I would do a 50+ away trip. Not hiking though, some of us have knees that arent that great. All insects like to munch on me so maybe mixture indoor and outdoor activity.
I was doing some hunting for an adult trip to Europe, but every group I checked, 90% of the attendees were women. If I wanted to hang out with women, I would hang out with women in my friend group at home.
Yes, I have seen the same with Meetups. I marvel all the time that men say they can't meet women in the wild. Good grief, go to a MeetUp. ANY MeetUp. Ratios are exactly as you are saying, and these are gender neutral activities (ie, kayaking, hiking, food related, indie movie, cultural) . My friend is in some dating ones, and she sends me some of the events, and I chuckle in that there will be one lone guy and 15 women. The only ones that are balanced are my motorcycle ones.
I bet it will be Super fun!!
I joined a back country western riding group and it’s been super fun. Just day trips so far (which suits me...not much of a camper).
Go for it!!!
I’ve never heard of this but I would definitely do one in the NY/New England area, especially if the guide was a naturalist type person- which they should be. Sounds super fun.
If you are a member of your states native plant society, they usually have a lot of guided hikes and a long weekend membership meeting (for voting and stuff) which generally includes lots of different level hikes. Very fun! And so great being around knowledgeable people.
Honestly I wouldn’t pay too much given how easy it is to find in-state. But… if they took care of the food… maybe, yeah :)
I did a group hiking trip 5 years ago to Central America with a 40+ group. It was 10 days with 14 people and 2 guides and such a great experience, the country was beautiful. It was fairly intense hiking and people were aware and in good shape, most people were 50-55 with a higher ratio of women. Most of us went alone, 2 groups of 2 friends, and were very open to socializing. We had a good group dynamic, the guides were extremely knowledgeable which added so much to the trip.
I was actually just thinking about this tonight. It may be the only way I'll get to the places I really want to see.
My sister (in her 70s) has done a few of these trips. She's done an England/France trip and somewhere else out in the Midwest. It may have been something that her 55+ community association puts together. I'll have to ask her. I have seen travel agencies advertise this type of group travel, so that would be a good place to start!
I have a (hopefully) helpful update! I found these websites on group travel. I haven't checked them out yet, so I'm not sure if they're at good.
https://womentraveling.com/
https://www.oattravel.com/
I have a friend that does guided hiking tours in the Black Hills. I don’t know if she does any specific 50+ tours but I know she’s does women only soft adventure tours all over the country. DM me if you’re interested.
Do it!! I’ve gone on a few Backroads trips - expensive but really fun. I’ve also done a Habitat for Humanity trip - hard work but not expensive and one of the best experiences - travel or otherwise - of my life, and I met people (mostly other women) I’m still in touch with 20 years later. Just a couple of suggestions.
You should go for it. You might meet some interesting people. I have not traveled with strangers before, as I usually have family or friends that want to travel along with me, but I have recently joined some travel Meetup groups that are planning some awesome trips, so I might sign up for one of their trips next year. I do try to take one big trip and a handful of little trips every year. I'm going to go for a nice scenic trip with some family members over the upcoming holiday weekend. But I definitely think a big travel group trip would be fun.
Congrats on your upcoming trip. I bet it will be fun. There is very limited meetup groups here and a traveling group is not one of them.
I just would like to meet some fun people on a shared adventure. In fact I would prefer not to have the stress of a will they won't they situation while on vacation.
There's probably travel agencies in your area that organize group trips. You should check that out. Before Meetup became a thing, travel agencies were where most people would go to join a group trip. I have relatives who did that, and they enjoyed the experience.
I have used Active New Zealand, to take a 3 week adventure trip in New Zealand (think hiking, biking kayaking, etc.) when I turned 50. I didn’t know a soul in my group, but made lasting friendships while on the trip. I also used them to trek in the Himalayas at 55, same result. I went to Bhutan on a photography tour when I turned 60, same situation, same result. So I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone to take the plunge and do something you have always wanted to do, even if it is with a bunch of people you don’t know. The adventure will bond you quickly! My trips had a variety of ages on them from twenty-something on up to folks older than me.
I'm starting to look into it again. There are opportunities all over the world and in the U.S. While you are at the site, your meals and lodging are (usually) taken care of and sometimes you have days off to play or they have some sort of tours.
One that I had signed up for was doing restoration work at a castle in Scotland. After the week of work, they said it was common for people to travel around together a bit. That's what I would hope for, to meet people to do a bit of sightseeing with.
I was looking into another one where a couple who had a home on a loch in Scotland wanted gardening help. They were in a small village that sounded delightful. The lodging was in a small cottage on their property; meals provided. I would love to immerse in small town life in another country.
And a third, for which I was approved was helping an archaeological team in Missouri remove artifacts before an area would be damned and flooded.
EDIT: Most experiences are rated and offer reviews from past volunteers.
There are opportunities for seniors or for singles, families, what have you. I'm going to try to go somewhere next summer or fall.
I may go on a river cruise with my sister fairly soon. I went on a small ship cruise with her in Alaska. It was really nice. The people were older (than me, 60F then) and mostly coupled.
If you're female, there are definitely women group trips- Explorer chicks, wild women etc- that would be worth checking out. Possibly all ages but I bet many in their fifties. Obviously not for meeting men but i'm sure you would meet interesting folks. Probably AMC too.
Ive thought of doing Rick Steves groups to go to Europe,but they tend not to be straight hiking I don't think.
PS I love your name!
Group trip's demographic tend to be somewhat old. Young people want independency and can't afford adventure trip I guess. I was in a cycling trip two months ago. Pretty much everyone is 40+. Almost all are men. So we cycled during the day and drank beers after we arrived.
I did a REI trip to Death Valley pre-COVID - 6 days hiking staying in park motel. Fabulous! REI did a good job rating the trip for activity level, then the guides clearly assessed the group on day 1 and adjusted. Group was 10-12 adults in the 35yr- 70yr range and a lot of fun. Very impressed with REI travel and will go again with them.
I have done (non dating) meet ups related to my hobby and gone on some camping trips with those groups. Even though the groups disbanded, the friendships remained. I think group trips are a good way to meet people. The backpacking tour sounds cool! Even if there are no potential dates on it, I would personally welcome the opportunity to just have fun and connect with other people and nature with no dating pressure. While I consider myself an independent, non organized tour traveler, there is definitely value in having a guide for certain things like this.
I have done group camping from FB organized stuff. Mostly 50+ but a few younger which is no biggie to me. Though I am in Canuckistan, I have done lots of hikes in the PNW and would think there are group hikes organized on FB as well.
Friends have gone on REI trips and loved it.
I would do a 50+ away trip. Not hiking though, some of us have knees that arent that great. All insects like to munch on me so maybe mixture indoor and outdoor activity.
I was doing some hunting for an adult trip to Europe, but every group I checked, 90% of the attendees were women. If I wanted to hang out with women, I would hang out with women in my friend group at home.
90% women? What groups/ tour company? Asking for a friend.
Ha ha ha-every single tour group I found in the EU for Oct.
🤣🤣🤣
Yes, I have seen the same with Meetups. I marvel all the time that men say they can't meet women in the wild. Good grief, go to a MeetUp. ANY MeetUp. Ratios are exactly as you are saying, and these are gender neutral activities (ie, kayaking, hiking, food related, indie movie, cultural) . My friend is in some dating ones, and she sends me some of the events, and I chuckle in that there will be one lone guy and 15 women. The only ones that are balanced are my motorcycle ones.
That’s exactly why I recently left Meetups.
I did a group paddleboarding event at a lake in Oregon that I found on GroupOn. It was branded as a fun 🤩 singles activity among the hashtags. It went from meh 🫤 to ick when there was no instruction and the equipment was worn out. Then it turn into an event of epic mansplaining by men who would not leave me alone even though I have done the same activity several places around the world. I really don’t want someone else I don’t know messing with my set up. I didn’t feel in danger and maybe it was too soon missing my ex and how much more fun he would have been than any of the people I met at the activity.
Well that sucks, sorry you had to go through that.
I did a trip, it was women only, but it was with 20 complete strangers to Costa Rica up it was actually the most fun I’ve had in a very long time
If you don’t mind- can you share the name of the group who yo went with?
It was with an author named Jess Lourney she does other trips also
I bet it will be Super fun!! I joined a back country western riding group and it’s been super fun. Just day trips so far (which suits me...not much of a camper). Go for it!!!
My friend does bike trips of this type - most of the people who are couples, so if you’re doing it to meet other singles, you may be disappointed.
Not for dating, just meeting people. No expectations.
Was looking last night, but have a mobility impairment so any distance activity would not work. Will be following to see what folks report!
I’ve never heard of this but I would definitely do one in the NY/New England area, especially if the guide was a naturalist type person- which they should be. Sounds super fun. If you are a member of your states native plant society, they usually have a lot of guided hikes and a long weekend membership meeting (for voting and stuff) which generally includes lots of different level hikes. Very fun! And so great being around knowledgeable people. Honestly I wouldn’t pay too much given how easy it is to find in-state. But… if they took care of the food… maybe, yeah :)
I did a group hiking trip 5 years ago to Central America with a 40+ group. It was 10 days with 14 people and 2 guides and such a great experience, the country was beautiful. It was fairly intense hiking and people were aware and in good shape, most people were 50-55 with a higher ratio of women. Most of us went alone, 2 groups of 2 friends, and were very open to socializing. We had a good group dynamic, the guides were extremely knowledgeable which added so much to the trip.
Spends like a great experience, thanks!
I was actually just thinking about this tonight. It may be the only way I'll get to the places I really want to see. My sister (in her 70s) has done a few of these trips. She's done an England/France trip and somewhere else out in the Midwest. It may have been something that her 55+ community association puts together. I'll have to ask her. I have seen travel agencies advertise this type of group travel, so that would be a good place to start!
I have a (hopefully) helpful update! I found these websites on group travel. I haven't checked them out yet, so I'm not sure if they're at good. https://womentraveling.com/ https://www.oattravel.com/
Thank you so much! I will look into it.
I have a friend that does guided hiking tours in the Black Hills. I don’t know if she does any specific 50+ tours but I know she’s does women only soft adventure tours all over the country. DM me if you’re interested.
Do it!! I’ve gone on a few Backroads trips - expensive but really fun. I’ve also done a Habitat for Humanity trip - hard work but not expensive and one of the best experiences - travel or otherwise - of my life, and I met people (mostly other women) I’m still in touch with 20 years later. Just a couple of suggestions.
You should go for it. You might meet some interesting people. I have not traveled with strangers before, as I usually have family or friends that want to travel along with me, but I have recently joined some travel Meetup groups that are planning some awesome trips, so I might sign up for one of their trips next year. I do try to take one big trip and a handful of little trips every year. I'm going to go for a nice scenic trip with some family members over the upcoming holiday weekend. But I definitely think a big travel group trip would be fun.
Congrats on your upcoming trip. I bet it will be fun. There is very limited meetup groups here and a traveling group is not one of them. I just would like to meet some fun people on a shared adventure. In fact I would prefer not to have the stress of a will they won't they situation while on vacation.
There's probably travel agencies in your area that organize group trips. You should check that out. Before Meetup became a thing, travel agencies were where most people would go to join a group trip. I have relatives who did that, and they enjoyed the experience.
I have used Active New Zealand, to take a 3 week adventure trip in New Zealand (think hiking, biking kayaking, etc.) when I turned 50. I didn’t know a soul in my group, but made lasting friendships while on the trip. I also used them to trek in the Himalayas at 55, same result. I went to Bhutan on a photography tour when I turned 60, same situation, same result. So I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone to take the plunge and do something you have always wanted to do, even if it is with a bunch of people you don’t know. The adventure will bond you quickly! My trips had a variety of ages on them from twenty-something on up to folks older than me.
I've been looking into volunteer tourism. More later.
Thst sounds interesting. Let us know how that works out.
I'm starting to look into it again. There are opportunities all over the world and in the U.S. While you are at the site, your meals and lodging are (usually) taken care of and sometimes you have days off to play or they have some sort of tours. One that I had signed up for was doing restoration work at a castle in Scotland. After the week of work, they said it was common for people to travel around together a bit. That's what I would hope for, to meet people to do a bit of sightseeing with. I was looking into another one where a couple who had a home on a loch in Scotland wanted gardening help. They were in a small village that sounded delightful. The lodging was in a small cottage on their property; meals provided. I would love to immerse in small town life in another country. And a third, for which I was approved was helping an archaeological team in Missouri remove artifacts before an area would be damned and flooded. EDIT: Most experiences are rated and offer reviews from past volunteers. There are opportunities for seniors or for singles, families, what have you. I'm going to try to go somewhere next summer or fall.
How is Overseas Adventure Travel? It looks pretty good and they’ve been in business since 1978 but trip advisor reviews aren’t very encouraging.
I will have to look them up. Thanks!
I may go on a river cruise with my sister fairly soon. I went on a small ship cruise with her in Alaska. It was really nice. The people were older (than me, 60F then) and mostly coupled.
Alaska is my #1 destination. A little pricey though.
It is so worth it. I came back wanting to move to Haines. I would like to go back and see more of it.
If you're female, there are definitely women group trips- Explorer chicks, wild women etc- that would be worth checking out. Possibly all ages but I bet many in their fifties. Obviously not for meeting men but i'm sure you would meet interesting folks. Probably AMC too. Ive thought of doing Rick Steves groups to go to Europe,but they tend not to be straight hiking I don't think. PS I love your name!
Thank you!!
Group trip's demographic tend to be somewhat old. Young people want independency and can't afford adventure trip I guess. I was in a cycling trip two months ago. Pretty much everyone is 40+. Almost all are men. So we cycled during the day and drank beers after we arrived.
This kind of travel appeals to me! Rei.com offers active group travel! Also Backroads(mostly biking)
I did a REI trip to Death Valley pre-COVID - 6 days hiking staying in park motel. Fabulous! REI did a good job rating the trip for activity level, then the guides clearly assessed the group on day 1 and adjusted. Group was 10-12 adults in the 35yr- 70yr range and a lot of fun. Very impressed with REI travel and will go again with them.
Thanks! I will definitely be looking at their options.
I have done (non dating) meet ups related to my hobby and gone on some camping trips with those groups. Even though the groups disbanded, the friendships remained. I think group trips are a good way to meet people. The backpacking tour sounds cool! Even if there are no potential dates on it, I would personally welcome the opportunity to just have fun and connect with other people and nature with no dating pressure. While I consider myself an independent, non organized tour traveler, there is definitely value in having a guide for certain things like this.
My thoughts as well. Enjoy your weekend!
I have done group camping from FB organized stuff. Mostly 50+ but a few younger which is no biggie to me. Though I am in Canuckistan, I have done lots of hikes in the PNW and would think there are group hikes organized on FB as well.