This April, The RIT Inn and Conference Center in Henrietta is hosting the Pride & Joy Families Weekend Conference.

We'd like to welcome Ellen, who has attended the conference with her family in the past, to everybodysgood.com as a guest blogger... to share the top ten reasons she and her family recommend the conference to other LGBT families, starting with reason #10.

10. Can You Say "Vacation"?

   My family has always loved staying in hotels. The sound of ice machines and the quiet lull of central air conditioning has always put us in a pretty good mood. So this April, when we pack our bags and head out west to Rochester, NY for the 2011 Pride & Joy Families Weekend Conference from our home in Vestal we will be looking forward to checking in to the RIT Inn and Conference Center for a couple of days of maid service, clean white towels, and those tiny bottles of shampoo.
   The beautiful Inn is located in suburban West Henrietta, NY and features 304 non-smoking guest rooms which are each equipped with high speed wireless internet (I can't live without Facebook), a 32-inch flat screen TV with a DVD player, data ports, hair dryer, iron/ironing board, new bedding, concierge service and (two of my parents' favorite words) FREE COFFEE!
   Even though our meals will be taken care of with our registration to the conference, the RIT Inn and Conference Center is proud of their two on-site restaurants, Petals for casual fare and Charades, for fine dining. Either place would be great for meeting friends for a late night drink or snack.
   The conference schedule will allow time for my family to enjoy the fitness center, sauna, whirlpool and gorgeous indoor pool (April is a little early in Rochester for us to enjoy their gorgeous outdoor pool). The full-time lifeguard will keep an eye on my little brothers as I get to know other teens with LGBT parents. I know my parents are looking forward to socializing with other LGBT parents around the pool too.
   Since I am interested in green living, it was nice to learn that the Inn and Conference Center was one of the 43 hotels selected in 2009 to participate in New York State's Governor's Green Hospitality and Tourism Initiative. They have been going through an extensive certification process, and have been recognized for their commitments to water quality and conservation, waste reduction, resource conservation, and energy efficiency.
   We are all looking forward to our mini vacation at the RIT Inn and Conference Center with other LGBT families this April.

Sounds like fun! Thanks Ellen!

Check back here again for reason #9!

To read Ellen and her family's blog directly, click here.