How to set out solo, but not travel alone: Trips, tips and ideas for the active traveler.
As an update to yesterday's post, I direct you to Fodor's 10 tips for becoming a carry on traveler. The absolute hardest one for me is the advice to carry one pair of shoes. How do you DO that??
I find that if the shoes are comfortable, they're generally not pretty. I like sneakers for walking, sandals for hot days, something decent looking for evenings. But I'm working on it…
Every now and then I like to point to someone else's list of good reasons for traveling alone and tips on how to do it, since I don't make those lists. But a refresher course is handy every so often.
In this post, "Travel Alone and Love It" the writer offers common sense advice and information. One tip is to pack light enough to travel with only carry on luggage. This is good advice for any number of reasons, not the least of which is that nearly every airline charges for extra for checked baggage these days. 
But the 50-tips post points out that taking only carry-on luggage also saves you the time waiting in lines at check-in and at a baggage carousel upon arrival. And it eliminates the risk of losing your luggage. Or having it delayed by hours or days (This has happened to me way too many times.)
But this other post explains another good reason for packing light. Free flights. If you have the time and flexibility to volunteer your seat on an overbooked flight in exchange for money or flights, the airlines often prefer travelers who haven't checked luggage. Saves them having to burrow through the bowels of the airplane looking for your black luggage which looks like everyone else's black luggage.
Now I'm going to admit a dirty little secret. As a traveler lover, I pine for free flights. (okay, that wasn't too dirty, or much of a secret but what can you do?) When I'm traveling solo, I can choose to volunteer at every opportunity. I don't have a companion sitting there dying to get home. Or one who rolls his or her eyes at my desire to spend four more hours in the airport in exchange for a future adventure, care of Airline "X."
Which brings me to the final blog post I'll point out because I love how it described some people's reaction to traveling solo. It seems a therapist is writing it because the word "session" is used. Here it is:
"One of the obstacles I get handed in session is the holiday quandary. Who can I go away with? My partner/friend is broke/earns less money/hates the sun, mountains, beaches, cities, etc. When I suggest they travel alone a visible gulp resonates the room. ALONE? Traveling alone is akin to swimming with crocs it seems. The mere thought turns the face into a scrunched-up well-blown hankie. ALONE? Yes, on your own, by yourself. BUT WHAT WOULD I DO?"
And we all know the answer to that last question by now. In unison, please:
ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WANT TO!
Photo: Ellen Perlman. My three, count 'em, three passports so far. All of those little legal books have seen loads of solo travel and new friends all over the world. The current one is good until 2013. Hooray.
Travel writers have come up with a list of their favorite train rides an
d it has set my mind to wandering. And daydreaming. About past and future trips. The only train ride they list that I've actually been on is the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad that chugs through Colorado's two-million-acre San Juan National Forest.
As the coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive climbed its way to Silverton, I got to know my compatriots on a week-long Backroads bike trip th
rough the Colorado Rockies. The views out the windows were spectacular – forest, mountains and steep drops to a river below.
When we arrived in Silverton, described on its Web site as, "a gritty little mining town with Victorian pretensions," it had clouded up and I was freezing. A quick visit to a souvenir shop – and there are many, trust me – for a Silverton sweatshirt solved that problem. (I loved that sweatshirt but lost it on some other adventure…)
That was a great bike trip and the train ride, though I remember it going on a tad long, was part of the allure.
The only other two train rides I'm a little familiar with are the Rocky Mountaineer, because I wrote about it in September after interviewing a big fan of the train. And the Flam Railway in Norway. Sadly, I never made it to Flam when I was in Norway years ago. I was hitchhiking with a friend on that trip. Our five-week journey started in the Netherlands and continued on to Bodo, a town above the Arctic Circle.
For five weeks, we went where drivers took us. We didn't have much in the way of plans other than to see the Midnight Sun. Mission accomplished.
But we did get driven East to West (or was it West to East?) between Oslo and Bergen, a bit south of Flam. I can attest it is one of the more stunning regions on earth. So I'm sure a train ride into those snow-capped mountains with their many waterfalls is just as spectacular.
I'd really love to get back there and see! "Ja, vi elsker dette landet." (The national anthem of Norway. It just happened to be a clue in Sunday's NY Times crossword puzzle.)
On a perch some 45 feet away from where I stand, Thunder awaits my call. "Hey, Thunder." At that, the Harris's hawk swoops in to land on my gloved hand. He's not there to socialize. The tasty bits of raw mouse and quail squeezed between my thumb and forefinger are the enticement for the visit.
And falconry was the enticement for MY visit to Hershey for The Falconry Experience by The Hotel Hershey. I traveled to Pennsylvania solo, with the idea of trying some aspect of the ancient "sport of kings."
Once Thunder's standing on my hand, I'm able to watch up close as his sharp beak dips down and he grabs his treat. I feel the tug of his talons, digging in for stability as he eats. Soon he's done. He takes a few steps and turns, eyeballing that perch in the distance. And off he flies.
One other guest was with me in the field. We took turns calling Thunder in for a landing. It was a gorgeous sunny day and a little surreal to be that close to a majestic raptor. So similar to those I often see circling high in the sky, looking for prey.
Bob Leonard, the falconer that day, taught the two of us the proper way to await a personal hawk landing. You stand sideways, arm straight out and ensconced in heavy leather. You don't want a bird with a sharp beak flying into your face by accident. Or landing on bare skin.
In the two hours of falconry, we got to touch Thunder's chest and wing feathers while he perched on Bob's hand. And visit with several other hawks and a peregrine falcon housed inside chicken wire on the green field.
In Monday's post I asked you to name which item did not belong in Hershey, PA. Now for a rundown of what Hershey has, and the one thing I put on the list that it doesn't. And, finally, whether this is a place for solo travelers.
Hershey has a large amusement park, as well as a minor league hockey team called the Hershey Bears. And a medical center that is the town's largest employer.
Milton Hershey opened a school for orphans that still operates today. And I saw Highmeadow Campground, with its 300 sites, with my own eyes. Who would have thought? A campground at Hershey? (It feels more KOA than Yellowstone in that it is not particularly woodsy rustic. But it's inexpensive and close to the attractions.)
There is a Chocolate Workers Local 464, the union Hershey workers must belong to. And an iceless "ice" skating rink, but let me tell ya, there is no real gliding without ice. Raptors? Yes, you'll find them there. I tried falconry and I highly recommend it. 
The rose-filled garden is down the hill from The Hotel Hershey and hosts many weddings. On the way to the new "cottages," which are actually modern stone buildings with luxury rooms good for business retreats, is an activity area with shuffleboard and croquet, along with bocce, horseshoes, volleyball, basketball and tennis. Shockingly non-gimmicky. 
There's a spa at the hotel, and the boardwalk and the tubing are at Hershey Park, the amusement park. Harvest Restaurant is under construction now and will open soon, serving food from local producers.
The pond behind the hotel is filled with koi, a Hawaiian fish and the imports I mentioned? From Tanzania, Ecuador and Java? Those are the cocoas you can try during a cocoa tasting made with beans from six different countries.
What doesn't Hershey have that I put on the list in Monday's post? An inline skating factory. (As far as I know.)
And the winner is…drum roll please…
ME! I'm afraid no one guessed correctly and I get to keep the Hershey's chocolate bar. But, as consolation, here is a view of the wrapper I designed, which would have wrapped around your very own imported Hershey bar.
As I've gone on too long already, I will save for the next post descriptions of the two things I think solo travelers would enjoy – the spa and falconry – and the things they might want to avoid.
Photos: Ellen Perlman
1. Cocoa pods at The Hershey Story's (it's a museum) chocolate lab; 2. Thunder, a Harris's hawk; 3. front porch of The Cottages; 4. the chocolate tasting at The Hershey Story.
Rumor has it that the Society of American Travel Writers' Atlantic Caribbean Chapter has awarded "Boldly Go Solo" second place in the blog category during its annual awards ceremony.
I did not attend the meeting so am relying on hearsay. Very good hearsay, however. My friend, Diane, another travel writer, (check out her travel blog) attended the conference in Charleston, S.C., and heard it with her very own ears. (Very good ears, from what I remember, from yakking with her at the various SATW conferences we've attended in Houston; Manchester, England; and Santiago, Chile, to name a few.)
This is exciting! I'd like to thank all the little people, and my parents, who made this all possible and … oops, is that the "get the music" hook I'm hearing…??
Update, 6-11: I just learned that the judges were members of the Journalism School faculty at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Thank you, UNC judges!
When you think of Hershey, Pennsylvania, what comes to mind? Really, I want to know. I've just returned from a weekend there and having been there at least twice before, I now think of it with a new twist.
But everyone seems to have their own impressions. What do you think? Is it land of chocolate? That's a given. What other impressions do you have? Talk to me.
And now, here's your chance for a prize. Which one of the items in the following lists is NOT found in Hershey? There's just one correct
answer. The first one to send it, either via comment or email, wins.
Here we go. Hershey. Home to:
A large amusement park? Minor league stadium? Medical center? School for orphans? A campground?
An inline skating factory? Labor union? Raptors? Iceless ice skating rink?
Rose-filled garden? Museum? Old-fashioned outdoor games such as shuffleboard and croquet?
Luxury spa? Boardwalk? Tubing? Weddings? A restaurant with food all from local producers?
Hawaiiian fish? Business retreat? Imports from Tanzania, Ecuador and Java?
Name which one doesn't belong. The winner will get a prize: A milk chocolate Hershey bar imported directly from, um, Hershey. By me. Wrapped in a one-of-a-kind wrapper I created myself at The Hershey Story, a museum on Chocolate Avenue. At one of the interactive exhibits.
I will send this unique chocolate bar to the first person who correctly names the one item/answer that doesn't belong.
I'm going to limit the "contest" to U.S. residents for two reasons:
One, how well is a chocolate bar going to hold up over days and days during a trip overseas? And two, I have found from experience that non-Americans are not enamored of Hershey's chocolate. It tastes odd/unpleasant compared to what they're used to. So why waste the postage?
On Thursday, I will announce the "winner" (with permission) and reveal the wrapper I came up with. Don't get too excited. It's not like I'm an artiste or anything. I was just fooling around as best I could with the tools the exhibit provided. (And having a good ole' time doing so, too.)
The exhibit allows you to email your creation to yourself and print it out in the perfect size for a regular-sized chocolate bar.
Contest rules: Employees of Hershey and its affiliates not eligible. haha.
Photos: Ellen Perlman. The Hershey Hotel, from the front and back.
In an opinion piece in the New York Times, writer Nicholas D. Kristof offered 15 tips for traveling to "even the roughest countries." These are serious suggestions for staying safe and holding on to your money, but they're amusing all the same.
Some of my faves:
– If you're a woman held up in an isolated area, stick out your stomach, rub it and say you're pregnant.
– If you're held up by bandits carrying large guns, shake hands "respectfully" with all of them. (Do you ask them to put the guns down first?)
– If terrorists "finger" you, start singing, "O Canada." (How do you know the terrorists don't hate Canadians? Or is this just a distraction technique anyway? If you like this tip, here's where you can memorize the tune and lyrics "…O Canada we stand on guard for thee…")
In any case, remind me not to travel with Kristof. Where does he GO, anyway?
In this story on Fox News, it's all about how to "snag the best seats" on an airplane. Sweet talk and kindness are some of the skills needed. Brush up.
The story also advises on how to snag a free upgrade to first class. Interesting advice I hadn't ever heard, about offering to give up your economy seat for a standby passenger, in exchange for a first class seat. And why that might actually work!
And finally, in a National Public Radio podcast called, "Summer Travel Outlook: Sunny, Chance of Bargains," Scott McCarthy, who writes the Wall Street Journal column, The Middle Seat, gave tips for traveling better and more cheaply this summer.
One of the coolest tips he gave Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air, was about the Web site Flightstats, which can inform you of gate changes and delays before the pilot even knows. Why is this so important?
Well, if your flight is canceled and you're stuck in a city overnight, you want to be the first on the phone to make plans for a morning flight or for a room at a local hotel before everything's booked and you're bedding down upright in an airport seat.
To that end, he suggests taking along the numbers of airport hotels in the cities you're flying from/to so you're ready with your dialing finger. I dunno. That's a little more trip preparation than I might be able to handle.
But there you have it. If you're going to travel solo, you might as well have your wits about you and make it as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. After all, you don't have a shoulder to cry on!
We solo travelers find there's usually an expense to not having a travel companion. You can't share hotel room costs, taxi fares or dinner entrees. But every once in awhile, a financial perk comes along.
I was in Minneapolis last week for a conference. I had just a few free hours and grabbed them to visit the Walker Art Center, a fabulous contemporary museum and sculpture garden within walking distance of downtown hotels. I lucked out because entry is free Thursday nights.
I took a nice walk through the Loring Park neighborhood on the Southern edge of downtown to get there, hoofing it from my hotel right off Nicollett Mall, a major street with lots of outdoor cafes. When's the last time you've seen a park with shuffleboard and horseshoe pits along with basketball and tennis courts? Anyway…
On the day I was leaving, I had little time to spare to make it to the airport. Which meant I'd have to grab a cab for $40 instead of taking the light rail for a few bucks. As I finished checking out a man with a suitcase was walking from the hotel's elevator in the direction of the front door. Surely he was going to the airport?
I asked if he wanted to share a cab. Not something I typically do. He looked taken aback. Then said, "sure." He asked if I could wait while he got money from the ATM out the back door of the hotel. I said yes. He left his suitcase right where it was, in my care, and went to get cash.
Long story short, we shared a cab, talked a little about where we were from and what we were doing in Minneapolis and how bad his allergies were. And when we got to the airport, he insisted on picking up the cab fare because, he said, the ride to the airport passed so quickly and enjoyably. I totally agree.
It wasn't until we got out at the airport that he stuck out his hand and introduced himself. So we learned each other's names as we parted.
Yup, a lot of the joy of solo travel is in the serendipity of meeting others. And both people benefiting from the encounter.
Photo: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. SPOONBRIDGE AND CHERRY by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
Andrew Fu set out from California with the idea of visiting every state over a period of months. Since then, the 25-year-old has driven a tractor and shoveled manure in Kansas. Hung out with a fisherman in Florida. And helped break a record in Georgia for making the most pancakes in eight hours.
Most recently he was shopping for a new car in the Washington, D.C., area, after crashing his Honda Element. That's where we met up for coffee.
Fu started traveling at the end of March. On his own. After quitting a well paying job and before attending business school in the fall. He headed South after he hit cold and slippery roads in Colorado.
Every day is unique, he says. He has found that he enjoys the solitude and reflection traveling solo affords him. He's surprised to find that even after two months he has not hit any lonely patches. "I thought I'd feel lonely by the second month. I don't know why I haven't hit that. There's a lot of solitude at times. Sometimes I find it very comforting."
He ends up places on a whim. After someone mentioned sights in Texas, he found himself floating and swimming on the Comal River. I completely understand. I decided to go to Iceland after seeing an ad in a magazine. And chose to go to the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque after a conversation on a rafting trip.
Fu has a few months more for his adventure and recommends that others set out on the road. "People should live their dreams," he says. The beauty of his adventure is not knowing what he's doing next.
And he doesn't know of anyone who's sorry about going on such an adventure. "Anyone who's hit the road, I don't think there are any regrets."
About going alone? If you can't do something by yourself, it must not be that important to you, he surmises.
As for the pancakes? Fu contributed mightily to the 80,000 flap jacks poured and flipped in Atlanta that day. It took its toll. "I don't think I want to flip a pancake for a long time."
Photo: Joshua
Boldly Go Solo 
