When Denise was in Texas, listener Sandra invited her to Boerne to see the house she and husband Nik were having built. Denise was intrigued, but then Sandra told her it was the FIFTH time they were constructing a new home... we had to get to the bottom of why they're such huge fans of starting from scratch.
While we were in Boerne this summer, we sat down with Sandra and Nik to hear how they parlayed an FHA loan into an eventual $2M custom build--and why they STILL hate their window sills. From a killer view to vanishing closets, they're here to tell us all about their triumphs and fails in the land of new construction!

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One of the greatest aspects of our last year of travel has been meeting new people and FINALLY having the freedom to visit all the old friends and family we've been "meaning to" over the years. This week, we sit down with James' college buddy and Gordon family fixture, Patrick Mason, in his Jersey City crib. You've heard us mention how he always calls to correct our grammar and fact-check us... always leaving us with a renewed commitment to making him proud.
This week he's with us to break down the explosive growth Jersey City has seen over the past few decades... is it "the 6th Borough"? Patrick cuts through the noise on the real estate statistics and drops a lot of bonus info on the neighboring town of Hoboken, too. Enjoy!

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We know you're used to us doing a bit of a departure physically, but this week we're doing it topically, too! We had an episode planned and we tossed out the script, so get ready for an off-the-cuff update on our new "roommate," James' take on NFL current events and Denise dragging noted bull**** artist Tim Ferriss and his 4-Hour Work Week joke.

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While wandering around Connecticut, Denise planned a haircut in Guilford with a friend-of-a-friend at her salon. What happened next was not in the plan, however. Her new stylist, Stephanie, transformed into an all-day tour guide, instead. Denise returned to the hotel with her hair looking the same and full of excitement over everything she's going to do when we MOVE TO GUILFORD?

That's right. Half of the Skiptown tribe has spoken... and Denise swears that Guilford is the "Stars Hollow" she's been targeting all this time. She's even talking about starting a new endeavor there. And the Gilmore Girls. Lots and lots of Gilmore Girls. You're gonna be wasted!

One Skiptown down, but will James buy in? Not if it means getting into the restaurant business.

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Hartford was a bust, but New Haven's got a little spring in its step! We explored this coastal city on a whim and are so freaking glad we did. From its bold claims of being the birthplace of the burger AND American pizza, the food game in this town is solid. Coffee game? Also on point. Pair that with Nathan Hale being a crappy spy and all of the mystique and intrigue that a certain Ivy League school has to offer, and you need to pull up a chair... because we're about to reveal the secret knock to The Elm City's bustling society. You've been sleeping on this city in Connecticut--and that's why you can't get into Yale.
Also, Denise invents a band out of thin air. Enjoy!

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If you listened to our episode last week, you know that Denise has spent a lot of time in Colorado lately. It hasn't just been family business, however. On her last trip, she got a good look around Castle Rock--and found that what used to be a stop-off city between Denver and Colorado Springs has now expanded FAR beyond a day of shopping at outlet malls. James also made the most recent trip to the Centennial State for some mile-high mischief and this is our recap!

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We've shared with you our travel victories and fails, as well as our adventures in parenting adult children. What we haven't shared is our own experiences as adults who have had to take care of our parents. In our case, it's been difficult because it has always been from afar. That's about to change. Denise's mother has made it to her 97th birthday, but the slide into dementia began a few years ago and is about to change our lives for the foreseeable future.

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After a summer of fun, it was finally time to head up to Connecticut to get Ellie settled into her new school. Frankly, it was a move we thought we'd never have to make again, but we were eager to get our youngest into a better environment. After 2 days of driving, James finally joined Denise and Ellie for move-in day. We thought we'd be vibing in a whole new city, but Hartford had other plans.
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The Prodigal has returned. Lake Milton is a beautiful State Park in Northeastern Ohio where fishing, water skiing and boating are plenty. It's also the hometown of @SkiptownJames and the subject of today's episode. We explore what made growing up in Lake Milton great, the hard times it's endured and what this gorgeous locale needs most... residents.
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Our adventures in Corpus Christi have kept you up to date on Parker this summer, but what about the other 2 Gordons? Turns out they both have big news and big changes this year. From Mia's academic path (and a new job? MIa's got a job?) to Ellie's MAJOR change of scenery, they've both charted new directions for their future. From Mia's slummy apartment to Ellie's angst, we catch you up on what's going on with the youngest Gordons this week!

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Denise has been maxed out on James, people and well, everything lately. So when Lisa--and Eastern Wisconsin--rang the phone, Denise answered the call. Before she knew it, she was ditching all responsibility and heading for Milwaukee! This is the recap of her trip to the Brew City, Appleton, Lambeau Field and even a taste of Door County. The snow is a factor, but this recounting is all James needed to hear... cue the heavy metal, we're definitely taking the Camaro on a future run to the Badger State!

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Happy Birthday to Us! Couldn't have done it without you. We're recapping the last year and listing off our favorite cities. From Vancouver to The Keys, it's been an amazing ride and we're just getting started. Help us celebrate a year under our belts... and becoming YouTube partners, too!

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The conclusion of Bill & James' Excellent Adventure in the Jordan starts off with lost luggage and ends with an escape from a desert hut. With no air conditioning, an inexperienced driver and only 3 tires, our Dynamic Duo still managed to clinch an amazing time halfway around the world. They also crossed off another "world wonder" in Petra, which has sparked a lot of talk about trying to see them ALL before their buckets kick one day.
This is Part 2 of 2 for the guys' trip to the Middle East, so if you haven't checked out the Egypt episode, make sure you do.

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While James was slagging off in Egypt somewhere, Denise was making inroads with more Texans and expanding our map in the Lone Star State. A trip up to San Antonio turned into a meet-and-greet with one of our listeners, and that lunch meeting ended with an invite to "Come to Boerne sometime!"

Boerne? Never heard of it. Why is it pronounced "bur-nie" rather than Boerne? Well, we didn't have time to ponder that long, because when James returned to Texas, Denise was packing the car for the Hill Country. Turns out, a local artist in Boerne (childressart.com) also reached out with an invite to come check it out, too. That was 2 invites in 2 weeks, and we had to see what the draw was.

When we rolled up to Main Street, it was pretty obvious this was a town that checked all of the boxes when you think of a Texas town. It's pretty incredible, and the people we met were just as welcoming as our new friends. Find out why!

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We were grinding our way through Texas when James was hit with an interesting proposition from his friend, Bill. Insiders call him "Billy Goat." Okay, only James calls him that.

At any rate, Bill had a friend drop out on a planned trip to Egypt, Jordan and Israel and called James off the bench to be the next man up. With all the Hollywood strikes about to pop off, James realized he'd have some time on his hands.

Denise also wanted him out of her hair for awhile because he'd been a cranky ass, so all this leads up to James booking a flight and landing in Cairo four days later. Here's the recap of what happens when you torch caution and join your best buddy on the most epic road trip, ever!

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It's been a pretty interesting time here in South Texas. For starters, we've been borderline couch surfing at our daughter's new home... mostly because her new couch is more comfortable than the guest bed. She flew our coop over 6 years ago, so getting reaquainted with Parker has been mostly amazing but sometimes very surreal. Turns out she's an adult with her own mind now and, well, we're just not used to that!

Beyond the issues of purchasing an old house, we definitely have a full picture of this Guld city--and predictions about what it's going to look like in 5 years. So strap in and catch up with all things Corpus because we're about to resume our own hometown search now that our kid is settled in!

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No need for flowery prose here. Cousin Judy is BACK! Your favorite cousin is here to download you on cruise vacations, riverboat adventures and trends in the floating hotel industry. Huzzah!

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Welcome to our Golden Anniversary... 50 episodes in, and a year of hometown hunting under our belt. Couldn't have done it without you!

We thought there was no better way to celebrate our milestone than to invite one of the OGs in the digital nomad lifestyle on the show. You may already be familiar with The Professional Hobo but in case you aren't, Nora Dunn traded a successful career as a financial planner for a new way of living in 2006. She's been all over the planet, working the whole time. Her YouTube channel has made her an authority on travel hacks, living abroad and remote working and we're so excited to present this episode to you!

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Everyone has their own definition of what "staying young" means. For your favorite town-skippers, it meant divesting from the Los Angeles real estate market and getting their kicks on Route 66 until they found a new one. In this episode we discuss what we believe our TRUE ages to be... and while Denise keeps it reasonable, James seems to think he is much, much younger than he really is. We also talk about successful people who were able to reboot their careers at an older age--and what the average age of an entrepreneur in America really looks like. Spoiler alert: it's not 23-year old "Instagram bros" selling workout routines).

If you're in our favorite demographic of 35-65--and we know most of you are!--get ready for a truth bomb that will surely wake you up to all of the potential that still lies ahead of you.

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 to head out on a weekend getaway to Key West. Our friends Carly and Mike from the West Coast also made the trip and we were amped to pick them up outside of Miami along the way.

From the anti-corporate vibe of Islamorada to the unwinding views from Seven Mile Bridge, our 4 days in the gateway to the Caribbean were as epic as they were expensive. Denise found a pirate hideaway and James found a way not to tip the sea kayak. Grab yourself a colada and kick back while we lay out the ups and downs of our journey to the Florida Keys!