Boldly Go Solo

Free stuff in cities around the U.S.

$500,000 in free stuff in 16 major cities around the country. I don't know much about this site called zozi but that's what they're giving away. Starting today. But not for long.

It seems like it's another one of those discount sites that slashes prices so you will frequent a local business. I recently wrote about groupon and livingsocial deals and this seems similar.

Go. Now. Get something free.

I just went to the site and it tells me I'm eligible for a free paddle board rental at Chesapeake Beach in Calvert County, Maryland. Hm, never heard of that. But why not try it?

Anyway, I'm putting this out there without an endorsement, since I'm not familiar with the organization and I've never used it. Just in case you want to read the fine print and explore what you can get for free in your city.

Report back if it's something amazing!

According to the press release I received, you can get two free Zumba lessons in Chicago, a rock-climbing class in Los Angeles and a half day biking trip in Moab if you're in Salt Lake City. Among other things.

Sounds great. Let me know if it works. 

Photo: Courtesy of zozi

27 travel tips and what we learned in 2009 - a roundup of travel bits and pieces

I scour millions of pages of the Internet every day so you solo travelers don't have to. Below are some finds on lessons learned, cheap tips traded and discussion boards discussed:

Fodor's recently posted an entry on lessons learned from travel in 2009. One person learned from travel to third world countries how "very blessed with riches and people" she or he was. 

Another learned that people can "communicate without any common language." Any English speaker who has traveled in a non-English speaking country understands the beauty of this. Smiles and pointing fingers can accomplish a lot.

Lonely Planet came up with 27 travel tips. One of the many tips I liked was to take your hobbies with you. A big soccer fan? Get tickets to a game while in Buenos Aires. An architecture buff? Take a walking tour when in a city like Chicago. Pursuing your passion while abroad is bound to connect you to people.

And honestly? If I go to one more church or temple...

These are the sights most often touted by guidebooks. The churches and temples. They're fine. Nice to see. Especially if you happen to be a church or temple buff.

But I don't go to them in my own city. I'd rather dig deeper and get behind the tourist sights. I've seen way too many small churches that didn't need seeing.

Check in with solo sites such as Tripadvisor's solo travel forum. Just as a for instance, an entry on Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, says that the city comes highly recommended for solo travelers, especially female solo travelers. The writer says it's one of the friendliest places on earth and that you never feel like you're alone.

Traveling alone? Phone for a friend in Chicago, Houston or New York

Traveling alone in Chicago? You literally can order a "friend." Pick up the phone and call Chicago Greeter and you'll be reserving a local resident to show you around town for a few hours. For free.

The Chicago Office of Tourism matches visitors with residents knowledgeable about their city. They'll take you along the famous Chicago lakefront or to the city's parks, museums, boutiques or ethnic neighborhoods. You choose.

They're not professional tour guides. They're people who love their town and want to share it. They give you a personalized orientation, depending on your interests. And will spend two to four hours walking around, pointing things out. Or explaining things you'd like to know about the city.

I plan to take the city up on this the next time I'm in Chicago, despite the fact that I already HAVE a Chicago friend who's given me a tour of the very cool Millennium Park downtown and some ethnic neighborhoods. But she's not always around to give me personalized tours!

Houston and New York

Call Houston Greeters and have a volunteer take you to a Houston Astros baseball game. Or a walk around the neighborhood. Or on a pub crawl.

New York was the first city to have a volunteer welcome program for visitors. Big Apple Greeters have been taking people around their city's diverse neighborhoods since 1992. About 300 volunteers are ready and waiting. And they speak 22 languages. Book your airline ticket, submit your request for a greeter and have a grand time!

Any other cities out there that offer a greeter service?

Photo: Big Apple Greeter in a subway station, courtesy of the Big Apple Greeters Web site.