When I was a young photojournalist I loved being on my own and I guess sewed my photography oats at that time. Now I can only think of travel as a married couple. My wife knows my interests and even points of interesting subjects. I travel only with a pocket camera that can handle all I need for photography. I can put the camera in a belt pouch allowing me to hold my wife's hand while out and about.
I feel I do not miss much, I am not the type of person who can speed days with a group of photographers, I am a guy who has always liked to shoot alone. (but in Florida each morning I shoot with a group of photographers but that is only for about 2 hours each morning, not the whole day and not for a specific purpose, we are together but not together, we are all shooting on our own)
I could not consider traveling anywhere without my wife at my side. I do not think I miss much.

While I go on birding shoots either alone or with a group, my wife loves to travel with me for location photography, and we have taken (pre-COVID) multiple guided excursions (Moab, Durango). We prefer the organized trips because 1) the guides know the best places and times, and 2) they offer technical expertise as needed. Assuming things continue to ease, the next 12 months will take us to Costs Rica and the Canadian Rockies, all with photography as the goal. Traveling with someone other than a spouse sounds interesting, but I am pleased to say that my wife accepts, encourages and shares my photographic interest.

I don't agree with you. When we travel my wife makes me take a lot of pictures of her in front of famous/far away landmark. She post the pictures on facebook just to make her friends envy. I don't think people enjoy seeing pictures from your exotic vacations.
Let put it this way, although you may say the locations are exotic but chances are they have been photographed before and one wants to see what they look like they can see them on the web or books. Seeing your pictures of those location only prove that you were there.

The last 2 trips I have taken and the one I am planning for this August all have been taken with my (now) college age son. He is into ComicCon type conventions and I tag along when the location has much to offer for a tourist and amateur photographer. I will add that my son also loves photography. So he spends part of his time at the con and part with me. I spend part of my time in museums, aquariums and other attractions and the rest with him and we find photo opportunities. It has worked out very well. We are planning to do a cross country train trip after he graduates.

This post may seem like musings, but is meant to ask some of you what you would do differently/better if circumstances (not equipment) allowed. I am wondering how many folks in the photo community would stretch their skills if they had more opportunity to do photography-specific trips as opposed to recreational travel? Yes, there are pro-photographer led workshops as well as photo clubs in more populated cities, but the workshops can be cost prohibitive in exchange for time and coverage provided, and clubs seem to be pretty scattered out and limited to regional subject matter.
Being drawn to landscapes and nature, I was blessed when I found another soul who shared the same enthusiasm for discovery and desire to explore way beyond his home territory. What made it a perfect photography union was that our spouses had no patience with travel that evolved into long photo sessions. So, with mutual respect for each other’s talents and skill…and with neither trying to be the teacher, but both being open to experimenting with new shooting situations by setting goals…we made 9 trips across the SW, the PNW, the Rockies, and even waterfall country here in NC. Three big “C’s” (Construction, Cancer, and Covid) brought the trips to a halt in 2018, with one last trip this September left to experience. My buddy’s health makes it hard to plan too far in the future these days.
For me, images seen through a lens have always been imbedded in memory far more lastingly than when casually glimpsed through the window of a moving vehicle. And the desire to preserve those images as clearly and beautifully as possible motivated me to grow my photographic skill set. Am I an anomaly for sometimes wanting to create a portfolio of beautiful imagery over always sharing experiences with my spouse?
So, I wonder…how many would choose to partner up for travel dedicated to capturing the scenery over recreational travel with a spouse where photography is merely an adjunct? Can we only justify travel solely for photography if we are ‘professionals’ making a living at it?
(P.S. All of the above is directed at the mature segment of this community who would not travel solo. There are probably a great many brave young folks who can live out of a car/and or tent in pursuit of adventure and never worry about accidents in remote locations.)