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How to Travel in Retirement Without Breaking the Bank

It’s an amazing fantasy to just quit work and lead a life of travel. If you are a retired baby boomer, can you make that dream a reality? Of course, you can. Keep reading to learn more…. CONTINUE READING >> 

Many of us dream of traveling the world, yet, few of us ever get to fulfill that dream. Sometimes, life gets in the way. Perhaps we lose our jobs, medical emergencies happen, children our born, people need to be cared for, and we just don’t have the funds to travel as much as we would like.

It’s an amazing fantasy to just quit work and lead a life of travel. If you are a retired baby boomer, can you make that dream a reality? Of course, you can. Keep reading to learn more.

You Must Be Ready

There is a lot of planning involved with leading a life of travel. You need to make an honest assessment of whether you are ready. To illustrate, do you like to vacation or would you really like to hop from one place to another.

Remember, there are inconveniences with traveling such as not being familiar with the area, having to find a new place to stay after each trip, and figuring out where the grocery stores and hospitals are.

You will need to buy food, and you have to know where you’ll be taken in the event of an emergency. Can you live this type of lifestyle? Or, would you prefer to vacation here and there?

In addition, do you have any responsibilities keeping you at home? Are you caring for special needs children, or elderly parents? If so, you may find it very difficult to hit the road on a consistent basis. Plus, as a retiree, you must consider your health.

You have to consult with your doctor to see if you are fit enough for life on the road. You don’t want to have an emergency in a place that you’ve visited for the first time. If you have Medicare, expenses are not covered outside the U.S. You will need travel insurance.

Travel Off-Season

If you want to indulge your wanderlust, then you should have a wealth planning blueprint to ensure you protect your assets and cut down on your taxes. This way, you won’t spend all of your travel time worrying about money. Then, you should travel off-season.

Since you are retired, you don’t have a job holding you back. Since your schedule is much more flexible, you should take advantage of it. Now, you can visit your intended destinations on a budget–with fewer crowds.

You’ll find significant savings on hotels and airfare. Plus, you’ll find a lot more coupons for local restaurants trying to bring in more foot traffic. You want to research the destination first to see if there are any issues with inclement weather causing a decrease in tourists. If not, feel free to travel and reduce your travel budget in the process.

Get the Senior Discount

As a baby boomer, who wants to save money, now is the time to reveal your true age. Forget shaving off a few years, because sharing your real age will get you AAA and AARP senior discounts on items such as:

  • Lodging
  • Vacation packages
  • Attractions
  • Cruises
  • Car rentals

In fact, many U.S. airlines offer senior discounts of 10 percent or more. The same is true for many hotel chains including:

  • Sheraton
  • W Hotels
  • Westin Hotels
  • Four Points
  • Hilton

Of course, many restaurants and theaters also offer senior discounts. You must take advantage of all of the senior savings.

Final Thought

A life of travel can be executed with the right planning and wealth management strategy. You don’t have to sit at home watching TV during your retirement. Instead, you can embark on the adventure of your dreams.

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

Honing in on Hondarribia

As a home base for a few days, we settled into the normally sleepy town of Hondarribia on the Spanish side of the border with France.

We say normally sleepy because a wakeup call had shaken the city into a flurry of activity… CONTINUE READING >> 

A big thank you to VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations for providing this adventure, as always, all opinions are our own.

As a home base for a few days, we settled into the normally sleepy town of Hondarribia on the Spanish side of the border with France.

We say normally sleepy because a wakeup call had shaken the city into a flurry of activity.

The Alarde, a huge festival commemorating the city’s survival of a siege by the troops of King Louis XIII of France back in 1638, happened to coincide perfectly with our arrival.

Read all about our Alarde adventure here.

Canon fire announced a parade of horses and riders, riflemen, tool toting men in huge sheepskin hats and long black beards known as hatxeroak, numerous fife and drum corps, and throngs of townsfolk sporting red bandanas that seemed to fill the entire city.

This also happened to be our guide Txaro’s (pronounced like Charo of Cuchi-Cuchi  fame ) hometown, so she helped us feel like locals with a couple of insider activities that would elude the usual visitor to this historic Basque community.

She was our exclusive expert guide through the city. We began at our hotel, Obispo, which means bishop. The name is for the square that the hotel shares with the church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the apple tree.

A statue of Don Cristóbal de Rojas y Sandoval, who served as the Archbishop of Seville, and chaplain to King Charles V, stands facing the hotel.

Both the church and hotel date back to the fourteen hundreds, and are contemporary with the defensive city wall. The hotel even incorporates the wall in its construction.

Moving on through the town we made a stop at the city hall, where the ancient walls bear the scars of many cannon balls that have bounced off of the stones over the centuries.

Nearby, we found a sixteenth century home where the wedding between Louis XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain was arraigned in 1659.

Although the planning for the royal nuptials took place here, the ceremony was held across the river in France at Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Church of St. John Baptist.

Later, we found ourselves in the midst of a most wonderfully weird continuation of the Alarde festivities that we had encountered the day before. Suddenly we were engulfed in another parade, this time with giant dolls and creatures with enormous heads, the gigantes y cabezudos.

Taking our cue from the locals, we chased the odd figures into a large square where hordes of children mocked the scary looking cabezudos. In return, the kids were chased around and “beaten” for their mischief. Traditionally the cabezudos carry whips, but here in Hondarribia a netted, nerf-like ball is used.

Our evening was to be a truly unique experience. Txaro took us to a txoko, which is a very common members-only, private gastronomic society type of club that in the past were only open to men.

The idea is get together to cook, and of course eat, while trying out new recipes and ideas along with a healthy dose of socializing.

When Basque culture was suppressed under the reign of Francisco Franco, txokos became safe havens where members could share their language and traditions as well as their love of cooking.

Times have changed, so now many of the clubs welcome women and Txaro is a member of the Sociedad Klink Elkartea, so she could include us as guests. This meant that we got to spend an evening in a most quintessentially Basque fashion.

Believe it or not, too many cooks did NOT spoil the tortilla!

We all pitched in making dinner, sticking to fairly simple dishes, beginning with salad. Then Txaro showed us how to make tortilla de patatas, egg with potatoes, that is much more like an omelet than what we think of as a tortilla.

We finished with two main courses, chicken with carrots, leeks, and garlic, along with salt cod in a cream sauce.

None of this required being a gourmet chef to prepare, but we still had one of the best meals of the trip, and like the old Shake-N-Bake commercials, it was even better because we helped.

By our third day in Hondarribia we were actually starting to know our way around and felt a little like locals. We began with a morning walk to the marina with a history lesson along the way detailing the fishing and whaling traditions of the region.

The practice of heading out to sea in search of fish goes way, way back around here. In fact, there are stories of Basque fishermen sailing as far away as the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland hundreds of years before Columbus ever dreamed of heading west toward the New World.

The afternoon turned out to be perfect for a climb up to the Hiruzta winery. What better excuse for a chilled glass of rosé than a bit of a hike on a hot day?

So we sipped the most common white wine of the region, txakoli, and partook of some pintxos, especially the gilda – peppers, anchovies, and olives on a skewer.

Unlike much of what we had been seeing, Hiruzta is quite new, only being here for about the last ten years.

We whiled away a couple of hours enjoying the perfect spot for gazing out across the vineyards in the valley and reminiscing about our adventures across the Basque Country before heading back down the hill for a farewell dinner.

Bittor Alza, the owner of the Hotel Obispo that has felt like home for these three days, treated us to an amazing meal. Better yet, he not only cooked, but gave us a detailed demonstration in their open kitchen.

We learned to make the classic Basque green sauce for hake, and how to skin and de-bone the fish. He also showed us a trick or two about sautéing onions just right, so that they caramelize evenly without burning. These will go with some duck breasts that turned out good enough to make us all daffy.

And anything but dessssth-picable!

See more of our adventures in the Basque Country here.

Read about all of our travels in Spain.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Rocky Mountain High

When John Denver was singing back in the seventies, for me it wasn’t about some mythical and groovy Shangri La, it was about my life.

But that life took its twists and turns that took me away. Now I don’t get back as often as I’d like… CONTINUE READING >> 

Even though I haven’t lived there in nearly forty years, the Rocky Mountains still feel like home. When John Denver was singing back in the seventies, for me it wasn’t about some mythical and groovy Shangri La, it was about my life.

But that life took its twists and turns that took me away. Now I don’t get back as often as I’d like, but when I do get the chance to venture back up in the mountains I don’t want to stay in some sterile hotel room, I want to feel like I’m at home. That’s where tripz.com can come in.

By bridging the gap between travelers and owners of available rental properties Tripz can offer a truly personal experience, as opposed to just another vacation. On top of that, eliminating booking fees to travelers and commissions from owners assures that the price is right.

That way, when I visit Colorado I can stay in a classic Log Cabin tucked away in the mountains of Cripple Creek instead of a motel just off the highway. There’s no better way to enjoy the excitement of the gold rush that lives on in that historic gambling and mining town.

Taking advantage of the comforts of a home allows a level of engagement with the local lifestyle that is simply not possible in a typical room. Whiling away an alpine evening on the deck, or waking up and walking into the midst of a mountain morning are close encounters of the best kind.

The West is packed with these sorts of exhilarating opportunities, and a quick look through Tripz reveals an amazing array of basecamps for some unforgettable Rocky Mountain explorations.

In Wyoming, a mountain retreat near Jackson Hole is perfectly positioned for visiting two of America’s most spectacular National Parks, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. In fact, there is hardly a need to visit Grand Teton since the house already sits in the shadow of the peak.

If somehow that’s not enough scenery to blow our minds America’s first National Park, with its astounding geothermal features and breathtaking waterfalls, is only an hour away and sure to do the job.

Many of the nation’s most incredible destinations are within a stone’s throw of homes we found. In Utah, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park await, and from there it is an easy drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Much less crowded than the South Rim, the north side offers sensational views for hundreds of miles beyond the canyon and is the starting point for the mule trains that carry daring sightseers down to the bottom.

Across the gorge, and for a slightly more cosmopolitan adventure, we found a lovely location to spend a few days soaking up Sadona, Arizona.

Nestled in among the vibrant rock formations, Sadona has become one of the country’s premier art communities with dozens of galleries featuring southwestern and native art, along with pottery and turquoise jewelry.

Of course the homes-away-from-home on Tripz are not confined to the wide open spaces of the Rocky Mountain West. There are over 60,000 rental properties to choose from worldwide, always offering the live-like-a-local lifestyle that makes a vacation more of a life experience than just another trip.

We also love the idea of providing direct and open communication between guests and property owners, because no one likes surprises when they travel. The home owners can answer any questions before the booking, and then offer the very best insider tips and suggestions for the stay.

That way we will never miss a great local eatery, out of the way hide away, little known fishing hole, or perfect spot to savor the sunshine on my shoulder.

Now that makes me happy.

David, GypsyNester.com

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

Where’s the Real Hollywood?


enlarge video
The GypsyNesters go on a quest to find the Real Hollywood! What they found… CONTINUE READING >>

The GypsyNesters go on a quest to find the Real Hollywood! What they found even surprised them!

For more California antics: https://www.gypsynester.com/?tag=california

Visit our GypsyNester YouTube Channel!

Enjoy Spectacular Summer Travel by Avoiding These Common Travel Mistakes

As we go into the summer travel season, no doubt many of you have a vacation or two written on the calendar, circled 10 times in red ink.

For those of you prepping for a trip abroad, nothing can dampen the excitement like a last-minute snafu, so here is a list of common mistakes to avoid to help get you equipped properly… CONTINUE READING >> 

Presented by Grand European Travel

As we go into the summer travel season, no doubt many of you have a vacation or two written on the calendar, circled 10 times in red ink. Everyone enjoys getting away during the warm months, and it’s the perfect time to travel internationally especially. Just think: Many French abandon their cities for the entire month of August, making it a perfect to explore Paris without crowds. For those of you prepping for a trip abroad, nothing can dampen the excitement like a last-minute snafu, so here is a list of common mistakes to avoid to help get you equipped properly!

Expired Passport

Many problems that arise around international travel can be avoided by planning ahead. In no case is that truer than when it comes to your passport. If you’ve never had a passport before, there is a fairly long process to get one that should be started well in advance of your trip. But if you already have a passport in hand, you’ll want to take a close look at the expiration date. Obviously, you can’t travel with expired documents, but that’s not the only concern. Sometime, if your passport is within six months of its expiration date, you might have trouble entering some countries. The bottom line: Have an updated passport in your possession or use expedited processing to get one.

Missing Insurance

International travel can be a big financial investment. You don’t want to risk losing all that money by failing to buy travel insurance, even though it’s an additional outlay of cash. You never know what could happen before your trip that would force you to reschedule or cancel – health issues, a death in the family or other unexpected occurrences. Plus, you could have issues while traveling, such as lost luggage or another medical mishap. Firm believers in the philosophy “better safe than sorry” make good travelers.

Poor Packing

Just about everyone has a tendency to over pack, but there’s little chance you will need 20 outfits, no longer how long you are staying. Instead, choose a handful of ensembles with a lot of items that layer well. Check the weather trends in the countries you will be visiting before you go. Remember, there will be laundry facilities and grocery stores just about everywhere you go, so you can wash your five outfits whenever you need to.

Being Shy

Yes, it can be intimidating to mix with the locals when you are visiting an international locale. But if you step outside of your comfort zone and make an attempt to connect, chances are you’ll find a positive reception and residents who are happy to share their enthusiasm for their home country. If you’re headed to a single location, try to learn a few words in the local language. Be friendly, and you’ll likely get the same in return, which makes for lasting memories.

Not Notifying Banks

Most banks will lock access to a credit card when they see the owner is in a different place than usual. This attempt to prevent credit fraud can wreak havoc on travelers who didn’t notify their banks ahead of time. Let your lending institutions know your travel plans in advance, and be sure to check out your options for using cash machines without steep fees. The ideal credit card will not charge a fee for international purchases, either.

Failing to Chow Down

One of the best parts about international travel is the ability to try authentic global cuisines. Don’t be afraid to explore the menu at a locally owned restaurant. Here’s a tip: Look for the eatery where the diners are all area residents. Or try a food truck or street vendor, who might be offering something you just couldn’t get anywhere else.

International travel is exciting and memorable no matter what time of year. Make your summer trip all the more meaningful by preparing in advance for these common problems.

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

Free Money!

One day while we were walking to the grocery store, Veronica looked down on the side of the road and, lo and behold, a five was laying there. A few more steps and there was a twenty! Here’s the deal, once you spot money laying around, you automatically look for more… CONTINUE READING >> 

David Writes

We started walking a few years ago while we were still living on St. Croix and the last chick was still in the nest. A lot of our planning for the post child raising years was done while ambulating along the roads and shores of that beautiful island.

Luckily we lived in an area where we could walk to stores or the post office. I even walked to work. It was good for us and good for our relationship. We also inadvertently stumbled upon something else.

One day while we were walking to the grocery store, Veronica looked down on the side of the road and, lo and behold, a five was laying there. A few more steps and there was a twenty!

Here’s the deal, once you spot money laying around, you automatically look for more. Needless to say, we haven’t been finding twenties, or even fives or ones on the shoulder everyday, but coins are almost always around.

We got in the habit of looking while we walked. Theories developed. Where were the best places to find this lost cash?

— Parking lots. Outside of grocery stores and quick marts are usually good. Change seems to fall out when keys are removed. The parking lot of a bar the morning after a big night is a really happy hunting ground. Crocked customers either don’t notice or don’t care when coins fall from their pockets. While we appreciate their donations, next time call a cab, nimrod.

— The side of the road. Like the $25 Veronica found, it seems that money sometimes accompanies litter out the window of some slob tossing crap out of his car. Thanks, but no thanks, dude. Next time try keeping that Burger King sack inside your ’88 POS where it belongs, OK?

— After the snow melts. Coins have an uncanny ability to disappear through the snow when dropped, so hunting while the ground is covered is futile. However, once the snow melts, viola, several weeks or even months worth of money ready for the gathering. Cold hard cash.

— Look around vending machines, especially under them (that’s right, we have no shame). Repeat after me: “I will never see that person who is laughing at me again AND I just found two quarters.” Checking pride at the door is pretty much a prerequisite when digging nickels out of the gutter.

Since embarking on our empty nest travels around the mainland, we have learned a few more things about scouring the streets for cash.

Tourist areas, amusement parks and the like can be good, but New York City is a terrible place to look. My theory is that any loose funds get scooped up long before some wandering GypsyNester can get their mitts on them.

We haven’t had much luck picking up stray Euros in Europe either.

These days we have taken to riding bicycles more often. Fear not, rogue riches can be spotted while pedaling along too. Yes we will stop, even turn around and go back, for a shiny circle of coinage in the road. Sometimes it’s just a bottle cap but more often Washington, Jefferson, F.D.R. or Honest Abe are looking up at us waiting to be picked up.

The more we looked, the more I got to thinking, how much of this abandoned abundance is out there? Let’s do a little simple math, shall we? I promise this won’t hurt (trust me, if it was some sort of intense algebraic equation, I never would have come up with it).

There are over 300 million people living in the USA right now, if each one of them has dropped at least a dime somewhere then there would be about thirty million dollars laying around. Wait, what? 30 million? Yup.

300,000,000 people x $ .10 = $ 30,000,000

That’s right 30 million dollars! Probably more since a dime each seems pretty conservative to me. Still, eliminating couch cushions and car floors, washing machines and behind the dresser, I’d still confidently go with THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS scattered about the sidewalks, byways and parking lots of America.

That’s a lot of dough. Now if we could figure out how to find it more than 27 cents at a time.

UPDATE: Click here to find out what happened when we found $100 on the side of the road! Our current record!

David, GypsyNester.com

A Destination for Every Season- Top Places to Visit in Italy All Year Round!

Italy is a somewhat special country to visit because there is not one season in particular in which it is best to go. There are incredible destinations suited to each of the four seasons… CONTINUE READING  

When booking a vacation, we often find ourselves checking when exactly the best time of year to visit is, with a lot of different considerations- the weather, the crowds, national holidays, the list goes on! Italy is a somewhat special country to visit because there is not one season in particular in which it is best to go. There are incredible destinations suited to each of the four seasons, depending on what you want from your vacation. Here are my tips for the best locations for each of the seasons!

Spring in Rome

There is nothing like springtime in Rome. The sun is out, nature is in full bloom and the city comes alive. April-May is considered the ‘shoulder season’ and tourism isn’t quite as high as it is come summer, which means lower accommodation prices. Having the streets bustling, but not overcrowded, makes all the difference. When you need a break from walking, there are plenty of beautiful parks throughout the city to relax in. Let’s not forget that one of the major perks of Rome in the spring is the food. Local spring delicacies re-appear on menus around town, including the classic Roman artichoke. Spring in Rome is also sunny and warm, but not the stifling hot temperatures you would experience in August- but certainly warm enough for a gelato!

Rome’s ‘Festa della Primavera’ (Festival of Spring) also takes place, bringing beautiful Azaleas to the Spanish Steps. Then Rome’s birthday is on April 21, so you can find concerts, street parades and fireworks over the Tiber River in celebration.

Summer in Sardinia

Sardinia is an island that has it all. White sandy beaches, crystal clear water ideal for swimming and diving, cliffs and coves that you will make you appreciate the sunny weather even more. Sardinia is a gorgeous mix of luxurious, incredible beaches, and a much wilder interior where you may find a sheep or two on the roads during your drive. By summertime, the sea will be at an ideal swimming temperature and a dip in the water is the perfect way to break up exploring through Tiscali’s nuraghic ruins, holm oak forests or Nora’s submerged Roman ruins.

Fall in Tuscany

Tuscany in the fall time boasts beautiful colors and harvest season. September is wine month and October and November mean olive harvest, truffle hunting and chestnuts. You can try fresh local foods, such as risotto ai porcini and truly enjoy what the region has to offer. As an extra bonus, there are often less tourists during the fall time so you can have a more authentic experience and travel village to village throughout the countryside. Definitely something worth noting, there is the Festival of Truffles in San Miniato come November and you can visit national parks, such as Casentino, with sunshine yet less intense heat. From food and wine to activities ranging from horseback riding to hiking, it is hard to not fall in love with Tuscany, especially during the fall.

Winter in the Dolomites

The Dolomites have the beautiful landscapes with a mix of Germanic/Latin culture where you can enjoy the fresh air and truly relax. Located in the north of Italy (Trentino/South Tyrol), the Dolomites are an awarded UNESCO world heritage site. During the wintertime, you can do classic activities such as sledding, skiing and snowboarding. Though every view and site you will experience here is magical, you can make it that much more special by stargazing at a world-class observatory atop the Dolomites. However you choose to spend your time in the mountains, you will be greeted by lovely locals and views to remember. The north of Italy has a very different vibe to that which you might find in Naples or Rome, and the influence of its European neighbors can be noted. There are also delicious dishes that come from the north of Italy such as Polenta, game meat and ‘Tris di Canederli’ a kind of ball of bread filled with cured meats and incredibly tasty.

These are just some of the many, many locations to visit in Italy, and generally a lot of the destinations are lovely for different reasons all year round. It does need to be mentioned though that the beach towns tend to be closed and quiet over the winter months and summer in the big cities can be very, very hot. To find all the different excursions, activities and places to visit whilst on your trip sites like Musement.com offer a really big list of everything you can do locally, whether you want luxury, free activities or something a little off the beaten track.

We are happy to feature this post in collaboration with Emily J to offer valuable information to our readers.