About us
This group is for people who want to get out and explore Chicago and beyond, make new friends, and have some fun! If you don't want to wait on friends to finally say “yes” to get out to enjoy all that Chicago has to offer and to see the world. Life is too short!
The local events in this group are member-driven so if you’d like to host a Meetup in your area (i.e. walk, museum, coffee, play pickleball, concerts, 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
13
Tuscany/Umbria Slowcation! - Sept 2026
Location not specified yet• Dates: September 18 - 27, 2026 (10 days / 9 nights)
• Cost: $5400 (per person, excluding flights)
• Single supplement: None! *Upgrades available for premium rooms
• Trip details: https://globe-drifters.com/trip/tuscany-umbria-slowcation-sept-2026/Check out pictures from previous trips to see what we do, where we go, and who goes on the trips: ITALY SLOWCATION PHOTOS!
What is a slowcation? Click here to find out: https://globe-drifters.com/slowcations/
If you have any questions, please email info@globe-drifters.com.
Experience small-town Italy like a local on a slowcation… Tuscany conjures up dreams of life at a slower pace where you can soak in the Italian countryside’s culture, food, and picturesque vistas. Stroll through narrow passageways of medieval villages perched on hilltops. Pick out cheese & wine at the market in town and chat with the locals. Tuscany is the dream vacation and now is your chance to go!
Live like a local: Skip the hoards of tourists in Italy’s more popular towns and cities and live the good life in a true Italian village with barely any tourists. If you want to experience the real Italy, this is your chance!
Ideal location: This villa was converted into a hotel in the early 1900s and is situated right in town making it easy to explore. A cafe, grocery store, and many restaurants are just a few steps away from your accommodation.
Discover Italy: Many of Tuscany & Umbria’s most famous towns are only 30 – 45 minutes away from the hotel so you can explore all the best locations in the region without going far.
1 attendee
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
🌳🏛️ Historic Kenwood — Mansions, Megastars & Hidden Gems! 🚶♀️🎩
Blackstone Branch, Chicago Public Library, 4904 South Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, IL, US🌳🏛️ Historic Kenwood — Mansions, Megastars & Hidden Gems! 🚶♀️🎩
Walking the Kenwood Historic District - Back by Popular Demand!
If you've never explored Kenwood, now is your chance — and if you have, you know exactly why we're going back! 😊 Join us for a last-minute pop-up Saturday afternoon stroll through one of Chicago's most elegant and fascinating neighborhoods.
✨ Kenwood is packed with magnificent Gilded Age mansions, Prairie School architecture, historic houses of worship, and stories connected to some of Chicago's most influential residents.
We'll see homes and sites connected to Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali, Julius Rosenwald and Elijah Muhammad, along with architectural gems by Frank Lloyd Wright and other Chicago architects. We'll also explore the stories of the activists, entrepreneurs, educators and community leaders who helped shape this remarkable neighborhood.
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, photographers and anyone who enjoys being a tourist in their own city!
***
## 📍 TOUR DETAILS
🗓️ Saturday, September 26, 2026
⏰ 2:30–approximately 5:00 PM
🚶 Approximately 2.5 miles at a casual pace
📍 Start: Blackstone Branch Library
4904 S. Lake Park Ave.
🏁 End: KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation 5039 S. Greenwood Ave.
(approximately 6 blocks from the starting point)
💰 $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***
## 🔎 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
🏛️ Stately Gilded Age homes and early Prairie-style architecture
🧱 Architectural gems by Frank Lloyd Wright and other Chicago legends
🥊 Sites connected to Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama
📜 The homes and stories of Julius Rosenwald and Elijah Muhammad
⛪ Historic houses of worship and important community institutions
🌳 Beautiful tree-lined streets and hidden neighborhood gems📸 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.)
🏛️ Blackstone Branch Library
🧱 George Blossom House — Frank Lloyd Wright
🧱 Warren McArthur House — Frank Lloyd Wright
🏠 Former Elijah Muhammad House
🏡 Howard Van Doren Shaw House
🥊 Former Muhammad Ali Residence
🏠 Charles Adams Goodyear House
🏠 Ezra S. Brainerd House
🏢 Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters
🏛️ Julius Rosenwald House
🧱 Gustavus F. Swift Mansion
🧱 Moses Born Residence
🏛️ Martin A. Ryerson House
🧱 McGill House
🦅 Former Obama Family Home
🕍 KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation — our ending point
🏠 Isidore Heller House — Frank Lloyd Wright may be included if time permits.***
## 🌟 WHY KENWOOD?
Kenwood is one of Chicago's most fascinating historic neighborhoods, combining grand architecture with an extraordinary social and cultural history.
The neighborhood flourished in the late 19th century as one of Chicago's fashionable addresses, attracting industrialists, philanthropists and civic leaders who built impressive homes along its tree-lined streets.
Over the decades, Kenwood became associated with major figures in civil rights, politics, religion, business and culture. Its architectural legacy is equally impressive, including several important works by Frank Lloyd Wright.
We'll explore the neighborhood's evolution while discovering the stories hiding behind the beautiful facades. 🌳🏛️
***
## ⚠️ PARKING NOTE
This is a one-way walk and we finish approximately 6 blocks from where we start.
🚗 If you're driving, consider parking somewhere between the start and end points so you aren't too far from your car afterward.
Free and metered street parking can be found along Lake Park Ave., Woodlawn Ave. and surrounding side streets. Read all parking signs carefully!
💡 Arrive a few minutes early if you need time to find parking.***
## 💟 WHAT TO BRING
👟 Comfortable walking shoes
💧 Water bottle
🌤️ Weather-appropriate clothing
💰 $20 tour fee — cash preferred; exact change appreciated***
## 🍽️ OPTIONAL BITE AFTER THE WALK
Want to keep the afternoon going? Some of us may grab a bite afterward at one of the neighborhood spots below, depending on group interest.
🥗 Can't Believe It's Not Meat — vegan
https://cantbelieveitsnotmeat.com/
🥪 Cafe 53
https://www.cafe-53.com/
🍕 The Sit-Down Cafe
https://thesitdowncafe.com/
Post-walk food is completely optional and everyone pays for their own meal.***
## 🚇 GETTING THERE
🚇 Multiple CTA bus routes serve the area. Use the CTA Trip Planner or Google Maps for the best directions.
https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
🚗 Street parking is available nearby, but availability varies. Watch carefully for meters, permit restrictions and posted parking regulations.***
## 📱 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 the group.***
🌳🏛️ Come explore Kenwood with us!
Walk through streets filled with architectural treasures, fascinating Chicago stories and connections to some of the city's most influential people.Bring your comfortable shoes, your curiosity and your camera — and come be a tourist in your own city! 😊
9 attendees
Past events
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