Resort Located?

The Dunes Resort is in Douglas / Saugatuck along the Lake Michigan shore, three hours north of the gay city of Chicago and the same distance from Detroit. 

The cluster of charming villages along the sandy shores of the great lake include South Haven, Saugatuck, Douglas and Grand Haven. There are vast sand dunes (hence the name), beaches, primeval forests, corn fields and vineyards that seem a century away from the city. I enjoyed walks on the beaches, hiking the dunes and the forests, and strolling the quaint villages, sampling local wines and menu delicacies. 

However, I always made it back poolside for the warm afternoons and then the hot nights in the resort’s Main Bar.

What Are the Main Amenities of The Dunes Resort?

The Dunes Resort has 81 rooms, ranging from luxurious suites, standard rooms, and cabins in the forest, plus tiny rooms in what is known as “The Dormitory,” which is almost a gay bathhouse setting with shared showers and common areas. If you want something more upscale, some pricier suites and cabins have private patios and hot tubs.

My own space was a standard room in the new building. It had a grand bathroom with a rain storm shower and a bed large enough to entertain my “gentlemen callers” in comfort. Everything was scrupulously clean and tidy, and my bathroom was supplied with plenty of towels. 

If you stay, housekeeping staff will keep you stocked with coffee, and my room had a mini-fridge to keep my Michigan champagne chilled.

What is the Pool Area Like at The Dunes Resort?

The Dunes swimming pool has an outdoor bar open in the summers, though servers from the Main Bar cheerfully deliver drinks poolside in the off-season. The Main Bar serves as a focal point for the gay community for miles around, so don’t expect just guests to be at the amenities of The Dunes. There are four bars: the Main, the Club, a dance venue, the Show Bar with live performers on certain nights, and the Vinyl Lounge, an indoor/outdoor bar with big screens and pool tables. In addition, the Deck and the Splash Pool Bar are open in the summer season by the swimming pool. 

“The resort is open year-round, but during the winter, the Main Bar is only open a few days a week,” said Mike, one of the owners of The Dunes. The Dunes Resort is owned by three partners, Danny, Greg and Mike, who had been coming to the hotel since 1981, when it was called The Douglas Dunes; eventually, they bought the place, expanded and converted it into the fabulous resort it is now. 

I imagined how different the area would be under a blanket of snow, with activities like skiing, snowmobile rides, bonfires, ice fishing, or just cuddling under a warm blanket. However, for those who love a great pool with exposed skin to check out the “merchandise,” The Dunes during the summertime offers the gay cruising oasis you may crave as a Midwest getaway.

Is The Dunes a Gay Resort and a Nude Clothing-Optional Resort?

Note that The Dunes Resort is not a nude resort, and women are welcome, if rare, to see one checked in. During my stay, the semi-nude naked male body was aplenty, and I don’t believe I even saw a woman on the premises as a checked-in guest. 

Most guests are happy showing off their bodies in skimpy Speedo-type bottoms, and a shop in the lobby sells an eye-popping assortment of sexy gay apparel, including some clothing with the resort’s own name and logo. 

Nudity might not be an issue in the Dormitory, where you can rent small rooms and only men are allowed in. Not staying there myself, it’s hard to know, but given the overall open and erotic vibe of the resort, I imagine the Dorms are meant to be the more sexy, unbridled area of the resort where you can role-play as the gay college cock looking to suck off your roommate. Or, you know, just stay at the resort with less physical privacy but all the other great amenities and men around you.

The Dormitory was vacant during my stay, but on weekends, even in the off-season, it is usually booked full, says Mike.

You can also rent a poolside “Cabana” furnished with a big comfortable sofa-bed and a privacy curtain, behind which anything might be happening…

On my first night, the Main Bar had a lounge-style piano player; on my last night, there was spirited Karaoke. Both events filled the bar with friendly and horny homos. The Dunes Resort also hosts special events such as Mr. Michigan Leather Weekend, Circus Weekend, DJ dance parties, cabarets, the LAMBDA Car Club Weekend, and more.  

Does The Dunes Resort Offer Kink or Fetish Events?

Normally, at The Dunes Resort, there might be a little kink in the private rooms, and everyone is welcome to be themselves. In the summertime, the place is full, and the entire Michigan shore is packed with holidaymakers, so it was a mixed pleasure to be there in late September.

One event is closed to all except members of Hellfire, a Chicago gay men’s fetish group that rents the whole resort for one wicked weekend. The pool and common areas are screened off, so even staff don’t see what’s happening inside. My cute and efficient server, Cody, had worked during Hellfire, and he told me, “I heard a lot of moaning and groaning and whips cracking.” If you’re looking to get your kink on and are a Chicago local, looking into Hellfire may be the best way to engage with your local kink community.

During my stay, the kitchen was closed for the season, but that wasn’t a problem with a dozen restaurants, cafes, wine bars and a brewpub, all a short walk away, all with decent kitchens. I went for pizza and beer at the local bowling alley for a slice of old-time Americana. 

Explore charming coastal resort communities like Douglas, Saugatuck, and South Haven, known for their quaint villages with restaurants, bars, boutiques, and art galleries. These welcoming communities also embrace LGBTQ+ pride. Additionally, the area offers vineyard tours and wine tastings, with local vineyards producing various wines, including Rieslings, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnays, champagne, and ciders. Some recommended vineyards to visit are Michigan Wine Co., Crane’s Winery, Fenn Valley Vineyards, and Modales Wines.

Are There Any Good Gay Cruising Spots Beyond the Resort?

Yes! Closer to the end of my trip, the crowds had thinned from local beaches and villages due to being late season; however, one day, the pool was almost deserted, so my server suggested I check out the “Woods” behind the resort. 

The Woods is an attraction where guests and local guys can cruise any time of day or night. Curiosity got the better of me, and still in my skimpy bathing suit, I entered the Woods and saw a nice-looking guy behind a tree showing his cock to me.

Of course, I went over to get a better look, and he pushed me to my knees and thrust his prick in my mouth. I obliged and sucked his beautiful cock as well as I could. He moaned as I looked up at him; I enjoyed the assertiveness and the quickness of finding such a fast hookup mate, being at The Woods for what only felt like a moment.

As with any good NSA hookup in a public spot, I obeyed and sucked hard and fast, so my new friend could quickly shoot his load. Once he did, my efforts left what looked like a permanent smile on his face. He then zipped up and left as I wiped the cum off my face and tried to clean the mud off my knees. He had not said a word throughout and used me for his own pleasure. It was perfect. 

Later, I stroked off to the moment in an epic montage of Marty and the other “scenes” from my week’s trip; a director of my own porn with nothing left on the cutting room floor as I flipped through the week’s best during my daily shower wank. The Dunes left me with precisely what I came for: an end-of-summer adventure filmed with the last moments of sun before autumn, enough smut, cruising and camaraderie to help move through the darker winter months. 

Summer will return again, and The Dunes is a place to visit on a return trip, not just in my camcorder memories.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andy Oh lives near Vancouver. He frequently travels the world searching for sensual delights to share with his readers. He is Urplaypal on Squirt, and you can email him at andy.oh@hotmail.com 

Bathhouses and gay saunas have played a key role in shaping our identity as gay men and providing us with a dependable – and safe – sexual outlet.

We often talk about the golden age of bathhouses in the past tense, but while there have been some ups and downs over the years, bathhouse culture is still very much a part of our community.

If you’ve never been to a bathhouse before, we thought we’d give you a bit of a tour of the types of bathhouse experiences and the guys that you might encounter there.

The Social Guy

While many guys will see a bathhouse as being a purely transactional experience – get in, get off, get out – gay saunas can be a great opportunity for a bit of social interaction.

We’re all grappling with loneliness in different forms, and a quick fuck doesn’t necessarily deliver the kind of intimacy that we all need.

Most bathhouses will have a communal area of some sort – usually a bar or a lounge. If you’re feeling like having a chat, this is probably your best bet. There will probably be other guys there who are also happy to have a conversation with you, or you can chat with the staff.

The staff also have plenty of work to do, so don’t be offended if they don’t have time to chat with you. If you tip the staff at the bathhouse, they will generally make time to chat with you.

Beyond the communal lounge or bar area, some facilities of a bathhouse are more conducive to chat than others, but you need to get a feel for the vibe before launching into a conversation. The hot tub is a good starting point, or the steam room or the sauna. It would be a bit weird trying to have a conversation in the darkroom or through the glory hole.

It’s also worth checking the website of the bathhouse. Depending on which day you go, there might be a theme – it could be a fetish night or a more sexed-up night, but some bathhouses will advertise more social events such as daytime patio parties.

Beyond bathhouses, CumUnion is an international sex party for men that features monthly parties across North America, England, and the Netherlands. These events encourage a more social element than a typical bathhouse night.

The Cockblocker

One of the awkward dynamics that you sometimes need to navigate at a bathhouse is cockblocking.

For example, if you’re sitting in the sauna with two other guys – you’re into one of the guys, and you’re getting the signals that he’s into you, but neither of you is into the third guy. The trouble is, the third guy isn’t getting the hint and seems pretty confident that he’s about to get some group sex or threesome action. He’s cockblocking you.

You don’t want to be this guy. You don’t want to be the cockblock.

The first thing to remember is that everyone has feelings – there’s no need to be rude or offensive to anyone. To avoid a cockblocker, grab the guy that you’re into and head into a cubicle or a different space in the bathhouse – if the cockblocker tries to follow you, a quick shake of the head or a gentle “no” should be a sufficient deterrent.

If you’re in a situation and you’re starting to think that you might be the cockblock, be on the lookout for signals that either encourage you or discourage you. If you make a reach for a guy’s cock and he gives you a discouraging signal, that’s all you need – go look for some action elsewhere.

If you’ve got any issues – whether it’s questions of consent or if you feel as if someone is harassing you, raise it with the staff. They’re experienced in handling these situations, and it’s in their interests to ensure that everyone is playing by the rules.

The Darkroom Gay

Not everybody loves a gay darkroom, but there is a lot of appeal in getting it on and getting off in a dark, anonymous space.

Use Squirt.org’s Cruising Directories to find the best bathhouses near you that feature a darkroom as part of the facility so you can shine in some anonymous gay hookup action.

If someone in the darkroom poses a problem for you, gay cruising cues like body language and eye contact are more challenging to initiate due to the lack of light.

You can put a stop to any unwanted touch by moving away or removing their hand from your body. If that doesn’t work, a firm “no” or “stop” will generally do the trick – in a dark space, the sudden sound of a voice has an amplified impact.

The Strategic Slut

Bathhouse encounters can be whatever you want them to be. Maybe you just want to connect with one guy and get off with him, or maybe you want to set yourself up in a sling and take a load from anyone who walks by.

If you are looking to count your hookups on more than one hand by the night’s end and you want to take more loads than the local laundromat, then a bathhouse is a good option. Compared to a cruising spot or a pump-and-dump motel room, the bathhouse is a relatively controlled and safe space – plus, you’re never too far from a shower for clean-up duties.

Gay hookup websites like Squirt.org make it easy to find the best saunas in town and see when they are the most popular or busy during the week. If you’re looking to be the local creampie, knowing when the bathhouse is the most active makes it easier to get closer to your goal of leaving the sauna fully loaded.

The Sponge

If your bathhouse has a smoking area, this is generally where you’ll encounter The Sponge – they’ll be asking you for a cigarette or money to buy something from the bar.

While generally harmless, the sponge can sometimes be a bit of a security risk – they may be looking to see what else they can get out of you. Avoid letting them follow you to your locker or indicate that you’ve got anything valuable in your locker.

There are differing levels of security at bathhouses, but the general rule is not to leave valuables in your locker if you can avoid it. You don’t want to be worrying about losing your phone while you are cruising for cock.

Are you a fan of bathhouses and gay saunas? Which is your favourite? Jump into our comments section below and share your experiences, tips and tricks for getting the most out of a sexed-up session in the baths.

Written by Gareth Johnson