Tag Archives: cheesy tourist diversions
An Ode to the Home of Vidalia Onions
To paraphrase Shakespeare, would an onion by any other name taste as sweet?We think not, since most onions are hardly sweet at all. So what’s in a name? Vidalia, Vidalia, wherefore art thou Vidalia?
The only way to know for sure was to go directly to the… CONTINUE READING >>
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 >>
The Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs
Fish, turtles and even a manantee join the spectacular spectacle of the… CONTINUE READING >>
Ruining Ourselves in Osaka, Japan
Kuidaore, a Japanese word meaning “to ruin yourself with extravagant food,” has become synonymous with the city of Osaka. How could we possibly not love this place?Osaka is the undisputed culinary center of Japan, in fact several writers have proclaimed it… CONTINUE READING >>
A Tale of Two Cities… Uh, Counties… No, States
Check this out: we’re on the border of Tennessee and Georgia. We find a community that is split down the middle with a blue line painted through the town.It gets weirder (YAY!) — the blue line goes straight through buildings. Shops, a church, even a bar.
But wait, it gets weirder yet. The bar is also in two counties. And one of them is dry… CONTINUE READING >>
GypsyNesting in Your Own Backyard
As much as we love our GypsyNester lifestyle, we understand that chucking it all and hitting the highway is not something everybody can do. Many of us have ties that can make it difficult — if not impossible — to pull that off. With that in mind, we like to periodically point out that there are plenty of great GypsyNesting opportunities right in your own backyard.A plethora of possibilities are playing out nearby no matter where you call home. You just have to know where to look… CONTINUE READING >>
For Valentine’s Day – Travel Pick-up Lines!
When Lonely Planet put out the word that they wanted submissions for clever “Travel Pick-up Lines,” we were all in. We love us some puns. The more corny the better.
You’d think after thirty years of marriage we’d be a little rusty, but they were flowing out of us so fast it was hard to get them written down. Frankly, it was a bit disturbing how un-rusty we were.
Here are our winning submissions:
Guayaquil, The Pearl of the Pacific
Join your GypsyNesters in Guayaquil, Ecuador!Discover the steep Cerro Santa Ana, a colorful, dynamic neighborhood of 444 steps with amazing sunset visits from the top.
Delight in the Parque de las Iguana where the reptiles were so thick that we had to be careful not to step on them.
And stroll the beautiful, romantic riverwalk – the Malecón… CONTINUE READING >>
Finding Germany in the Mountains of Georgia
The unexpected surprises that lurk around the next corner are one of the things that can make travel so interesting.Boy, did we get one of those in the mountains of northern Georgia when we came upon the old fashioned Bavarian village of Helen. Tucked into a valley on the banks of The Chattahoochee River, we suddenly found ourselves driving through an anachronism of epic proportions. Every building, down to the gas station… 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 >>
Northern (Ontario) Lights
Late summer in Northern Ontario has weather that humans were meant to live in.Warm, but not hot, during the days and cool, crisp nights. A perfect escape from the heat and humidity south of the border. Yes, that’s how Canadian’s refer to The United States.
Our mission north had a two-fold agenda, enjoy the climate, and finally find a… CONTINUE READING >>
Getting Pickled in Wawa, Canada
Check out the pickle-mania at Young’s General Store! Young’s in Wawa, WAY up in Northern Ontario, Canada is quite… CONTINUE READING >>
Glamour + Camping = Glamping on the California Coast
Your GypsyNesters take a Glamping adventure of a lifetime up California’s Pacific Coast Highway!Follow us from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara to Beverly Hills – yes – Beverly Hills, as we discover what the Glamping Life is all about!… CONTINUE READING >>
California Road Trip!
We headed up the California Coast – GypsyNester style – finding the wildest, wackiest and most ginormous stuff along the Pacific Coast Highway… CONTINUE READING >>
Getting Centered at the Equator in Ecuador (or Our Journey to the Center of the Earth)
Just outside of Quito, Ecuador lies the exact midway point between the North and South poles, being of reasonably sound minds we had to see it.Humans figured out around 500 BC that the Earth was a sphere and therefore must have a … CONTINUE READING >>
The Ancient Mayan Ruins at Tulum, Mexico
Tulum is not the kind of place that even the most wandering GypsyNesting-type will stumble upon by accident. It’s not on the way to anywhere. But since we found ourselves on the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, what’s known as the Riviera Maya, we hopped on a bus to the ancient Mayan site.Our itinerary was set up to capture both… CONTINUE READING >>
Getting Key-ed Up in Florida
One of the greatest drives in America has to be the trip down U.S. Highway 1 through the Florida Keys.We made a stop at the incredible Coral Castle, ate enormous amounts of seafood at the Marathon Seafood Fest and, when we ran out of road, landed in Key West… 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 >>
Gator Wrestling!
Our guide asked for volunteers to give it a try. With no takers, he chose Veronica to be the next challenger. He gave her just enough instructions to have us all questioning how crazy… CONTINUE READING >>
Meet Bigfoot’s Florida Cousin!
Skunk Apes are omnivores, with the ability to climb and make beds out of leafy branches, there are an estimated 7 – 9 of them in the Everglades, they like alligator caves, smell like rotten eggs, and they love lima beans. Skunk Apes lead a nomadic, hunter/gatherer existence, have a good memory and exceptional hearing.We had to find one for ourselves, so we headed deep into the Florida Everglades… CONTINUE READING >>
Scaling the Donut Tower
enlarge video
At The Blue & White, what really caught our eye was their signature dessert… The Donut Tower. Two hot caramelized donuts filled with ice cream and topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Don’t see how anyone could have the blues while… CONTINUE READING >>
Going Goth in Barcelona
Join your GypsyNesters as we explore the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona!From the Human Statues of La Rambla to the deep dark interior of the Quarter to the sea, we find everything the Barri Gòtic has to offer. Music, ruins, street performers and protesters…this place has it all! CONTINUE READING >>
The Not-So-Healthy Benefits of Walking
Live longer, feel better and perhaps even keep your original knees and hips…blah, blah, blah. We’ve all heard the healthy reasons we should get off our rumps and out in the world.In case your joints aren’t that important to you, here are some not-so-healthy rewards that might inspire you to take that first step.The GypsyNesters are glad to share some of the reasons that walking is such a substantial part our lives (in the ever popular… CONTINUE READING >>
Adventures in Nest Swapping
One of the many advantages to having an “empty” nest is the freedom to swap your nest with other adventurous types. We decided that before we sold our house, we would try using it as bait for a cheap month in New York City.
Being in the habit of Googling at the drop of a hat, we took the online approach to finding suitable exchanges. We looked at several different sites, and chose a well known one for its ease of use and abundant choices from all over the globe. For a small annual fee, one can peruse homes, set up destinations to visit and… CONTINUE READING >>
What the H? (!) Photo Gallery
Can this stuff actually be REAL?
Things we’ve seen along the way that made us say
“What the H? (!) …CONTINUE READING >>
