About us
This group is for LGBT-friendly 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
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Explore Six Corners: Historic Gems, Movie Palaces & Behind-the-Scenes Access!
Clarendale Six Corners, 4715 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60641, USA, Chicago, IL, US🎭🏬 Explore Six Corners: Historic Gems, Movie Palaces & Behind-the-Scenes Access! 🏛️
A SPECIAL complimentary, sponsored walking tour of the 6 Corners Shopping District!
Discover the history, architecture & hidden gems of the Northwest Side’s legendary shopping district!
🌳 Think you know Six Corners? Come see it with a guide! Join me for a FREE walking tour of what was once the largest shopping district in Chicago outside the Loop. We’ll see old movie palaces, grand department stores, historic banks, and businesses that have faded into memory, while discovering how new energy is bringing the district back. 🎭🏬
🎤 Led by your passionate, ever-curious guide (that’s me!), this walk is perfect for architecture lovers, history buffs, photographers, and anyone who enjoys being a tourist in their own city! 😊
***
🌟 SPONSORED BY THE PORTAGE PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
This walk is sponsored by the Portage Park Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization, and SSA 28-2014 (Six Corners). That means a break from my usual paid tours—this one is FREE and open to all! Includes complimentary lunch after the walk provided by Clarendale Six Corners!For those who missed my summer tours of Portage Park East and West, here’s another chance to explore the area, this time focusing on Six Corners. 🏡
***
📍 QUICK DETAILS
🗓️ Saturday, November 7, 2026
⏰ 10 AM–12 PM
☕ START: Clarendale at Six Corners, 4715 W. Irving Park Rd.
🏁 END: Clarendale at Six Corners, 4715 W. Irving Park Rd. (end where we start)
👟 Approximately 1.8 miles, outdoors
💰 FREE TOUR BUT REGISTRATION REQUIRED
🎟️ Register here on Evenbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/explore-six-corners-historic-gems-movie-palaces-behind-the-scenes-tickets-2004096219742🌦️ Casual pace | Rain or shine
👥 Multi-group event! Expect a great crowd.
⚠️ SPACE IS LIMITED, SO REGISTER NOW!***
🎁 WHAT MAKES THIS WALK SPECIAL?
🔑 Behind-the-scenes access! We’ll get inside several buildings.
🥪 FREE boxed lunch! Complimentary boxed lunches are included after the walk. Provided by Clarendale Six Corners. Enjoy yours with a scenic view of the Six Corners intersection at one of Six Corners' most recognizable buildings or take it home.
🎉 Treats and surprises along the way.
📸 Not a strict photo walk, but there will be plenty of photo opportunities!***
🌿 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
🏡 Chicago’s famous Bungalow Belt
🎭 Historic movie palaces & entertainment venues
🏬 Classic Six Corners shopping corridors
⛪ Historic churches & neighborhood institutions
🏦 Historic banks & commercial buildings
🌳 Parks, green spaces & community gathering spots
📎 Local trivia & unexpected hidden gems
👥 Meet fellow Chicagoans, history lovers & curious explorers!🗺️ POINTS OF INTEREST (stops subject to change)
🏦 Former Inland Bank, now Clarendale at Six Corners (tour starts here!)
☕ City News Café
🗿 Portage Indian Sculpture
🎎 Fantasy Costumes
🍺 Former site of the old Dickinson Tavern
🎭 Portage Theater
🏛️ National Veterans Art Museum
🎭 Filament Theater
🛁 Distinct Bath & Body
☕ Junebug Café
🍻 Community Tavern
🏢 Former Klee Store, now Klee Plaza at Six Corners
🎨 Portage Park Makers Market
🌮 Tata’s Tacos
🍦 Culver’s & the Six Corners Mural
🏦 Former site of Northwest Federal Savings and the Northwest Chicago Film Society, now Binny’s
🧵 Singer Factory Distributor
💡 Former People’s Gas Store, now Lydia Home
💊 Former Borovik Drugstore site, now a mattress store
🎭 Former Grayland Theatre, now Rasenick’s
🌭 Jeff’s Red Hots
🏬 Former Sears Store, now Six Corners Lofts
🏦 Former Inland Bank, now Clarendale at Six Corners (tour ends here!)We’ll explore several of these in detail, including behind-the-scenes access! ✨
***
📜 WHY SIX CORNERS?
Six Corners gets its name from the meeting of three major thoroughfares: Irving Park Road, Cicero Avenue, and Milwaukee Avenue.The area developed into a major commercial hub and became known as Chicago’s largest shopping district outside the Loop. Its stores, theaters, banks, and neighborhood businesses attracted shoppers from across the Northwest Side and beyond.
The district features significant architectural landmarks, including the Art Deco Sears and Klee buildings, the classical-style Portage Theater, and the distinctive former People’s Gas Irving Park Neighborhood Store.
Like many traditional shopping districts, Six Corners has faced challenges as shopping habits have changed. But new development, historic preservation, and independent businesses are helping write its next chapter. 🏬✨
We’ll look at how this neighborhood evolved, what made it such a destination, and what its historic buildings reveal about Chicago’s commercial and cultural history.
🏡 A LITTLE ABOUT PORTAGE PARK
Portage Park is known for its classic Chicago bungalows and its namesake park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The park hosted the 1959 Pan-American Games and the 1972 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials.
The neighborhood is also home to a vibrant Polish community, the National Veterans Art Museum, the Portage and Patio theaters, and Merrimac Park. 🌳🏊♀️
There’s a lot more to this Northwest Side neighborhood than meets the eye!
***
🎒 WHAT TO BRING
👟 Comfortable walking shoes
💧 Water bottle
🍂 Weather-appropriate clothing for Chicago in November
📸 Camera or phone***
🚗 PARKING & TRANSIT
🅿️ Metered parking is available along Irving Park Road, Milwaukee Avenue, and Cicero Avenue. Free parking may be available on nearby side streets—watch for permit restrictions and no-parking signs!
🚇 Taking public transportation? Use the CTA Trip Planner or Google Maps.
🌐 https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/***
📱 LOST OR RUNNING LATE?
Call or text Giovina at 312-835-4259
👋 Please check in with Giovina when you arrive!✨🏡 Come explore beyond Six Corners! Discover the theatres, bungalows, businesses, churches, parks, architecture, and hidden stories that make Portage Park one of Chicago’s most fascinating neighborhoods. 🌳🎭🏛️
Whether you're a longtime Northwest Sider or visiting Portage Park for the first time, come see the neighborhood through fresh eyes — and be a tourist in your own city! 🌆😊
— Giovina📍 How to Find Us – Meet OUTSIDE the Clarendale at Six Corners near the large window, 4715 W. Irving Park Rd. Look for the group gathered - we are hard to miss!
🛑 Note: This is an outdoor walk. Remember walk ends where we start so plan your parking or transit accordingly.
📞 Lost or running late? Call or text me at (312) 835-4259.
Want to Learn More About the Group? Check out our Meetup page here:🔗 1001 Things to See in Chicago Before You Die https://www.meetup.com/1001-things-to-see-in-chicago-before-you-die/50 attendees
Chicago pop-up Metra visit to theNate
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, South Suburbs, 1 University Dr, University Park, IL 60484, USA, University Park, IL, USChicago pop-up Metra visit to theNate
Did you know that the Metra Electric line will take you to
The Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park - theNate at Governors State University? DAY TRIP!Bring a Lunch, and a Beverage to enjoy on the train and at your lunch break
Saturday, November 14, 2026
10am – 3pm (or the return time of your choice)
Metra Electric Line / theNate / GovStateJoin a friendly group of outdoor adventurers and art lovers for a day trip to theNate – no registration, just show up, look for the party people, and get on the train!
• 10:10am Train #811 - Departs Millennium Station, Randolph St. and Michigan Ave. (Hyde Park friends join 10:23-10:27) purchase ticket prior to boarding
• 11:20am – arrive University Park Station
• Walk to GovState and theNate via the Alumni Path (10 min, about .5 mi) and begin the tour of theNate
o PRO-tip: Otocast is a free app you can find in the App Store on your
Smartphone, and it will give you a GPS/real-time guide of the park.• The group will walk around the lake and see the masterworks (over a dozen on this portion of the walk) set in a prairie landscape and will eventually find Dan Peterman’s “Running Table”, a 100 ft long picnic table to gather and enjoy lunch. Feel free to venture off on your own and choose your own adventure!
• After lunch, restrooms are located just inside F Entrance nearby, and then we will proceed across campus to see the artworks (over a dozen on this portion of the walk too) near/around the building on the way back to the Metra Station.• 12:40, 1:40, and 2:40 trains departing University Park Station will arrive in Chicago’s Millennium Station at 1:44, 2:49, and 3:44 respectively. But trains run about every hour so stay longer if you choose.
o PRO-tip: stop in Flossmoor on your return Metra ride, see the art collection there that also uses Otocast (more at www.artflossmor.com), and/or have dinner at the award-winning Flossmoor Station Restaurant and Brewery!1 attendee
Ecuador & Galapagos! - Jan 2027
Quito, ECECUADOR & GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TRIP!
• Dates: January 7 - 19, 2027 (13 days / 12 nights)
• Cost: from $5800 (per person, excluding flights)
• Trip details: https://globe-drifters.com/trip/galapagos-and-ecuador/Email info@globe-drifters.com if you have questions!
***A small-group trip that covers more than just the Galápagos. ***You’ll explore Quito, travel into Ecuador’s Cloud Forest, and then continue on to the Galápagos Islands. The Cloud Forest offers a completely different ecosystem, with cooler air, dense jungle, and rare wildlife, before shifting to the volcanic landscapes and iconic animals of the Galápagos. It’s a varied itinerary that combines cities, rainforest, and islands in one trip.
Cloud Forest: While many itineraries skip it, the Cloud Forest is a true highlight. Perched on the Equator, this rare environment has a one-of-a-kind climate that supports remarkable plant and animal life found nowhere else. To fully experience it, we’ll soar through the mist itself — by cable car and zipline above the forest canopy.
Comfort & flexibility: We’ve chosen a land-based Galápagos experience for comfort and flexibility. Without overnight sailing in rough seas, you’ll sleep well and feel refreshed for the next day. Evenings are yours to explore local towns, experience everyday island life, and enjoy unique specialties like Galápagos craft beer and locally grown coffee from tortoise farms.
No hidden costs: All domestic flights and national park fees are included. ($1000 USD value).
1 attendee
Past events
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