The GypsyNesters

The John Deere Pavilion – Moline, Illinois

Our visit to the John Deere Pavilion was special to us because it was my birthday, and John Deere is my great-great-great Grandfather. I grew up knowing about this legacy, but without much knowledge of the machinery that bears my ancestor’s name. That was certain to change… CONTINUE READING >>

Our visit to the John Deere Pavilion was special to us because it was my birthday, and John Deere is my great-great-great Grandfather.

I grew up knowing about this legacy, but without much knowledge of the machinery that bears my ancestor’s name. That was certain to change.

The pavilion has everything from one of Deere’s original steel plows, to the most massive modern heavy equipment.

Veronica wanted pictures of me with all of it. So I stood beside antique tractors, gawked at earth movers, pointed implements, and marveled at a prototype concept machine for cutting trees that looked like it was straight out of Star Wars.

I even climbed into the high tech cab of a combine the size of a small town. Then, the moment I’d been waiting for, the birthday boy got to try his hand on one of the heavy equipment simulators.

The idea was to bulldoze dirt into a marked area, but my skills were less than up to the task, guess the ancestral skills didn’t get passed down.

I ended up digging a big hole, backing the dozer into the pit, and then trying to escape the construction area by plowing through a fence. Luckily the program was smart enough to thwart my attempt.

WATCH: David tests out (and wrecks) his grandfather’s heavy equipment. So much for this kind of stuff being in his blood!

Adjacent to the pavilion, The John Deere Store has all the green and gold any fan, or kinfolk, could dream of.

Tons of apparel, such as the classic hats and jackets, but also toys, collectibles, books, videos, posters and more.

I was immediately taken back to my childhood when I spotted a cast iron pedal tractor just like the one I used to ride up and down my grandmother’s driveway.

David, GypsyNester.com

Click here to see our full adventure down The Great River Road

Thanks to Enjoy Illinois for making this adventure possible! Our opinions, as always, are our own.

Why You Should Pursue a Science Degree as You Travel

If you are preparing to travel, then have you considered taking an online course on the road? Equally, if you’re taking an online course have you considered packing it up and taking it with you somewhere? Both groups could benefit from combining their education with adventure… CONTINUE READING >>

It was once the case that pursuing a degree meant upping sticks and anchoring oneself down to the city nearest to whatever university would take you. Now, however, online universities have matured and are a perfectly valid way of pursuing a bona fide qualification that will open doors in the same way a traditional university degree does. Online degrees are now not only much more reputable than they once were, they also remain a good deal cheaper than attending a physical university meaning that they are something one can pursue for pleasure for a reasonable price.

It Will Open Your Mind

It is said that travel broadens the mind, and this is very true. In fact, the experience of traveling opens us to new experiences and ideas; a perfect mindset for learning. Science is an area of study particularly well suited to the more adventurous. The celebrated British naturalist, Gerald Durrell, wrote a number of books based on his travels with his family and the observations he made about the wildlife he encountered. He did this as both a child and an adult, and while the resulting books aren’t academic studies, they have been of value to various fields of biology.

You Can Immerse Yourself in The Subject

Being on the move while learning means that you are only really limited by your finances or your resourcefulness! You might want to consider looking for a work from home job that you can do from your laptop. Taking both work and studies with you means you can keep going for as long as you desire. It also means that you can visit landmarks and other places around the world that are relevant to your studies.

For example, if you opt for an online bachelor of science degree in medical laboratory science you could e-mail universities in the area you will be in and ask if they would be willing to let you assist them with any out-of-hours work. This would give you good experience, as well as new contacts in the profession you are aiming towards. Online medical lab science programs teach mostly through theory, although you will need to arrange some practical work under supervision at some point. It is never too early to start making contacts for this.

You Can Take It at Your Own Pace

One of the big selling points of online degrees is that they are much more flexible in terms of course length than traditional courses. Almost all online universities, whether attached to a physical university or not, offer students the option of full-time or part-time hours and if the worst should happen and one doesn’t score high enough marks to qualify, they can retake their exams within a few months. Course materials will always be accessible. This makes revising for any potential re-sits easy and encourages students to learn at their own pace.

Traveling represents a wonderful opportunity for learning and for personal growth. Science degrees lend themselves well to adventure and can open the doors to your dream career.

We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.

Traveling Low To The Ground

Traveling low to the ground is our style of getting around. We’re not big on throwing money into all inclusive resorts, hate being told what to do and enjoy meeting the “real people” at our chosen destinations. It’s all about discovering things for ourselves and jumping into the culture at hand. No set plans…
CONTINUE READING >>

It’s all about discovering things for ourselves and jumping into the culture at hand. No set plans.

It also costs a lot less, and we’re all about saving money where ever we can. Every little bit helps add to what we have to spend on our adventures.

We love to be afoot, seeing everything from ground level. You’d be surprised at how much you miss whizzing by at 60 miles an hour (though we have found that the best way to find out about a place is from a good taxi driver–the true ambassadors of the world–and the snarkier they are the more we love ’em!).

Street food, weird shop owners and cheesy tourist diversions are all more enjoyable when you discover them for yourself. We’d have a lot less to write about if we woke up in a gated resort with nothing more to think about than the planned menu and whether we’re going to play golf or join twenty other tourists on a day trip.

We’ve learned the “international sign language” that gets us through much of the tasks at hand. This sometimes involves some innovative on-the-fly signing.

Imaging poor David in the Italian pharmacy trying to get the point across to the stunned man behind the counter that his lovely wife is all clogged up and in the need of an enema. Hilarious fun. Or the night in a bar in Spain “discussing” American politics via cocktail napkins and crazy arm flapping. What great memories (really!).

Sometimes renting a car and pointing it in a general direction is a great way to go.

We spent a week in France in some wonderful places we would have never found in a guidebook, stayed in a room in a Medieval castle, watched pastry eating “tough guys” in Bordeaux and ordered the special at a cafe in a quaint little seaside town.

Our waiter at the cafe actually went to his home and returned with an encyclopedia to show us a picture of a ray so we would know what it was we were eating. Who says the French are unfriendly?

Our goal as Gypsy Nesters is to try new things, see as much of the world as possible, taking the time needed to truly fall in love with a place, gathering out-of-the-box memories as we go.

For us, this can only be accomplished low to the ground.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

This post contains sponsored links.

5 Ways Businesses Can Trim Down Travel Expenses

Businesses can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on air tickets and hotels. The key for how a business can save money on travel is… CONTINUE READING >>

As a business person, we need to do a lot of planning and its corresponding arrangements that go into the greater part of a business trip. Also, organizational arrangements are built around the most affordable approach to travel to distant places globally. In fact, going on a business trip can be very expensive since people have only a little time to book a flight, which simply implies going at pinnacle times. Also, these costs can get even higher when others also need to travel along with the key people.

Despite the fact that these costs cannot be controlled, there are multiple ways a business, in any case, can save money just by knowing where to curtail, without making a trip miserable. But there are ways to ensure your safety while traveling, you may want to start an LLC for protection, and also look into travel insurance. Fortunately, buying travel insurance online is comparatively easy nowadays. Simply, go online and Google your query and get the most relevant result right away.

1. Shop Around and Look for Discounts

The best way to ensure that an organization is able to cut down the costs on frequent business trips is to simply ask for the corporate discount. On a short notice, the best thing one can do is directly call the airline and confirm a ticket right over the phone call. This is, typically, the best way to get your answer concerning any corporate discount. The upside of a corporate discount is that 1) the size and name of an organization do not matter and the number of people traveling altogether doesn’t really matter; 2) most significant hotels, cab service providers, and the airline offer frequent corporate discount programs – the discount even goes up to 25%. Organizations, especially startups, must not disregard this. Organizations can keep in touch with one or more travel agents to avail of the best corporate deals possible (also, they may offer you an extra discount).

2. Go for Reward Programs

Another critical cost-trimming strategy is to join preferred ‘flyer miles programs’ and reward clubs through one or Credit Card companies you’re professionally associated with. For example, a Credit Card holder gets certain reward point for every dollar spend on hotels, dine-ins, gas stations, supermarkets, etc. With these reward points, one can travel to one or more places when gathered in a large number.

Businesses can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on air tickets and hotels. The key for how a business can save money on travel is by downloading mobile applications and contact a travel agent by means of email consistently to make sure to utilize minimal reward miles. So, this not only saves money but also gathers reward points at the same time.

3. Travel Agents/Agencies are Worth Considering

Not to forget the fact that these preferred ‘flyer miles’ and credit card reward points are just valid on selected airline(s), they cannot be redeemed at every airline carrier. This is where one can make the most of their contacts with Travel Agents/Agencies to book flights. With a travel agent, you can access their subsidiary organizations and travel accomplices that essentially increase the options to save money. In a case where you have a four-day notice to book a flight and you cannot just gauge an exact price range since there can be only a few or limited airline carriers that fly to your destination on that particular day.

4. Inflate Your Travel Options

Although travel operators are highly supportive in booking flights, the most critical game-plan as a frequent business traveler is to inflate your range of options. This can be the reason you no longer want to restrict yourself to search engines, viz. Priceline and Expedia to explore and compare flight costs. These search engines often overlook certain airlines and airplane terminals, especially various budget carriers and local air terminals.

Instead, you can Google your travel-related queries directly whatsoever you may have. Chances are high for you to get most relevant search results and you can make the most out of your web search.

5. Take a Train if not in Hurry!

Your travel agent can be of a great help, as he can help you get discounts on each of your travel booking. Traveling by train is something that everyone loves, as it’s a much more comfortable travel means. Each seat is open top of the line and all amenities are accessible at fractions of ordinary flight costs. Traveling by train is also favorable for those who live in urban communities that are famous for their terrible winter climate. So, when the aircraft is not functional in the snow, the trains dependably run. Also, trains spare you accommodation since with the more drawn out travel time comes the ability to rest easily and feast sophisticatedly.

The same is valid when someone travels to a different city for higher education. A large number of students move out of their houses for engineering/medical courses and live in other cities that house reputed colleges. Student travel insurance plays a vital role in making parents breath in peace until their children reach the destination. Such a policy ensures that almost all emergencies will be handled by the insurer. So if you’re traveling abroad or within your own country for a similar purpose, make sure you have sufficient coverage before your journey begins.

Conclusion!

There is a range of expenses that we incur in our daily lives – be it personal or professional. Some of these expenses can be eliminated or wisely postponed if we pay sufficient heed to our balance sheets. So be wise and save more.

We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.

Discover the Desert in El Paso

Nestled between the Rio Grande River and the Franklin Mountains, El Paso is the perfect place to experience the stark beauty of the high Chihuahuan Desert.

Out in the West Texas town of El Paso…

Not only the opening line of a great song but also the perfect place to experience the stark beauty of the high Chihuahuan Desert.

The city sits nestled between the Rio Grande River and the Franklin Mountains, and any one of the many hotels in El Paso will make an excellent base camp for explorations.

Mountain Majesty

Image via Flickr by VisitElPaso

With peaks reaching over 7,000 feet high, Franklin Mountains State Park is the place to begin. The entire park is completely contained within the city limits, making this perhaps the most spectacular urban park anywhere.

The views of the city are spectacular along several scenic drives and trails. Or for an even better perspective, the Wyler Aerial Tramway climbs to the summit of Ranger Peak. Three states and two countries are visible from this more-than-a-mile-high perch. But if, like Veronica, the thought of dangling in a gondola riding high above the crests and valleys is too much to take, there is an option to walk up the Ridge Trail.

Best yet, after spending the day hiking, mountain biking, or picnicking in this alpine oasis rising up from the desert we can still end the day with a hot shower, a good meal, and a cozy bed.

Blooming in the Desert

After a look at the big picture, we’re ready for our close-up. The Chihuahuan Desert Gardens is perfect for an in-depth investigation of the vast variety of tenacious vegetation that flourishes in this climate. The collection contains over 600 species of plants indigenous to the region.

As part of the University of Texas at El Paso, the groups of themed assortments are a valuable tool for botanical and environmental education, or simply enjoying for their beauty.

Just down the road, the Chamizal National Memorial is not what we’d call a garden in the classic sense, but the landscaped grounds are perfect for a picnic or for attending a concert in the amphitheater. The memorial also includes art galleries and a museum that explains some of the history of the U.S.–Mexico border and disputes that have arisen when the river has changed its course.

On a Mission

Image via Flickr by awsheffield

Speaking of history, much like the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park that we visited several years ago, the El Paso Mission Trail connects Spanish missions dating back to the 1600s.

Beginning at the Ysleta Mission, celebrated as “the oldest continuously active parish in the State of Texas,” the trail travels through some of Spain’s earliest established outposts in what would later become the United States. These served as more than churches, they functioned as political footholds in the expanding New World.

Traveling southeast along the Mexican border, the next stop on the trail is the Socorro Mission. Completed in 1691, this comes in as a close runner-up, being the second oldest settlement in the state.

A few miles further, and about one hundred years later, the Spanish Crown established the San Elizario Presidio as a military compound to provide protection for the missions. It served as an important stronghold for New Spain, but soon Mexico won its freedom from the colonial power.

Before long Texas declared its independence, followed by the war between the U.S. and Mexico. After that the fort was abandoned and now all that survives is the chapel.

The confluence of these cultures reminds us that our explorations could not be considered complete without a taste of the cross-border cuisine that Texas is famous for. We wouldn’t think of leaving before tasting the best Tex-Mex food to be found.

That’s what we’d call saving room for desert.

This article was created in collaboration with InterContinental Hotels Group.

Top 5 Places in Goa to Party Like a Local

Goa is exclusively known as the party capital of India. You might refrain being a part of one when you go there or even from attending one, but somehow you will find yourself grooving at one of the most happening areas of Goa…. CONTINUE READING >>

Are you a head-banging Rockstar searching for exceptional music craziness or a party animal frequently hanging around with celebrities, Goa is the ideal party destination for you? Yatra knows to exclusively make the planet move around so rather than doing that in a boring place with a mediocre music collection why not move to some of these exceptional party places in Goa for a night you to remember:

Waters Beach Lounge and Grill–Tango like A Blueblood

Want to dance along with the famous and wealthy? Opt for Waters Beach Lounge and Grill which serves the beloved Sunburn music after-parties. There is an exceptional view of the beach as it is on Ozran beach in Vagator. Twist your thumbs from all the photos you will be capturing with amazing music stars, the world-class DJs, and all the celebrity that head down to Goa for the music feast display at Sunburn. You will be treated with famous ‘Wet and Tech’ experience with Goa’s finest techno DJs.

Club Cubana— The Nightclub in the Sky!

Club Cubana is situated near Anjuna’s popular Saturday Night space in Arpora. It entices blazingly with its multi-levelled, neon-lit dance floors. It has an atmosphere that can make one party like a beast. The classical DJs will exclusively have you upbeat to all things from disco techno tunes to beats so make certain you are having your most complacent shoes so that nothing can stop you from grooving.

LPK Waterfront –Go crazy like it never ever happened

LPK Waterfront is a unique party space in Nerul. The initials exclusively stand for LOVE, PASSION, and KARMA. These components are in all things starting from the ancient church in the backdrop to the romantic terracotta sculptures specking the complete arena. Had a scuffle with your girlfriend? Just been suspended? Ditched by your love? Boo the stress and move to this music and dance utopia. You can groove whole night, and the next day you can dive around on a beach, recovering. That’s just prime way to recharge, regroup, and manage the planet again with a hop in your stride.

SinQ—Bend your back like you are not visible

For an adventurous rage in Candolim, be at SinQ which is the first ultimate party hotel with an indoor nightclub in Goa. You will find DJ music being exclusively live streamed into living rooms. If you be at this absolute, two-in-one, party club and hotel, you will be adept to acknowledge your clans you are having a quiet night inside the territories of the hotel, and then exclusively move down to wear those amazing attire for a whirl on the dance floor.

Marbela Beach Resort– Dance like you don’t like to dance

So, you would rather have been at residence than been eventually dragged out to dance with your buddies. Don’t be afraid! Morjim Beach or Marbela Beach Resort might be the spot for you! You will be thrilled with an exceptional chill-out bar area and a Champagne Terrace, oozing a chilly vibe to draft your texting while your buddies heat up flamboyant indoor dance space with their “go-crazy” moves.

Team up your friends for a cheap flight ticket from Mumbai to Goa using Yatra. Alternatively, outline your fabulous party break by exclusively downloading Yatra’s app and pick up advice for smart travel!

Simon Davis has been a full-time travel writer for the last 4 years and has had the privilege of travelling some of the most beautiful places across the world. When not travelling he loves spending time with his family and a few adventure sports.

3 Very French Accommodation Alternatives

France has a little something for everyone. Whether you want to spend your holiday in Paris or exploring the outdoors, France has exactly what you’re looking for.

Of course, to truly experience French culture you should opt to stay in more traditionally French buildings…. CONTINUE READING >>

France has been one of most visited countries in Europe for decades now, and rightly so. With its culinary genius, spectacular culture and undeniable romance, France has a little something for everyone. Whether you want to spend your holiday in Paris, immersing yourself in art and coffee, or exploring the outdoors, hiking and biking across the country – either way, France has exactly what you’re looking for.

Of course, to truly experience French culture you should opt to stay in more traditionally French buildings. Here are three of our favourite, and quintessentially French, places of accommodation:

Medieval Castles

It doesn’t matter where you grew up, tales of medieval castles filled with kings and queens protected by gallant knights were some of our favourite bedtime stories. Even today, with books like Harry Potter and TV shows like Game of Thrones, set in their magnificent castles; many of us still dream of living in a castle. Whilst owning one is highly unlikely, unless you win the lottery, your castle dream might not be entirely fruitless as it is possible to rent and stay in your very own French castle.

Renting a spectacular castle is one of the best ways to enjoy French opulence, and regions like Dordogne have an astonishing 1000 castles! True, most of these are for tours and days out, but there are a surprising number of castles to rent in the area. Most of which are far more affordable than you might think. Castles come in a wide range of options, from full castle rentals to apartments within a larger castle, more suitable for couples. They tend to mix the classic décor of a medieval castle with modern amenities such as swimming pools.

French Chateau

There is nothing more romantic than a luxurious French chateau; indeed, many look like they’ve come straight out of a fairy-tale. Historically, Lords and other wealthy high-ranking people in France owned these opulent homes. Usually designed by the best architects of the time, each with its own unique appeal. Expect high ceilings with ornate cornicing, huge numbers of rooms as well as the old servant bells used to signify that guests were ready for dinner.

These chateaus are surprisingly affordable, with many not costing more than a hotel, particularly if you’re travelling in a large group. Rentals tend to be for the whole chateau unless it has been converted into separate apartments; however, there are also plenty of small chateaus that give the privacy of a full rental, perfect for couples.

Quaint Farmhouse

Of course, all that grand luxury isn’t for everyone. But, France being as versatile as it is, has a gem for everyone and a quaint farmhouse rental can make for the most magical vacation. Speckled across the French countryside, staying in a farmhouse allows you to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, whilst surrounded by gardens filled with wild flowers and herbs. Spend many an afternoons relaxing, reading, and cooking local French produce from the market in a traditional country kitchen.

Like others, farmhouse rentals come in a number of sizes. Most, though, are suitable for a family with two or three bedrooms and some will come with more modern amenities such as pools or hot tubs.

We are happy to feature this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.

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