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 parking. To be continued, Oklahoma City... James' fat thumbs are working Zillow to find a plot of land there even as we speak! Find us at linktr.ee/skiptownallstars. #emptynest #fulltank

"What's it REALLY like traveling with James/Denise?"
Yep. It's our #1 question from you to our inbox, every week since we left LA. We decided it was finally time to answer this question from our perspective, and to flip the script on you. #emptynest #fulltank

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 and wanderlust... so we struck out for The Bluegrass State.

Upon arriving in Louisville, we weren't exactly greeted with open arms, anywhere. Thank God a listener turned us on to Covington, though!

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 and his 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 to just stay. And play pickleball. Or hike. Or join a rowing team. Or something.

Wanna find us on your favorite platform? Here you go.

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 government (in between shoveling pulled pork into their pie hole), Texans welcomed us over and over again and we realized our generalizations about the Lone Star State were so completely wrong.

Wanna find us on your favorite platform? Here you go.

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.
Don't forget to follow us on the socials and to check out the Google maps of our travels at linktr.ee/skiptownallstars and thanks for watching!

Our first few episodes dropped and we also had a guest appearance on LeeAnn Kreischer's Wife of the Party podcast. That show introduced us to LeeAnn's fans but one applauding voice was louder than all the others.

Bert F***ing Stewart from Covington, Kentucky. Buckle up, kids. Consider the Kentucky/Ohio border officially on your relocation radar.

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 in the ass to getting lost in a pothole, our numero uno warns you of all the fates that can befall you here on the edge of The Gulf. Our advice? Stick to "church dates."

This is Part 1 of 2 of our Texas visit. We'll recap our trip and where we went in the next episode.

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In this episode, our young explorers depart Zion with a surly dog and are met with a storm. And then a sandstorm. Despite the whiteout, they find their way through Navajo markets into the red-soiled, "new age" Utopia you all know as Sedona, AZ. Denise is super excited because she uses phrases like "Mercury is in retrograde" all the time.

At any rate, after she drops a few crystal bombs on James and has him doing things he wouldn't normally do... like mountain freaking yoga... and fat-farm hypnosis... they have a few good meals, check out a few good hikes and find a few good shops. But overall, meh.

On to Santa Fe, then, where the real enchantment begins. Between the Southwestern grub and the downtown plaza, James is stunned to find something around every corner that he loves, while Denise and her friends say, "Told ya." From the atomic flavor of Los Alamos National Laboratory to the rolling meadows of Eldorado, your two favorite middle-aged children leave no stone unturned and actually EXTEND A DAY in Santa Fe.

We are PSYCHED to present our interview with Russell and Genia Stemper. Not only was Russell one of James' colleagues for 15 years, but he and Genia struck out on their exodus well before the pandemic changed the game for remote workers--and made it work for their family.

Our rough entry into Salt Lake last week got so much worse. There's just no other way to say it... Mia's new apartment that she was SO EXCITED to move into is owned by a slumlord. It was rough 2 days, especially for James. By the time we leave SLC, he was beside himself with frustration but Denise, always a gal who is up for a fun time, saves the day by booking a glamping trip for her man at @UnderCanvas and hot damn, if that didn't lift his spirits!

This episode is PACKED with adventures from Park City, Sundance and the regal Zion National Park. We also get into why people hate THE CALIFORNIANS... until they meet our wallets, anyway. In this episode money talks and so do we. You asked for more content and you got your wish!

This is the 2nd of 2 Salt Lake episodes.

The trip from Seattle to Salt Lake started out great. An overnight stay with an old colleague and his wife in rural Washington was just what the doctor ordered. Bend, OR was fine but in Idaho City things start to come off the rails. Between a broken toe and a cracked windshield, the trip was becoming eventful enough. But a blown tire on the only remaining family car keeps our daughter from joining us in a timely fashion and we all land in Salt Lake with a thud. This episode features our middle child, Mia, who breaks down the Top 5 Likes and Dislikes of Salt Lake, as seen from the eyes of a University of Utah student who's already got a year in the Beehive State under her belt.
This is the 1st of 2 Salt Lake episodes. We'll recap where we went in the next one!

Denise has never been to Canada. James has done the requisite trip to Niagara Falls. With Vancouver only a few hours from Seattle, this Sneak Attack on Vancouver was destined to happen. From North Vancouver to Granville Island, our young lovers make the most of a 2-day getaway and British Columbia lands on their list of possible future homes.

We've made it to The Emerald City and there is so much to love, but love doesn't pay the mortgage. We join the seminary at Saint Edward State Park, but they eventually excommunicate us which starts a scramble for Seattle accommodations.

We gave up our house keys and hit the road for NorCal, only to be faced with a parking lot on the 5 Freeway, a dog whose bathroom angst disrupted all of us and our youngest daughter’s 12-hour cry session over saying goodbye to LA. From Santa Rosa to The Oregon Coast, we’ve yet to feel the euphoria of a road trip.

It’s official. We’ve closed escrow and are renting our own house. Our pod is too small. The rental van is tied up in red tape. Our Air BnB has fallen through. We’ve only have a few weeks to pack up 20 years and 5 people and it’s already off the rails.

Say Goodbye to Hollywood, Pt. 1 is our first foray into podcasting and a summary of how 2 fifty-something suburbanites plan to uproot their lives, leave Los Angeles and hit every city, township and village across this great nation until we find a new place to call home. The kids are in college and work doesn’t keep us in one spot anymore. It’s a no-brainer to sell the house and hit the road.