England 2 Ways: Pub-Crawling Through Kensington & Day-Tripping in York

If you enjoy a leisurely afternoon of cocktails and sightseeing, set aside a spring day in London for a pub-crawl through Kensington, Soho and other neighborhoods surrounding Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

During your crawl, you'll pass parks, gardens and landmark buildings (including Kensington Palace and Royal Albert Hall) while enjoying a series of stops that can transition into evening. If it's sunny, you'll want to walk; if not, London's spacious cabs are more plentiful than in New York.

Start with a quick one at Windsor Castle (114 Campden Hill Rd). About halfway between Kensington Gardens and Kyoto Garden, you can't go wrong with this "refurbished old boozer" with paneled walls and a super-friendly staff.

Then, make your way to The Champion (1 Wellington Terrace near Notting Hill), a gay-friendly pub with a great selection of beers on tap, sidewalk seating, fireplace and garden. If you're planning to eat, The Champion's adventurous menu might be your best bet.

Off Oxford Street near Marble Arch is City of Quebec (12 Old Quebec St, Marylebone), a quiet gay pub with traditional Victorian d�cor, which may or may not be a "sugar daddy" bar during certain hours. From my na�ve perspective, it looks more like an unpretentious, all-ages crowd.

Moving on, if you head East a few blocks into Soho, you'll find a few brighter, more traditionally "gay" bars, including (no ambiguity here) G-A-Y Bar (30 Old Compton St.) - a noon to midnight, three-story party bar with a plasma screen jukebox that caters to a younger crowd.

Still go-to-go as the sun starts to droop? Grab a cab back to Kensington and stop by the intimate Stables Bar at the Milestone Hotel (1 Kensington Ct), just across the street from Kensington Gardens (which, incidentally are great for boy, girl and dog watching). If you're lucky, the adorable Angelo will be tending bar. Order a round of "Smokey Old Fashioneds." Prepared under a glass cloche using a smoking gun, it's fun to watch the preparation process and the finished product has a distinctive smoky taste.

Hungry again? Finish off your day with dinner at The Duke of Clarence, a reliable gastropub at 148 Old Brompton Rd.

Exploring York

Though you can spend weeks in London without running low on fun, you won't get a full perspective on Britain without making a few day trips. Consider historic Canterbury, Brighton (known for its historic seaside boardwalk) or York, just two hours North. York offers a lively mix of timber-framed buildings dating back to the 14th Century, churches (including the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe) and hard-partying students from York University.

Before hitting the winding streets, consider a trip to York's Castle Howard (or nearby Hareword House in Harecort). Much of the series "Victoria" was filmed at Harewood House and costumes from the series are on display. An unexpected treat, the house is home to an animal sanctuary with penguins, aggressive owls and a number of exotic, extremely talkative birds.

Playwright John Vanbrugh designed the theatrical Castle Howard. Young Anthony Andrews and Jeremy Irons tanned their bare bottoms on Castle Howard's roof, which was featured prominently in the 1981 British miniseries, "Brideshead Revisited."

After a morning of history, hit York's winding streets for another pub-crawl. Though it has a mixed crowd, Thomas's of York (3 Museum St.) is a fun, cozy multi-story pub with wood floors, numerous beers on tap and more than 20 shot options, including the always popular "Blow Job." It becomes 99.9 percent gay during York Pride. The afternoon I visited, an especially erotic rugby match was airing near the bar. York also has a ghost tour and pubs with intriguing names like House of Trembling Madness (48 Stonegate).

Foodies will enjoy the inventive food/cocktail menus at Cut & Chase (39 Goodramgate). Try The Herbalist (featuring thyme gin combined and green chartreuse) and, even if it's not on the menu, ask about the "Bulletproof Cocktail," a delicious mix of Bulletproof coffee and bourbon with pecan pie filling around the rim.

Getting to England is even easier than in years past, with more airlines, including Norwegian Air, adding affordable flights from major U.S. hubs.

For more information on LGBT offerings throughout Great Britain, click here.