About us
This group is for food lovers and travelers who don’t want to wait on their friends to finally say “yes” to get out to enjoy some good eats, socialize, and see the world. Life is too short and the world is too big!
The food events in this group are member-driven so if you’d like to host a Meetup in your area (i.e. brunch, cooking class, happy hour, a meal out at a new restaurant, etc), feel free to let me know and I'll help you get it set up in the group!
The trips in this group are usually 90% solo travelers but everyone is welcome, female/male, solo/couple/friends, straight/LGBTQIA+! So let’s travel together with fun, like-minded travelers! If you have an open mind and are kind to fellow travelers, you will fit in perfectly on these trips!
NOTE: The people on these trips are from all over the States but you’ll always be connected with people from the same city on a trip so you can meet up face to face and get to know your future travel buddies prior to the trip. You’ll also be connected to the whole group via email prior to the trip so you can virtually get to know those that are from different areas. On average, the people on each trip are 90% solo travelers but it’s hard to predict the exact demographic for each trip so please keep this in mind.
Feel free to join the Facebook group to connect with past travelers on these trips, see pictures, ask questions, funny travel memes, travel-related articles, etc: https://www.facebook.com/groups/613025845523107
The trips in this group are put on by a tour company called Globe Drifters and they focus on small group trips geared towards solo travelers with the mission of giving new meaning to travel by putting the human experience at the heart of their trips. The groups are small, usually with 12 people maximum per trip and about 90% of everyone on each trip are solo travelers so you’re not stuck being the odd man out on trips with mostly couples. You’ll have the best of both worlds, solo travel with the security of a small group of other solo travelers for some company on your adventure! To contact Globe Drifters directly, you can email [info@globe-drifters.com](mailto:info@globe-drifters.com).
Upcoming events
11
Normandy Chateau, France Slowcation! - Sept 2026
Location not specified yetNORMANDY CHATEAU, FRANCE SLOWCATION!
• Dates: September 22 - October 1, 2026 (10 days / 9 nights)
• Cost: $6600 (per person, excluding flights)
• Single supplement: None!
• Detailed itinerary, chateau info, what's included, etc: https://globe-drifters.com/trip/france-normandy-slowcation/https://globe-drifters.com/trip/france-normandy-slowcation/Click the link above for all the trip details. You can email info@globe-drifters.com if you have questions!
This is a slowcation where we'll rent out an entire chateau just for us, bring in a private chef to prepare dinner for us each night, and have a full-time guide throughout the entire trip. Plus, everyone gets their own room at no extra cost! Read more about a slowcation here: What is a slowcation?
***A château in the heart of Normandy — your home away from home… ***Explore Normandy’s villages and landscapes that inspired great impressionist paintings as you sip and savor your way along the cheese and cider trail, retreating to a château at the end of the day to eat, drink, and be merry like French royalty.
Don’t just see history, sleep in history: Stay in a château and feast on grand dinners fit for kings and queens, stroll through pristine gardens at sunset, and try a game of pétanque — a French favorite!
Cheese & Cider Trail: Follow the trail through picturesque towns to taste Normandy’s world-renowned cheeses and hard ciders.
Private room: Enjoy your own room in the château at no extra cost, providing a quiet retreat to relax after a day of exploring.
1 attendee
🖨️🏙️ Ink, Iron & Industry — A Printer’s Row Walk! 🚶♀️📚
Monadnock Building, 53 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604, USA, Chicago, IL, US🖨️🏙️ Ink, Iron & Industry — A Printer’s Row Walk! 🚶♀️📚
Brand-New Tour! A South Loop Architecture & History Walking Tour
✨ Brand-new tour alert! Join us for a Sunday-morning stroll through one of Chicago’s most fascinating historic districts—where books, newspapers, catalogs, advertisements and ideas once rolled off the presses and traveled across the country.
Have you ever walked through Printer’s Row and wondered about the stories behind its towering brick lofts, early skyscrapers, old publishing houses and railroad buildings? Now is your chance! 😊
We’ll begin at the magnificent Monadnock Building and walk south through the historic South Dearborn and Printer’s Row corridor. Along the way, we’ll explore Chicago School architecture, the rise of metal-frame skyscrapers, printing and publishing, Linotype technology, industrial loft buildings, adaptive reuse and the railroad connections that helped make Chicago a national center of commerce and culture.
Come walk, learn, explore and meet fellow history and architecture lovers! 🌇
🎤 Led by your passionate, ever-curious guide — that’s me! 😊
Perfect for architecture lovers, history buffs, book lovers, photographers and anyone who enjoys being a tourist in their own city!
***
📍 TOUR DETAILS
🗓️ Sunday, October 4, 2026
⏰ 10:45 AM–approximately 1:15 PM
🚶 Approximately 1.5–2 miles at a casual pace
📍 Start: Monadnock Building 53 W. Jackson Blvd.
🏁 End: Dearborn Station 47 W. Polk St.
💰 $20 per person — due at the start of the tour
💵 Cash preferred (exact change appreciated) | PayPal, Zelle & Venmo also accepted
🌦️ Outdoors • Casual pace • Rain or shine🚗 Parking note: This is a one-way walk. Dearborn Station is approximately 6 blocks south of the Monadnock Building—about a 12–15 minute walk back to the start, depending on your route and pace. If you are driving, consider parking somewhere between Jackson Boulevard and Polk Street so you are not too far from your car afterward.
This is primarily an exterior architecture and history walk. We are not planning to go inside buildings, although a brief stop inside Grace Place/Grace Chapel may be possible if access is available.
***
🔎 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
🏛️ Chicago School architecture and early skyscrapers
🧱 The Monadnock, Fisher, Old Colony and Manhattan buildings
🖨️ Chicago’s printing, publishing and typesetting history
🔠 Linotype technology and the revolution in printing
📚 Printer’s Row’s historic loft buildings and book culture
🏢 R. R. Donnelley, Lakeside Press and national publishing
🚂 Railroads, freight and historic Dearborn Station
🏙️ Historic preservation and adaptive reuse in the South Loop📸 Not a dedicated photo walk — but you'll definitely want your camera!
Stops may change depending on time, weather and the pace of the group.
***
**🏛️ SOME OF THE STOPS (**Stops and order are subject to change.)
🏛️ Monadnock Building
🏢 Fisher Building
🏢 Old Colony Building
🏛️ Manhattan Building
🖨️ Caxton Building
🏢 Old Franklin / Conkey Building
🏙️ Morton Building
🔠 Peterson Linotype Building
🖨️ Regan Printing House
📚 Printers Block / Plymouth Court
🔠 Mergenthaler Linotype Building
🏢 Moser Building
🏢 Pope Building
📖 Lakeside Press Building
🚂 Transportation Building
⛪ Grace Place / Grace Chapel
📚 Rowe Building / Sandmeyer’s Bookstore
🖨️ Donohue Building
🧱 Donohue Annex
🏢 New Franklin Building
🏭 Borland Manufacturing Buildings
🚉 Dearborn Station — our ending point***
🌟 WHY PRINTER’S ROW?
Printer’s Row is one of Chicago’s great historic districts — a neighborhood shaped by the city’s explosive growth, architectural innovation and its role as a national center for printing, publishing and transportation.In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, printers, publishers, typesetters, paper dealers and related businesses filled the blocks south of the Loop.
The buildings they left behind give Printer’s Row its distinctive character: tall brick façades, enormous windows, industrial details and some of Chicago’s earliest skyscraper architecture.
Today, Printer’s Row remains a special place for readers, writers, architecture lovers and anyone who appreciates a great Chicago street story. 📚🏙️
💟 WHAT TO BRING
👟 Comfortable walking shoes
💧 Water bottle
🌤️ Weather-appropriate clothing
☂️ Umbrella or rain jacket if needed
📸 Camera or phone
💰 $20 tour fee — cash preferred; exact change appreciated***
🚇 GETTING THERE
🚇 The Monadnock Building is near the Jackson CTA stations, with access to the Blue Line, Red Line and several CTA bus routes.
🚗 Street parking and paid garages are available nearby, but parking availability and rates vary. Please allow extra time for traffic, parking and walking to the starting point. Parking can be tricky here so SpotHero or ParkWhiz are good options
🚇 CTA Trip Planner:
https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
💡 Arrive a few minutes early so you’re ready to go at 10:45 AM!***
***
🍽️ OPTIONAL LUNCH AFTER THE WALK
Want to keep the conversation going after the tour? Join us for an optional bite after the walk! Depending on group interest, we may check out one of these nearby spots:
🥪 Half Sour
🌮 Flaco’s Tacos
☕ Meli Café
Post-walk food is completely optional, and everyone pays for their own meal.***
📱 RSVP & CONTACT
👋 Please check in with Giovina when you arrive!
📲 Lost or running late? Call or text Giovina at 312-835-4259.⚠️ Please update your RSVP if your plans change.
❌ Three no-shows without updating your RSVP = 3-month restriction from group events.
🚫 Continual no-shows may result in removal from group events.***
🖨️🏙️ Come explore BRAND NEW Printer’s Row with us!
Discover the skyscrapers, printing presses, publishing houses, railroad history and fascinating Chicago stories hiding behind the buildings of this historic South Loop neighborhood.
Bring your comfortable shoes, your curiosity and your camera — and come be a tourist in your own city! 😊
1 attendee
Portugal Slowcation! - Oct 2026
Sintra, PT• Dates: October 6 - 16, 2026 (11 days / 10 nights)
• Cost: $4950 (per person, excluding flights)
• Single supplement: NONE!
*Room upgrades available for premium rooms.
• Details: https://globe-drifters.com/trip/portugal-slowcation-october-2026/Check out pictures from previous trips to see what we do, where we go and who goes on the trips: PORTUGAL PHOTOS!
If you have any questions, please email info@globe-drifters.com.
What is a slowcation? Click here to find out: https://globe-drifters.com/slowcations/
Experience the magic of Portugal at your own pace on our slowcation… Explore Sintra’s fairytale castles, verdant hills, and charming cobblestone streets, returning each day to a dreamy 19th-century estate. Then, head to Porto for wine tasting, golden sunsets aboard private sailboats, and strolls through colorful neighborhoods. With hands-on experiences, unforgettable meals, and time to truly connect with each place — this is Portugal at your pace!
Portugal like a local: Step off the tourist trail into authentic Portuguese traditions. Learn the art of cheese making at a family-run dairy farm, paint your own azulejo (traditional tile), and wander through the unique landscapes of a working cork plantation.
Fairytale castles: Roam through Sintra, where enchanting palaces, lush gardens, and picturesque streets reveal centuries-old legends and hidden gems at every turn.
Douro Valley delights: Sail in style down the Douro River and indulge in the finest wines at exclusive quintas nestled in the scenic, rolling hills of Portugal’s award-winning wine country.
1 attendee
Iceland Trip! - Oct 2026
Location not specified yet• Dates: October 9 - 19, 2026 (11 days / 10 nights)
• Cost: from $5500 (per person, excluding flights)
• Detailed itinerary, price, what's included, FAQ, etc: https://globe-drifters.com/trip/iceland-october-2026/Check out pictures from our past trips to get an idea of the group and what we do: ICELAND TRIP PHOTOS!
See below for more information. Please email info@globe-drifters.com if you have any questions.
A slower-paced, small group trip through Iceland…
Small group: There are only 11 people maximum on this trip allowing us to do some unique experiences that the big groups cannot.
No rushing!: Our trip is 11 days so you can take your time to truly take in the beauty of Iceland instead of cramming everything into 5-6 short days and no rushing in and out of a bus at each stop.
Hot springs: In addition to the must-see Blue Lagoon, cleanse your body & soul in some less crowded hot springs that we visit.
Hobbit hotel on top of the world: Stay in a traditional turf house at the highest settlement in Iceland.
Beer spa & jacuzzi: Soak in wooden, beer-filled jacuzzis overlooking breathtaking mountain ranges all while sipping on your favorite glass of lager.
1 attendee
Past events
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