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Wherever Books Are Sold!Boomer Travel. Food. Laughter. Breaking the Empty Nest Rules!
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Each year Si and Cassandra Benjamin host a calf roping event in memory of their son Clint, an avid roper, that benefits… CONTINUE READING >>
Each year Si and Cassandra Benjamin host a calf roping event in memory of their son Clint, an avid roper, that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Clint Benjamin Memorial Scholarship Fund. This year, at Sheriff’s Posse Arena, six hundred and twenty five teams compete for the event’s coveted buckles and saddles. Learn more: https://www.gypsynester.com/torc.htm
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I’ve read that one of biggest pitfalls to having kids is that couples tend to forget who they were prior to breeding (though I personally think the the loss of perky breasts is high on the list). As a Gypsy Nester, one who is looking forward to life after kids, I thought I’d share a secret.David and I offset this pitfall with “date nights.” Admittedly, most of our date nights were spent talking about the kids, ordering soda water to get the baby puke off my little black dress and worrying that the nanny cam may have malfunctioned. Difficult as it was to apply lipstick while avoiding chocolate covered toddlers… CONTINUE READING >>
David and I offset this pitfall with “date nights.” Admittedly, most of our date nights were spent talking about the kids, ordering soda water to get the baby puke off my little black dress and worrying that the nanny cam may have malfunctioned. Difficult as it was to apply lipstick while avoiding chocolate covered toddlers — date nights were not to be given up.
Hint for newbies: If you must bribe the tykes to stay with a babysitter, bribe them with non-chocolate type treats — they are sticky, yes, but they don’t leave stains. Also bad: Pixie Sticks, Grape Kool-aid, breast milk after an onion laden lunch.
No excuses were allowed. If there was ever an excuse to bail on a date night, David and I had it: the projectile vomiter. As an infant, one of my children could hit a rented tuxedo from a hundred feet away. No kidding.
Here’s how we avoided the flying spew: The babysitter was hired to arrive two hours before we left. Then, making a huge deal of it, we would “leave” the house. While the sitter dealt with the obligatory screaming and yelling by the kid(s), we cleverly used the diversion to sneak back in. Then we got ready.
We always made sure that the babysitter was equipped with Pixie Sticks and onion milk so we could make a clean, unnoticed exit. Not only we were able to go to the party, but we saved thousand of dollars in dry cleaning bills.
Sex on date night was mandatory (I apologize to my kids in advance, I know how gross the thought must be to you). We found that it was very important to have sex while not wearing sweats and a kid pounding on the bathroom door. Also, if the soda water worked properly, I was always at my sexiest on date night. I was also sure to wear perfume, as soda water isn’t a magic elixir.
All kidding aside, every once in awhile we were reminded about who we were as a couple. When that happened, we were sure to point it out — we made a BIG DEAL ABOUT IT. Trust me, this is really important. It showed us that now that we are about embark on our new lives as Gypsy Nesters, we have a foundation to build on and, more importantly, remember what said foundation is.
Be advised: Every once in a while a date WEEK is also necessary. It takes at least five dinners to stop talking about the kids. This is the breeding couples equivalent to the wild weekend. Remember those?
Veronica, GypsyNester.com
After an all day tour of the missions of San Antonio that ended with a proper remembrance of The Alamo, we had biked up quite an appetite. Good thing that the famed Riverwalk was only a block or two away.Restaurants of every variety, along with nightclubs, hotels, bars and shops, line the banks of … CONTINUE READING >>
After an all day tour of the missions of San Antonio that ended with a proper remembrance of The Alamo, we had biked up quite an appetite. Good thing that the famed Riverwalk was only a block or two away.
Restaurants of every variety, along with nightclubs, hotels, bars and shops, line the banks of The San Antonio River as it runs through downtown. The riverside is beautifully landscaped with plants, trees, walkways and bridges that are romantically lit with twinkling lights after dark.
It’s almost like it was designed with a GypsyNester appy crawl in mind. In an interesting twist, this all happens below street level.
The Riverwalk, or Paseo Del Rio, was the brainchild of Robert H. H. Hugman, who hatched the idea after a devastating flood in 1921.
Hugman’s vision was to emulate a visit to Venice. He convinced city officials and business leaders that the plan would be financially beneficial, got their backing, and the dream began to take shape.
It was less than an immediate success. For decades businesses struggled to make a go of it as visitors were scarce and crime was rampant.
David’s father, who was stationed at nearby Fort Sam Houston back in the fifties, explained to us how The Riverwalk was so rough that it was off limits to Army personnel. Getting caught down there would earn a soldier a trip to the brig.
The sixties brought improvements and then in 1969, the Paseo Del Rio Association was established promoting improvement and development of The Riverwalk. They have done a fantastic job, because today this beautiful attraction pulls in nearly $800 million a year for San Antonio’s economy.
We walked down the stairs from Commerce Street to the river level and immediately ran into Boudro’s Texas Bistro — this looked like our kind of place.
To be honest, we were too hungry to go hunting any further. We took a seat right on the water and commenced to slobber over the menu. So many tempting choices for some Texas Tapas.
Smoked Shrimp Enchiladas, Chili Fried Oysters, Tequila Cured Salmon Bruchetta and made-at-the-table Guacamole for Two all sounded like winners, but we went with Mesquite-Grilled Quail and the Duck & Sausage Gumbo.
Little touches made Boudro’s stand out. With a charming décor that included horse blankets on the outdoor seats for cool evenings, a friendly and knowledgeable staff, and real attention to detail and presentation, we knew we were in for something special.
They even doll up the beer. David’s local favorite, Lone Star, arrived with a glass that had a salt and chili mixture rubbed on the rim. Still the food was the star of the show.
The gumbo was locally inspired, yet had classic Cajun flavor. The jalapeno sausage came from nearby Hill Country and three local peppers blended perfectly with the duck.
Served in a big bowl on a wild rice blend, this would be hard to match, but… enter the bird.
The quail, grilled to perfection on a mesquite fire, was crazy delicious. Nothing says Texas like mesquite-grilled meat, any meat, or even the carton it came in. Everything tastes good mesquite-grilled. But this bird stood out. Served with a chipolte demiglace on a bed of pepper jack grits with jalapeno chips, holy crap that’s good eatin’!
Both of these dishes were from the appetizer menu but were big and hearty enough to serve as a meal. It’s going to be mighty tough to top this, but we have all night to try and we might need every minute of it just to work up a new appetite.
We decided to walk off the first round and check out the rest of Riverwalk’s culinary choices. We passed tempting local fare, like Boudro’s, The Little Rhein Steak House and La Margarita’s.
National chains like Hard Rock Cafe, Joe’s Crab Shack and Rainforest Cafe are represented and famous names such as Pat O’Brien’s round out the options — Riverwalk could take on any craving we could conceive.
After browsing the possibilities we stopped off at Paesanos. Self described as classic Mediterranean and contemporary Italian dining, it sounded like a good choice for a vino and a bite. We have some basic rules of thumb concerning certain types of restaurants.
The salsa tells you a lot about a Mexican place, the sweet tea about a meat &three and the crust of the bread about an Italian spot. The bread at Paesanos didn’t put up any fight at all. Felt like it came out of the freezer and it turned out our whole appetizer seemed like that.
We ordered The Sampler Selection of Three of the Most Popular Antipastos (note to Paesano, the plural of antipasto is antipasti).
The uninspired plate plopped down before us contained two Parmesan Crusted Artichoke Hearts (greasy gut-bombs of deep-fried canned artichokes), a pile of Giant Calamari with a Duet of Sauces (horrifyingly humongous fried flat filets of sea creature not remotely resembling any calamari we’d ever seen and the sauces were — wait for it! — tartar and cocktail) and Shrimp Paesano (best of the three by far, but that simply means they were very average baked shrimp).
Good thing we had some wine to wash it down with. As often seems to be the case, this disappointment turned out to be our most expensive stop of the night.
Hoping to end the evening on a high note, we walked over to the highly acclaimed Fig Tree, widely considered to be the best on The Riverwalk. Alas we were too late.
They were closing for the night but the helpful maitre’d suggested a nearby spot just above the walk.
We took his advice and were so glad we did. Insignia turned out to be a perfect nightcap — friendly and cozy with a quirky menu.
We sat at the bar, ordered a couple drinks and the bartender, Lindsey, highly recommended the Bone Marrow Pudding with Tongue & Cheek Marmalade. Honestly, how could we turn down a dish with a name like that?
As we sipped our drinks, we waited to see if we had completely lost our minds.
To calm our nerves, Lindsey chatted us up a bit. She informed us that Insignia is located in The Fairmount Hotel, the largest building ever to be moved in one piece.
Just another quirk about this interesting place. There are drawings and photos of the big move in the hotel itself, along with Guinness Book of World Records certificate.
Before we knew it, the tongue and bone was ready. Now we’ve eaten some strange things in our GypsyNesting travels and this was right up there.
Strange until we popped a marrow pudding-n-marmalade covered piece of heaven into our mouths. The marrow is cooked down until it’s like butter, spread on toast and covered with the meaty marmalade.
Honestly, the tongue and cheek meat with the marrow is one of the best flavor combinations we’ve ever encountered.
As we were going to town on it, we started to notice — WOW was this rich! This taste sensation should be enjoyed in small quantities. Even with two of us attacking it, we had plenty.
Turns out that this anatomical dish is not on the menu, it’s offered as a special periodically and we just happened to hit the jackpot. One more reason our visit to Insignia was made memorable.
After lingering at the bar and letting things settle, we headed out, secure in the feeling that we had experienced a broad range of what San Antonio had to offer.
But we had to wonder as we looked back at The Fairmount, how in the hell did they ever move that whole huge building?
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
Our snowy early morning trip had us glued to the windows of The Sightseer Lounge of The Empire Builder as we snaked our way through… CONTINUE READING >>
Catching the Empire Builder at the picturesque Whitefish Depot, our snowy early morning trip had us glued to the windows of The Sightseer Lounge as we snaked our way through the The Lewis Range along The Middle Fork Flathead River.
Other than snowshoes or cross-country skis, this really is the optimal method of Glacier Park winter exploration. Not surprisingly we, not being big on the idea of walking the icy wilderness with tennis rackets or two-by-fours strapped to our feet, or icicles hanging from our noses, chose the comfort and luxury option of Amtrak.
Click here for our full trip on Amtrak’s iconic Empire Builder
Glacier was designated a National Park on May 11, 1910, after lobbying efforts by The Great Northern Railway. Most all of the park’s early development was directly related to the railroad, in fact The Great Northern built several lodges to increase their tourist traffic.
The train skirts along the southern border of the park, and we wore the shutters out on our cameras while climbing up to 5,213 feet to cross the Continental Divide at Marias Pass. From there one could truthfully say, “it’s all downhill from here.”
Click here for our full trip on Amtrak’s iconic Empire Builder
Click here for our full trip on Amtrak’s iconic Empire Builder
Click here for our full trip on Amtrak’s iconic Empire Builder
Click here for our full trip on Amtrak’s iconic Empire Builder
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
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Whether you’re camping, on the road or just in a hurry, Veronica shows how an oatmeal “shampoo”… CONTINUE READING >>
Whether you’re camping, on the road or just in a hurry, Veronica shows how an oatmeal “shampoo” works. Or does it?
Click to see all of our Amtrak adventures!
Want more trains? We love ’em too! Here’s ALL of our train adventures from around the world!
Visit our GypsyNester YouTube Channel!
Your GypsyNesters show you around the shower facilities on their sleeper car on Amtrak’s… CONTINUE READING >>
Your GypsyNesters show you around the shower facilities on their sleeper car on Amtrak’s Empire Builder!
To see our entire trip on The Empire Builder (IT WAS AMAZING!), click here.
Click to see all of our Amtrak adventures!
Want more trains? We love ’em too! Here’s ALL of our train adventures from around the world!
Visit our GypsyNester YouTube Channel!
Week Two of our crazy 15-day Amtrak Rail Pass. See the Rockies by train – the only way you can see these views unless you are whitewater rafting! Veronica washes her hair with oatmeal, we see a haunted train station, view of the Pacific and the mountains from the dome car! Tour of the bathroom anemities and meet the coolest Amtrak employee ever- Ellis the Cafe Guy! Tons of video and pics!… CONTINUE READING >>PREVIOUS DISPATCH: WEEK ONE OF AMTRAK LIVE-BLOG
10:15 AM We’re leaving Los Angeles on the northbound Coast Starlight bound for the bay area. The Coast Starlight is one of Amtrak’s most popular trains because the scenery along the Pacific coastline is simply bloody awesome! The route follows the shore from San Diego up to Morro Bay then moves inland as it rolls up to San Jose and finally, Seattle.
10:50 AM The first hour or so of the trip is within metropolitan LA, no ocean views here, but we did snag seats on the coast view side of the train so scenic vistas await.
Tagging along on the end of our train is the private charter car “Silver Splendor.” Built in 1956 for the Zephyrs (our next train) of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, it has been revamped as a combination
diner, dome and lounge car available for private excursions on any of Amtrak’s routes. Old number 4735 has logged over 4.5 million miles in her 50 plus years of service.
The old Southern Pacific Railroad originally ran passenger service on California‘s coastal route between Los Angeles and San Francisco as The Coast Daylight.
When Amtrak took over in 1971, they expanded the service to San Diego and Seattle and, in a nod to the old name, christened it The Coast Starlight.
Out the Window
12:15 PM First view of the Pacific! Caught a glimpse of the pier where we first met almost thirty years ago. (Yeah, we stole a kiss as we sped by!)
Folks on the Train
We asked a wonderful lady — traveling with a group of Red Hatters — what happened when she was five hours late getting into Chicago. Did they have to sleep on the train station floor?
9:50 AM Pulling out of Oakland (Emeryville) California on the eastbound Zephyr right on time. Amtrak’s California Zephyr runs the route of the famous Zephyrs of the Burlington Route, Denver & Rio Grande Western
and Western Pacific lines streamliners of yesteryear.
When service began in 1949 it was known as The Most Talked About Train in America. We will be crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains over Donner Pass. Sure hope nobody gets too hungry. San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are fading into the distance across the bay.
10:40 AM Just past Martinez California we see The Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay. Seventy decommissioned warships have been harbored here since World War II, just in case of another war.
Out the Window
11:50 AM Sacramento California, the state capitol. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for The Governator, but not really expecting to catch a glimpse. Perhaps it would take more than blowing through town on a train… I’ll be back.
WATCH: Veronica Gives a Bathroom Amenity Tour (coach)
1:20 AM Entering Gold Rush Territory. There’s gold in these thar hills! It’s estimated that one third of California’s gold came from these parts.
Out the Window
3:00 PM Donner Lake, California. Yup, THOSE Donners. This lake is where they got stranded and unlike today, there were no restaurants in sight. Why not let our onboard guide tell the story?
4:45 PM Reno, Nevada. Known as “The Biggest Little City in the World.” We’re here for 24 hours — more on Reno tommorow.
11:30 AM Reno, Nevada. Known as “The Biggest Little City in the World” but “Closed for Renovation?” Not really, we stayed overnight and found some open establishments, one even had $3 Single Deck Blackjack. Lots of fun without risking a trip to the poorhouse.
4:45 PM Back on the train headed for Colorado. We will travel across Utah during the night, passing through Promotory, the sight of The Golden Spike. The spike marks the spot where on May 10,1869 the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines, laying tracks westward from Chicago and east from San Francisco, met to form the first transcontinental railroad route.
Folks on the train
Ellis, “The Cafe Guy,” Amtrak’s coolest employee, shows us around his domain. The Zephyr, like all of Amtrak’s
long haul runs, has both a dining car for complete sit down meals and a cafe / lounge / dome car for quick snacks.
6:50 AM Sunrise in The Rockies. High in Eastern Utah approaching Helper near the Colorado border. Helper takes its names from the steam days when “helper” locomotives were added to trains to help pull them over the mountains.
This will be the most scenic day of our entire 5000 + mile journey. Many mountains, canyons, rivers, tunnels and
other various vistas to come today.
7:30 AM Castle Gate.
Out the Window
10:10 AM Entering Colorful Colorado via Ruby Canyon, one of the many canyons formed by the Colorado River. There are no roads here, so these spectacular views are only available by train or by raft.
1:20 PM Glenwood Canyon, still following the Colorado River as we climb up toward the continental divide. Since we are stopping for the night at Winter Park, we will cross the great divide tomorrow minutes after re-boarding the Zephyr.
The Dome Car We moved in to the Dome Car and set up camp for this leg of the trip. The sides and ceiling of the car are covered in ginormous windows, providing the best sightseeing on the train. Add in the stacked rocks of the Colorado canyons – bliss.
3:45 PM Gore Canyon. The last of the Colorado River canyons on the trip. This remote one thousand-foot deep gorge is another that can only be seen from the train or the river.
4:25 PM Fraser Canyon. The Fraser River carved out this canyon and left behind some of the best trout fishing in all of Colorado.
After having an excellent Italian dinner at Alberto’s and spending the night in Winter Park, we are ready to climb back aboard The California Zephyr for our trek down The Rockies and across The Great Plains.
Veronica “washes” her hair with oatmeal Life on the train requires some ingenuity. Here’s a hygiene idea!
Out the Window
Our guide for the day just informed us that we will pass through forty-two tunnels on our trip across The Rockies. The longest being the Moffat tunnel at over six miles long.
By digging through the mountains instead of going over and around, nearly two hundred miles were cut off of the trip between Denver and the west coast.
7:10 PM The train running about an hour late is in our favor today. The late afternoon sun on the Front Range is spectacular.
Even the deer came out for a little train spotting… but we were too excited to snap a photo of the big buck watching us go by.
8:00 PM Denver, the Mile-High City, is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level, as measured at the 13th step of the state capitol building. The other day we were wondering where the train would refuel, the answer for The Zephyr is… in Denver.
Out the Window
6:30 AM Sunrise in Nebraska. A little fog hovers over the corn. Back behind us in Lincoln, the husking has begun.
7:00 AM Omaha, Nebraska. Railroading roots run deep here. This has been the home of The Union Pacific Railroad, the largest in the country, since it began back in the mid 1862.
Rumors are floating around the train that the old station here is haunted, we go in for a first hand look but decide the stairs up to the depot might make ghosts of us.
Spook or mortal, we won’t be busting any windows here.
2:50 PM Crossing the mighty Mississippi at Burlington Iowa. This puts us back into Illinois and closing in on the end of our odyssey. Just a couple hundred miles to go, which will put us over five thousand for the trip. We are feeling them all today. Need. Shower.
Out the Window
6:00 PM Pulling into The Windy City to wrap it up.
Eleven states (those big western ones and several twice) in two weeks equals a couple of fried GypsyNesters. Need. Sleep.
PREVIOUS DISPATCH: WEEK ONE OF AMTRAK LIVE-BLOG
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com