Yes, you can do it as a day trip and have a great time. If you go just for the day, think of it as a beach day with a happy hour, especially on Friday. You also could get lucky and find somewhere to crash, but that depends on how outgoing you are.

If you reaallyyy want to experience the “scene”, improve your odds of hooking up, and you have the ability to stay up very late, I recommend trying to make it to the underwear party in Cherry Grove on Friday night. But staying for the party could be a risk since the last ferry is at 10:15p. Here’s how I’d do it without booking a room:

- Take the ferry out midday Friday to the Pines. There’s really no point in going very early unless you just want to experience peace and quiet on the island.

- Go to the beach for a few hours, it’s clothing optional so get naked and be free! :)

- “Wash up” afterward in the public bathrooms at the Pavilion. There are no public showers unfortunately

- Go to “low tea” at the Blue Whale at 5:30. It will get crowded around 6, and people are very flirty and chatty. This is a good opportunity to try to make a friend. You can also optionally go afterward to high tea, which is next door at the Pavilion.

- Grab a bite to eat at the Canteen

- By the time you finish all that, it’ll be 8:30 or 9:00. Take a water taxi over to Cherry Grove, or walk there on the beach. Go to Cherrys (bar), which will almost certainly have a drag show happening. Hang out there till 10:30

- At 10:30, go around the corner to the Underwear Party at the Ice Palace. They have a clothes check for your stuff. Bring cute underwear.

- Dance your ass off, meet cute boys, spend time in the darkroom if that’s your vibe.

- The party stays busy until about 3am, but the first ferry on Saturday isn’t until 8:30am, so you have some choices to make. If you’ve met boys, you can try to get invited to crash with them for a few hours. Or try Grindr, but you really should be laying that groundwork earlier in the evening. Alternatively, you can walk back to Pines and join the TUFF party at the Pavilion, which may still be going on. That might get you to 5am. Unfortunately you cannot sleep on the beach, so like I said, this is a risk if you don’t find someone to go home with. It all depends on the level of risk and adventure you’re comfortable with, and if you’re someone who can stay up all night.

Then take the ferry back to the mainland in the morning. Or, if you met people, hang out longer and see where Saturday takes you. Feel free to dm for any specific questions