Help me use an October week of PTO!
August 28, 2023 9:46 PM Subscribe
I’m in the US PNW. I have to use or lose a week of PTO. I’d like to go to warm. I’m 50s, widowed, a people person who values awe, adventure and connection. Hiking in the SW? Snorkeling in Mexico? An organized tour? And are there cool online communities to find like-minded travel buddies?
I don’t love that I’m alone now, but it is what it is. I have many awesome people in my life, but like me they work. In my youth, I didn’t hesitate to travel solo and I would often end up connecting with cool people at hostels, and then we would set out together on hikes or city explorations. In my 50s, I don’t imagine that going the same way.
Ideas on my radar right now:
-fly into Phoenix and rent an equipped camper for eight days of driving and hiking in the vicinity of Sedona and Grand Canyon. I am hyper aware that 30 years ago I would have done this without any worries regarding personal safety. I’m less carefree/more aware now, and I do have some concerns about boondock camping alone…so may compromise with traditional campgrounds. Apart from that, I don’t at all mind hiking alone, but I do wonder if I will get lonely.
-some sort of organized tour to guarantee not so alone… possibly to Mexico, and possibly to swim and snorkel. I do like good food and cultural experiences. My Spanish is terrible, but it will get me to the baño.
-some kind of… Dance camp? Craft camp?
I’m not a cruise person.
I do want to spend at least part of the time moving my body.
The best time for this is in October after the 20th.
I don’t love that I’m alone now, but it is what it is. I have many awesome people in my life, but like me they work. In my youth, I didn’t hesitate to travel solo and I would often end up connecting with cool people at hostels, and then we would set out together on hikes or city explorations. In my 50s, I don’t imagine that going the same way.
Ideas on my radar right now:
-fly into Phoenix and rent an equipped camper for eight days of driving and hiking in the vicinity of Sedona and Grand Canyon. I am hyper aware that 30 years ago I would have done this without any worries regarding personal safety. I’m less carefree/more aware now, and I do have some concerns about boondock camping alone…so may compromise with traditional campgrounds. Apart from that, I don’t at all mind hiking alone, but I do wonder if I will get lonely.
-some sort of organized tour to guarantee not so alone… possibly to Mexico, and possibly to swim and snorkel. I do like good food and cultural experiences. My Spanish is terrible, but it will get me to the baño.
-some kind of… Dance camp? Craft camp?
I’m not a cruise person.
I do want to spend at least part of the time moving my body.
The best time for this is in October after the 20th.
I'd recommended checking out Trova Trips and see if anything fits your interests. I haven't been on one but I have some friends who lead them and it sounds like a version of a tour I could see myself having fun on. I've always been kind of anti tour.
posted by sulaine at 4:37 AM on August 29, 2023
posted by sulaine at 4:37 AM on August 29, 2023
This wellness resort and spa in Mexico is on my radar; an acquaintance went with her mother and said it was wonderful, very easy-going, lots to do, and the other guests, including lots of solo women travelers, were all friends by the end of the week.
posted by stellaluna at 8:17 AM on August 29, 2023
posted by stellaluna at 8:17 AM on August 29, 2023
I've had fun doing the following things that might fit. I'm in your demographic and am a big fan of organized groups since my friends don't want to go anywhere either. Just so you know, I am not athletic (I consider 6 miles a long hike) nor sporty, and I loved all of the places described below.
- Slickrock Belize has cool week-long excursions in Belize. They have jungle centered ones, that I hear good things about, but I went to the one on the Atoll, and learned kayak surfing, windsurfing, and paddle boarding. They also have ocean kayaking, snorkeling, diving, and hammocks. Low stress, very social (communal dining hall where everybody plays games after dinner). I don't think their season starts up until after Hurricane season though - December-January timeframe is best weather window.
- I haven't been yet but you could go whale watching in Magdalena Bay MX. There is also snorkeling available and some trips that combine with hiking.
- Surf camp in Dominical Costa Rica? I did that too, but October isn't the good season. Go later if you want to go. There are lots of other groups that do various cool things in Costa Rica, which I would recommend. Would not recommend striking out on your own with a rental car there.
- Reefcheck and its kin have volunteer vacations are about a week I think, involving counting baby sea turtles hatching, monitoring coral reefs, weighing penguin chicks (!), etc.
- October is a beautiful and not crowded season for Zion Natl Park. Get a room at the Lodge if you want to splurge, or any little motel in Springdale if you don't, and hike to your heart's content. Lots of beautiful easy and medium hikes there, as well as hard ones.
- Go stay in a motel in Page, AZ (fly into Flagstaff). Rent a 4wd (just bc a lot of the roads are dirt and having 4 wheel traction could be helpful - it's not scary driving). Hike to The Wave in Coyote Buttes (if you can get a permit), take the day tour to Antelope Canyon and/or Canyon X, go see Dinosaur footprints, etc. There are sunset boat tours on Lake Powell, you can tour the Dam. There are a bunch of cool slot canyons you can hike to, and photography locations if you're into that.
- There's a similar (but not as impressive) range of stuff around Kanab, UT - you can hire people to take you in their jeeps to see "secret" Petroglyphs, go hiking on your own, and Best Friends is there to tour if you like them.
- Moab is also good that time of year - lots of hiking and just stuff to drive around and look at.
- October is a great time for Yosemite and for fall colors in the Eastern Sierra (around Mammoth/Bishop area). Fly into Reno.
- October is a great time of year for Death Valley. Stay in the park and hike and drive around. Not much for social opportunities, but Furnace Creek Inn (fancier) and Furnace Creek Ranch (more basic) (both now called "Oasis" but still have bars where you're likely to be able to meet folks.
- Beginner (or advanced!) Photography Tour. Those tend to be very social (sharing cars to drive to locations, getting dinner/beers after the day of instruction, etc).
- I've also been to a craft camp at Arrowmont in Tennessee. Worth checking out, but the flights from the west coast were kind of a pain. There are more craft schools Penland, Campbell, etc, someone will link them, up around New England as well.
- I've been wanting to go on an organized sailing trip in the Carribbean, but the season is more like April/May.
posted by bluesky78987 at 8:19 AM on August 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
- Slickrock Belize has cool week-long excursions in Belize. They have jungle centered ones, that I hear good things about, but I went to the one on the Atoll, and learned kayak surfing, windsurfing, and paddle boarding. They also have ocean kayaking, snorkeling, diving, and hammocks. Low stress, very social (communal dining hall where everybody plays games after dinner). I don't think their season starts up until after Hurricane season though - December-January timeframe is best weather window.
- I haven't been yet but you could go whale watching in Magdalena Bay MX. There is also snorkeling available and some trips that combine with hiking.
- Surf camp in Dominical Costa Rica? I did that too, but October isn't the good season. Go later if you want to go. There are lots of other groups that do various cool things in Costa Rica, which I would recommend. Would not recommend striking out on your own with a rental car there.
- Reefcheck and its kin have volunteer vacations are about a week I think, involving counting baby sea turtles hatching, monitoring coral reefs, weighing penguin chicks (!), etc.
- October is a beautiful and not crowded season for Zion Natl Park. Get a room at the Lodge if you want to splurge, or any little motel in Springdale if you don't, and hike to your heart's content. Lots of beautiful easy and medium hikes there, as well as hard ones.
- Go stay in a motel in Page, AZ (fly into Flagstaff). Rent a 4wd (just bc a lot of the roads are dirt and having 4 wheel traction could be helpful - it's not scary driving). Hike to The Wave in Coyote Buttes (if you can get a permit), take the day tour to Antelope Canyon and/or Canyon X, go see Dinosaur footprints, etc. There are sunset boat tours on Lake Powell, you can tour the Dam. There are a bunch of cool slot canyons you can hike to, and photography locations if you're into that.
- There's a similar (but not as impressive) range of stuff around Kanab, UT - you can hire people to take you in their jeeps to see "secret" Petroglyphs, go hiking on your own, and Best Friends is there to tour if you like them.
- Moab is also good that time of year - lots of hiking and just stuff to drive around and look at.
- October is a great time for Yosemite and for fall colors in the Eastern Sierra (around Mammoth/Bishop area). Fly into Reno.
- October is a great time of year for Death Valley. Stay in the park and hike and drive around. Not much for social opportunities, but Furnace Creek Inn (fancier) and Furnace Creek Ranch (more basic) (both now called "Oasis" but still have bars where you're likely to be able to meet folks.
- Beginner (or advanced!) Photography Tour. Those tend to be very social (sharing cars to drive to locations, getting dinner/beers after the day of instruction, etc).
- I've also been to a craft camp at Arrowmont in Tennessee. Worth checking out, but the flights from the west coast were kind of a pain. There are more craft schools Penland, Campbell, etc, someone will link them, up around New England as well.
- I've been wanting to go on an organized sailing trip in the Carribbean, but the season is more like April/May.
posted by bluesky78987 at 8:19 AM on August 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
Come to the Big Island! Water sports, hiking, restaurants, warm weather.
posted by billsaysthis at 10:20 PM on August 29, 2023
posted by billsaysthis at 10:20 PM on August 29, 2023
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Given that -- I was not a cruise person and the idea of an organized tour horrified me with its constrained itineraries, but I have had great times on cruises and tours and met great people I still know, because of the "the roof is the introduction" factor. I would recommend researching a tour with a demographic you enjoy and if possible trying to connect with some people beforehand, if web boards or the like are still a thing. Mexico seems like a reasonable choice for that.
posted by LadyOscar at 1:20 AM on August 29, 2023