[0x445442]

For years I've been looking forward to traveling but the thought that keeps nagging me is the whole canned tourist experience which I hate.

One thought I've been trying to sell my wife on is getting a quality RV/Travel Trailer and tour the country doing contract gigs. This sounds similar to what you're describing.

[magduf]

What makes you think you have to buy a "canned tourist experience"? Traveling (in highly developed countries at least) is easy: buy airline tickets, book rooms at hotels or hostels in the cities you want to visit, then just go there and walk around and see the sights at your leisure, and take the train to the next city according to your schedule. You don't have to buy tour packages or hire guides or hang out with other tourists if you don't want to.