Boldly Go Solo

How to set out solo, but not travel alone: Trips, tips and ideas for the active traveler.

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Category: –Kayaking, Rafting

  • Rafting for relaxation, Colorado River style

    "Ideal for solo travelers," says the press release from Western River Expeditions about its rafting trips on the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon, Utah. I vouch for that statement.  I had one of the best trips of my life floating on peaceful sections of the river and holding on for dear life through Class III…

  • Red Bank, New Jersey – retro, but contemporary too

    Ever heard of Red Bank, New Jersey? I hadn't. But I went to visit for a travel story and ended up loving the place for a variety of reasons, nostalgia being no small part of it. Red Bank calls itself a "cool little town" and I agree. It's the kind of place with few chain…

  • Kauai for solo travelers – helicopters, taro farming and the mini Grand Canyon

    My lunch companions wore plumeria flowers behind their ears, necklaces strung with black pearls and Ni'ihau shells, and clothing with floral patterns. All signs that they live and work in Hawaii. In this case, Kauai.   [Quiz of the day. Can you name the eight major Hawaiian islands? Answer at the end.] We on the East Coast…

  • Kayaking with manatees in Sarasota, Florida, and through the mangrove tunnels

    I highly recommend kayaking with manatees next time you're in Florida. Even if you don't see manatees. (After all, they're not on call for interested visitors.) But there they were last week, paddling around Sarasota Bay during mating season. Cruisin'. Even if I'd had a camera out, it would have been tough to get photos. They…

  • Harpers Ferry lodging, ghosts and pancakes. West Virginia is indeed wild and wonderful.

    A guy I hardly knew cooked me breakfast yesterday. Pancakes. An Israeli guy from New York.  Actually, "hardly knew" overstates things. I didn't know him at all. But Raz from Queens not only cooked me a batch of pancakes, he also gave me a rundown of all the places I should go and see in…

  • Free stuff in cities around the U.S.

    $500,000 in free stuff in 16 major cities around the country. I don't know much about this site called zozi but that's what they're giving away. Starting today. But not for long. It seems like it's another one of those discount sites that slashes prices so you will frequent a local business. I recently wrote…

  • Colorado River rafting vacations great for the solo traveler

    "Ideal for solo travelers," says the press release from Western River Expeditions about its rafting trips on the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon, Utah. I vouch for that statement.  I had one of the best trips of my life floating on peaceful sections of the river and holding on for dear life through Class III…

  • No more solo-only trips with Backroads but not to worry

    Backroads, an "active travel company," is ending its singles and solos trips next year. The owners found that more of their solo travelers ended up on regular trips than on solo ones. There weren't getting enough people to make the singles and solo trips fun. After doing some of Backroads solo trips years back, I…

  • Five high-adrenaline adventures for daring solo travelers

    After writing about adventure travel ideas for men, a reader checked in with suggestions for VERY adventurous travelers. From what I can tell, most blog readers don't check back to the blog for comments (since many of you get it through RSS and email notification of new posts) so I thought I'd alert you to…

  • Adventure trip ideas for men traveling solo?

    The large majority of single-sex adventure trips are geared towards women, a fact that gets under the skin of some male readers. Recently, I've begun receiving e-mail info from a company that promotes adventure trips by breaking them into categories such as "deal of the week," "family adventures," "women only" and, interestingly, "men's interest." Not…