I Could Live Here

Outside of Gainesville, FL sits a town we've passed a hundred times in our travels... and yet never knew existed. Turns out Northern Florida has a well-kept secret to most people passing through, and it comes in the form of just ONE square mile known as the town of Micanopy. What's the deal with Micanopy? Well, for starters it is it's own time capsule. Roll into town past the tin-roofed houses and...

Denise's Cousin Judy told us (in episode 36 of our YouTube Channel) that Orange Beach, Alabama was a gem. We (okay, James) kind of dismissed it because we had so MANY other places on our list already. Then, Southern Living magazine dropped their Top 50 Southern Small Towns list and right there, at #15 and 6 hours away from where we were camped out sat Orange Beach & Gulf Shores. We were expect...

Way back when we left Los Angeles, the plan was to drive from Seattle until we hit The Keys but (as you all know) we had to stop down when Hurricane Ian was sweeping through Florida. Since then, one thing after another has prevented us from reaching the paradise that exists right at the very tip of the continental U.S. Well, we ran FINALLY out of obstacles and excuses... and at last we were able t...

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY slysslidersandfries.com ! Check out what Savannahians already know... Sly's Sliders Rocks! Artisan sliders and dogs to match your taste, whatever your dietary preference. Go to slysslidersandfries.com and tell them The Skiptown All-Stars sent you. Our adventure in The Hostess City of the South continues! We went to Mrs. Wilkes for some down-home cooking, only to be int...

THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY bonniebluetours.com **Head over to Bonnie's site and get the absolute BEST tour of Savannah - and if you use the promo code SKIPTOWN you'll get 15% off your tour! We FINALLY made our way to Savannah, GA! Our first TRUE "remote working" adventure as empty-nesters did not disappoint. From Denise's new favorite side dish to James' boys weekend with a new friend, this Geor...

James was really over being in Florida, until one of our closest friends said he was coming to St. Pete (not to be confused with St. Petersburg, because as we’ve found out there IS a difference)! Suddenly, James was singing a different tune and we were strolling through the Dali Museum and exploring everything this little beach town had to offer. We also found ourselves arguing at-length over what...

Denise's hometown is truly a duality like no other. Northside vs. Southside. White Sox vs. Cubs fans. Lou Malnati's vs. Giordano's. Brutal winters pit themselves against unbearable summers... hell, even the Chicago River flows against itself! Our house is no different. Denise begged James to move there for years but by the time he finally came around on it, she no longer felt its pull. In this epi...

There's nothing to prepare you for someone calling and telling you they want to fly you and your significant other halfway around the world on their dime, but that's exactly what happened to us in March of 22. James' client phoned him and offered to pay for flights and accommodations if we were willing to drop everything and go to Dubai. Du-freaking-bai! The result was the trip of a lifetime in on...

If there's one thing you know about us, it's that we got our start on LeeAnn Kreischer's podcast, "Wife of the Party." So, you can only imagine how great it felt to come "home" for the holidays and sit down with LeeAnn Kreischer to catch up. What we didn't know was that Santa (aka Bert Kreischer ) was literally flying down from the North Pole to join us. It was an awesome surprise with awesome peo...

If we told you a story of 150,000 people invading 3 counties within the US borders, you'd think we were all hopped up on some immigration conspiracy. But that's exactly what happened somewhere in between Orlando and Gainesville, Florida--in a place called, generically enough, "The Villages." It's a retirement community that keeps sprouting houses and expanding its borders every single year--with i...

What starts out as a recap of Denise's bungled attempt at being a bootlegger--and James realizing Canada has some pretty strict rules about firearms--turns into a low-key therapy session. We said we'd be honest and not hide the bad stuff when we started this pod. Consider this episode a promise kept. #emptynest #fulltank Socials and maps of our travels: linktr.ee/skiptownallstars Check out what An...

La Ciudad. CDMX. Whatever you want to call it, Mexico City has always been on Denise's "must hit" destination list--and it did not disappoint! We started our Mexico vacation in the party town of Cabo San Lucas, but we'd been there before and it was time for a new adventure. A quick day trip to the fishing town of Todos Santos and a sunset at Cerritos Beach were a start in the right direction, but...

After the last stop in Little Rock, we realized we were a quick trip away from seeing the shining star of American exceptionalism... Graceland! Elvis' story and home were as amazing as we expected, but the rise in crime around Memphis over the past several years left us saying, "Roll, Tide, Roll!" and before we knew it, we were waking up in Tuscaloosa. Here's our linktr.ee/skiptownallstars and ple...

After 5 great days in OKC, it was time for your favorite empty nesters to hit the road again. A eerie feeling about The Big Easy was beginning to grow, and after a snap decision we gave up our plans to hit New Orleans and head to THE ROCK. That's right. You didn't ask for Arkansas but you got it anyway. From hiking to dining to digging into some history, we packed a ton of enjoyment into our brief...

After a Texas-sized adventure and a Louisville slog, our young-ish adventurers embarked on one of James' "must see" destinations... Oklahoma City. See, he was around shortly after the worst-of-the-worst hit the city, but was eager to see its rebound. Long story short? It FAR surpassed the revival he expected. Meanwhile, Denise could easily be bribed into an OKC suburb with a corndog and free parki...

OUR TOP 5 LIKES AND DISLIKES for this episode will be on social media so check us out, if you haven't. We didn't have Kentucky on the map for our travels this time around, but after an elated call from Ellie we found out she made the cut for her traveling volleyball squad. She was going to be in Louisville while we were in Texas. Not exactly next door, but it DID merge nicely with our curiosity an...

What better way to cap off a 2-month roadtrip than to immediately have to hunker down and pray for the best? Hurricane Ian ravaged Florida. While it mostly missed us, it left hundreds of thousands without power and several dead.  This episode explores how we came to purchase an investment property right dab smack in The Villages, a world-famous retirement community... and Denise's growing desire t...

The hosts discover hidden gems like Slovacek's (a gas station with world-class BBQ), explore college football culture at Baylor University, and experience river floating in New Braunfels. They're particularly impressed with the corridor between Austin and San Antonio, highlighting affordable, charming towns like Kyle, Buda, and Canyon Lake as ideal places for remote workers seeking quality living...

Finally. The Texas Episode. Abilene, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Dallas. Sorry, Houston... maybe next time? Denise discovers Hooters. James discovers Magnolia Table. From brewing bar fights to gas station BBQ, we LOVED Texas and, dang, if the Big Yellow Rose didn't make us feel like we were loved back. Despite the handful of dudes who think they're going to overthrow the governme...

What? You were expecting the Texas episode? Yeah, so were we... until our recap of Roswell, NM and the creepy vibes we got from our Air BnB became a Close Encounter of Its Own Kind. We had no plans to move to Roswell, but we decided it was a good place to park for the night and cross it off James' bucket list. He booked a farmhouse that he thought would be perfect for a 1947 crash landing re-enact...

We know her affectionately as "Biggsy" and we've finally arrived in Corpus Christi and at the doorstep of the only Gordon you haven't met. We're excited to present to the podverse our oldest daughter, Parker! She spills the beans on her new job at KRIS Channel 6 News as a producer, some of the stories she's encountered there so far and all the best and worst of the Texas Riviera. From getting shot...

Join Denise and James as they explore two of the best places to live in the Southwest: Sedona, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico This week, their journey continues to Santa Fe, New Mexico, which "far exceeded expectations" as a potential relocation destination. Follow along as this adventurous couple in their 50s sells everything to travel cross-country with their dog Roxy, searching for the perfec...

Recently, Denise and James visited 2 of the best places to live in the Southwest: Sedona, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is their recap of Santa Fe, New Mexico, which "far exceeded expectations" as a potential relocation destination. Follow along as this adventurous couple in their 50s sells everything to travel cross-country with their dog Roxy, searching for the perfect new hometown whil...

Join hosts Denise and James as they explore Utah's best places to live and must-visit destinations. After moving their daughter into her college apartment near the University of Utah, they embark on a journey through Salt Lake City's clean downtown, exploring the opulent Grand America Hotel (where NBA teams stay when playing the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena), and discovering local favorites like Park...

In this heartfelt episode, hosts Denise and James welcome their daughter Mia Gordon, a University of Utah student studying criminology. Mia shares her experience living in Salt Lake City, one of the best places to live for those seeking both urban amenities and outdoor recreation. The family discusses their journey from Los Angeles to Utah, including stops in Bend, Oregon (often cited as where to...