AMERICA IN THE BUFF.

• Author: Howell, Llewellyn D.
• Position: LIFESTYLES LOOK - Nudism

NUDISM is a subculture in every North American and European society. It is a way of life, far more popular than most people would think. Just imagine a ship from a popular cruise line departing from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with more than 3,000 passengers aboard for a nude, 10-day vacation in the Caribbean. Some of your close friends and family members are nudists in one form or another. Let's walk through a few scenes:

A light afternoon wind is blowing through the palms at the Terra Cotta Inn, the rustle of the fronds overcoming the contemporary rock music that competes with it in the breeze. The Marilyn Monroe-era motel in Palm Springs, Calif., is 17 rooms surrounding a pool, spa, lawn, and gardens. Half a dozen couples chat in the pool while more recline on lounge chairs on the lawn and around the pool, reading, talking, sleeping. All are naked. At 4 p.m., Tom Mulhall, the manager, brings strawberries and light wine and distributes them to the guests. He is wearing his customary tennis shoes and bow tie (that's all). The chatter picks up a bit. It is cocktail time.

Across the country in rural Maryland, the RVs are parked neatly in a circle and tents are set up. Kids shout and play around the pool and volleyball courts. Adults hammer at tennis balls or whack paddle balls across a net. Others are in the pool or embedded in conversation. Some are setting up for the evening meal. Most are naked, but not all. Clothing is optional here at this rustic 65-year old nudist club.

Four hikers scale gigantic rock formations that litter the empty miles like a moonscape. A railroad track crosses the scenic Southwest in a line that divides only rock from rock. The hikers have come from a nearby nudist resort and campground that anchors this recreational area with RV parking, cabins, a pool, and a restaurant. The hikers are naked except for hats, boots, and backpacks.

It is Skinny Dip Day, 2013, a Saturday in July when nudists all over North America time themselves for being in the pool at the same moment, with pictures and signatures, to try to break the Guinness Book of World Records mark for the most people naked--in the water--simultaneously. That year it was 14,110. It is a celebratory event--not just for the record, but to be together and naked.

Thirty-eight people are in the pool ("39" maximum capacity) at exactly 1 p.m. Pacific time. They count off and pose for a group picture. The local TV station has a cameraman and a reporter there, so it is...