We Had Our Minds Blown at Chichén Itzá in Mexico

We did our best to keep our cool at Chichén Itzá.

We were privileged enough to be touring the mind-blowing site with an archaeologist, after all. We didn't want to be uncouth.

Follow along with your GypsyNesters as we take into the surreal, surprisingly advanced and somewhat violent world of the ancient Mayans... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Coming in February 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing! Pre-Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold!

Sumo Warriors: My Japanese Wrestling Education

Another fun post from our daughter, Charli, AKA The Piglet!

There’s a misconception that sumo wresting is just a couple fat dudes bashing into each other, but there's actually a lot ritual, a lot of skill, and a lot of training that goes into those fat guys bashing into each other.

Sumo tournaments are held three times a year in Tokyo and I was lucky enough... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Coming in February 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing! Pre-Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold!

Rome Wasn't Built (and can't all be seen) in a Day - But, Man, Did We Try!

A whirlwind tour of Rome as only your GypsyNesters can give you!

Visit the colossal Colosseum, the temples of the fabulous Forum and the grandeur of The Vatican!

And check out the mysterious horned Moses by Michelangelo and the chains in the church of St. Peter in Chains... CONTINUE READING >>

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Pompeii & Circumstances - and we're on the radio tomorrow!

Rome may not have been built in a day, but Pompeii was certainly destroyed in one.

Because of the unique nature of the calamity that buried the city, we have an incredibly well preserved peek into every day life two thousand years ago in The Roman Empire.

We had an amazing amount of history and emotion to absorb, making our day at Pompeii one of the most incredible... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

GypsyNesters on the Radio!

We will be joining the warm and wonderful Sandy Fowler on air! Join us on Monday (November 18th) at NOON ET! You can hear it on via the web by clicking this link:  www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Here's a peek at what we'll be discussing:
 David and Veronica James are more than empty-nesters; they're a couple who've decided to take life by the horns. When their kids moved out they sold their home and started traveling the country to re-connect with family and friends. Along the way they recovered from being a helicopter mom, re-discovered the couple that fell in love, learned about traveling on a budget, saw amazing sights, learned to be parents of adult children, created new traditions and a whole lot more. We'll be talking about family life when everyone leaves home, including Mom and Dad.

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Fear Conquering & a Biker Bar Called Poopy's

Not a frequenter of biker joints, I don't have a motorcycle license and renting scooters probably doesn't count... who am I kidding, I'd never actually been to a biker bar.

So I didn't know what to expect and, certainly not out of a place with a name like Poopy's, other than a sense of humor. And... CONTINUE READING >> 

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Fear Conquering & Roller Derby

“Mom. You are going to get owned.”

 My, how the tables have turned. I'm not going to lie, I was getting a bit of pleasure out of worrying The Spawn.

 The reason for their concern was not without merit -- I was about to attend Roller Derby Camp. Or as the Killamazoo Derby Darlins call it, a "Fresh Meat Event".

 In our never-ending quest to find quirky things to do... CONTINUE READING >>

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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 >> 

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To Dylan or Not to Dylan?

What are the chances? Driving along and there you see a big sign flashing "Bob Dylan in concert." Since I have never seen him and I might not get another chance, I thought I'd be an idiot not to grab this opportunity. He is, after all, truly a living legend.

Veronica wasn't overly thrilled since she had seen him several times before (her dad is the quintessential old hippy making the annual Dylan pilgrimage). I tried to think of some provocative ways to sell her on the idea of spending a hundred bucks and a couple hours of her life listening to unintelligible... 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 >>

Windy City Whirlwind Tour

Join us on our whirlwind tour of Chicago, home of America's Tallest Skyline. View the Windy City's grandest buildings, catch a reflection in Cloud Gate and see the beautiful (and huge!) Buckingham Fountain at Grant Park lit up in red at night! Did you know that Chicago has a building so large it has its own zip code?... CONTINUE READING >>

The Maple Leaf Spangled Banner

The rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air.... YEAH CANADA! What? Turns out Independence Day is not the only patriotic fireworks-laden midsummer festival in North America. Canada Day is on the 1st of July and celebrates Canada's “birthday” with familiar cookouts, picnics, parades, fireworks and a communal cake. Cake? Of course, it's a birthday party! We found ourselves a beauty of a celebration by the banks of the River Thames in London... Ontario that is.

We found ourselves a beauty of a celebration by the banks of the River Thames in London... Ontario... read more

No Bald Eagles

he opportunity to see The Eagles fell into our laps the other day. Veronica, a huge fan who had never seen them live, was chomping at the bit. I, however, was skeptical. Having seen The Eagles in their heyday, during the 1976 Hotel California tour, I didn’t want to spoil that memory.

Sure, the stranger on the ferry... read more

An Argument for Dylan

 What are the chances? Driving along and there you see a big sign flashing "Bob Dylan in concert." Since I have never seen him and I might not get another chance, I thought I'd be an idiot not to grab this opportunity. He is, after all, truly a living legend. Veronica wasn't overly thrilled since she had seen him several times before (her dad is the quintessential old hippy making the annual Dylan pilgrimage). I tried to think of some provocative ways to sell her on the idea of spending a hundred bucks and a couple hours of her life listening to unintelligible... read more

From the Minors to October

 Ah, autumn. A nip in the air, the trees are changing, football is back, but mostly... October baseball.

I'm a sports fan. I grew up on minor league baseball. The Wichita Aeros were a big part of my youth and the first professional sporting event I ever attended. That sticks with a guy, I was hooked. Back then the minors were a bit different than today. Of course you had the young prospects fighting to make the bigs but there were also some old vets playing out their string. You don't see that anymore. The parent club won't pay the freight and wants the roster spot for a possible future "player to be named later". I saw some good ones coming up and going down. Vida Blue as a teenager throwing... read more