Boldly Go Solo

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

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  • Spanish immersion school in Guadalajara, Mexico va a estar divertido!

    I reached out to the IMAC school in Guadalajara, Mexico, about taking Spanish lessons in the week before my travel writers conference begins in the city in early October. The classes are given weekly all year, starting on Mondays.

    But I'll only have four days since the conference starts Thursday night.

    No hay problema. Jaime, my contact at the school told me it was no problem and he priced a week minus a day. He included pick-up from the airport and a stay with a family. With classes, books, an enrollment fee and airport pick-up, it will cost about $300 for four days. For most everything except souvenirs.

    The cost for lodging with a local family and all three meals is…ready for this…$56 for the four days. I don't know how much Spanish I'll learn but I'm excited about the idea of the cultural experience.

    I have to fill out an enrollment form and I plan to ask to be placed with a family with children. I debated this.

    On the one hand, if I stay with only adults, there might be more conversation and practice. But it's so much fun to meet children in other countries. So that's my choice. Let's see what I get.

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  • Take a tour of the home town of “The Office” in Scranton, PA

    OfficeTour_credit Tom Bonomo_Times Shamrock Raise your hand if you're a fan of "The Office." The American version. The one about the Dunder Mifflin company, whose Scranton, Pennsylvania, office is led  by the sublime dunderhead, Michael Scott, played by actor Steve Carell.

    If you're a big fan, you can now take a peek around the gritty Scranton sights seen in various episodes.

    I admit, this is a stretch as a concept. But it's also funny and the day itself could be a hoot. The four-hour tours, running on the next two Saturday afternoons in August, and the second Saturday of each month starting in September, begin at the Mall at Steamtown and end at Poor Richards Pub.

    Are these familiar to you? Would you like to visit them? (I admit, I'm only an occasional watcher.) It's the kind of thing that would seem to be easy to do alone.

    You join a tour and have a guide and companions. And you have something in common to talk about with your tour mates – your love of the show. "Hey, remember that time Steve Carell embarrassed the employees?" Oh wait. That's every show.Coopers Restaurant

    You'll visit locales that served as inspiration for the paper company and the watering holes in the program, including Farley's, The Bog and Paper Magic.

    Okay, maybe the tours won't attract the numbers of, say, the Lord of the Rings ones in New Zealand. Which I think brought in hundreds, maybe thousands of people from around the world. But, those were based on a total of three feature-length films shown worldwide.

    Fans of The Office are no less worthy of a location tour of their television show. And might enjoy seeing the familiar spots for real, and learning new trivia about the nut-case atmosphere that reigns.

    You can buy tickets for $35, (or for $25 if you're under 21 and not drinking.) Some of the show's stars have showed up for the Saturday tours (they've been running since July), including Melora Hardin (Jan) and Ray Shafer (Bob Vance).

    So check to see if a star is scheduled to join when you go.

    Photos: Tom Bonomo, Times Shamrock.

    1. A tour group. 2. Cooper's.

     

     

  • For single travelers, two stories about dining solo

    Devon Seafood Grill-Ellen Perlman "Tourist cities are useless with single diners, especially women of a certain age." This is a line from a funny article by a woman who shares her strategy for a "successful dining-alone experience," in a Mail Online (British) story.

    First tip. Have a drink before going out. For confidence. Okay, that cracked me up. But I understand that it could help.

    Then, after you choose a place to dine, if the waiter is a "prat" and seats you at a bad table and won't switch you to a better one, even though the place is empty, turn around and leave. And "practise your flounce" as you exit. (I'm not sure I've got a flounce. Men, skip this bit.)

    As for how to deal with your waiter, a "delicately judged bit of charm goes a long way." I love how the Brits express themselves. But really, is the waiter going to be that put off by a solo diner? I haven't found that at all. Maybe I don't eat in places that are high class enough?Desserts, Devon Seafood Grill-Ellen Perlman

    A story in the Boston Globe tells solo diners to "forgo the pity, forget the BlackBerry and embrace the possibilities." I heartily agree with points one and three. But I see no reason not to check my BlackBerry or read or write something while I'm waiting for service. After all, I'm not being rude. I don't have anyone to talk to! Until the waiter shows up from time to time.

    The Globe story is drearier. Talking about the "stigma" of eating alone.  "What do you even look at when you're in a restaurant by yourself?" She mentions "the sense that you've got 'Friendless' tattoed on your forehead." Oh, please!

    This feels like a major bout of insecurity and self-consciousness. Is it really THAT bad? Do you really think the world is judging your whole life and character because you're seated alone? Thinking that you must be incredibly pathetic? I think not. (see other solo dining posts.)

    If dining alone is that troublesome, do take out. One way or another you will survive, be fed for another day and be ready for sightseeing, hiking or whatever else it was you set out on your trip for to begin with!

    Photos: Ellen Perlman

    Bar at Devon Seafood Grill, Hershey, Pennsylvania. Dessert tray at same.

  • Vacations in the woods, at the beach and in the city around Washington, DC

    Oh no they didn't….arrggghhhh. The cover headline of today's Washington Post weekend section is…"Staycations." Where's the Alka Seltzer? (see story dissing staycations)

    Rear view, White House-Ellen Perlman On the bright side, the section lists some nice activities for solo travelers. How about a self-guided gallery crawl? The writer recommends Lou Reed: Romanticism,; a show of digital photos by the "former Velvet Underground frontman;" Introductions 5, featuring works from art-school grads nationwide; and "Finding Beauty in a Broken World: In the Spirit of Frida Kahlo," art inspired by the late Mexican painter.

    The writer also recommends eating and entertainment spots, many ideal for solo travelers.  I've always wanted to go hear the drummers jamming in Meridian Hill Park on 16th Street, or go to the park at all. I've seen pictures and it seems beautiful but I haven't made it there yet. (And no, I don't need to take a "staycation" to do so. I just need to head over there on a Sunday afternoon.)

    If I were a visitor, I'd also be most willing to go see free Shakespeare on my own. The Shakespeare Theatre Company has a free production of "The Taming of the Shrew" from August 27 to September 12.

    And to top off all the things you've treated yourself to, you can head to the Red Velvet Cupcakery, open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Yup, sometimes we single travelers just gotta have a cupcake. Or some other sweet indulgence that we don't have to explain to anyone.

    Photo: Ellen Perlman

    Back of the White House

  • 10 top reasons for people over 50 to travel solo

    "Solo travel can be inexpensive."

    This is not something you hear often. But Janice at Solo Traveler writes that it's easier to book hostels, hospitality stays and cheap flights when you are a single traveler rather than part of a couple.

    Makes sense. It's easier to snag the last bed in a hostel if there's only one of you. Plus, you won't have to talk someone into it who really wanted to stay somewhere else.

    The post lists 10 reasons to travel solo after 50. Some would apply to any solo traveler. For instance, is work dull? Make solo travel a new challenge. Significant other doesn't like to travel? Take off on your own. (If that doesn't wreck the relationship, of course.)

    But most of the list pertains to circumstances faced by those in mid-life or older. Read it for yourself if you fit into that category. And enjoy your time on the road. You are going, aren't you? 

  • Baycation, daycation, gaycation, haycation, let’s call the whole thing off

    "Laycation." Is it an XXX-rated holiday? Or a tour of the greatest chicken coops around the world?

    Yup, you guessed it. I'm back to make a little more fun of "staycations." As one person commented on my staycations post several days ago, "it's a lame term some publicist came up with."

    That gave me an idea. Let's stop those "lame publicists" in their tracks! Shame them into ending the madness. We do this by coming up with "clever," yet ridiculous terms for different types of vacations. Then we copyright them so publicists can't use them without permission! Sound like a plan?

    Let's do it alphabetically:

    AAA-vacation. That's one where you head out with a triptik in hand and a 10 percent discount. 

    Baycation. For those who are too timid to get into the ocean. (Have we got a timeshare for you!)

    C-cation. (does it have to have the "ay" sound?) A break for people who didn't do all that well in school.

    Daycation. 24 hours of whirlwind traveling.

    EEEcation. A get-away for people with very wide feet.

    Faycation. (Also known as a FayWraycation.) A retreat for King Kong fans.

    Gaycation. A great escape for our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender friends.

    Haycation. A farm tour.

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  • Solo travelers have the advantage crashing on couches

    A couple of weeks ago, The Washington Post explored the offerings of booking an Airbnb, that is, a cheap bed in a home in one of thousands of properties around the world. Now, this is where it pays to arrive alone. In many cases, you'll be sharing with the owners or renters of the places, so one extra person might be cozy while two might be a crowd.

    And it ain't no Ritz. The concept seems similar to couchsurfing, as I wrote about here. Only you pay. Hm. What makes this a good deal? Maybe there are more properties?

    Anyway, yours to take a look at. The name, by the way, comes from the fact that the guys who started it bought a bunch of blow up beds in order to host guests. Air B and B, get it?

  • A single traveler in Asia gets out of her comfort zone

    I enjoyed this story by a woman named Marina who talked about the joys, as well as the loneliness, she experienced while traveling alone in Vietnam And Cambodia.

    And the stares. And the eating alone. And the precautions she felt she had to take. And the people she met. And the locals who helped her. But mostly the conclusion that it had been a great experience.

    In the end, she returned "confident and triumphant," having made connections with travelers and locals all around the country. If so many people come home with "triumphant" stories like this, why wouldn't you?
     

  • The top 14 things likely to happen to you on vacation–a guide for solo travelers and others

    "Staycation." It's a crock. If you're home, you're not on vacation.Bills-Ellen Perlman

    Maybe you're using vacation days. Maybe you're relaxing and clearing your head. Maybe you're eating up "use or lose" days. Maybe you're taking off so you can visit local museums, restaurants and galleries because you never have time on the weekends.

    Nothing wrong with any of that. But you are not on vacation. True, you are not at work. But what you are experiencing is not a vacation.

    Iguazu In order for you truly to have been on vacation, three or more of the following things must have happened:

    1. You said to people afterwards, "I just got back from vacation."

    2. You are the proud new owner of:

    a. an embroidered peasant blouse you cannot wear at home with any dignity;
    b. crocheted doilies, decorated clogs or a painting on bark;
    c. boots or a bag made out of the skin of an animal you'd never heard of;
    d. a small musical instrument you can't play or;
    e. a bottle of "black death" because it seemed so perfect at the time. That perfect time being after a bite of putrified shark meat.

    3. You ate breakfast out for a week.

    4. When you returned to your bed at night, it had been magically made without you touching it.

    5. Before leaving, you had to find your passport. And you wondered briefly how current your vaccinations were. Or, what Japanese encephalitis was.

    6. You slept in a tent, on a cot, in a sleeping bag or surrounded by mosquito netting.

    7. You debated packing peanut butter and toilet paper.

    8. You packed at all.

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  • Single travelers to Opryland better love country music

    Outdoor Cafe, Opryland Ellen Perlman The Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, like most any place in the world, can be visited and enjoyed by solo travelers. But you will be mingling with a whole bunch of families, kids, extended families, retired couples, conventioneers and people just generally wild about country music. If you fit into any of those categories, or are happy to be among them, you will feel at home.

    If you’re big into Epcot Center-like replications of Southern architecture and quaint country towns, it’s the place for you.

    If you want to go next door and see a show at the Grand Ole Opry, the place is for you. 

    If you never want to venture out of doors, this is the place for you.

    I was there to speak to the conventioneers. County officials from around the U.S. I had just one night. In the morning, I woke up with Wynonna. The country singer. I thought she was going to serenade me during my wake-up call. But no. She just talked me through. “I hope you have the very best day you can right here in Music City.”Boots for sale, Opryland-Ellen Perlman

    Why thanks, Wynonna! I sure will. Or, as they say, "I sher wheel." I could have chosen George Adkins or Vince Gill or Kellie Pickler. As in, “press 1 for Trace Adkins, press 2 for Montgomery Gentry.” Don’t ask me why I went with Wynonna. I don’t know the music of any of these singers.

    So one seemed as good as the next.

    The Gaylord Opryland Hotel is a strange, strange place. Kitschy. Ersatz. With some of the most beautiful and exotic real plants and flowers I’ve ever seen. But about as far from the wild as you can get.

    Orchid, Opryland-Ellen Perlman The place is a country music version of The Truman Show, if you remember that Jim Carrey movie where the star lives in a big fake world in an enormous bubble. Only HE doesn’t realize it.

    The visitors at Opryland know it. And they pay good money to experience living and being entertained under glass. All atrium, all the time.

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