Great question. I am still investigating this whole touring thing, so all my experience is from riding by myself. I started out as a triathlete, and because of the no-drafting rule in that sport, I have always preferred to ride alone instead of in a pack. Even now after about 25 years of riding, I have never done a group ride or been interested in riding with others (mountain biking is an exception). Part of that is the hassle of scheduling and part of it is that I enjoy riding alone. Anyway, I tend to be mentally preoccupied with either my own thoughts on a variety of subjects or focused on the ride itself. While I do appreciate the landscape and environment, it tends to be secondary to me and especially so if it's one of my usual rides.

If and when I ever do get to do a tour, I'm hoping to strike a balance between what I already enjoy about riding and slowing it down a bit to enjoy the new places. I'm also more drawn to touring in places where I will meet lots of people, especially when not on the bike. I guess that's because I really enjoy meeting different people when I travel. As such, being in a remote place isn't appealing to me.