Hey, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve written a blog post in a year or so. I hope you’re all doing well in these crazy times. As always, thanks for reading.
I have a question: What’s your favorite U.S. National Park?
Over the past two years, I’ve fallen in love with them.
Before the pandemic, I had only visited a handful of them, mostly by accident. But once the pandemic hit, and it was safe enough to road-trip, I drove all around the country visiting them.
Now I’ve seen 15 out of 63. And someday, I’d like to see them all.
First, there was Redwood National Park, with its towering trees and black-sand beaches…
Then Indiana Dunes, with its sprawling views of nuclear reactors…
Then Utah, home to some of the best national parks in the country: I visited Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion.
Hiking the Canyons at Zion. I’d love to do it again during the summer!
After Utah, I visited Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) and Hot Springs (Arkansas), on the way to Austin, which is where I live now.
Then there was Big Bend, Texas. The night sky is incredible there! You can see so many stars.
Followed by Petrified Forest in New Mexico…
And most recently, Glacier (Montana) and Grand Teton (Wyoming). Glacier National Park reminded me of Switzerland with its alpine valleys, purple wildflowers, and jagged mountains. I even saw mountain goats.
I feel so lucky that I’ve gotten to see so much of our beautiful country in the past few years.
When I was younger, I focused solely on international travel (this blog isn’t called Ashley Abroad for nothin’). But over the past two years, I’m happy to report that I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for my own backyard.
It turns out you don’t have to fly halfway around the world to go on an adventure.
Camping in Big Bend National Park with my dog, Alfie
As for my favorite? It’s a two-way tie between Redwood and Big Bend.
How many national parks have you visited?Do you have a favorite?
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There are times when I absolutely adore living in Austin: when I’m paddleboarding on Town Lake, when I’m drinking a frozen margarita at Maudie’s, when I’m hanging out in hip East Austin under string lights.
That being said, there are certain things I’m less fond of: the sweltering summers, the isolation, the lack of walkability.
I’ve lived in Austin for almost two years. Here’s what I’ve come to love and hate about it:
What I love about Austin
The People
By and large, Texans are incredibly nice people: generous, funny, and sincerely kind. When I had Covid, multiple neighbors brought me tortilla soup and walked my dog. People say hello to you on the street here, even if they don’t know you. Austin is by far the friendliest place I’ve ever lived.
The Food
Another positive – the food. Austin’s food scene is thriving: you can find excellent TexMex, Thai, Vietnamese, and of course, barbecue. Some of my favorite spots are Uchiko (sushi), Odd Duck (new American), and Loro (Asian/barbecue fusion). I’ve also grown to LOVE frozen margaritas, ha.
The Water
As a born-and-raised Michigander, I desperately need to live near water (that was one of the things I found hardest about living in Colorado). Luckily, Austin has plenty of it: Town Lake, Barton Springs, and Lake Travis, to name a few.
The Winters
The winters here are delightful – the temperature hovers around 70 degrees, and the skies are usually crisp and blue. Though we do have the odd snow day, the winter weather is very mild.
Live Music
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Austin’s internationally renowned live music scene. I love how you can walk into a random bar on a Tuesday and hear an incredible performance for the price of a Shiner Bock.
The Dog-friendliness
In Austin, you can bring your dog almost anywhere — I bring my pup almost everywhere I go. My local CVS is even dog-friendly.
What I Hate
The Crowds
Due to its huge popularity in recent years, Austin feels insanely crowded at times. Parking is hard to find, restaurants are packed, and the weekends especially can be hectic.
The High Cost of Living
Austin is very expensive. To buy a plot of land – not even a house – in my neighborhood, costs a million dollars.
Poor Walkability
Sadly, Austin is not a walkable city. Bisected by two highways, Austin is a very car-dependent city; for walkability, it ranks 42nd in the US, between Las Vegas and Pheonix. As someone who loves to walk, this is a huge downside.
The Allergies
Central Texas has been called the “Allergy Capital of the World.” There’s even a daily allergy report on the local news, where official pollen counts for ragweed, grass, and mold are measured. I never had allergies in my life until I moved here — ugh.
The Heat
The summers in Austin are brutal. Temperatures can reach 110 degrees (or higher). After this year’s scorching summer, 90 degrees bizarrely feels somewhat cool to me.
The Isolation
Austin is close to only a few cities: Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Earlier this year I made the mistake of driving to New Orleans, which took 10 hours. Sometimes I feel so envious of the East Coast – imagine driving a few hours and being able to access Boston, Philly, and NYC? Sigh.
All this to say, I’ve been pretty happy here. I’m not sure if it’s my forever home (I’m not sure I have a forever home, period), but I plan to stay at least a few more years. And enjoy many more lake days and frozen margs.
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Hey guys, it’s been a while! Working in consulting has taken a toll on my blogging — when I have free time, the last thing I want to do is stare at a screen.
But I wanted to pop in to share some reading recommendations. I read 32 books in 2022 which is about average for me — I usually read 30-35 books a year. Which is perfectly fine with me. I read for pleasure, and I’m not a fan of reading challenges.
In 2022, I read way more fiction than usual, which is something I want to continue this year as well.
Without further ado, here are my favorite reads of 2022:
Eleanor Oliphant is quirky, reclusive, and painfully socially awkward. But despite her social difficulties, what she craves above all else is connection with other people.
I loved this book. At turns heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, I enjoyed every moment I spent with Eleanor, who is one of the most memorable and likable characters I’ve come across in years.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry follows the story of widower, curmudgeon bookstore owner, A.J. Fikry, as he grapples with grief and, in an unexpected twist of fate, single fatherhood. At its heart, this novel is an ode to books and book lovers.
This book is my first read by Gabrielle Zevin but it won’t be my last. Zevin also wrote Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which is currently sitting on my shelf. I’m excited to delve into it soon.
As a lifelong tennis player, I really enjoyed Carrie Soto is Back. Carrie Soto is a world-famous tennis champion in her late thirties. But six years after her retirement, she watches her world record be taken to her at the US Open, and vows to get it back.
Though Carrie Soto Back obviously centers around tennis, you don’t have to be a tennis player in order to appreciate this: it also features a complicated father-daughter relationship, which I loved, as well as a love story.
If you haven’t read Taylor Jenkins Reid yet, I highly recommend her work: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six are fun and easy reads. (I still need to read Malibu Rising!)
I binged this at my cottage over the span of a delicious summer weekend, and it was truly the perfect summer read. Set in Cape Cod, The Paper Palace takes place over a single summer day in which Elle, 50, must confront her past and all its secrets. Truly a page-turner, I was dying to find out what happened between Elle and her childhood love, Jonas, all those years ago.
The only downside – the book features a chilling child abuse scene that I wish had been omitted.
So this is a bit out of left field, but in 2022, I finally read Beowulf. As a diehard Tolkien fan, I had meant to read this Beowulf for years, as it greatly influenced The Lord of the Rings.
Beowulf is an epic poem that tells the story of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who rids the kingdom of Grendel, a monster that has been terrorizing the land for 50 years.
As the book was written in Old English, I obviously read a translation, and I’m so glad I read Seamus Heaney’s translation. As a Nobel-prize-winning poet, Heaney brought Beowulf to life in such a powerful and never-boring way.
The Simple Pathto Wealth by J.L. Collins (2016)
In 2022, I had a goal to learn more about personal finance and investing. I read many personal finance books: The psychology of Money, Total money makeover, I will make you rich, and more. But the best of the lot was The Simple Path to Wealth.
The Simple Path to Wealth is a personal finance book for people who have no interest in learning about finance and who want to keep investing simple. Due to its simplicity and brevity, this is the best personal finance book I’ve ever read.
In 2022, I went on a major Philippa Gregory kick, reading seven of her books. The Kingmaker’s Daughter is my favorite of hers I’ve read so far.
The Kingmaker’s Daughter follows the story of Anne Neville, one-time Queen of England and wife of the infamous Richard III. Anne began her life as the daughter of Richard Neville, so-called “the kingmaker” for his ability to make (and unmake English) kings.
I love Philippa Gregory’s books because they focus on women in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. So often, historical texts and novels gloss over women and their accomplishments during these time periods. But clearly, as in the case of Anne, women of this time period deserve a closer look.
What was your favorite book of 2022?
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The number of calls I’ve gotten from friends and family members lately asking me to help with using credit card points for flights is at an all-time high. You should have a workshop, they say. We’d pay to have you figure this out for us, they tell me.
But look, I’m not going to charge them—or you—but I will share all my secrets here. It’s taken me awhile to figure out the process, and it’s a bit like travel Jenga if we’re being honest. If you do find this content helpful, I’d appreciate you use the embedded links to open credit cards or subscriptions, as it continues to help me provide these resources free of charge to you.
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Quick resources for booking flights
How to find rewards flights
People think that opening a credit card and earning the sign-up bonus is all you have to do, and rewards flights will just materialize. Wrong! Obviously, you need the points first, but each airline varies in how much inventory they have open for awards seats and the amount of points needed to book (which also depends on time of year you’re traveling, class of service and route, among other things). One service I love that makes this process easier is Point.Me, which lets you load in all your credit card points and figures out flights for you based on which points you have (Ultimate Rewards, Membership Rewards, Bilt Reward, etc.). You can then sort by lowest points, quickest flights or your personal credit card/airline loyalty programs.
It’s how I found our flights in a very complicated itinerary to Qatar and onto Thailand—we flew in suites all the way around the world and just paid a total of $200 out of pocket for taxes—and it’s well worth the subscription fee. But if you don’t want the ease of a service to do it for you, here’s what you need to know as you start the process of using credit card points for flights.
You have to put in the research
Once you have your destination in mind, the first things to research are 1) what airlines fly there from your home airport and 2) do your credit card points transfer to those airlines? For example, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United, KLM and AirFrance, while American Express Membership Rewards transfer to Delta (and no one transfers to American, ha). I find this chart from In Points We Trust a helpful one to reference quickly when I’m doing my flight searches.
When finding reward flight availability, you may have to reposition to a larger airport (i.e. book a separate flight to a larger airport with better airlift). Being based out of Nashville at BNA, I do a lot of this—I often fly for cheap or use my Companion Pass to get to other cities like D.C., Atlanta, Newark or even JFK to begin my journey, then book my round-trip international airfare out of those hubs.
Once you have an idea of what routes go where, then you can start plugging and playing on the airline websites. You’ll usually need a frequent flier account to search rewards availability, so go ahead and sign up for the airline(s) you think you may be flying so you’ll be one step closer. After you have an account, you can plug in your dates or date range, then start looking at availability and pricing. For many airlines, this means checking a box that says “use points” or “rewards flights.” And if the airline (like United, pictured here) offers a calendar by the month, it’s worth checking to see what days have the cheapest rewards availability to your destination.
Sometimes, I find it easier to search awards availability on the airline’s app, so if you’re finding the browser experience clunky, considering downloading the app instead. The 300 level of using credit card points to fly for free is learning what alliances (e.g. Avios, Flying Blue, etc.) you can transfer to—and also what airports to avoid connecting through as they charge an exorbitant amount of taxes (I’m looking at you, Heathrow)—but that is a topic for another day once you’ve got the basics down.
This is important: You’re always going to want to transfer points to that airline’s site versus booking through the credit card portal, which often costs five times the points as transferring directly to the airline, not to mention has fewer routes available.
If you find a flight for, say, Qatar Airways that requires 140,000 points, then—and only then—is it safe to transfer the points over from your credit card to that airline account and book the flight stat. Points transfers often are instantaneous but sometimes can take up to 72 hours, so don’t fret if you don’t see them in your airline account right away. And if an airline allows you to hold the seat—which often is something you’d have to do via calling—absolutely take them up on that.
You have to book early
For our Thailand trip this year, I booked my flights 11 months out, and the same for our Australia trip coming up this winter. Do you always have to be looking that far out? If you want to fly business, the answer is generally yes. Economy availability is usually more plentiful, but business class has limited inventory because the airlines want the cash for those expensive seats.
Airlines typically release flights around 330 before departure. If you’re flying international and want to use points for business class seats, I suggest you book as close to that release date as possible.
You have to be flexible
You can’t have dates set in stone when you need to leave and arrive and expect to find points flights that magically align with that dream. After I have a general idea of where I want to go—like the year and season, for example—and how many days I want to be gone for, I’ll start tracking prices on Google Flights (if I’m paying out of pocket), including setting up price alerts, and watching rewards availability like a hawk (if I’m using points). This is a time-consuming hobby, make no mistake.
If you have the flexibility to travel with a few weeks’ notice, you can definitely make out well using points for flights. For example, I just saw a lot of award availability open up to Europe for next month! The points game is great for Type A travelers like me who plan their travels a year out, as well as fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants jetsetters who have the flexibility to up and go on a whim.
I also subscribe to many different newsletters like Going and 10xTravel—I recommend the paid subscriptions for both—which give me heads up about short sales, awards flight availability and more.
Also know going into this process that many holidays or high season periods will likely be sold out or blacked out—or, on the flip side, you’ll have to spend a premium of points, meaning it might not be worth it to use your hard-earned points on that specific trip. I typically find I get the best bang for my buck using credit card points for flights when I’m traveling outside of the big travel seasons like summer and November/December.
My favorite credit cards for earning travel points
Each of them has different benefits, but all of them come with lounge access, which I use the heck out of.
Top ways to earn points toward flights
Beyond opening credit cards, getting the sign-up bonuses and using those cards for key categories, there are other things you can do to make sure you’re getting the maximum points.
Link your Rakuten to your AmEx account
The number one—read this: NUMBER ONE—way to rack up additional Membership Rewards points is by signing up for a free Rakuten account, then linking it to your American Express card. I’ve found my points through cash back are way more valuable than a few dollars each cycle.
You can only do this if you have an AmEx account. Sorry, Chase and Cap1 card holders. Explore my favorite AmEx card here.
Check your offers regularly
No matter which card you have, there will be an offers section in your dashboard. I routinely browse them and add any ones—like LuluLemon, Marathon gas, Hilton, etc.—to my offers, that way if I spend money with any of those businesses and meet the criteria, I’ll either earn additional points or cash back. AmEx, in particular, often has points deals for Amazon purchases. You just have to make sure you (obviously) use that card when shopping at the business.
Refer your family and friends
Once you have opened credit cards, using your referral link when friends and family open the same card can be helpful in accruing additional points you can use toward travel. And bonus, you didn’t have to spend a dime to do it either!
Any other questions on using credit card points for flights? This is just the tip of the iceberg, but should get you going as you work toward your master’s degree in rewards travel.
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Tennessee draws visitors for myriad reasons: music, food, nature, civil rights history and art (yes, art). And if you’re heading this way and love a good free road trip activity, you may be looking for the best mural cities in Tennessee. As a bona-fide mural chaser, traveler and a public art nonprofit president, I’m here to be your guide. After all, I want you to see the very best art my home state has to offer!
“Art of Harmony” mural by Ty Christian; beauty image mural in Tullahoma by Sophi Odling
My husband and I have been seeking out cities with great public art—think: Cincinnati, Austin, Lisbon, Oklahoma City, Portland—for more than two decades. And for seven years now, we’ve also been helping develop the face of public art in rural parts of Tennessee through our nonprofit work. Murals drive tourism, and they have the domino effect of attracting visitors, who then spend money at local businesses. It’s a win-win for everyone.
If you’re traveling to the Volunteer State and want to go on your own public art road trip, I’ve got some ideas for you. Starting from west to east, here are the best mural cities in Tennessee and what to see while you’re there.
Memphis, Tennessee
If you want the true pulse of Tennessee, start in Memphis. This city is the home to blues, jazz, gospel and a whole host of creatives during their thing. From Beale Street to the Mississippi River, Overton Park to Broad Avenue, Memphis has so many nooks and crannies to explore and murals to unearth. I have a full guide to the best murals in Memphis here, as well as other guides to planning a weekend in Memphis.
Memphis murals by Damon Lamarreed and Pugs Atomz, Dustin Spagnola, Qwynto, Alive Paint and Siphne A. Sylve, Sarah Painter and Cosby Hayes
The story of Waverly’s art scene is the result of one local entrepreneur’s love for train graffiti. He wondered, if given legal permission to paint, what these artists could be capable of if they weren’t trespassing or vandalizing. So he started the Walls Art Park in Waverly to allow creatives the space to do just that. The Walls Art Park first opened in 2018 with 14 walls scattered among three wooded acres; a year later, Klein added two acres, which allowed for even more walls once trees were cleared and trails added. Today, the park spans 80+ paintable surfaces, and Klein has plans to expand into the adjoining 10 acres with camping areas and other forms of three-dimensional art like sculptures and wood carving. Waverly is also home to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and Johnsonville State Historic Park.
When it comes to sheer volume, Nashville’s murals are unmatched. Corporations like the Tennessee Titans have seen the value of public art, and several neighborhoods like the Nations have developed policies where new developments must sponsor art installations as a gift to the community. Some names to watch out for include local muralists Cymone Wilder, Mobe, Folek, Kim Radford and Whitney Herrington, as well as international names like Beau Stanton and Guido van Helton, who designed the famed Silo mural. And yes, there’s even a Kelsey Montague wings mural, much as I hate to even mention it. If you’re coming to Music City, the art scene is very spread out, so I made this mural guide to Nashville, which I update frequently, to make your experience a bit more seamless.
Nashville murals by Sarah Painter and Cymone Wilder, Jason Woodside, Thomas Halloran, Sentrock
Manchester is where we first started our public art nonprofit—much to the chagrin of some of the older folks in town—and we were able to make an immediate impact by transforming the entrance to the downtown Manchester square almost overnight. In the years to come, we added pieces throughout the Manchester greenway, as well as one at exit 110 at Foothills Craft to raise awareness of suicide prevention. This mural happens to be on the way to Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park for those who are coming down to visit Manchester’s lovely state park and waterfalls.
Manchester murals by Tara Aversa, Matt Willey, Sarah Painter and Cosby Hayes, Ivan Roque
Tullahoma is where I was born and raised and the place I chose to come back to as an adult. It’s also a town that is plagued by a state highway and a rail line running right through its core, disturbing the walkability of the downtown—but one that draws so many visitors thanks to the presence of Arnold Air Force Base, George Dickel (dba as Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.) and Jack Daniel’s Distillery. So we decided to make it our personal project by focusing on driving people to various downtown Tullahoma businesses with the draw of public murals. We have 18 murals in Tullahoma and counting, and for as long as we live here (and there are walls to paint), it will continue to be a passion of ours. If you’re coming to Coffee County, you can use this map to see all the murals in Tullahoma and Manchester.
Tullahoma murals by Kris Kanaly, Ty Christian, Nathan Brown, JUURI, Mobe, Daria Hammond
A decade ago, Chattanooga’s art scene wouldn’t have made my list for best murals in Tennessee—too much art by committee, too little allowance for creative liberties—but the city has seen a serious renaissance in recent years. The addition of local artists like Nathan Brown making a splash with full-blown, block-long murals has made the Scenic City one I love driving through to look for new murals. Chattanooga, in general, is a great town to visit, with neighborhoods like St. Elmo and Northshore some of my favorites.
There aren’t enough powerful adjectives to describe just how much I love the town of Sweetwater. Four years ago, I only knew it by name, then we were awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant to do an original piece in a town that had ties to the suffrage movement. Sweetwater was the unanimous pick. What we found in the coming months—and later, the years—was a town that supports its small businesses, one that is devoted to the visitor experience, and a city staff who truly cares about its community. Today, Sweetwater is well on its way to 10 murals in town thanks to the visionaries in charge, and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of that. But there’s plenty more to do beyond murals, too: There’s the Lost Sea Adventure, Tsali Notch Vineyard, Sweetwater Valley Farm and the sweetest Smokies-adjacent town Tellico Plains just down the road.
Sweetwater murals by Jenny Ustick, Kim Radford, Megan Lingerfelt, Whitney Herrington
Where to stay in Sweetwater: Remedies Inn right on Main Street
Knoxville, Tennessee
If I had to name the artiest town in Tennessee, I would respond with Knoxville, no contest. Large university towns often pump out some of the most creative endeavors, and UT’s The School of Art has helped pave the careers of many notable alumni like designer/illustrator Paris Woodhull, who has her own downtown storefront. But what I love most about Knoxville’s artistic fabric is the mindful placemaking: the ever-changing murals of Strong Alley, the inspiring sculptures in Krutch Park, the brand-new Knox Walls. If every city approached creativity the way Knoxville does, the world would be in great shape.
Knoxville murals by Megan Lingerfelt and Curtis Glover, Paris Woodhull
We’ve installed many more murals in small towns that could eventually earn a spot on this best mural cities in Tennessee list with the addition of more original pieces in the future (and absolutely no wings). Here’s a map of all of our DMA installations throughout the state.
The Greek island of Andros has a charming and authentic atmosphere, a world away from the busier Cyclades islands nearby, such as Mykonos and Santorini. Read on for our travel guide, with all the best things to do in Andros; where to eat, recommended hotels and practical tips on how to get around if you want to go car-free. This is a place where you can relax and enjoy the many beaches, go hiking on well marked trails and swim under waterfalls in a hidden river valley.
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An Introduction to Andros
Andros became wealthy in the 19th and 20th century, when many families owned merchant ships and the island prospered from maritime trade. Local men were employed as sailors and sea captains, returning from their voyages to build beautiful houses with their earnings.
You’ll see signs of this wealth in the attractive “sea captain’s” houses of the island capital Chora, and the sophisticated museums and galleries founded by wealthy shipping families.
The atmosphere here is laid back, with a culture that’s unspoiled by mass tourism. But you can find excellent restaurants, luxury hotels and stylish places like the Kourtesis winery that will appeal to the discerning independent traveller.
Chora Andros Greece
Why visit Andros?
Each Greek island has its individual character, but you’ll probably enjoy Andros if:
you enjoy a quiet and relaxing holiday.
you’re interested in discovering authentic Greek island life, rather than glitz and glamour.
you enjoy hiking, beaches and nature.
your idea of nightlife is a relaxing meal in the town square or a nightcap overlooking the sea.
you’re happy to travel by ferry from Athens or neighbouring islands since there is no airport.
you want an island that makes an easy add-on to Athens, since it’s just 2 hours by ferry.
The main places to stay in Andros
Most visitors will stay in one of the four main towns and resorts – you can check out our full list of recommended hotels in Andros later in the article.
Gavrio – the main ferry port on Andros, with shops and restaurants that cater for ferry passengers. Since Andros has no airport, it’s likely you will pass through Gavrio, but most visitors choose to stay elsewhere, since there’s no beach.
Chora Andros Greece
Chora – as the island’s picturesque capital and original harbour, much of the island’s former wealth was concentrated here. There are beaches on both sides of the town, plenty of accommodation, restaurants and a few museums. This is the best place to stay if you visit in shoulder season, since more places are open all year round.
Batsi – a popular holiday resort with a broad beach, small marina and plenty of holiday accommodation and restaurants. This is where holiday companies are likely to send you, and in high season the beach here is more protected from the Meltemi winds, although Batsi is quieter in low season.
Korthi – the quietest of the holiday resorts, especially in low season when not much is open. It’s further to get to from the ferry, requiring a drive on winding roads, and has a sleepy, relaxed atmosphere. This where the locals go to get away from it all!
The Meltemi winds
During July and August, Andros and neighbouring Tinos are known for the Meltemi winds that blow from the north. Although we did not experience them on our visit in September, they can be quite strong in summer, affecting the sandy beaches, making the sea rough and boat trips difficult.
Since the north of the island is more affected, on windy days it may be better to head to the more protected beaches on the south side of Andros, or stay by your hotel pool.
Chora Andros Greece
Things to do in Andros
With no airport, Andros is popular with independent travellers from Europe and the USA. It’s also a well known weekend destination for Greeks coming from Athens, which is only 2 hours away by ferry.
The main things to do in Andros include hiking and outdoor activities, swimming on the many beaches, visiting some of the island’s museums and enjoying the charming and authentic atmosphere of Chora.
Chora Andros Greece
Chora
As the island capital of Andros, Chora is centre of the island’s cultural life. The name ‘Chora’ literally means country, and is commonly used on Greek islands to denote the main town.
Since most of the old town is pedestrianised, it’s a charming place to visit and a good place to base yourself on Andros. The town’s car park is on the edge of the pedestrianised area, but it can get crowded in summer.
Wander through the old town, with its cobbled lanes and charming churches, admiring the neo-classical sea captain’s houses.
Head down to the furthest end of town to the Square of the Unknown soldier. The large statue located there commemorates all the sailors who sailed from Andros and never returned.
From this spot you can also see the ruins on a small island of the 13th century Venetian fortress. It’s possible in calm weather to cross the stone arch and climb up to the fortress for some nice photos. However the bridge is somewhat precarious, so I wouldn’t do it without a local guide. From here you can also see the Tourlitis lighthouse perched on a rock.
Venetian fort Andros Chora Greece
Swim from either of the two beaches that lie on either side of the high ground on which Chora is built. Paraporti beach is backed by dunes for a wilder feel, while Neimporio offers several cafes and sunbeds for hire. When the sea is calm, you can also swim off the rocks in the old town.
Chora is a good place to explore the food of Andros, with plenty of delis and bakeries selling local specialties and numerous excellent restaurants.
Most of the museums in Andros are located in Chora. Be sure to visit the Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art, Archaeological Museum of Andros and the Petros and Marika Kydonieos Foundation. There are a few others that weren’t open when we visited such as the Maritime Museum, Digital Museum and the folk museum inside the Paradise Hotel.
More things to do if you are based in Chora
If you are interested in some fun excursions to the river pools for swimming, wineries, monasteries or boat trips to less accessible beaches, call in at Explore Andros, who have their offices in the Fresco cafe in Chora.
It’s easy to use Chora as a base for hiking in Andros, and this is where we stayed. There are numerous trails that lead out from the town, or you can get a taxi to the furthest point of the trail and hike back into Chora.
View of Paraporti beach from Chora – Andros Greece
Batsi
This popular resort town (written in Greek as Mpatsi) is spread around a protected bay with broad sandy beach. Even if you are not staying here, Batsi is worth visiting for the day.
There’s a large car park in the centre of town behind the beach, and a one way system on the roads. You’ll enter the town from the north side of the bay and exit at the south side.
Walk along the seafront promenade to the marina area, noticing some of the older style sea captain’s houses from the mid 19th century.
Relax or swim on the main beach, where there are sun beds and a beach bar in front of the Chryssi Akti Hotel. At the north end of the bay, there’s the smaller Kolona beach, with a beach bar, which we preferred. Being on the south side of the island, Batsi offers one of the more protected beaches when the Meltemi winds are blowing.
Batsi Andros Greece
Chill out in one of the cafes or restaurants that overlook the marina. For dinner, both Stamatis Taverna and Oti Kalo have good reputations.
Just south of Batsi is the Archaeological Museum of Paleopolis. This contains the findings from the island’s original capital of Paleopolis. There’s a path (Route 9a) from here down to the sea where the ancient town dating back to the 6th century BC was located. Some remains of the Paleopolis port are visible under the sea.
There are some hiking trails that lead out from Batsi – Route 11a over the Petalo mountain ridge and into the Arni valley, Route 11 that skirts high ground above the coast and Route 16a to the Agios Petros monastery.
Batsi Andros Greece
Korthi
This is the quietest of the main seaside towns on Andros, although quite a few people live in the more rural area behind it. You can park along the seafront promenade. Things to do in Korthi include:
Korthi Andros Greece
Walk along the seafront promenade and explore the more sheltered pedestrianised lanes that lie one block behind.
Enjoy an excellent lunch at the best restaurant in town, Sea Satin Nino, which is owned by a well known local chef and is open all year round.
Sea Satin Nino Korthi Andros Greece
Swim on the beach that lies on the south end of the promenade. Due to the sweeping bay and bowl of mountains enclosing it, this is one of the more protected beaches on a windy day.
Hike over the headland at the north end of the bay to one of the most famous beaches, Grias To Pidima.
On the drive between Chora and Korthi, you might like to park the car and walk around the pretty hillside village of Kochylos, which is set above Korthi.
Korthi Andros Greece
Hiking in Andros
Andros is unusual on the Greek islands in offering some great opportunities for hiking. Traditional kalderimia or mule paths between villages, have been restored and signposted by a group of volunteers through the Andros Routes organisation.
Hiking in Andros Greece – Syneti to Chora
The landscape of Andros is relatively mountainous with elevations of up to 1000 metres. Springs and rivers tumble down the hillside to the sea, creating walking routes with beautiful views, green wooded valleys and sheltered beaches for swimming.
Apikia – Hiking in Andros Greece
There are a total of 240km easy to follow hiking trails, with maps available of all the hiking routes. Andros offers walking for every level of fitness, from easy circular routes and scenic day hikes, to a 100km long distance trail that crosses the island.
Stone bridge Achla River – Hiking in Andros Greece
In spring and autumn, the warm sunny days make Andros the ideal place for an active holiday. Read about all the hiking we did in Andros in my detailed article – there’s also a 7 day hiking itinerary that you can follow.
There are many lovely beaches in Andros, although in my opinion they are not the most accessible, compared to other Greek islands I’ve visited. Many require a hire car, with access via narrow, rocky and winding roads and with limited parking spots when you arrive.
If you are not used to driving on the Greece islands (which can be a little hair-raising) you might want to either take a boat trip to visit the northern beaches, or else enjoy the beaches that are within easy distance of the main towns like Chora, Batsi and Korthi.
If you are hiring a car with the intention of visiting as many beaches as possible, you should consider hiring a four wheel drive vehicle. This will make it much easier to access the beaches on dirt roads, also you may not be insured if you take a normal hire car on the dirt roads.
Paraporti beach – Hiking in Andros Greece
Beaches near Chora
Paraporti Beach – a broad sandy beach just below Chora backed by a nature reserve and dunes.
Neimporio Beach – located on the other side of Chora, this beach is a mix of sand and pebbles. It’s backed by a range of cafes and holiday accommodation, with sun beds for hire.
Gialia Beach – Piso Gialio Beach – if you hike or drive over the headland from Neimporio you’ll reach Gialia beach, with clear turquoise water. There’s a seafood restaurant here that runs sea kayak tours. Just over the rise is Piso Gialio beach, with a beach bar in summer.
Gialia Beach Andros Greece Photo
Syneti Beach – we visited this lovely cove below the village of Syneti on one of our hikes. There’s a small parking area at the beach, or get a taxi to drop you off here, have a swim and then hike back to Chora.
Syneti beach – Hiking in Andros Greece
Beaches near Korthi
Milos Beach – this is the main beach of Korthi and is located at the southern end of town. At the other end before the marina is another small beach area called Limanaki and beyond the marina an area called Vintsi beach.
Vintsi beach Korthi Andros Greece
Grias To Pidima – The stone pillar rising from the sea gives it the name that translates as “Old Lady’s Jump”, since the pillar is supposed to resemble an old woman who jumped from a cliff to escape from the Ottomans.
You can hike over the headland from Korthi to get there. It’s also possible to drive on a narrow stony track from Korthi, but we found it a bit scary since the road is quite rough with only a few passing places.
Grias To Pidima beach Andros Greece
Beaches near Batsi
Batsi beach – the main beach of Batsi stretches the whole length of the bay, with shallow water. There are sunbeds and a beach bar in front of the Chryssi Akti Hotel.
Batsi beach Andros Greece
Kolona Beach – we preferred this smaller cove to the main beach at Batsi. You can easily walk from Batsi or there’s a parking area. This beach has a bar with a few spots of natural shade provided by the rocks.
Kolona Beach Batsi Andros Greece
Beaches near Gavrio
Agios Petros, Kypri, Golden Sand – These beaches are located between Batsi and Gavri and are among the most accessible on Andros, since they are on a flat stretch of coastline right beside the main road.
Kypri beach has a watersports centre operating in summer, with windsurfing, SUP, waterski and wakeboarding. The buses to Gavrio also pass by these beaches, so you can ask the driver to drop you off here.
Beaches in the north of Andros
Achla beach – This is a lovely sandy beach that can be visited on a boat trip from Chora. It’s a long drive from anywhere, with the final section on a winding dirt road. You could park by the Agios Nikolaos Monastery and hike there and back (1 hour each way) on Andros Route 6.
In the north east of the island are a number of sandy coves, such as Zorkos, Vitali and Lefka, that are reached by mountain roads from Gavrio or Batsi. As they face north they will receive the full force of any Meltemi winds in summer, so are best visited on calmer days.
Monasteries in Andros
Like the neighbouring island of Tinos, Andros has several centuries old monasteries that may be visited. It’s popular among the Greeks to organise pilgrimage trips on both islands. We noticed some large coach parties on the ferry who were clearly pilgrims, often older ladies dressed in black or sober colours.
A few tips for visiting monasteries in Greece
It’s respectful to wear clothes that cover your legs and shoulders for both men and women. For tourists, some monasteries provide wraps at the entrance, or you could carry a light wrap to cover your legs if wearing shorts. Other monasteries may not let you in unless you are correctly dressed.
While monasteries are generally free, it’s normal to make a small donation or to pay a euro or two for a candle that you then light in the church. The monks may offer you a traditional loukoumi sweet at the end of the visit.
Be cautious about taking photos within the walls of the monastery. In particular it’s not normally allowed to take photos within the monastery’s chapel, where the most valuable icons and treasures are kept. If in doubt, check with your guide or a monk what is permitted.
We visited a couple of monasteries during our visit to Andros, although there are several around the island.
Panachrantou Monastery in Andros Greece
Panachrantou Monastery
Panachrantou is located on the mountain above Chora and the road up to it is narrow and winding. We took a taxi up from Chora (glad we didn’t have to drive ourselves), then hiked down along Andros Route 1.
Panachrantou is one of the largest monasteries on Andros and has been well restored. The battlements give it the air of a castle and you can walk onto the terrace for amazing views towards Chora.
This monastery is said to have been founded in the 1st century after two monks saw lights shining from a cave and found a beautiful icon of the Virgin Mary. We were shown around by a friendly monk after he had swept the courtyard and chased away the peacocks, then he unlocked the chapel to let us look at the icons inside.
Panachrantou Monastery in Andros Greece
Agios Nikolaos Monastery
We visited this monastery as part of our river trekking excursion with Explore Andros, as we left the car outside the monastery before continuing along hiking route 6. At the entrance, wraps were available for visitors and a lady opened the church to show us the beautiful icons with silver lamps hanging from the ceiling.
By tradition the monastery is thought to have been built in the 8th century and is renowned for a miraculous icon that streams tears of fragrant myrrh.
Agios Nikolaos monastery – Hiking in Andros Greece
Other Andros monasteries that we didn’t get a chance to visit include Santa Marina Andros monastery near Apikia and Zoodochos Pigi monastery between Batsi and Gavrio.
Mountain villages of Andros
One of the charms of Andros is that it has areas of up to 1000 metres, with villages on the higher slopes offering a “mountain village” atmosphere more typical of northern Greece. It’s from these higher slopes that water springs, feeding irrigation channels, streams and rivers that flow to the sea.
Spring at Menites – Hiking in Andros Greece
Menites
The best known of the traditional villages, with a couple of pleasant cafes to rest in the shade. It’s famous for the pure springs that are channelled through lion heads into a stone trough, so fill up your water bottle here.
We walked to Menites on the Route 1 hiking trail. You can also park on the road into the village and walk a circular trail around the village, where you can see the irrigation channels and streams.
Stenies
On arriving at Stenies, leave you car in the small parking area opposite the taverna. Then you can walk around the village on traditional stone paths and steps to admire the older houses. Look out for the original village laundry that is fed by a spring.
Stenies Andros Greece
Apikia
We had a look around this village near Chora before hiking back on Route 2. There’s a beautiful marble fountain with lion’s head for the Sarizia spring, renowned for its pure water that is bottled nearby.
The small seasonal restaurant has a terrace overlooking the valley below. You can also make a short walk from the village on Route 2a to see the Pythara waterfalls and pools nearby.
Apikia – Village in Andros Greece
Foros Caves
We very much enjoyed our visit to the Foros Caves, located not far from Chora. Parking by the road, we walked 300m up the hill to the cave’s entrance, where one of the volunteer guides was waiting at the cave entrance.
Foros Caves Andros Greece
We were provided with a helmet and flashlight, with all backpacks being left at the cave entrance. Descending the metal staircase, we entered a chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites. The tour took us through several named chambers, while the guide pointed out different rock formations and told us more about the cave.
There were times when we had to stoop quite low to avoid bumping our heads on the hanging rocks. It was an interesting visit and one that could be combined with some hiking on Andros Routes 18 / 18a.
Tours take place every hour in high season but it’s recommended to ring ahead and book, especially in low season.
River pools and waterfalls in Andros
One of our favourite moments of the holiday was the excursion to the Gerolimni waterfall that we booked through Explore Andros. We parked at the Agios Nikolaos Monastery and walked down to the Achla river along hiking route 6. After a while the marked trail diverged and the guide took us further along the river picking our way over boulders and tree trunks.
Gerolimni waterfall – Achla river – Hiking in Andros Greece
Half an hour later we found the natural swimming pool, fed by icy water from the spring at Vourkoti mountain village. The water was cold enough to take your breathe away, but we really enjoyed a refreshing swim there, before returning via the same route.
Gerolimni waterfall – Achla river – Hiking in Andros Greece
Pytharas Waterfalls
For a more accessible waterfall visit, you can visit the Pytharas waterfalls, which are on a marked trail from Apikia village. There are lots of shallow pools among the rocks, but none seemed deep enough to swim.
The flow of water over the rocks was down to a trickle when we visited in October, but I imagine there would be much more water gushing down in the springtime.
Pytharas waterfall – Hiking in Andros Greece
Culture and museums in Andros
Most of the cultural institutions of Andros are located in the capital of Chora, which has a theatre and seasonal outdoor cinema.
Museums in Chora
Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art – sister to the museum in Athens and world class in terms of the building and exhibitions. We visited the temporary exhibition of the work of the photographer Martine Franck in the museum’s New Wing.
But we didn’t manage to see the original part of the museum that houses the work of Andros sculpture Michalis Tombros, so not sure if it was closed or we just missed it.
Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art Andros Greece
Archaeological Museum of Andros – another museum that is much bigger than it appears from the outside, with archaeological finds from Andros. There are statues and tombstones from Roman and Byzantine times, and useful background on some of the excavated settlements of Andros.
A highlight is the well preserved “Hermes of Andros” statue, found in the island’s ancient capital of Paleopolis.
Archaeological Museum of Andros Chora Greece
Petros and Marika Kydonieos Foundation, Chora – easy to miss as you drive into Chora, but worth popping in, this gallery holds free art and cultural exhibitions.
Petros and Marika Kydonieos Foundation, Chora Andros Greece
Maritime Museum of Andros – this museum is in the oldest part of Chora by the Square of the unknown sailor, with exhibitions relating to the seafaring traditions of Andros. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations when we were there, with no indications of when it might reopen.
Other museums in Andros
Olive Oil Museum at Ano Pitrofos – An old olive oil mill that has been made into a museum showing how the oil is produced. Unfortunately when we visited in September, the museum had closed for the season.
Agadaki Estate and Botanical Garden – we passed this tranquil botanical garden on our hike from Apikia to Chora, as it’s just a short walk from the village. The lovely grounds are planted with olive trees, native trees and aromatic plants.
In the restored farmhouse is an exhibition about the projects to preserve Andros’s unique habitats and alder forests. Downstairs is a small folk museum with old farming tools on display.
Agadaki Estate Botanical Garden – Hiking in Andros Greece
Local food
In Andros you’ll find all the favourite Greek dishes, but here are a few island specialities.
Fourtalia – also known as Andros omelette and served in traditional cafes. This thick tortilla style omelette includes potatoes and slices of the local pork sausage.
Fourtalia omlette Andros Greece
Fish and seafood – there’s plentiful seafood in the restaurants on Andros, especially those that are near the sea. In Chora, we loved the seafood at Ta Binelikia and Nona’s near Neimporio beach, both of which have terraces overlooking the sea.
The freshest locally caught fish are generally displayed whole on ice and sold by weight, so check with the waiter what’s available that day.
Seafood in Andros Greece
Another traditional Andros dish that we saw on restaurant menus was “Rooster in wine sauce”, the Greek equivalent of Coq au Vin.
Traditional sweets in Andros
There are a few local sweets that are traditional for Andros and can be found in the specialist shops in Chora.
One of the best known is Zaris Patisserie, which has a lovely shop beside the road as you drive out of Chora, or there are several traditional patisseries on the main street in Chora.
Sweets in Andros Greece
Amygdalota – an almond paste like marzipan, that’s made into a ball and dusted with icing sugar.
Kaltsounia – made from walnuts and honey in a sticky ball that’s dusted with icing sugar
Pastitsakia – a small round cookie like a macaron made from almonds and egg whites.
Sweet spoon – local fruit such as orange peel, sour cherries or walnuts that have been preserved in sugar syrup. They are served on a small spoon and would traditionally be offered with Greek coffee when guests visit your house.
Wineries in Andros
The Kourtesis wine estate is located in the hills above Chora, close to the village of Stenies. This boutique winery has beautifully restored old stone buildings, where tastings and events are held overlooking the vineyard. Local Cycladic grape varieties are used to make the organic wines, which you can also try in local restaurants.
Kourtesis wine estate Andros Greece
We had a lovely tasting in the vaulted room next to the winery, accompanied by local cheese, charcuterie and the estate’s own olive oil. The Kourtesis Winery can be visited by appointment, so call or email ahead to request a wine tasting and estate tour.
Alternatively, you can take one of the wine tasting tours arranged by Explore Andros, that provide transport and include a visit to the nearby waterfalls.
Kourtesis wine estate Andros Greece
Anyone with a detailed interest in the wines of Andros should contact Explore Andros to arrange a bespoke tour, since there are other wineries in Andros to visit, such as the Stratis vineyards.
Restaurants in Andros
We stayed in Chora where there’s a wide range of excellent restaurants, and tried a few other places while we were driving around the island.
Fresco Chora Andros Greece
Restaurants in Chora
Fresco – a cafe with a healthy theme, for juices, smoothies, salads and brunch. The owners also run the Explore Andros tour company so you can arrange your excursions, transfers and car hire here too.
Ta Skalakia – a charming traditional taverna where you can eat home cooked dishes outside on “The Steps” that give it the name. Be sure to look at the interior that’s full of vintage memorabilia.
Ta Binelikia – an excellent and well priced seafood restaurant near Neimporio beach, with a terrace overlooking the sea.
Endochora – an upscale restaurant serving modern Greek and Mediterranean cuisine with stylish interiors.
Ta Skalakia Chora Andros Greece
Restaurants in Batsi
We only had coffee here and didn’t get a chance to try any of the restaurants, but the ones we heard most recommended were Stamatis Taverna and Oti Kalo.
Restaurants in Korthi
We had an excellent lunch with professional service on the terrace of Sea Satin Nino, where the chef – owner has a good reputation locally. It’s set one block back from the seafront and is open all year round, with stylish interiors.
Sea Satin Nino Korthi Andros Greece
Where to stay in Andros
Recommended hotels in Chora
Anemomiloi Andros Boutique Hotel (we stayed here) – a stylish boutique hotel with swimming pool on the edge of Chora town. They offer a good breakfast but there’s also a small kitchenette in the rooms.
The hotel is attractively designed with different level rooms overlooking a central courtyard or countryside views. The family who own the hotel also run Explore Andros.
Archontiko Eleni (we stayed here) – this small hotel in a neo-classical townhouse, is a good value option with elegant traditional style. It offers breakfast and is well located by the main square, a short walk from all the restaurants and shops.
With only 8 rooms the hotel feels like staying in someone’s rather grand home. This is a good option if you visit in low season, as it’s open year round and has a more cosy feel than some other places.
Castel Abaso Boutique Apartments – a stylish self catering option in the oldest part of Chora, with 3 separate apartments, two of which have private roof terraces. This part of Chora is entirely pedestrianised and quiet at night, so it’s a good option for those who don’t have a hire car.
These apartments are popular with couples, families or small groups who want to have a bit more space, while being a few steps away from the restaurants and amenities of Chora.
In Batsi, we recommend Hotel Chryssi Akti, which is well located in the centre of the town opposite the beach, but there’s a wide range of accommodation in Batsi. If you don’t mind being a little bit outside Batsi, the Aneroussa Beach Hotel is a lovely hotel set on the cliffs with a private beach just below.
In Korthi there are only a few studio or apartment options – check out the accommodation in Korthi here. Gavrio also has a limited range of accommodation, since it is the island’s main ferry port – check out accommodation in Gavrio here.
Getting around Andros
Most advice about Andros seems to be to hire a car to get around. However these days I’m trying to travel more sustainably, so I decided to explore the options for getting around without a car first.
If you are planning to go car-free on Andros for some or all of the time, I’d recommend basing yourself in Chora, the picturesque island capital. Not only does Chora have 2 beaches and a wide choice of shops and restaurants, but also the best transport links.
By Bus
The KTEL public buses in Andros are designed mainly to take people to the ferry, running between the towns of Batsi, Chora, Korthi and Gavrio port. There are a couple of buses a day on each route, timed to arrive / leave Gavrio around the ferry arrivals. In high season (May – September) the buses are more frequent.
So if you want to use the buses for sightseeing, you could take a bus in the morning and return on the afternoon bus. For example, it could be possible to to do a day trip from Batsi to Chora, Chora to Batsi or Chora to Korthi.
Buses are not ideal for taking you to the beaches, as most aren’t on a bus route, unless you are prepared to do a bit of additional hiking. It’s also an option to take the bus one way and use a taxi to return.
Despite all these limitations, the bus fares are affordable (€3-4) and it’s worth checking the KTEL Andros bus timetable to see what’s possible. If relying on the bus, you might want to check timings at the nearest bus station or stop, as we found there were sometimes variations to the published timetable.
By Taxi
If you don’t want to drive, taxis are another good option, especially if you can take a taxi one way and use the bus or hike the return journey. For instance we took taxis from Chora to the furthest point of a hiking trails, then hiked back into Chora.
Based on our experience, these taxi rides of 15-30 minutes normally cost €20-30. There seemed to be agreed fares on popular routes, rather than a meter being used. So you can ask the taxi driver what the fare will be in advance.
In Andros there are taxi ranks in Chora (near the bus station), Batsi (near the harbour) and Gavrio (by the port). We are not sure if there is an official taxi rank in Korthi, but in any case most bars, restaurants or hotels can call you a taxi.
Hiring a car
Most of the hire car companies are based in Gavrio Port. As you’ll almost certainly arrive by ferry, it makes sense to pick up your hire car at Gavrio Port and return it there as you depart Andros. We recommend searching on Rental Cars to see what’s available.
Search with Gavrio Port, Andros as your pick up location and look for car hire that’s located close to the port. As always, check the reviews and scores before booking, rather than just going for the cheapest option.
If you prefer a more personal service, or want to use a car for only part of your stay, we can recommend Explore Andros who we hired our car from, which was brought to our hotel.
Transfers to / from Gavrio port
On arrival in Andros by ferry at Gavrio Port, you may want to arrange a taxi transfer from the port to either Batsi (15 mins) or Chora (45-60 mins), depending on where you are staying. These are often minivan taxis, large enough for groups or families and we booked ours through Explore Andros.
When reserving accommodation, your hotel will often offer to book a transfer for you. But if you arrive without any pre-booked transfer, there are also taxis at the taxi rank in Gavrio port.
Alternatively, the KTEL public buses (see above) run from Gavrio port to Batsi, Chora and Korthi and are timed to leave soon after the ferry’s arrival.
Getting around on foot
Andros is particularly known for the Andros Routes hiking trails, which cover many parts of the island.
Of the 2 weeks I spent on Andros, one week was spent hiking and we did not use a hire car for this week. Instead, we used a mixture of taxis, day tours and lifts to get us to the start of each day’s walk, then hiked back to Chora along the well signposted trails.
Even if you just want to do a couple of days hiking and relax for the rest of the time, you probably don’t need a car for these hiking days. There are a few shorter circular routes, but most of the longer and more scenic hiking routes are one way.
Andros Chora Greece
Guided Tours in Andros
If you don’t have a hire car, another excellent option for visiting many of the cultural or difficult to access places in Andros, is by booking a guided day tour. We booked a couple of tours through Explore Andros, which were excellent.
Best of Andros full day tour – a taste of the island highlights, starting in Chora, with waterfalls, a monastery and visits to a pretty mountain village.
Andros wine tasting – visit to the Kourtesis winery and nearby Pythara waterfalls – Half day tour
River trekking – along the Achla valley with swimming under the Gerolimni waterfall * highly recommended*
Monasteries of Andros – half day tour – visiting three different monasteries in Andros
Luxury boat tour – from Chora to the northern beaches of Andros, which will save you a long tiring drive.
How to get to Andros
Ferry to Andros
There’s no airport on Andros, so most visitors fly into Athens or Mykonos airports, then take the ferry. Ferries run from the Athens port of Rafina to Andros and then on to neighbouring Tinos and Mykonos.
They return from Mykonos by the same route, stopping at Tinos, Andros and then Rafina.
Ferry at Gavrio Port Andros Greece
Ferries run several times a day from Rafina port near Athens, with Fast Ferries or Golden Star Ferries and the journey time is 2 hours. There’s also a slightly more expensive Seajets ferry from Rafina to Andros which takes 1 hour 10 mins.
From Mykonos, the ferry time is 2 hours 25 mins. When we travelled the one way ferry ticket from Rafina to Andros was from €25 per person for a foot passenger.
Where to buy ferry tickets for Andros
Although you can buy ferry tickets at the port, we found it easier to book online in advance using a service like Ferryscanner. You’ll receive a ticket with bar code by email so that you can go straight on board the ferry. Check the ferry fares, timetables and book your ferry here.
Ferry at Gavrio Port Andros Greece
How to get to Rafina port
To reach Rafina from Athens Airport, you can take a taxi (30 mins) or a regular KTEL Attikis bus (30 mins) – find the timetable here. The airport bus stop is opposite the Sofitel Hotel, leaving the arrivals hall by Exit 3.
Ferry at Gavrio Port Andros Greece
To reach Rafina port from central Athens you have a few options.
Option 1: take the KTEL Attikis bus from Nomismatokopio Station in Athens to Rafina (60 mins).
Option 2: take Line 3 of the Athens Metro to Athens airport and from there take the bus or a taxi to Rafina.
Option 3: the most expensive option, but economic if there is a group of you, is to arrange a taxi from any point in Central Athens to Rafina (60 mins).
Ferry at Gavrio Port Andros Greece
Read Next
Want to see more of Andros? Check out my article about Hiking in Andros on the scenic Andros Routes hiking trails.
More places to visit in Greece
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Most of this trip was self-funded but some of the experiences and accommodation were kindly provided by Explore Andros.
Every September brings with it a number of festivals in Tennessee, and one of my absolute favorites is Pilgrimage Music Festival in the charming town of Franklin. While other music festivals in Tennessee like Bonnaroo and CMA Fest are in the camp of “you’ve got to go at least once,” Pilgrimage is one I would return to every year if I could make it work. Here’s why.
The post was last updated in September 2024.
The origins of Pilgrimage
Franklin resident and Better than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin wanted to create something in Franklin that embodied the region’s musical roots while also showing off its pastoral farmland. As it turns out, a century-old horse farm, the Park at Harlinsdale Farm—which is now owned by the City of Franklin and boasts a dog park, fishing pond, soft track and equestrian trails—was the ideal spot to launch such an undertaking.
It’s also located directly across from the Factory at Franklin, a mixed-use facility in an old hosiery that has gotten a serious upgrade over the years, as has Pilgrimage itself. The first year I attended back in 2015, there were maybe 8,000 attendees. The busiest Pilgrimage I ever attended was when Justin Timberlake was headlining, and it was quite a scene with at least four time the attendance numbers.
But the beauty of this laid-back event is that while you can see A-list acts like Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile on the main stage, you’ll see great talent no matter the time slot or size of the stage. I’ve seen everyone from Lucie Silvas and Brothers Osborne to Keith Urban and Lauren Daigle at Pilgrimage.
In the 10th anniversary of Pilgrimage Festival this year, headliners include Hozier, Dave Matthews Band, Noah Kahan, and needtobreathe with plenty of other country, rock, pop, bluegrass and Americana acts scheduled across the six stages over the two days.
Where to stay in Franklin for Pilgrimage Festival
Harlinsdale Farm, the host venue of Pilgrimage, is conveniently located a straight one-mile shot from downtown Franklin. Downtown Franklin is also the home of the Harpeth Hotel, a gem of a property that’s walkable to not only Pilgrimage but everything in the historic heart of the city. If you can’t get a room at the Harpeth, here are some other places to stay near the farm:
What to expect at Pilgrimage Music Festival
The festival is extremely chill and just plain easy compared to bigger music festivals like Bonnaroo, and at this stage in my festival-going career, I prefer the more manageable festivals, particularly if I’m just committing to going for the day. The grandma in me loves, too, that this festival ends promptly at 10pm each night thanks to a local noise ordinance.
Parking for Pilgrimage
Parking for any festival can be a headache, but I’ve had a lot of success parking in downtown Franklin for free (or cheap) and walking the 15 minutes to the Pilgrimage site. There are cops directing traffic everywhere, and it’s very pedestrian-friendly to walk from downtown Franklin to the farm. The are also, of course, paid lots closer to the festival grounds. Here’s Pilgrimage’s official parking map:
If you’re driving in, I could not plan on coming via Liberty Pike during prime festival arrival hours (11am to 7pm). Instead, I’d try to sneaky-foot into Franklin a back way and park downtown, then walk. For those staying close enough to the farm, you can bike to the venue. There is both bike parking and a bike valet on site at Pilgrimage.
The Pilgrimage vibes
While sure, you’re always going to get your fashion influencers wearing their cowgirl best, this festival takes place in late September, which we locals begrudgingly call second summer here in Tennessee. It’s usually hot hot HOT, and you’ll want to layer up in quick-drying material to fight the heat during the day then stave off the incoming cool at night.
Bring an umbrella, plenty of sunscreen, and either lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on. Local food and drink also feature prominently at this Franklin festival, so be sure and peruse the food vendors and drink offerings.
The VIP experience
We’ve been to Pilgrimage as media, general admission and VIP. Obviously, if you get the chance to go VIP, take it—you’ll get special access directly in front of the stage, not to mention access to food vendors and sponsor tents like George Dickel, as well as the possibility of running into some of your favorite talent. One thing to note, though, is while drinks used to be free with a VIP pass, you now have to pay for them outside of the daily happy hour where VIPs can enjoy comped cocktails, so you’ll have to decide whether the VIP pass is worth it for you.
What other questions do you have about Pilgrimage Festival for me? Are you going this year? Have you been in the past? Do you love it as much as we do?
For more tips on planning a trip to Franklin, start here:
As I continue my quest to travel on credit card points, my list of personal best travel credit cards is constantly evolving. I’m big on the suite of American Express cards as I get so much value out of them—the AmEx Platinum is my go-to with the Gold a close second—though the Chase Sapphire Reserve is always a top contender, too.
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In the past two years, we used points on two vacations to Europe to cover our flights and rental cars, plus three weeks in Thailand and Qatar, as well as trips to Tucson and Hawaii on points. And our miles continue to mount: We booked an upcoming trip to Australia in business class on points, and I’ve accumulated an additional 500,000 or so simply paying for everyday items, insurance, subscriptions and taxes.
Note: The below information pertains to American travelers, as credit card rewards are specific to the country of residence. If you live in Canada, check out this guide to best credit cards for Canadians.
With that said, here are the travel credit cards I currently use, which I update every few months—and how and when I use each. I highly recommend cards with no foreign transaction fees, which includes all of the below cards, if you plan to travel internationally. And if you decide to sign up for one, please use my included referral link so I also get bonus points along with yours!
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is what I consider the gateway card to travel points earning. It’s under the Chase Ultimate Rewards flexible points system—which is key because it means you can spend those points on so many different airlines, hotels or car rental companies—and it’s also got a low annual fee, making it easy to justify for those who are looking for the best travel credit card for their needs (and possibly their first). You can also combine Chase points across products if you hold multiple cards.
Benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred include:
$50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more
5X per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
2x per $1 on other travel purchases
3X per $1 on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out
3X per $1 on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
3x per $1 on select streaming services
Annual fee: $95
And with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you get additional benefits like:
A $300 travel statement credit reimbursements each anniversary year
Discounts on DoorDash with free DashPass subscription
One statement credit of up to $100 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS
Access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club
Complimentary membership to Priority Pass lounges (access to 1,300+ lounges in 500 cities worldwide)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great intro card for anyone who wants to get in this game and test the waters without committing to a high annual fee. For years, it was the only travel credit card I had until I eventually product-changed and got the Chase Sapphire Reserve instead.
Note: You can only hold one Sapphire product at a time, so you can’t get this one if you’re applying for the Preferred, but it’s worth investigating if you’re someone who travels a lot. In the credit card universe, you’ll hear what is referred to as the 5/24 rule often. That simply means that in Chase’s mind, you can only apply to and receive five credit cards (from any company) in a 24-month period.
The 5/24 rule is important to keep in mind because if you do decide to play the points game, you will want to make sure you always hover somewhere under that number, meaning that you keep a detailed spreadsheet of any credit cards you hold, as well as when you opened them. If you are close to hitting 5/24, you’ll want to consider going for other cards like American Express while your credit card history with Chase cools off.
Southwest Priority Card
If you fly Southwest regularly, this is the best travel credit card for you. Why? Well, if you earn 135,000 points, you get Southwest Companion Pass status, meaning a plus one will fly for free with you for the rest of the calendar year in which you earned it in addition to the following year. What does this mean? You should plan on hitting your sign-up bonus in January and not a minute before!
Benefits of the Southwest Priority Card include:
10,000 Companion Pass points every year
3X per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines purchases
2X per $1 spent on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming
$75 Southwest annual travel credit
Annual fee: $99
Current sign-up bonus: 85,000 points for personal card, or you could go for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card for 80,000
While the Southwest cards are Chase products, you earn miles directly deposited to your Rapid Rewards account instead of Ultimate Rewards in the Chase ecosystem. To earn Companion Pass on credit cards alone, you’ll need to open one Southwest card—I recommend the Performance Business to start—and then wait 30 days and open a personal card like the Plus, Premier or Priority. Here’s the best strategy to do this.
This is the gold standard card for those who travel often and well. It’s not for the frugal traveler, as the annual fee is high, but the American Express Platinum is worth it for many, myself included. That said, you absolutely have to go into the benefits section of your dashboard and enable everything to make the fee worth it.
Benefits of the AmEx Platinum include:
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
$200 Airline Fee Credit
$200 Uber Cash
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit
A $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required
Other benefits include an annual $300 Equinox or SoulCycle credit and 5x points on flights or travel booked through AmEx. So far, not including my sign-up bonus, my annual benefits for the AmEx Platinum exceed $1,100, and that’s not including the cash value of being Gold with both Hilton and Marriott and also lounge access. I’ve also found a lot of value in having the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express as a supplementary card.
This card has similar perks to the Chase Sapphire Reserve at a lower fee—plus advance ticket access to things like bowl games and concerts (it did not, however, help me get Taylor Swift tickets). That said, the Cap One Venture X does offer 2x on all purchases, so if you open it, this is a great everyday spend card for categories where you may not receive regular bonuses (think: hardware stores, pet stores, medical bills). If the network of Capital One lounges expands in the future, this one might get a higher spot on my list in the future. There’s also the Capital One Venture, which is a lower fee of $95 with similar perks.
10x on hotels and cars booked through Capital One Travel
5x on flights booked through Capital One Travel
2x on all other purchases
Unlimited access to Capital One Lounges
Complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Receive a $300 travel credit annually for bookings through Capital One Travel
These are other credit cards that I use for everyday purchases, particularly for software (AmEx Biz Platinum), subscriptions (the Inks), as well as groceries (the AmEx Gold):
If you haven’t already considered business cards, they’re a great way to rack up points without paying much at all in annual fees (even if you don’t have an established business yet and are just a freelancer!).
Note: You can have multiple Inks, even of the exact same card, which you can’t do for other popular credit cards like the Chase Sapphires. Here are a few nuggets to keep in mind as you figure out the best travel credit card for your needs:
Having multiple cards alone will not hurt your credit
Contrary to popular belief, holding multiple credit cards will not damage your credit score if you do it right, including not having too many credit inquiries (or hard pulls) in a set amount of time as well as paying off your balance in full every statement cycle so you don’t find yourself paying interest. I repeat: You should only play this game if you have good credit already and can pay off your credit cards monthly. Free travel is awesome, but there’s nothing worth getting into credit card debt over!
Use all the benefits and offers
Many cards like the AmEx Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve have very high annual fees. One way to justify it? Take advantage of every benefit and offer and activate them upon activating your card. For the AmEx card alone, I get $1200 a year back in bonuses and other perks, not counting my lounge access. Don’t get the cards solely for the points; get them if you plan to use all the perks—and also check regularly for the monthly offers and quarterly bonuses that you can activate via your credit card dashboard.
Many cards offer insurance, so use it
The majority of these best travel credit cards I’ve featured include some form of trip delay or cancellation and baggage insurance, meaning if something happens and you find yourself needing a hotel at an airport in a pinch, you’ll likely be able to get reimbursed. Likewise, they often include both primary rental car insurance and cell insurance, so if you book your trips with these cards and something goes wrong, you can file a claim for reimbursement.
The best way to accrue points you can actually use are to play within both Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) and American Express Membership Rewards (MR). UR points transfer 1:1 to so many different airlines including Delta, Southwest, Air Canada, British Airways and United, though often I simply use them by booking flights through the Ultimate Rewards portal (always cross-check awards availability via the airline’s website first to make sure you’re not spending more points than needed). MR also have a good roster of transfer partners, which include Delta, Qantas, Virgin, and Singapore Air and Hilton and Marriott on the hotels side.
Don’t cancel cards, product change them instead
One way to build up a great credit score is by having a long history of credit, which includes cards you’ve had open for years (my lengthiest streak is 17 years!). When adding new cards to your roster, it’s often best to keep the old ones—when it makes sense—and just carry a balance of $0. So, for example, even if you decide to change from a Chase Sapphire Preferred to a Reserve, rather than canceling the Preferred outright, you’ll want to call Chase and PC (product change) it to one of the no-fee Freedom cards instead.
That said, at times you may have to cancel a card if you plan to reopen it for a new bonus—the rule is usually that you can’t receive a sign-up bonus for the same card within either 24 or 48 months—which I’m finding myself doing this week to take advantage of getting the Companion Pass through my Southwest credit cards points.
Co-branded cards often aren’t worth it
Co-branded cards like a Sephora or Delta credit card are typically not worth using a credit card slot on. If you’re more of a casual flier with no loyalty to one airline over another, it’s generally smarter to get a Chase Sapphire Reserve or AmEx Platinum that is in one of the flexible point ecosystems (meaning you can transfer your points to many different partners).
Southwest cards for the Companion Pass status is an exception to the rule or if you are a frequent flier who stays loyal to one airline. If you’re more of a casual takes-a-few-trips-a-year kind of traveler, you’ll want to start your points journey in the Chase or AmEx ecosystems.
Transfer monthly payments to meet a new SUB
Every time I get a new credit card, I transfer over any recurring payments like my phone or our insurance, which help me quickly meet a sign-up bonus (SUB). It’s an easy way to capitalize on money I’m already spending by earning points I can use toward travel. And while you can’t pay a mortgage on a credit card, you can pay pretty much everything else including income tax and property tax. Get those points for big payments you’re already making!
The value of points depends on what you spend them on
No matter what credit card you use, the value of individual points will depend on if you spend them on gift cards, online shopping or travel. I find that travel usually yields a higher point value, and you often can get even more out of each point by transferring them to travel partners (assuming a 1:1 transfer rate). You can also take advantage of bonus periods when your credit card, for example, offers 5x points on gas or pay-yourself-back bonuses. Just paying attention to these small details can bank you a good stockpile of points in no time.
What’s your favorite travel credit card?
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
When we left California in 2011, it was primarily due to wanting more space, wanting to own property. Plus, we longed for a more comfortable—not to mention, cheaper—way of life. The following year, we found our dream home: an 1800s beauty, built along a railroad in Tennessee in 1899. For a San Francisco native and his new bride, it was the perfect home with which to get their Chip and Joanna on, though I had no idea then just what a Queen Anne renovation entailed.
Here is the Victorian in Manchester, Tennessee when we first saw her in 2012.
When we bought the house, it had sat vacant for three years, yet the bones were good, and it needed no electrical or plumbing upgrades, which was clutch for us. I don’t think we would have considered buying it were that not the case. It did, however, need just about everything else done to it—and plenty of cosmetic improvements we opted to do along the way. Let’s just say, I know my way around a tool or two now.
We thought we’d be here forever, but the concept of “forever” changes from your 20s to your 30s to your 40s; one day, we were both just ready for a change. We were done living in a house that would forever be a fixer-upper so long as we inhabited it because it would never actually be “complete” in our mind; ready to be in a space that was not conducive to modern living (closets—what are those?). We both wanted a house that was more well-suited for both living and working in the way that a pair of entrepreneurs who work out of their home need.
And we found it: The Cedar House, a single-level midcentury modern beauty that could be both our home and office at once (and is also a fixer, for what it’s worth). Since we never want to part with the Vic, we got to work readying the Queen Anne to be a commercial rental; the result, let’s just say, is a more comfortable house than we ever lived in!
Freshly-painted Victorian, after we moved out in 2019.
And since so many of you followed our Victorian renovation on social media and the blog over the years, I felt I owed it to you to show the before and afters, as well as detail everything we did since we bought her in 2012.
About the Victorian
First of all, let’s lay her out, shall we? Her square footage is right around 2,700 with an unfinished attic on the third floor that spans nearly the full footprint of the house and a quarter basement; Thank God for these storage options, as we had no garage or carport and closet space was extremely limited.
She sits on a sloped corner lot of about 0.4 acres. She was built in 1899 in Manchester, Tennessee and, for years, was owned by the Reynolds family. So many people over the years have stopped by while we were working to tell us all about how their grandmother or aunt or best friend’s mom once lived here when she was a boarding house. I have no idea when the last time this home was inhabited prior to us moving in fall 2012, but it had been years, if not a decade.
And her state reflected that transient nature she was accustomed to prior to being occupied by my restless husband. Each room had a keyed lock on the door for private rental, and the interior—while fairly untouched from a restoration standpoint—was just that … untouched. And, therefore, neglected. For perspective, these are all photos from our home inspection back in 2012 when each room was a different color of a Fruit Loop.
The house was listed as a six bedroom, two bathroom, but we only used three rooms as bedrooms. Downstairs, we had a large living room connected to the dining room that doubled as an office; a small mud room that led down to a quarter basement; a guest room that connected to the Florida room; a kitchen and a small bathroom with shower. Upstairs was the master bedroom, the guest room we dubbed the “Lemon Room,” the largest of the bedrooms, which was SVV’s office, and the larger of the two bathrooms that was, oddly, not connected to any of the bedrooms.
And here are a few inside peeks at what she looked like after we moved out in 2019. Pretty dramatic difference, no? It’s crazy what a little paint and some TLC can do to a house that’s over 120 years old.
The Victorian also has a wraparound porch on the front and a concrete area out back that had an awning we ripped out and planned to eventually put a pergola over. Who knows, maybe we still will in the future?
The Exterior
Before we even moved in, we had Satisfaction Windows come out and measure to replace all 66 of the original windows in a custom Queen Anne style. We kept the old ones—still have them in the basement we’re saving for a rain day (or, uh, craft project)—but they were old, flimsy and leaking, and the new ones still channeled the original style while being much more energy-efficient. In fact, even in the coldest months, this house was less than $250 to heat. It was surprisingly warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Replacing these windows was one of our bigger line items for the house, especially upfront, but we had taken out a construction loan and it was so, so worth it.
Exterior Progress + After: 2014 vs. 2019
It wasn’t long after we moved in that our roof started leaking. The worst part? It was nearly impossible to get someone to call us back due to the slope of our house. A friend finally found us a crew to replace it quickly, and while the flashing installation required the demolition of entire sections of the original wood, the roof itself has lasted and will for a very long time.
After we’d been in the house a year or two, we started tearing the siding off to replace it back with new wood. Since we lived next door to a builder supply company, we were able to get all the siding material there and keep it stored in their warehouse as long as we needed.
Little did we know “as long as we needed” would be three years. No exaggeration, that’s how long the house sat just half-covered by the old siding, with plastic wrap keeping water out of the uncovered spots. This was not intentional, but we had two sets of “carpenters” completely ghost halfway through the job—lesson learned, don’t pay until the job is completed and vet every single person that comes to work for you—and try as we might, we couldn’t find any legit construction company in the area to tackle wood siding; they all only do vinyl or brick. With a mix of cedar shake shingles and cypress siding, it was more than all of the contractors we begged to do the work wanted to tackle.
Finally, when we were getting desperate, we found a company out of Murfreesboro who charged us just under $10,000 to finish the job. More than we wanted to pay, but it was worth it—and they wound up going out of business the next month, so I’m glad they finished it before that happened!
Exterior Progress + After: 2014 vs. 2019
During that same timeframe, some friends came out to help us paint the front porch, and before they did, we replaced a lot of the rotting wood and spires. We also painted a haint blue on the porch ceiling and floor to ward off the evil spirits and mosquitoes (and OK, because it looks cool). We used Ohio Haint Blue, which any paint store should be able to mix up for you. We started out using all Benjamin Moore paint, then quickly switched over to Sherwin-Williams because it was more convenient and they have great customer service—plus, SVV has a contractor account there, which if you’re in the business of renovating houses, you should definitely ask for—but it’s all personal preference.
Plus, you know my plant-loving husband did some landscaping ninjary on this corner lot! He planted wisteria, kiwi, blueberries, lavender, sage, lemongrass, hops, blackberries and assorted herbs, which are for the most part still growing strong and slowly enveloping the house in draped greenery and edible goodness.
We also enclosed the lot with a picket fence that we built ourselves after a few years of funeral home goers traipsing right through our land and demolishing SVV’s careful landscaping efforts. That was another saga in itself; after the former ill-informed codes director tried to stop us with a variance, then realized there was nothing in the codes book that could prevent a fence, he set us back an entire year before we could complete the project. Ohhhh, small-town politics.
And after the fence was painted, we went ahead and painted the entire exterior of the house, which we’d do all over again three years later after the primer failed. Fun!
Exterior expenditures:
Windows: $16,000
Roof: $8,000
Siding: $18,000
Paint: $2,500
Landscaping: $2,000
Lift rental: $2,000
Fence: $3,500
Custom finial: $800
Miscellaneous: $1,000
Throughout the Home
In addition to the windows, we also installed light-filtering cellular shades from JustBlinds throughout the house—with blackout cellular shades for my bedroom—something we’ve also done in Myrtle and now the Cedar House. They’re affordable, aesthetically-pleasing and ran us around $2,000 for the entire house (pro tip: wait until they have a sale, which is often). SVV hates window treatments, and we’ll agree to disagree on that, but with the house being on the town square and surrounded by a building supply company with workers always coming and going, we needed some form of privacy.
Lemon Room Before + After: 2012 vs. 2019
We scraped the majority of ceilings throughout the house to remove the ugly, orange peel-style popcorn texture that was likely a bad decision made in the 80’s. If you’re ever thinking of doing popcorn, STOP RIGHT THERE. But if you inherit a popcorn mess as we did, definitely consider sanding, patching and painting the ceilings white—our go-to color for ceilings is Sherwin-Williams contractor grade flat white straight out of the can— as it can make the most dramatic impact in any room. You can see what the ceiling throughout the house looked like here via our living room, which was one of the few rooms we never did get to.
Living Room Before + After: 2012 vs. 2019
Many of the doors had original hardware and transoms. We removed the unnecessary doors and stored them in the basement, then put them all back on before our tenants moved in, so each office could have its own privacy. SVV stained them all to remove pollen, mold and dirt, and they look as new as a 121-year-old door can look! We also had to replace a few of the knobs so they had locks on them, but kept all original details when possible.
And while Fruit Loops is, indeed, an attractive palette of wall colors, we took a fresh coat of white paint to every surface. We used Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee color formula for every single room except the mudroom and upstairs bathroom, both of which we painted Grey Owl by Benjamin Moore. Swiss Coffee is the most widely-used formulation for #basic and clean neutral colors. It gives you an opportunity to add pops of color, which is a requirement for where I reside.
Stairwell Before + After: 2012 vs. 2019
The Upstairs Bedrooms
The day we closed on the Vic and got the keys in August 2012, the first thing we did right before the sun set was go upstairs and rip out the ugly carpet covering the floors in both bedrooms. Then, we had Gary Parnham, a local flooring professional, come and refinish the floor in the Lemon Room as it had been painted red. The master bedroom had no flooring beneath, so we asked Gary to lay tulip poplar that will age over time to match the rest of the house, since that’s the original species of wood used for the upstairs.
Both bedrooms had fireplaces that were crumbling, so we demo’d them both and added subway tile from a tile company out of Nashville.
The Upstairs Bathroom
This bathroom got a full-on gut job, and come to think of it, I never blogged about the final renovation. Here’s the skinny: We ripped out the linoleum floor. SVV relocated the plumbing. We busted up the porcelain that held the tub into place. And we reconfigured the whole thing by moving the clawfoot tub to the other side of the room.
We saved the tub and painted it safety yellow, then installed a dreamy hex tile from Stone Source throughout the floor. With slanted walls that mirrored the roof line, it was really tricky finding furniture that would fit in here; however, we finally found some vintage pieces of Broyhill Brasilia off of Craigslist, then modified a mirror to make it work. We also replaced the toilet, as we did in the downstairs bathroom.
Master Bathroom Before + After: 2012 vs. 2017
The Kitchen
Sadly, we never really touched this beast as we cook far too much and never saved up the $40,000 or so it would take to completely gut the kitchen. Instead, we added a bright color of paint on the walls, installed LED countertop lights, custom-designed a center island a local woodworker then built for us and later removed all the cabinet doors to open it up a bit. I disliked the kitchen so much, I don’t even have any updated photos of it. You can see that the only downstairs bathroom is positioned behind the kitchen, which apparently is how they did things back in ye olden days, but I’m definitely happy to be back in a normal house with an en-suite master bath these days!
The Florida Room
Toward the end of our time at the Victorian, we started taking sledgehammers to things. One of the first sections SVV yanked out and sealed up was the unnecessary door between the downstairs bedroom and the Florida room. He then built a wall atop it, and you couldn’t even tell there had ever been a door frame there. This wound up giving our renters far more flexibility with how they use the space (last we saw, they installed a second fridge and are using it as more kitchen space).
We also never replaced the windows in the Florida room because we had always planned on creating a breakfast nook and possibly sealing them up. As such, one of the window sills was completely rotted. After we moved out, we busted out that entire window and wall and SVV covered it with siding that matches the rest of the house.
Several people asked why we didn’t put the window back, but there was no need. This window looked out onto the chimney, and it’s actually brighter than it was before now that it’s covered with a fresh coat of white paint to reflect all the other light back into the space.
The Downstairs Bedroom
This is the room SVV slept in for the past few years (don’t judge, he snores loudly), and it was outfitted with twin beds for when our cousins’ kids came to stay or we had large groups of friends that weren’t coupled up but were OK with sharing a room.
Downstairs Bedroom Before + After: 2012 vs. 2019
We didn’t do much to it other than sealing up the aforementioned doorway, as well as sealing the top of a closet entrance that had once been covered by stained glass. This room was always in pretty good shape and has the best mantle in the entire house; also, the only one of our six fireplaces that still has the original tile.
So what does it cost to renovate an 1800s Victorian house?
I’ve been asked before what it costs to renovate an old house like this, and that’s so subjective. Plus, we didn’t exactly tally every trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s over the past decade. Not to mention, we didn’t have to do some of the bigger items—like plumbing and electrical—and much of the labor was the two of us, meaning we saved a lot there, so what we spent isn’t realistic unless you’re a skilled DIYer who can tackle almost anything, as my talented husband is.
I’d confidently say the total cost of these renovations exceeded six figures, but this was done over the course of seven years, and the original price we paid for the home was only $139,000 to begin with. We initially took out a $50,000 construction loan, which we paid off when we refinanced our house a couple years later, and then used cash and credit cards for the remaining renovations.
And, of course, there are ongoing costs associated with being a landlord. We’re constantly dropping by to fix something here, patch something there, and we also are getting ready to paint her again this year, as well as hopefully install gutters so the paint doesn’t fail once more.
That said, property value in Manchester is low, so we definitely spent more than we could get from selling this house, which is why we always intended to turn it into a rental. In a rural area, it doesn’t make sense to renovate a Queen Anne like this so extensively unless you plan on it being your forever home (or your business), but I’m happy with the way it all worked out: We got seven glorious years in this beauty, and now she has lovely inhabitants who appreciate her as much as we do.
Any questions about renovating a Queen Anne Victorian? Feel free to ask below!
For more DIY tips and home renovation guides, check out these posts:
If there’s anything as 2024 as this, it’s taken me a full month after the year concluded to finish this post. But I didn’t want to skip it for the first time in 17 years, as the past year was remarkable in so many ways.
2024 was wild and weird and wonderful. I was not overly present on this blog for many reasons, mainly because life has thrown so many work changes into our life that have catapulted us to next level of busy. (Don’t you hate people complaining they’re busy?)(So do I.)(But here’s the truth.)
2024 in travel
We still traveled a whole lot in 2024 even if my airline accounts didn’t show it. Just days after ushering in a new year, we flew to Charleston, S.C. for a military ceremony celebrating SVV’s former roommate taking command of a NOAA ship. Since my brother-in-law’s family lives there, we also got to spend some quality time with them.
When we got home, I caught a terrible case of pneumonia and recovered just in time to leave on our annual winter sabbatical, this time to Thailand with four days in Qatar on the front end. Due to our increasing focus on tourism marketing, we try to plan all of our trips in the winter when tourism is in a lull. That typically means, we vacation in January or February, then come back refreshed for a busy and full work year.
I have so many tips for planning a trip to Thailand, and hopefully one day soon I’ll have time to sit down and bang them all out. We were lucky to have government friends based in Bangkok, so we headquartered our trip from their apartment, then did some island-hopping, too.
After returning from Asia, our work travel ramped up. We’ve been on contract with the state for the past two years, and we’ve gotten to see a lot of Tennessee as a result. Much of our travel in 2024 was by car, and I’m definitely glad I upgraded my vehicle a couple years back!
Tennessee tourism work aside, Mom and I took the kids to Blue Ridge, Georgia for a long weekend over their Spring Break, then I flew to Bismarck to keynote a marketing meeting.
We went to Memphis a few times, in March, April and July, to visit my cousins and also found ourselves in Sweetwater for a mural project. And we can’t forget one of the biggest events of the year: We flew to Austin for the eclipse and to see our besties!
My other international trip for the year was with my mom to Paris in May to attend Roland-Garros, our second of the four tennis Grand Slam events and first overseas tourney. It rained on us nonstop for 10 days, but we had a blast—and bonus: We got to see Taylor while there (my fourth Eras show, but I digress!).
For SVV’s 50th birthday—and just because we like to spend time together—my family met up with my cousins in Fort Morgan, Alabama for a full week of beach fun. We’re usually 30A people, but the crowds and the fact that SVV and I fell in love with Dauphin Island a few years back drove us west along the coast, and it was a blast.
Tell me he looks 50!? No flippin’ way.
When we got back, we went to Murray, Kentucky for a weekend, the first of three trips we’d make in succession to our northern neighbor. We finished the summer with a week in South Carolina at my friend Kelly’s family’s home in Lake Keowee and the Smoky Mountains only days before the area was devastated by Hurricane Helene.
In the fall, I spoke at a pair of Tennessee conferences, TNHTA’s Governor’s Conference on Hospitality & Tourism in Chattanooga and Rural Tourism Conference in Union City, and we took my niece Charlotte and nephew Mac on their first trip to Dollywood—and to their first UT game on the same weekend. A good Florida beating is best experienced in person at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville if I do say so myself!
I was back up in Kentucky for a night in Louisville with my cousin’s daughter McKayla in November to see Taylor Swift (yes, again) up in Indy, then SVV and I returned a few weeks later for me to speak at the Kentucky Travel Industry Association’s annual conference in Covington.
In November, my sister and I also celebrated my mom’s 75th birthday with a mid-week getaway to Cloudland in Georgia. We spent the entire holiday season at home, a nice respite after a year spent on the road, but hardly a restful one as we were in full holiday mode with Christmas shoots and school picture day and Breakfast with Santa and so much more.
2024 in work
We are more embedded in the tourism world than ever, and I’m truly grateful to every editor, every tourism board and every government official who hires us for gigs. It’s some of the most fulfilling work we’ve ever done (not to mention, a whole lot of fun!).
Though in 2024, I wrote several stories for Washington Post, Southern Living, Marriott Bonvoy, Preferred Travel and various other outlets, I have scaled back on my freelance writing because, to be frank, the pay for traditional media these days is peanuts compared to when I started over 20 years ago. And as an almost 42-year-old businesswoman, the one thing I’m not going to do is backpedal—though that said, I still have editors I adore who I am willing to do almost anything for if they ask. You know who you are!
We’ve found a whole lot of joy doing photography contracts and content marketing for tourism boards. Several of those who we have worked with regularly include cities in our own region like Bell Buckle, and being able to help tell their story on a continuous basis has been priceless.
In continuing with Work I Never Thought I’d Do—I legit hated a stage and an audience just 15 years ago—I keynoted a couple meetings, spoke at three conferences and hosted two marketing workshops. What an honor to get to speak a session at the Tennessee’s and Kentucky’s governors conferences, as well as the rural tourism conference which was in my home state this year.
In 2025, I already have four conferences booked as a speaker (including one keynote)—two in February, one in June and one in July—and I hope that’s just the beginning.
2024 in photography
Well I’ve studied photography since college, I could have never predicted what the last five years have brought, and that’s more than 100 standalone shoots a year that have absolutely nothing to do with tourism. Family shoots, children portraits, heritage photography, volume photography, corporate headshots, Breakfast with Santa—I’ve learned and done it all.
This year, I also did the school photos for four different preschools, which was a whole other skill set we have learned (and are still mastering), but what a fun new challenge—and it added another 125 kids to my 2024 photo subjects.
2024 in blogging
Blogging has changed dramatically since I started this blog in 2007. In 2024, I favored updating some of my most popular posts regularly over new content. Whereas in the pioneering day of blogging, we would get a wild hair, bang out a post and push it live without a second thought, publishing a new blog post in 2024 (or now, 2025) takes days from the research and the writing to the photo editing and the coding.
And secondly, Google’s ever-changing algorithm has decimated the careers of bloggers and creators across the board. If you don’t understand how search engines are prioritizing AI content over actual fact-checked content that has been thoughtfully researched, written and compiled by an individual, my friend Amanda has a great primer on the topic of Google and AI killing blogs here.
That means the post your favorite bloggers are spending days fact checking and producing may be pushed to the second or third page or even further back if they are never seen. That doesn’t exactly incentivize a lot of us to compete anymore. That said, if you want to be a good steward of original content and support your favorite creators, hopscotch right over the Google AI results and click through to an actual post the next time you’re searching, will you?
The good news is that, affiliate links aside, we have always been ad-free, so we have never relied on Google to pay our bills. On the same token, since this site is free content and not necessarily monetized, it is not always prioritized as it may be were the tables turned.
This time last year, I stopped publishing my monthly highlights posts due to time constraints, but also because after dropping MailChimp when they made it unattainable for small businesses to keep up, I have yet to find a newsletter service that sends out my posts in full. That means when I do write a new post, I also have to write a newsletter, format it and push it out to the thousands of people who subscribe. All of that is just a lot when blogging is not my main revenue stream, but more something I love and can’t always prioritize.
As always, I love posting my travels here and I will continue to as time allows. I have so many trips like Australia, Thailand, Iceland, and Hawaii I spent months planning and perfecting the itinerary that I truly want to share. When that will happen? Your guess is as good as mine.
2024 in entrepreneurship
Two years ago, we bought our latest commercial investment. We initially tried out a co-working space, but in Tullahoma, it simply wasn’t financially feasible for us to continue operating it as such.
So last summer, we regrouped and rebranded, and at the beginning of September, opened our CoSalon which were full in a matter of weeks. After owning the building for 18 months, it was so nice seeing the space brim with stylists and entrepreneurs. An added bonus is I now have a place to go for my hair, facials and Botox all under one roof!
2024 in public art
As the economy continues to waffle, several federal agencies have taken hits in the past years when it comes to funding, and the arts is no different. For our public art nonprofit, many of our projects exist entirely due to grant funding, and there were simply not as much funding available last year. As such, we declined several opportunities and only completed two mural projects: in Sweetwater and Palmer, the first funded by the city and the second by the state arts commission.
“Allegory of Hope” by Britt Flood Palmer, Tennessee
We also had one of our favorite artists, Whitney Herrington, come down and paint a mural inside CoSalon, which was a treat!
We’ve got some fun projects up our sleeves for 2025 though, so stay tuned! Many grants we were awarded for this fiscal year will be implemented this spring, plus we applied for operational funding for the first time, which would give us many opportunities to gift art to rural communities that need some love and color.
2024 at home
I still love the Cedar House as much as the day we bought it six years ago, even more so now. While we didn’t complete any major projects this year, we’ve slowly been tweaking away and making this house a home, including hanging more original art, some of which is our own.
I love adding to the framework of this beautiful piece of property, and I hope SVV lets me stay here many, many years! The Victorian is the only home I lived in for longer than 18 months as an adult, but I have absolutely no itch to change our situation or to build out a new space as I have in the past, just to continue to improve the one in which we live.
Our animals are doing great: Ella (our pup) is 14.5, the first of our Cat Distribution System rewards Whiskey and Rye are 5, and our baby girl Molly is 2.5. They keep us busy and constantly cleaning up fluids in our home (ha), but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
2024: The Greatest Hits
Days traveled: 115
Countries visited: 5, including 2 new ones
States visited: 11
Miles put on my Expedition: 30,000
Tennessee counties covered: 63
Business class flights taken: 4
Taylor Swift shows attended: 2, making that 4 total for the Eras tour
Books read/listened to: 52
Photos snapped: 30,000+
As always, thanks so much for being here! If you’re looking for travel inspiration, I’ve got 17 years’ worth of posts you can sift through by location here.
