GypsyNester

What in the World of Warcraft is This Guy Thinking?

I recently received an email that really touched me: "I am not completely an empty nester unfortunately. My 20 year old son was not able to return to college this fall because of the lack of loans and grants available to him. So now he is doing nothing... Read >

The Great Frog Fraud of Creek County

The journey to the "Creek County Frog" is an adventure unto itself. Was it that we in the area and thought we'd drop by? Could it be that we simply ADORE frogs and just had to see a really big one in rock form? Or maybe it's that David has a more than unr... Read >

Up in the Air in Courmayeur, Italy

Where Italy, France and Switzerland converge sits the fairy tale town of Courmayeur. At the top of the Italy's Aosta valley, high in the Alps, literally in the shadow of Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc, the town has become one of Europe's premier alpine... Read >

Casks & Tubs in Cave di Moleto, Italy

Topping the vineyard laden hills of the Piedmont (Piemonte) region in Italy are charming little ancient villages with quaint lodgings, wonderful food and wine specialties. With a romantic getaway in mind, Claudia, hostess extraordinaire, took us on a driv... Read >

Tricking the Eye in Ovada, Italy

Trompe l'oeil, or "trick the eye," is an art form that is ultra realistic, creating a three dimensional illusion from a two dimensional painting. Think of Wiley Coyote painting a tunnel on a rock for the Roadrunner to smack into. Then imagine a whole litt... Read >

No Bald Eagles

The opportunity to see The Eagles fell into our laps the other day. Veronica, a huge fan who had never seen them live, was chomping at the bit. I, however, was skeptical. Having seen The Eagles in their heyday, during the 1976 Hotel California tour, I ... Read >

The Plan is No Plans

On the same day that we officially became empty nesters, the very day our youngest started college, we got on a plane headed for Zürich. We didn't really plan for the two events to happen on the same day, it just worked out that way. What WAS planned w... Read >

Dale Ertel, Reptile Wrangler

Winding through the "crooked and steep" roads of the Ozarks near Berryville, Arkansas, it would have been easy to miss the intriguing and very colorful hand painted sign on the side of the road, but Veronica caught a glimpse of it. "Did that sign say Snak... Read >

Hog Jowls & Throwed Rolls

Crossing the muddy Mississippi into southeastern Missouri, we were getting mighty hungry. When we saw the sign proclaiming "The Only Home of Throwed Rolls," we knew this was the place to strap on the feedbag. Lambert's Cafe has been serving up home coo... Read >

Fear Conquering & Scuba Diving

Now that the chicks are out of the nest I'm nurturing a new side effect--fearlessness. Okay not exactly fearlessness, but I'm finding that I'm more drawn to crazy antics than I used to be. Perhaps this effect is common in empty nesters--or at least with t... Read >

The LIAT Airlines Experience

Traveling is certainly made easier when you heed the warnings of those who have gone before you. Especially when your path winds through the tangled Second World jungle that is "island time." Laid back charm aside, island time can sometimes make the simpl... Read >

25 in St. Martin

Sometimes a split personality isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the case of St. Martin, the schizophrenia can be crazy, but hey, crazy can be good. Sint Maarten/Saint Martin is the smallest island in the world that is governed by dual sovereign states, di... Read >

Under Sea St. Croix

Like an iceberg in the tropics, only the tip of St. Croix is visible above the surface. To truly experience what the island has to offer one must look below the water line. We returned to the island during the holidays and from previous trips were prep... Read >

Hog Wild in Punxutawney

Are they crazy about groundhogs in Punxutawney, Pennsylvania? You betcha. The place is lousy with them. Groundhogs adorn homes and businesses like the Baby Jesus does at Christmastime most other places. It happens we were visiting the "Weather Capital of ... Read >

An Argument for Bob Dylan

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