Cedar Key – Florida’s Spare Key

It's clam-tastic!

Cedar Key sits just off the coast in the northwest corner of the Gulf of Mexico, clear across the state from the well-known chain of islands down south.

The locals like to call it the "Island That Time Forgot,” and it certainly does have... CONTINUE READING >>

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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 >> 

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12 Must-See Festivals in the US

We LOVE a festival! Tag the word "fest" on the end of anything and we're there!

Here are 12 of the wildest, wackiest, over-the-top or just plain fabulous celebrations that we've seen!...
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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 >> 

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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 >>

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 >>

Boy, Are We Everglade We Came!

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 >>

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 >>

Life's a Beach

Life's a beach. In Florida that little pun takes on some real meaning. Of The Sunshine State's twelve hundred miles of coastline, over half is covered by beautiful sandy beaches.

We are big fans of the seashore, so much so that we spent almost a decade on a... CONTINUE READING >>

Hey Mr. Spaceman!

For many of us the moon landing in July 1969 holds a prominent place in our memories. The scratchy black & white images are burned indelibly into our minds. We were children of The Space Age. We drank Tang, ate Space Food Sticks, watched The Jetsons and dreamed of Jeannie.

This made our visit to The John F. Kennedy Space Center on Florida's Space Coast as much a trip down memory lane as an exploration of current... CONTINUE READING >>

Manatee Time

At least a dozen manatees began their leisurely evening swim out to the open water - passing right under our bridge! We gasped as we saw mama manatees with their calves in... CONTINUE READING >>

How to Get Noticed in Palm Beach

Rockin' razor-sharp hedges, fast cars and over-the-top opulence is just one way to stand out in an area known for its conspicuous "check me out" attitude.

But we'll stick to the more frivolous for our... CONTINUE READING >>

Getting Gilded in St. Augustine

Irony. Sometimes people say it is impossible to define, but we think this comes pretty close: The Fountain of Youth is in America's oldest city.


Hmmm, on second thought, maybe that makes perfect sense, perhaps it is the secret to St. Augustine's... 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 >>

7 Night Cruise Live-Blog, Part One

Heck yeah! It's another GypsyNester flat-out, no-plans, on-the-cheap, get-on-a-mode-of-transportation-and-go live-blog!  This time we're storming a 7 night cruise - neither of us have ever been on a cruise before, so we have no idea what we're in for.

We asked our readers to let us know what they wanted us to report on, and we're going to cover as much of their suggestions as humanly possible.

Make sure you check in often this week - don't miss a... CONTINUE READING >>

The "Grapefruit League" Diet

Ah Spring, when a young man's heart turns to thoughts of... baseball. In late February thousands of athletes descend upon Florida and Arizona for the annual rite of Grapefruit and Cactus League baseball - Spring Training.

It was just like being on the bench with the players. We could almost taste the Gatorade and easily eavesdrop on everything they said to each other, as well as what the coaches had to say... It really was amazing access... CONTINUE READING >>