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We Are So Thankful!

The GypsyNesters in the media! Thank you!

Every once in a while, we are hit over the head by a ton of bricks. While this would normally be cause for concern, this particular brickload is one of gratitude.

We have been blessed with amazing accolades from amazing folks! We have done really fun interviews and have been included in some pretty prestigious publications. We are truly honored. Click in to see why... CONTINUE READING >>


The GypsyNesters in the media!
Every once in a while, we are hit over the head by a ton of bricks. While this would normally be cause for concern, this particular brickload is one of gratitude.

We have been blessed with amazing accolades from amazing folks! We have done really fun interviews and have been included in some pretty prestigious publications. We are truly honored.

Pretty cool to be featured in one of America’s greatest newspapers, The Chicago Tribune! Okay, so we’re not sure who the people are in the photos—but we’re uber-excited to be in the text.

Click image to enlarge
The GypsyNesters in the Chicago Tribune

Click image to enlargeThe GypsyNesters in the Chicago Tribune!

We’ve teamed up Humana with tips on kicking YOUR Generation Encore into high, healthy gear with full page advertorial appearing in the August/September 2016 issues Real Simple, Cooking Light, Southern Living, Sunset, Coastal Living, Golf, and Money magazines!

What an honor it is to share our story and tips in top magazines:

Click image to enlarge
How to stay healthy as you age!

Click image to enlarge
How to stay healthy as you age!

So proud to be honored by TripAdvisor!

“Who says millennials do it better? When it comes to travel, age is but a number. As you think about retirement and all that free time you’ll have, consider taking a different approach.

TripAdvisor rounded up 20 baby boomer travel bloggers as inspiration to get out there and travel”… SEE ‘EM ALL >>

We joined Nashville’s WSMV Channel 4 More at Midday gang!


We had so much fun with the great crew at FOX2 News in the Morning St. Louis

It was an honor to appear on the Charlie Brennan Show at CBS’s KMOX!

Still pinching ourselves! Listen Now

Going Gypsy debuts as a #1 New Release on Amazon!

Going Gypsy debuts at #1 New Release on Amazon!

US News and World Report asked us what simple living means to us and why we live the way we do.

“Traveling throughout retirement may not be everyone’s idea of simple living, but David and Veronica say ditching the house was one of the best moves they ever made. ‘We are in a state of nearly constantly pinching ourselves… CONTINUE READING >>

Thank you Nashville for Making Going Gypsy Your #1 Bestseller!

Going Gypsy is the #1 Bestseller in Nashville!

From Empty Nest to No Nest in AARP’s Life Reimagined

Veronica and David James were living on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands when the last of their three kids flew off to college. Some of us might have opted to stay in that tropical paradise, but the Jameses knew they needed a change… SEE THE FULL STORY

We had a blast with Kim Bailey of News Talk Florida – talkin’ our craziest food experiences!.. CLICK TO LISTEN!

We ended up on Australian TV and all we had to do was jump out of an airplane!

Veronica was introduced to the Australian public by way of the amount of saliva she didn’t have in her mouth. Classic Veronica!
Thanks WIN News!

We appeared on WJOL with the wild and crazy Flash Girls!

Listen Now

GypsyNesters on TV!

Watch your GypsyNesters on Right This Minute!

We had a great time with those crazy kids on TV’s Right This Minute when we had a video go viral.

Click to see the segment!

So proud to be honored by TripAdvisor!

“Who says millennials do it better? When it comes to travel, age is but a number. As you think about retirement and all that free time you’ll have, consider taking a different approach.

TripAdvisor rounded up 20 baby boomer travel bloggers as inspiration to get out there and travel”… SEE ‘EM ALL >>

Deseret News intrigued us with some interesting Boomer stats and asked us to weigh in with our thoughts and experience!.. SEE THE FULL STORY

Going Gypsy on PBS's Next Avenue PBS’s Next Avenue recommended Going Gypsy!
4 Couples Who Went to the Extreme to Save Their Marriage
We appeared on the Roadtreking Podcast – lots of laughs! Listen here Going Gypsy in the Poughkeepsie Journal Going Gypsyprofile in the Poughkeepsie Journal
The GypsyNesters in Yahoo! Travel We were asked about our favorite roadtrips for Yahoo!
These two are fabulous! Listen to us banter with RV Family Travel Atlas!
Hear us yammerin’ on Generation Bold on Biz Talk Radio! Click to listen GypsyNester on Herald-Times The Herald-Times profiled us!

Huffington Post Logo
So excited that we’ve been profiled by
Abby Tegnelia in an article called World Travel With David And Veronica James, The ‘Gypsy Nesters’! Pretty nifty, eh?

Big fun! A quick clip that AARP’s Life Reimagined produced about us! It’s 30 secs of GypsyNester action-packed goodness!

 

ABC Radio did a three-part series with us – discussing everything from Going Gypsy to travel to life after kids!

Listen: Part One
Part TwoPart Three

USA Today asked us and some pretty weighty folks to weigh in on how we find ways to travel with purpose to enrich our experiences …  See the full article >>

Had a great time at the RV + Travel Summit!

Check us out talking about a BIG lesson learned in U.S. News & World Report!

When your kids leave home, you may worry about how they’re going to handle their money. But don’t forget to worry about yourself, too… SEE FULL ARTICLE >>

Huffington Post Logo
An article about us landed on the front page of Huffington Post.
Click here to see the full write up.

Feature story on the Home page of AOL:AOL Homepage

The uber-talented Sundance veteran Anne Flournoy of The Louise Log fame produced this hysterical 50-second short on her experience of reading Going Gypsy!

Psyched about this article in Medium!

“After packing their youngest off to college, the Gypsy Nesters hit the road and never looked back. ‘We’re going down in a ball of flames!’ says”… READ THE FEATURE HERE

Going Gypsy on Johnny Jet Our interview with the wonderful
Johnny Jet
Pink Pangea asked Veronica about what makes her tick!
Gypsynesters on USA Today USA Today featured our travel customer service thoughts Starts at 60 ran a story about our travels in Tanzania
http://whnt.com/2015/08/13/customer-sues-lamberts-restaurant-after-claiming-injury-from-throwed-roll/ See our footage of a crazy eatery on WHNT The St. Louis Post-Dispatch chose Going Gypsy as a Best Bet
GypsyNesters on Grandparents.com! Grandparents.com profiled us – and other folks who think outside of the retirement box! Alana Newton had us on her show on Bold Radio!

A big thank you to Peggy McGranahan from Shaped by the Waves for this wonderful review of Going Gypsy:One Couple’s Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All.

Have you ever had something really good happen to you out of the blue?

That’s how we felt when PBS’s Next Avenue contacted us saying that they were featuring us as a Sites We Love.

Shut up! we thought. This seriously can’t be happening. We freaking LOVE Next Avenue… CLICK TO SEE WHY WE ARE SO HONORED >>

The GypsyNesters on Experience 50 We appeared on the Experience 50 Podcast! So much fun! The GypsyNesters on Trip Advisor! Trip Advisor wondered where we’d send YOU on your honeymoon!
Pink Pangea interviewed Veronica about her writing process GypsyNesters on Travel Pulse Travel Pulse asked the BIG questions about Going Gypsy!
The GypsyNesters on Local Aventura LocalAdventura profiled us as their Adventures of the Week! GypsyNesters on Nomad Lifestyle! Nomad Lifestyle reviewed the audiobook of Going Gypsy!
The GypsyNesters on The Midlife Guru The Midlife Guru reviewed Going Gypsy! The GypsyNesters on Tour Matters Tour Matters choose us as a Blog For Any Traveler!
The GypsyNesters on Stride Travel Stride Travel chose us as their favorite Boomer Travel Blog The Displaced Nation Going Gypsy is on the list of best expact nonfiction by Displaced Nation
The GypsyNesters on Go Euro Go Euro asked us to reveal our secrets of Sicily Happy to be picked as a winner!

Midlife at the Oasisfeatured Going Gypsy! Sneak peek!
Hilarious excerpt from Going Gypsy on Boomer Cafe!
Boomeresque gave Going Gypsy a nice nod! We discussed our RV lifestyle on the Downsize with Style podcast
GypsyNesters won gold in the Top Travel Blogs! We took home the Gold in this year’s Top 100 Travel Blogs dc39 DiscoverCorps named us a travel site to watch in 2016
Proud to be featured in Adventuress-Travel-Magazine Grandma’s Briefs reviewed Going Gypsy


Veronica appears on The Superb Woman!

It was an honor to speak at the Happiness After Loss Summit. Listen Karen at Enjoy Living Abroad wrote an elegent article about us! Check it out!
GypsyNesters on Cookistry.com Cookistry.com reviewed Going Gypsy! The nervy Patty Chang Anker interviewed Veronica!
Veronica spilled her guts to Good Enough Mother! The Review Broads are a HOOT! Check out their Going Gypsy review!
Going Gypsy on Examiner.com Examiner.com Going Gypsy on My Itchy Travel Feet My Itchy Travel Feet
Going Gypsy on Time of Your Life Now Time of Your Life GypsyNesters on My Lifestyle Career My Lifestyle Career

Our first UK interview! Watch Ceri Wheeldon of Fab After 50 ask us those burning questions you’ve always wanted to know:

jen Hear us discussing Going Gypsy on JenningsWire! The folks at food travelist also put in their two cents!
Thanks to the folks at Go Nomad for the review! Very funny Going Gypsy review from Boomeresque!
Sneak peek!
Excerpt where David finds himself in a sticky situation!
A fun video interview where we answer all of your burning Going Gypsy questions!
Going Gypsy on Momentum Nation MOMentum Nation Going Gypsy on Aging Abundantly Aging Abundantly
Going Gypsy on Travels with Tam Travels with Tam Going Gypsy on A Satisifying Retirement Satisfying Retirement

Sea Views Magazine asked us, “How Will Baby Boomers Travel in 2015?”You should check it out, we sound incredibly smart! 😉

How McCool are we? Charles McCool (we’re pretty sure that’s his real name!)
asked us questions and we spilled secrets!
Read it here.
 


We were honored with a Top Travel Blogger of 2014 nod by Wanderu!

Yowza!

 

 


Main St. asked us to weigh in on
Totally Unexpected – and Affordable – Places You Will Want to See in 2015
Check out where to go!

 

The GypsyNesters learn to tango in Buenos Aires!

Stephanie Mayo over at The World as I See it interviewed us about our favorite places, memorable moments, weird regional food disasters and how travel has changed us.

Oh – and it’s the first time we’ve discussed the process of writing our upcoming book, Going Gypsy: One Couple’s Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All.

See the full interview here

We LOVE our book bloggers! Thoughts in ProgressBook BitchInsatiable ReadersA Bookworm’s WorldMrs. Mommy’s BooknerdBooking Mama

GypsyNesters on Amtrak! Remember our American Founding Cities Live-Blog? Amtrak reported on it too! GypsyNesters on Complete Senior! Complete Senior profiled us in their magazine just yesterday – we are so honored!

Read it here.


GypsyNesters on Radio Roaming!
Want a good belly laugh? Listen in while we’re interviewed by Australian funny man Steve Collins of Radio Roaming!

GypsyNesters on Grandparents.com!
We were asked by Grandparents.com to weigh in on our favorite overrated tourist attraction!
We were also interviewed for Travel Writing 2.0! Read our discussion about writing, travel and the things we’ve learned along the way!
GypsyNesters on Serious Eats! Proud to have some of our Newfoundland eatin’ photos published on Serious Eats! GypsyNesters on Traveling Dan!
Yeah, we admit to being greedy travelers! Listen in while we’re interviewed by the Dan himself!
 

We love it when folks can relate to us – even when they are taking a much different path than we are! See out what Marcia has to say at Boomer Retirement Briefs!

 


Check it out! We were named a Top 100 Travel Tweeter of 2014!
GypsyNester Radio Interview

In case you missed us live – here’s the podcast for our New Rules for Empty Nests interview with the warm and wonderful Sandy Fowler!

Indietravel

WOW! We were named #1 (!) on Indietravel’s Top 10 Travel Couples! Honored to be among this incredible talent!
See the full list here.

Viator Travel Awards

And if that wasn’t enough, the embarrassment of riches continue – we were chosen as one of the Top 25 Travel Blogs of the Year!

See all of the honorees here

We sat down with the fabulous Chloe Jeffreys and discussed helicopter mom recovery, staying connected with our adult kids, reinventing middle-age, and the importance of reinvesting in your marriage after your nest empties.
Toyota

We had such a great time “glamping” up the California Coast with Toyota!

But imagine our surprise when we
found ourselves featured on their website!

Cheapoair logo

We’re excited that CheapOair spotlighted (spotlit?) us on their site! Check it out – click here!

The uber divine Miss Malini invited us to be a part of “How to become a World Famous Travel Blogger!” and how could we say no?

Even if we had to wake up at 3 AM to make primetime in India!

We are so honored to be a part of the brand spankin’ new !

Here are the dynamic women of WHOA!, Darryle and Lynn, interviewing Veronica about life after kids, becoming brave, and why she became a GypsyNester.

A nice little write up on Yahoo!
Yahoo!

Becca at Aging Insider calls us “5 Alarm Boomer Bloggers” and in this episode of her fabulous show, she says: “Richard Branson says, ‘Screw it, lets do it!’ and this is a couple who is embracing that motto.  The kids left for college and this rockstar couple left for the world…”
Best Day

A fun little publicity bump we did for BestDay.com while in Cancun, Mexico!

Go Erie

Ace reporter Pam Parker (is that a GREAT journo name or what?) of the Erie Times-News was kind enough to mention us in her hard-hitting write-up on the UFO house in Tennessee! See it here.

Quincy Herald-Whig

Our story about the “Nut Roll Nazi of Quincy, Illinois” was sniffed out by The Quincy Herald-Whig – and boy did they run with it! We were so pleased to be able to call even more attention to this fabulous old-fashioned bakery!

KPAM

Thanks to KPAM Radio in Portland and the fabulous host Rod McLaughlin for giving us the opportunity to talk about one of our favorite things – food!

Click to listen!

We joined Jill and Claudia over at Empty Nester Radio.

Listen in as we answer their great questions and have a few laughs.

Thanks Nomadic Matt!

When Matt asked us, along with two other couples, if we could provide tips on how we travel full time without killing each other – we had to say yes!

Click here for the interview

12 most enjoyable blogs

We are so grateful that 12most chose us as one of the Most Enjoyable Blogs for women.

50 Connect

50 Connect is one of Britain’s hottest sites! Known as “The Social Networking Site for Grown Ups.”
Click here for the whole interview.

Divergent Travelers

Those wacky kids over at Divergent Travelers asked us some fun and insightful questions when they interviewed us.

Check it out and learn some stuff about us that we’d never told you on our own!

We won!

Wow! We won the prestigious People’s Choice Senior Living Award as the Best Boomer Resource!

The competition was stiff – there were quite a few amazing sites that we were honored to be among – and the judges must have had quite a task making a choice.

Travel Pod

We were chosen as a TravelPod Top Site

TravelPod is considered the web’s original travel blog.

Check out what they wrote about us!

Donna Hull of My Itchy Feet Travel

Donna Hull of My Itchy Feet Travel included us at #1 in her post “Boomer Travel Blogs Are Booming.”

Donna Hull is a freelance writer specializing in travel and human interest content for print publications and the web. At My Itchy Travel Feet, she writes about active travel for baby boomers. And, she should know because she is one.

Check out her kind words about us here.

Fab After 50

Our first international interview was with the London-based Fab Over Fifty.

Founded by Ceri Wheeldon, Fab Over Fifty strives to redefine how women over fifty see themselves – and how they are viewed by others.
And, yes, she is fabulous!

You can read the full interview here.

Baby Boomers Traveling

Doris Gallen of Baby Boomers Traveling interviewed us for her wonderful website!

Doris helps people let go of their fears of the unknown so they can travel and discover the exciting life they’ve always wanted by going abroad to travel, live, give, and learn.

Read about us here – she really made us look good!

Dorothy Sandler over at Aging Abundantly did a cute little write-up on us! Thanks Dorothy!

Cindy Holman has a fun blog that she mentioned us on! Gotta love Cindy!

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

To view media appearances by The GypsyNesters, click here.

To see our press kit, promotional availability, talking points, demographics, site traffic/rank and social media stats, click here.

Please send all media inquiries to [email protected]

The Maritime Museum of The Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Shipwrecks are a big part of Halifax history and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, chronicles hundreds of them.

Salvaged artifacts from dozens of incidents are on display, including a few from the most famous, the Titanic… CONTINUE READING >> 

A nine foot high lens from the Sambro Island Lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse in North America

We spent a full afternoon at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic investigating the rich seafaring history of Nova Scotia – and still felt like we barely scratched the surface.

The collection includes a nine foot high lens from the Sambro Island Lighthouse, the oldest surviving lighthouse in North America.

Click here to see our full story on Halifax

Halifax and the Titanic

The Titanic's dead would come to Halifax...

Shoes from the unknown child that died on the Titanic

Shipwrecks are a big part of Halifax history and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, chronicles hundreds of them.

Salvaged artifacts from dozens of incidents are on display, including a few from the most famous, the Titanic. We were reminded of the many child victims of the disaster when we came upon these little shoes in one of the cases.

List of the Titanic victims in Halifax

See the cemetery where the unknown Titanic victims were laid to rest as well as the monument to the unknown children, very moving.

A deck chair from the Titanic
A deck chair from the Titanic

The Halifax Explosion

The museum also documents another catastrophe that struck the city just a few years after the sinking of the Titanic, the Halifax Explosion. On December 6, 1917 the SS Mont Blanc, a French cargo ship filled with wartime explosives, collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the harbor. The Mont-Blanc caught fire and the resulting blast was the largest ever until the atom bomb.

The Halifax Explosion was the largest ever until the atom bomb

At least two thousand people perished, with thousands more injured or left homeless. Aid poured in from all around, but Boston stood out in the relief effort, sending many ship loads of supplies. To this day, every year the city of Halifax sends a Christmas tree to Boston as a continuing thank you gift. The connection is so strong that people here generally refer to the New England area as “The Boston States.”

Vincent Coleman, hero of the Halifax Explosion

We were shocked that we had never heard about this sad piece of history, and even more so when we found out about a true hero, Vincent Coleman.

Mr. Coleman was a station worker at the rail yards at Pier 6 the morning that the engulfed-in-flames SS Mont Blanc moved toward shore.

Instead of fleeing, he remained at his telegraph key warning all incoming trains to stay out of Halifax.

Knowing he was going to die his last words were,

“Hold up the train. Munitions ship on fire and making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Goodbye boys.”

The telegraph key that Vincent Coleman used to alert trains coming into Halifax before the explosion
Vincent Coleman’s telegraph key. It was found with his body.

His bravery saved the lives of every soul on every train coming into Halifax and, because the Canadian Railway had been alerted so quickly, six relief trains were in Halifax that very day with medical supplies and fire fighters – saving countless more lives.

“Shipshape and Bristol Fashion”

The ship exhibits are where we truly got lost in awe. Not only with the “real” vessels, but with the magnificent model ships.
The collection is so vast, we can’t imagine that there is a boat that hasn’t been recreated or restored by the volunteer Maritime Ship Modelers Guild.

Model ship exhibits at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

By the exit we came face-to-face with the gibbet, a particularly gruesome form of pirate punishment:

the gibbet, a particularly gruesome form of pirate punishment

Were they trying to scare us out of the building? Maybe they just wanted to leave us with something that would really stick in our minds. Either way, there’ll no pirating for us, that’s for sure.

Click here to see our full story on Halifax

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Delve Deeper:
The Titanic Cemetery

The Victorian Public Gardens of Halifax
Our Full Halifax Adventure
Having a Merry Time in the Maritimes (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick)
The Cajun, Canadian, Acadian Connection

Thanks to Road Scholar for providing this lifelong learning adventure through the Canadian Maritimes! As always, all opinions are our own.

The Halifax Public Gardens

Typical of a Victorian garden, flowers and plants from many varied climates and exotic locales line the walkways.

We found all sorts of plant life thriving in this unlikely climate, from desert cactus and yucca, to towering trees from all over the globe, to roses that smelled so sweet it was like… CONTINUE READING >> 

The gate to the public gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Halifax Public Gardens harken back to the reign of Queen Victoria.

The Gardens were opened to the public in 1875, combining two existing private gardens. Landscape designer Richard Power and his family were the original architects and the original plans still remain.

The gate to the public gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Typical of a Victorian garden, flowers and plants from many varied climates and exotic locales line the walkways.

We found all sorts of plant life thriving in this unlikely climate, from desert cactus and yucca, to towering trees from all over the globe, to roses that smelled so sweet it was like walking in a cake. Sixteen acres of pure bliss.

A gazebo in The Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

A fountain in The Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Gazebos, fountains, archways and seating are also fundamental to a Victorian garden, and they are well represented here.

While the term Victorian may get overused, this park, and in fact a great deal of Halifax, certainly deserves the title.

Click here to see our full story on Halifax

The Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Pink Roses in The Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

canadian Lebanon Society in flowers in The Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

A pretty little bridge in The Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Click here to see our full story on Halifax

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Delve Deeper:
The Titanic Cemetery

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Our Full Halifax Adventure
Having a Merry Time in the Maritimes (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick)
The Cajun, Canadian, Acadian Connection

Thanks to Road Scholar for providing this lifelong learning adventure through the Canadian Maritimes! As always, all opinions are our own.

T-Rex and the City

How I shared my first inappropriate adult-to-adult laugh with my daughter. Not exactly a Hallmark moment – but I’ll take it.

There’s passion on Manhattan. I felt it as soon as I arrived on the island. For me, a major part of this enthusiasm radiates from my fast-walking, subway-chasing, black-wearing, taxi-flagging urbanite daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

The New York I know is viewed through their eyes and it is a very youthful place. I have to say I’m a bit flattered that my girls felt they could drag this old T-Rex around everywhere they went. But, apparently, this dinosaur… CONTINUE READING >>

Veronica Writing

There’s passion on Manhattan. I felt it as soon as I arrived on the island. For me, a major part of this enthusiasm radiates from my fast-walking, subway-chasing, black-wearing, taxi-flagging urbanite daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

The New York I know is viewed through their eyes and it is a very youthful place. The Piglet had recently moved in to her first studio apartment (all by herself!), so it was decided I’d stay with her.

Between work and school, Decibel was fitting me in where she could. I was on my own during the day and, at night, we’d go out. I have to say I’m a bit flattered that The Piglet felt she could drag this old T-Rex around everywhere she went. But, apparently, this dinosaur can hang.

First it was off to Splash (holy crap, it’s a NYC gay bar!) for Musical Monday and a co-worker’s birthday party. I like musicals as much as the next guy, but I have to say that walking into a huge space with wall-to-wall video monitors featuring obscure song-and-dance numbers initially took me aback.

But as luck would have it, the DJ was masterful – he spun those show tunes in a way that no one could possibly deny the sing-a-long fever (I, proudly, was the only one in our group who knew all the words to “Age of Aquarius” – singing enthusiastically while the musical Hair played around me in its embarrassingly dated way).

One would think being in a group of mostly men that you’d get to sing the “Sandy” parts from Grease, but your thinking would be wrong. Whether it be Sandy, Evita, or even Cossette, any girl will be outdone by the men in Splash – these are seasoned professionals, ladies.

The Piglet’s friends were fantastic, charming me with the proper mix of “I can’t believe you’re The Piglet’s mom – you look better than I do” (I had stepped into some good lighting) and “What musical is this song from?” when anything black & white showed up on the screen.

The next night, The Piglet and I found ourselves at The Mercury Lounge for a concert. The Piglet had thoughtfully e-mailed me soundfiles and a link to the artist’s webpage in preparation for my trip. I did my homework and was ready.

We arrived and pushed our way up to the bar in the front room. Trying to be hip, I opted not to order coffee and chose red wine (I know, also not hip, but — hey –it’s the best I could do and it was surprisingly hearty, warm and delicious). I had been literally walking all day — taking in the City — and couldn’t wait to get my wine to a table, take a load off and enjoy some good music.

I followed The Piglet into the showroom and — bloody ‘ell — NO TABLES. Oh yeah, I remember this now. A big, dark room; lots of sweat and energy. And. No. Flippin. Tables. The blister on the back of my right foot toggled between whimpering for clemency and screaming for mercy. This was not good.

Thankfully, the band really delivered. By the second song Mr. Blister was all but forgotten. I was loving being in a mass of happy, swaying bodies and took up my old hobby of watching groupies. It’s sad, but I had let myself forget the fun of it.

Decibel, on the one night she was free to let loose with dino-mommy, decided on a comedy club. We arrived at the Laugh Lounge at 10:30 PM on a Friday. The college kids at the big table (YES! Tables!) in the corner were well lubricated and ready to rock. The place was packed and filled with energy.

Several comics took the stage, each one a bit more risqué than the next.

It’s a subtle thing, but there is that moment when you find that you are capable of having true adult-to-adult experiences with your grown children. For Decibel and I, it wasn’t your typical teary-eyed mother-daughter Hallmark card moment.

It was laughing together in a dark comedy club at off-color “microphone as penis” humor and finding that the embarrassment we were feeling wasn’t because the other was in the room.

Instead it was the embarrassment that all adults feel when they are hysterically laughing at something they should be shocked by.

Not exactly a Hallmark commercial, but I’ll take it.

Veronica, GypsyNester.com

The Giant Tortoise Breeding Center of The Galápagos Islands

In this strange land of strange animals, none is more iconic than the Galápagos Giant Tortoise.

Growing to over six feet long and eight hundred pounds, these are the biggest tortoises on the planet and one of the largest reptiles.

No Galápagos visit would be complete without these mammoth reptiles and the amazing Breeding Center that is giving these magnificent creatures newCONTINUE READING >>

Giant tortoise breeding center in the Galapagos Islands

In this strange land of strange animals, none is more iconic than the Galapagos Giant Tortoise, specifically Chelonoidis Nigra, known as galápago in Spanish. The place is literally named after them.

Growing to over six feet long and eight hundred pounds, these are the biggest tortoises on the planet and one of the largest reptiles.

No Galapagos visit would be complete without seeing some of these mammoth Testudines.

We weren’t willing to take a chance on seeing one in the wild and risk missing a sighting, so we went right to the source, Isabela Island and the Tortoise Breeding Center of Isabela.

Flamingoes in the Galapagos

Situated about a mile from the town of Puerto Villamil, The Center has been instrumental in bringing the tortoise back from the brink of extinction.

There is a path from town that is most certainly worth the walk as it winds through wetlands, with great views of flamingos and marine iguanas in the salt water lagoons, and then into forest and the tortoises.

Marine Iguana of the Galapagos Islands

Giant tortoise in the Galapagos Islands

At one time a quarter of a million of these giants roamed the islands, but through the centuries that number dwindled down to around three thousand.

Several factors were responsible for the decline, beginning with sailors and settlers hunting them for food.

The tortoises made an excellent source of sustenance for seafaring crews because the giant shelled guys can live for weeks, even months without food or water. The sailors would simply grab a bunch of them, throw them down in the hold, then slaughter them for fresh meat as they sailed.

Word spread of this food source, and the Galapagos became a favorite stopping off point for pirates and whalers. Over time some of those ships brought goats and pigs to the islands and that was nearly the death knell for the tortoises.

Giant tortoise at the Breeding Center on Isabela Island

Scientists figure that the Galapagos tortoises descended from a much smaller South American ancestor who floated to the islands millions of years ago.

As the only large land animal feeding off of the vegetation, the tortoises grew and grew, becoming the giants we know today. But the pigs and goats that sailors brought seriously depleted that food source, and by the 1970s the tortoise was nearly extinct.

In fact, several of the distinct varieties or subspecies are gone for good, but through captive breeding and efforts to eradicate the feral goats and pigs, overall the species has been saved.

The wild pigs are nearly gone but are still hunted by locals, we saw some coming down from the volcano earlier in the day. Ridding the islands of goats took a bit more trickery.

See our entire journey through The Galapagos Islands

Giant tortoise at the Breeding Center on Isabela Island in the Galapagos

The National Park system employed “Judas Goats” with electronic trackers on them to help round up the loose critters.

Since goats like to be with other goats, when a Judas would be released, soon he would lead the rangers to more of his kind.

The program was very successful, there are almost no wild goats now, and the giant tortoise is making a strong come back thanks to programs like the Tortoise Breeding Center.

Giant tortoise egg in te Galapagos

In a twist on the age old question, which came first the tortoise or the egg?, our tour of the breeding center began with an egg and some embryos in various stages.

Giant Tortoise stages of development in egg in the Galapagos Breeding Center

Newly hatched Giant Tortoise

After that we got to see a few of the newly hatched, but most of the very young are safely stashed away until they reach an age where it is safe for them to romp around in the corrals.

That takes a while. The first pen we saw was filled with adolescents around twenty years old. At this age they are about the size of an average box turtle, but give them a few years and they start to get big, really big. Once they are mature, around thirty, they are turned loose into the bigger areas to await breeding or release into the wild.

See our entire journey through The Galapagos Islands

adolescent giant tortoise in The Galapagos

GIANT Tortoise

While watching these bigger guys amble around we heard some strange sounds coming from the next pen. When we followed the noise, we discovered that this truly is a breeding center.

In our short visit we saw two couples going at it – turtle style. That is, after all, why these guys are here and it’s a good thing too, because even with all of this breeding going on the Galapagos Giant Tortoise is still listed as a vulnerable species.

WATCH: It is a breeding center, guess we shouldn’t be surprised to see some breeding going on.

Giant tortoise at the Breeding Center on Isabela Island in the Galapagos

Feeling a little like voyeurs, and not wanting to disturb the amorous reptiles, we decided to head inside the center to check out the displays.

This gave us a look into the habits and lives of the creatures. They are some of the longest living animals in the world, no one is exactly certain of their lifespan since it covers several generations of humans. Estimates are that these big fellahs can live to 170 years or more.

At the end of the tour we were introduced to the children’s outreach program that works to involve local kids with the tortoises. Students come to help with care and feeding, and participate in saving the tortoises.

The feeling is that if people form a connection with these magnificent animals early in life, they will help to protect them for a lifetime. We were more than happy to slip a few dollars in the donation box on our way out.

So now we felt happy that we could leave the Galapagos having seen its most famous inhabitants, but we got even luckier the next day. While hiking at Urbina Bay, also on Isabela Island, we came upon two of these gentle giants in the wild.

Galápagos Giant Tortoise on Isabela's Urbina Bay

Galápagos Giant Tortoise on Isabela's Urbina Bay

Giant Tortoise in the Galapagos

It made quite an impression… no wonder the first visitors named the islands after them.

Click here to see our full adventure with Road Scholar – a not-for-profit organization – through Ecuador, Peru, The Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu and much, much more!

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Click here for our entire live-blog of our adventure in The
Galapagos

Delve deeper:
Check out the landscape of The Galapagos
Cavort with Sea Lions!
The Birds of The Galapagos – wild!
The Underwater World of The Galapagos
People live in the Galapagos?
Our tips for visiting The Galapagos Islands – including what to pack

YOUR TURN: Are The Galapagos Islands on YOUR bucket list? Have we inspired you to go? 

Giant Tortoises at the Breeding Center

It is a breeding center, guess we shouldn’t be surprised to see some breeding going on… CONTINUE READING  or enlarge video>>

It is a breeding center, guess we shouldn’t be surprised to see some breeding going on!

Situated about a mile from the town of Puerto Villamil in The Galapagos Islands, The Center has been instrumental in bringing the tortoise back from the brink of extinction.

Growing to over six feet long and eight hundred pounds, these are the biggest tortoises on the planet and one of the largest reptiles. No Galapagos visit would be complete without seeing some of these mammoth Testudines. We weren’t willing to take a chance on seeing one in the wild and risk missing a sighting, so we went right to the source, Isabela Island and the Tortoise Breeding Center of Isabela.

To read more about the incredible work done at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, click here!

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Click here for our entire live-blog of our adventure in The
Galapagos

Delve deeper:
Check out the landscape of The Galapagos
Cavort with Sea Lions!
The Birds of The Galapagos – wild!
The Underwater World of The Galapagos
People live in the Galapagos?
Our tips for visiting The Galapagos Islands – including what to pack

YOUR TURN: Are The Galapagos Islands on YOUR bucket list? Have we inspired you to go? 

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Goodness Gracious Great Wall (o’ Fire… in our legs)

Bucket List: A group of things to do or places to see before one kicks the bucket.

We have never had an official list ourselves, most likely it would simply read “everything,” but when we laid eyes on The Great Wall of China we instantly knew it was near the top of that nonexistent list.

Our first glimpse was… CONTINUE READING >> 

The Great Wall of China

Bucket List: A group of things to do or places to see before one kicks the bucket.

We have never had an official list ourselves, most likely it would simply read “everything,” but when we laid eyes on The Great Wall of China we instantly knew it was near the top of that nonexistent list.

Our first glimpse of the Great Wall of China from the highway

Our first glimpse was from a bus while approaching Juyongguan Pass north of Beijing.

As we climbed into the mountains, the ancient fortification began to materialize out of the city’s famous “haze.”

It was even more breathtaking than the smog we had left below.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall in Beijing, China

The section we were seeing is only a tiny portion of the over five thousand miles still visible today.

In fact, historians believe at least that much has been lost to the ravages of time, so there would be somewhere around thirteen thousand miles total.

The earliest construction probably began nearly 700 years BC as wood and earth barriers to hold off enemies. About five hundred years later the Qin Dynasty unified China and began building more imposing fortifications along the northern border.

Great Wall of China rules and safety guidelines

Construction continued for about a century, through the Han Dynasty, and then stopped for about a thousand years until resumed by the Jin Dynasty around 1200 AD. Most of what remains now was built or reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty six to eight hundred years ago.

If you have brain disease, be careful on the Great Wall of China

We pulled off the highway at the part of the wall known as the Badaling. Built as part of the Ming construction, it was finished around the time that Columbus was cruising around the new world.

Due to the proximity to Beijing, this is the most visited spot on The Great Wall, and it showed as we began to climb the stairs up to the walkway along the top. It was wall-to-wall people (ba-da ching!)

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, Beijing

Reaching the walkway turned out to be next to nothing compared to the climb we faced ahead of us.

From the bottom of the valley, where we were parked, the wall rises in both directions straight up the sides of some mighty steep mountains. But our competitive nature kicked in and we took off through the crowd.

We were under a time constraint, we had a bus to catch if we wanted to make it back to the city, but we were bound and determined to see how far we could go. At the first watchtower we stopped for a breather and an amazing view, then raced up to the next turret.

The Great Wall of China

View from the Great Wall of China

From our new vantage point we could see the entire valley spread out below, and the people back by the bus were beginning to look like ants.

Looking out over miles of wall snaking over the mountains and valleys it was easy to see why the Chinese have often compared it to a dragon.

High up on the Great Wall in Beijing

The Great Wall of China, Beijing

But there was still more up to go, so we bolted up even higher.

At this altitude the crowds were thinning, seems we had weeded out anyone who wasn’t at least slightly crazy.

Puffing and panting, and running out of time, we pushed each other ever higher.

Veronica at the Great Wall of China

David at the Great Wall of China

“OK, we should turn around now,” drifted down only to be answered by “Oh no you don’t, not until I get above you!”

Under the growing threat of missing the bus, and burning muscles about to stage a mutiny, we finally settled on a draw.

But our thinking that the trip down would be much easier than the climb up turned out to be somewhat flawed.

The Great Wall of China, Beijing

Coming down may have been faster, but it was definitely more dangerous, and much harder on the old knees than going up.

There was no time for gawking at the scenery on the descent either, every second of attention had to be focused on placing each foot on the proper spot lest we take the trip down literally.

Certainly would have been faster, but tumbling down several thousand feet of ancient stone work didn’t strike us as a good way to end our day.

The stairs of the Great Wall of China are a bit uneven

No need to make The Great Wall the last thing we ever check off our Bucket List.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

See more of our adventures in China!

Delve deeper into Beijing!

Click here for our full live-blog as we traveled with Holland America aboard the ms Volendam – through Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan