Happy and Bare in Idaho

This posted despite the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Musings are Republicans. Read on...

NW nudists leave their clothing at the gate

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WORLEY, Idaho -- For 200 vacationers driving into a northern Idaho resort this week, Independence Day had a whole different meaning.

The Sun Meadow nudist resort in this region of wheatfields, tall pines and rolling hills offers gated amenities for those who prefer going without.

The nudists are at this 75-acre resort for the 61st annual convention of the American Association of Nude Recreation's Northwest regional chapter.

"I undressed before I hit the front office and I haven't had a stitch of clothing on since," said Shirley Gauthier, a recent arrival. "I don't like the confines of zippers, elastic and snaps."
This is Sun Meadow's fourth year of operation. Members pay $300 per year and folks under 35 get a 20 percent "non-senior" discount. The resort welcomes families, doesn't serve alcohol and is classified as "clothes-free," meaning guests are expected to take it all off - as opposed to "clothing-optional" resorts that allow members to disrobe when they desire.

While other nudist camps around the world boast more exotic locales - there's Desire Resort in Cancun, Mexico, Grand Lido and Hedonism in Jamaica and Eden Bay on the white sand beaches of the Dominican Republic - Worley helps compensate for its more rural setting by offering music, volleyball, bocce, yoga and even tamale-making - nude activities that require a little courage and an ample dose of strategically applied sunscreen.

"You leave your stress with your clothes at the gate," said Alice Anderson, who lives at a nudist camp in Mount Vernon, Wash., and says she was initially nervous during her first visit to a nude club she was introduced to by a male friend. "I realized nobody was paying any attention to me."
There are several landowning nudist clubs in Washington, including Kaniksu Ranch in Loon Lake north of Spokane. Washington also has several "travel clubs" whose members venture to spots such as Sun Meadow. Idaho also has Bare Backers Nudist Club near Boise.

This is the second time Sun Meadow has hosted the convention for the regional group, which has 2,500 members in Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana. The national group has 45,000 members, and the numbers of the willingly unclothed appear to be growing: There are 268 nudists clubs across the nation, up from 212 in 1998.

Resort members wander about the lodge's central meeting room, kept at a constant 78 degrees. A couple is seen strolling along a hiking path, walking sticks in hand. A giggling toddler runs through the clubhouse, and children's water toys litter the outdoor pool area.
Some liken the atmosphere to a family reunion.

"Your body needs air and sunshine. To me it's just like exercise. It's a necessity like brushing your teeth," said Terri Capshaw, whose family built a home on property next to Sun Meadow and who has raised two children in the nudist community. "I'm more comfortable telling people

I'm a nudist than saying I'm a Democrat."