Thinking about going to this for "Championship Weekend." Do people go by themselves or is that weird? With 2017 SA location being unknown and 2018 Nationals in CA, this seems like the best chance for me (located in the Midwest) to see any live skating before the 2018 round of retirements.
Skate America 2017 is going to be in Lake Placid, NY. However, I encourage you to attend Championship Weekend which will give you tons of wonderful skating. I attended my first Nationals in 2000 in Cleveland by myself and have since made many friends from all over the U.S.
It was always fun to watch the events on TV, but IMO nothing beats the excitement in the arena when skaters give a great performance.