Tag Archives: boating
Mermaids Are Real (we have proof)!
In the crystal clear waters of Weeki Wachee Springs there reside mermaids, seriously. We wouldn’t make up something like this.As a matter of FACT, the Florida State Park Service is a leader in the preservation of these exotic rare creatures.
We were lucky enough to have the chance to observe their graceful antics in a natural habitat and… CONTINUE READING >>
Dispatch Two – Our Amazing Asian Cruise!
Our amazing Asian live-blog continues!Follow along LIVE with us as we discover China, South Korea and Japan. We’ll be bring you The Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, Dalian, Busan, Nagasaki and all the fabulous entertainment, the activities, the food and fun aboard the ms Volendam!… CONTINUE READING >>
Chinese Cooking Class Aboard the Volendam
Under the skillful guidance of Chef David Serrano, our dishes come together beautifully and better yet, even while using razor sharp knives, no cooks are harmed in… CONTINUE READING >>
Dispatch One – Our Amazing Asian Cruise!
We’re taking you to Asia!Follow along LIVE with us as we discover Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan. We’ll be visiting Shanghai, Zhujiajiao Watertown with its traditional wooden boat markets, the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, the culture and beauty of Dalian, the amazing port city of Busan, the Peace Garden… CONTINUE READING >>
Welcome to Our Stateroom!
Your GypsyNesters give a tour of their stateroom aboard Holland America’s… CONTINUE READING >>
Man o’ Manatees
January is manatee mania month in Florida. There is no better time of year to see – and swim with (yes!) – these gentle giants in The Sunshine State, and Floridians go all out to show off the endangered sea cows, including throwing a festival or two.
Did someone say festival? No way we would miss that!
During the winter the… CONTINUE READING >>
Islands of Fire
The Galápagos Islands. The name conjures up images of rare birds, giant tortoises and fearless sea lions, but there is another side to this archipelago. A side may appeal to a geologist more than an ornithologist or herpetologist, because the Galápagos are a classic example of a geologic hot spot.A hot spot is where volcanic islands are formed as a… CONTINUE READING >>
A Quick Trip to (and Overeating in) Colonia, Uruguay
Like most travelers, we enjoy putting another notch on our suitcase handle by adding to our list of visited countries.We found this remarkably easy to do while in Buenos Aires, just hop on a ferry across the river to Uruguay. The delightful town of Colonia del Sacramento lies on the other side of the Río de la Plata, so after a forty-five minute ride on the Buquebus, we were adding a stamp to our… CONTINUE READING >>
Two Sainte Maries
The phrase border town will not usually conjure up an image of anything remotely resembling the two Sault Sainte Maries (the Sault portion is pronounced Soo) that lie across from each other where Michigan’s Upper Peninsula meets Ontario.There is a distinct lack of cacti, dust and adobe, but that’s not to say there isn’t plenty to provide for a different type of… CONTINUE READING >>
The Galápagos on Your Bucket List? What You Need to Know to Go
The Galápagos Islands have long been on our bucket list. Finally tuition-free when our youngest graduated from college, we treated ourselves to the adventure of a lifetime.
Here’s what we learned about how to get there, what to pack, what to expect and how to prepare for one of the most fascinating… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Whitewater Rafting
In my never-ending quest to push the envelope, I figured my next challenge would be to tackle whitewater rafting.
My trepidation wasn’t what most people would expect. I love to swim, I love being out on the water and am generally fearless when boating. What I was frightfully anxious about was the coldness of the water.
I like my water warm. When I use the word “bracing” it is always in a negative context. Never the one to just dive into a pool — no — I… CONTINUE READING >>
Seal-ing the Deal in the Galápagos (but these are sea LIONS)!
Of all of the fabulous animals in The Galápagos Islands, the one that made it hardest to obey the always-stay-six-feet-away-from-the-animals-rule were the sea lions.Sea lions, or lobos del mar (wolves… CONTINUE READING >>
Dispatch 2, The Galápagos, South America Live-Blog
Our South American live-blog continues with a week sailing in The Galápagos Islands!We are absolutely IN LOVE with the animals here – unbelievably friendly and so fun to photograph. The terrain is wild and the snorkeling unforgettable (and we’ve got underwater video!).
Join our adventure aboard the Yolita II… CONTINUE READING >>
Livingston (Guatemala), I Presume
When we heard about Livingston, a tiny outpost on the Guatemalan coast with an intriguing history and only accessible by boat, we knew we had to go. So from the busy port of Puerto Barrios we sought passage north.After some difficulty trying to decipher the… CONTINUE READING >>
America’s Other West Coast
Who knew America has two West Coasts? Well now we do, after discovering Florida’s hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline facing west onto the Gulf of Mexico.Sometimes called The Sunset Coast, most of it is much less crowded than the… CONTINUE READING >>
Everglades Airboat Tour
Gator Park had something that we’d been wanting to try for years, airboats. We, like most folks I suppose, were more interested in careening through the swamp at insanely… CONTINUE READING >>
Boy, Are We Everglade We Came Here!
Your GypsyNesters take on the Everglades – all good fun until a very uncomfortable Veronica gets her hands on an alligator!
We encountered gator wrestling, did some (really fast!) airboat riding and visited the smallest post office in the US.
And that’s just the beginning… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Scuba Diving
Learning to scuba dive has been a long dormant dream of mine. I’m a water person, a good swimmer and love to snorkel. Scuba seemed the next logical step.
So I crammed my not-so-perky butt into a wet suit, strapped 16 pounds of weight around my waist (apparently I’m very buoyant) and jumped in. And immediately FREAKED OUT.
There I was in the ocean, treading water like a madwomen, embarrassed and humbled. What happened? I had aced the pre-ocean part of the lesson. In the swimming pool I was amazing – a scuba diving machine if there ever was one. I was practically one of those Discovery Channel shark chasers.
My mind frantically tried to grasp where things went terribly awry… CONTINUE READING >>
A Boat Ride in Monaco
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Riding through Port Hercule in Monaco, the richest country in the world! Check out the megayachts! Just below the casino … CONTINUE READING >>
Monaco Pit Stop
Monaco. The richest country in the world – and the second smallest. Home of the Grand Prix and megayachts. So what could we possibly afford to do there?
Well, first off, we drove the route… CONTINUE READING >>
Venice Anyone?
Every now and then we get a chance to scratch something off of one of our bucket lists. Visiting Venezia was one of those opportunities. It’s even possible that this wonderful “City of Canals” had been a tiny sore spot in our otherwise… CONTINUE READING >>The GypsyNesters Do Venice!
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Join us as we eat, drink and “be merry” our way through… CONTINUE READING >>
Cruise Stateroom Tour – Cruise Live-Blog
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The GypsyNesters give a tour of their stateroom! Check out… CONTINUE READING >>
Chocoholic Buffet – Cruise Live-Blog
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Unbelievable amounts of chocolate! Even the artwork is… CONTINUE READING >>
7 Night Cruise Live-Blog, Part Two
We’ve got you covered! We delivered on (almost) everything our readers asked for!The beautiful destinations of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Key West. We have video on our stateroom, the entertainment (wow!), the food, the chocolate (this video will send you reeling!), our fabulous (and talented) crew and a helicopter chasing down a speeding boat!
We cavorted with spring-breakers, met incredible people, starred in a game show, got sunburnt. And, there is a complete breakdown of what we spent, how to cruise cheaply, tips on everything from proper attire to how to get a quick start on your vacation. We are exhausted, had WAY too much fun, are going to sleep for a few days. In the meantime, enjoy… CONTINUE READING >>
That’s Entertainment – Cruise Live-Blog
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There’s something for everyone! The GypsyNesters give you a sampling of… CONTINUE READING >>
