Yup.

I'll take a road trip an enjoy all that is to see.

In 2000, I decided come hell or high water, I was going to Europe. Flew to London, rented a car for a week and drove to Wales and Scotland, then a week at a hostel in London. It rains a lot there. Now I know why they called the midwestern US plains a desert.

No I got married to a better woman than I deserve and would not want to spend time away from her like that.
Business trip, weekend hunting sure but a week away by myself, not for me.

HK Ag

I don't think it complies with the spirit of your thread, but yes I do. I am single and have no kids, so any trip/vacation I would take is by myself.

I have no SO so all my vacations are sole. I used to make long solo auto trips (longest was 11,750 miles) but at my age I don't do that any more. My travels now are almost exclusively via planned escorted tours (which probably would not be considered "sole" since there are others in the group).

flashguy

I don't do it regularly but I've done it in the past. Was honest with the wife and said I wanted to go do something that she probably wouldn't enjoy and frankly didn't want her spoiling my time.

Mainly it was when I went to visit former warship memorials. One example is that I spent a few days at battleship cove in Fall River, Massachusetts, not something she would want to do. I explored every part of each ship there, then I brought a backpack chair on the last day and just sat on the deck of the Battleship Massachusetts and watched the birds land take off from the bow and enjoyed the breeze.

Every 6 months to 1 year. I go to the Pacific and go surfing. I’m solo but I do have friends there. I’ve done road trips also where I bail, set off for a destination in mind but no plans. I stop when I’m tired and go old school and find a motel. No internet browsing or finding a place. Oh I”m getting tired so I’ll keep an eye out for a motel at one of the exit signs. It’s fun to not have a plan. I’ve been on my bike and found a wicked area for riding by happenstance. End of day I find a place to stay very close and hit it again.

I’ve never much like traveling with people anyhow. They always have their agenda they try to push it on you. Then girlfriends will want to plan every minute of every day out and I’m the opposite. I’m on vacation so I do NOT want to make any plans whatsoever. I wake up and decide what I’m in the mood for, and do that. I don’t like too many plans because my vacation feels like a job at that point. I have to be here at X, there at Y, then Z after. People will have every day planned out 6 months prior. Man fuck all that. The weather alone can ruin the plans you’ve made so I don’t make them in advance. I’m also not going bat shit crazy the whole time off. 1/2 my time off I’m doing nothing but relaxing, not driving, etc. Myself, I get back, relaxed because I took the down time. Them, they get back completely rolled over the coals, wasted tired, and need days off to recoup from their vacation to just sleep when they get back home. That makes me laugh. You need a vacation from your vacation? I think you did the shit wrong but it’s your $ and your life. I’m doing it different.

The best example of this was in 2001. I made tentative plans to ride from TX to AZ. No fixed plans or routes. Spur of the moment mapping with an actual map. A guy wanted to tag along and I said sure, we can split the motel room, get double beds and pull the bikes into the room at night when nobody was looking. Pretty cool to wake up with two sportbikes at the foot of the beds. But he was in the military and wanted to get up at the crack and wanted to get on the road. The problem with that was it was too cold at 6 or 7am. We really needed to wait until about 10am for it to warmup and even then it was damn cold. 11am on until sunset was perfect with layering up. This guy would get up and just pace, drink coffee and just bitch. I tired of it by day 3 and told him to just go and I’ll meet you at X at Y time. He splits, and I go back to bed for 2 hours. Pack up, and check out. I decide on an alternate route by my lonesome that will take longer but it’s off the interstate, a rural highway route. I’m in the middle of Southern New Mexico. I had visibility in every direction for miles. It was incredible. I decide to see what she’ll do and WFO in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and still pulling. I hit a crest in this 2 lane highway at 155 mph and both wheels come off the ground, IOM TT style. Rear wheel is a foot off the ground, front wheel is 2 feet. What was a second seemed like 10. My heart was pounding, fear of death came over me. Then magically the bike lands, I don’t make any inputs or panic, the suspension just sucks it up, no fuss no issues. I take about 30 seconds to compose myself. Then I say fuck it, twist it up again and top it out at close to 170 mph. This was literally just a couple of minutes of these shenanigans but one of the best moments of my life. Taught me to travel solo. I’ll never forget telling that guy hey I’m on vacation for the first time in years. I need sleep so I don’t want to get up at the crack and ride in the freezing cold. We need to wait until it warms up to ride. That went in one ear and his other. Never again.

Very rarely take vacations ... period. But, I did drive across America for a month by myself back in 2011. That was fun.

My mother in law came into a bit of money. First thing she did was take my wife and her sister on a train vacation from Vancouver to Calgary. I was okay with it. She started making noise about wanting to do something else like that the next year and my wife turned her down. She said I'm not going without my husband. So, no I don't take solo vacations.

As with some others here, I did after I retired. Enjoyed road trips off the beaten path in my S2000. Loved chatting up locals in small towns and enjoying locally owned eateries and attractions. My "bald1" license plate often caused folks to initiate a conversation with me as well.

Addendum:
I'd forgotten solo motorcycle trips in the very early '70s from upstate NY into Canada sometimes up to 5 hours due north of the border.
Then there's my solo trip to the UK in 1972 which saw me bartending in Soho (Blue Boar on Berwick St) and hanging out in recording studios. Epic!
And when in Japan in the late '70s long solo outings with my newly purchased Olympus OM-2n camera. Never forget the signs indicating tourists / foreigners not welcome. This 10-15 miles from Yokosuka.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bald1,

I've never done a solo vacation per se. Always had a companion which For me enhances the experience if it's someone you care for and shares your likes. I have done a bit of solo exploring when I was on a business trip that landed me in an area I've not been. I'm there at the company's expense, business part is over and I can change my return flight a couple of days out. My boss said no problem with a few extra days in hotels and reasonable other expenses. Miami and Seattle come to mind.

I am leaving Thursday for a solo Motorcycle tour of the Western part of the US. Probably be gone two months.



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No, I do not take solo vacations ... and may be the reason I have been married to my wife for 40 years.

But I do take solo breakfast or lunch with the guys ... does that count ?

The only time I've taken a solo trip is when there was someone else on the other side to meet. Most of my travel is business and that is mostly "solo", except when I have to break in a newbie on international stuff. So I am used to traveling alone, but that is a benefit in many ways - no waiting for someone who has trouble being on time, and freedom to do as I want in spare time and not have to go to tourist shit the newbies want to do.

An entire vacation alone does not sound very fun though.

Frequently. I travel for work, sometimes I extend work trips (on my dime) and sometimes I just go. Traveling for work, and being a points whore, help a lot because I can basically go wherever/whenever I want. I LOVE traveling alone, because I dont have to listen to anyones bullshit about, well, anything. Flying, driving, train, TSA, Customs, dinner, to-do's, hotel...it's all on me.

I'll take a trip with a GF from time to time, but nothing beats throwing a few things in the backpack and fucking off for a few days.

I went to France solo, a year later to England solo. Both times I was chasing WW2 history.

I’m doing more stuff solo lately, even though I’m married. This is usually more with an outdoors type activity, meet a guy or a relative.

I have a friend in MT, big into fishing. I’m thinking about a visit later summer.

If I was single I would.

Like some others here I enjoy the occasional solo motorcycle trip. I generally plan them ahead but one I really liked, that I didn't plan ahead, was probably 14 years ago. After I finished reading an American Motorcyclist article "The 10 Best Rides in Colorado" I asked my wife if she'd mind if I wandered off for 12 days or so? She just asked "where are you going"?
The next day I changed the oil then packed up the Super Glide with my light weight camping gear and a few clothes, got out the maps and planned a route to Colorado on back roads. The bike wasn't set up to carry a lot and it didn't even have a windshield so I was a little apprehensive but the following day I was off and it turned out to be a nice ride.
Most rides I plan such as riding somewhere to a motorcycle rally and these trips are kind of the best of both; you get to enjoy a few days of time alone but when you arrive you're among others with a common interest.

Pre Covid I took at least one solo motorcycle trip a year. Usually to the coast. Haven’t done it the last couple of years, but circumstances permitting I’m headed a random direction first week of July until I hit salt water.

Wife is remarkably tolerant of it. She tends to take a trip or two a year to visit friends in Texas, so it’s a fair exchange.