DELAFIELD, Wis. — A Delafield couple has transformed their empty nest years into a mission to showcase the hidden gems of Wisconsin and the Midwest, building a devoted YouTube following along the way.
Watch: Delafield couple turned their empty nest into a YouTube adventure
Jeff and Debbye Sprang launched their YouTube channel "LoveNesters" almost by accident after their children left for college. What started as a way to reconnect with each other has evolved into a platform that celebrates local attractions and encourages others to explore the region.
"The goal of LoveNesters is to stay married," Debbye said.
The couple's journey began when they found themselves with a quiet house and a desire to rediscover their surroundings.
"The house is quiet, and we said, let's find some fun things to do, and let's share this with others," Jeff said.
Two and a half years later, the Sprangs have attracted thousands of viewers and subscribers while maintaining their day jobs. Jeff serves as CEO of Phantom Lake YMCA Camp, while Debbye volunteers there and works elsewhere. The demanding schedule of content creation means sacrificing most of their free time.
"When I was down not working, I had the laptop open. I'm editing videos. When I'm in the car, I'm editing videos," Debbye Sprang said.
Their adventures have taken them to unexpected places, including a memorable tandem bike ride on Mackinac Island.
"Mackinaw Island is absolutely incredible. We rode around on a tandem bike. They call that the divorce horse, and we survived," Debbye said.
The couple has discovered that creating content pushes them to explore Wisconsin in ways they never imagined. Their recommendations range from well-known destinations to surprising local attractions.
"My favorite is Epic Systems, for us, when you are our age, you check MyChart more than you check Facebook. This is the place that creates MyChart, and they open it up to the public on weekends and during the week for select hours," Debbye said.
Jeff highlighted another hidden gem in their backyard.
"Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay. A world-class observatory and the history behind it, it was one of Albert Einstein's favorite places to go to, and it is right here in our backyard," Jeff said.
The LoveNesters continue to seek suggestions from their audience about where to explore next, turning their channel into a collaborative celebration of Midwest attractions. You can connect with them here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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