USA TODAY International Edition
Nude Recreation Week is back
PHOENIX Ever considered shedding all of your clothes to deal with the scorching temperatures?
Some people do it year round. And not just in the comfort of their own homes.
The American Association for Nude Recreation and Naturist Society are once again hosting the annual Nude Recreation Week, held through July 16 at more than 200 clubs across the U. S. and Canada. This year’s theme is “Naked Street Party,” and each club produces its own events and programming.
“We want to educate the general public that there’s nothing wrong with nudity,” said Beverly Price, president of American Association for Nude Recreation. “To do that we invite the general public to open houses that are usually free and scheduled by the clubs. ... The whole idea is if you never tried it, ever thought of it, or maybe even haven’t thought of it, to come out and give it a try.”
In Arizona, the Shangri La Ranch in New River is the place to go for a clothing- optional lifestyle. The club will host a special event for Nude Recreation Week on Saturday, featuring an ice cream social, root beer floats, lawn games and other poolside activities.
Anyone who is curious about going clothing- free is invited to visit, free of charge, and check it out. While there won’t be any other special events during the week, people are still invited to come take a tour.
About 100 residents live at the Shangri La Ranch, and an additional 50 have seasonal units. Other members will come up and stay for the weekend, or just the day. The ranch features two swimming pools, a hot tub, sauna, sport courts, hiking trails and a clubhouse. There’s also a cafe open on the weekends.
Danielle Smith, 30, of Phoenix, grew up at Shangri La Ranch and became the communications manager about a year ago. She said the ranch is pretty relaxed.
“Anyone is always welcome to come check out the club, and the first day will always be on us,” she said. “We want to make sure that this is what you’re looking for.”
Smith said there are only a few simple rules. No swimwear is allowed in the pool, hot tub or sauna, so “don’t do anything you would need to apologize for,” she said.