Travel Archives - Audrey JoAnn

NASHVILLE TRAVEL GUIDE: WHERE TO STAY, EAT, PLAY & MORE

December 13, 2019

Probably my favorite place I’ve ever lived is Nashville, TN. It’s just SO FUN. That’s all. I love the friendly, artistic culture and the fact that it’s small for a city, so it’s fairly easy to get around (as long as you miss rush hour, but even that isn’t as bad as other places I’ve lived… *cough cough Austin*).

I love that there’s so much to do, from professional sports and live music (of course) and great food to adorable pockets of town with their own little scenes and vibes.

I love that you get all four seasons, but it’s not too unbearable in the winter months like some states just north of Tennessee. I love the charming old architecture, the Southern hospitality energy, and that there’s hiking and water and easy roadtrips all nearby.

The people are neighborly, the food is insane, and the coffee shops are Instagram goals. There are breweries aplenty, and really the only thing missing (and the reason we don’t live there now) is an abundance of wine/wineries for John to work at. But hey, there is ONE, and it’s good — Arrington Vineyards, if you’re looking for a sales or business analyst, call us.

Kidding. Kind of. It’s also just as fun a place to visit as it is to live, and I’ve had so many friends going on bachelorette parties or taking girls trips or heading to a festival in Nashville that text me asking: What do we NEED to do?!

NAPA + SONOMA TRAVEL GUIDE

January 30, 2019

Hey, hey, friends. It’s been a while! Between the holidays, new year, and preparing to finally go on our honeymoon, life’s been moving fast. Two weeks ago, we were in Northern California to celebrate our marriage and sample a lot of wine on our honeymoon, and it was the most incredible trip. If you’re traveling to wine country anytime soon, I have tons of recommendations for you that we wanted to share!

Luckily, John’s parents are wine lovers and have traveled to the area a few times, so they had a lot of knowledge and know-how to share with us. For example, I figured we would be staying in the towns of Napa and Sonoma, since we were going to…Napa and Sonoma.

LET’S NOT GET SO USED TO OUR OWN LIVES

July 6, 2018

If you’re a human being, and if you’re reading this hopefully you are, you’ve experienced the normalization of something you once saw as exquisite or extraordinary. It happens in relationships, and the person you were enamored with five years ago now has more annoying habits than lovely characteristics. It happens in friendships, and the people who you clicked with instantaneously and shared all your dreams and hopes with over margaritas and queso are now more of a nuisance to try to make time for. It happens in our jobs, and that dream of growing within your company turns into endless cups of coffee as you stare zombie-like at a computer for nine hours a day. It happens with our surroundings, and that sunrise or the charming cafe down the street are now a passing part of your daily routine and environment, nothing more.

When do we get so used to the wonderful pieces that make up our lives? And, more importantly, how can we still find the beauty and magic in things that sooner or later become ordinary?

TELLURIDE, CO: TRAVEL GUIDE

December 12, 2016

I spent last week in the magical, snowy wonderland that is Telluride, Colorado, but if you follow me on Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook, you already knew that. I went slightly overboard obsessing over the town via social media posts. Needless to say, if you are planning a family vacation this winter (or even in the summer — it’s beautiful and has tons to do then, too), you might want to give Telluride some consideration.

Not only is this town charming, beautiful, and full of the nicest people (seriously, I’ve never had so many strangers smile at me on the street), it is also the farthest thing from touristy. I’ve been to other ski-resort towns on family trips growing up, but as lovely as those places were, they’re also major tourist attractions. Nothing against tourists — obviously, I’m a tourist on vacation, too — but the more out-of-towners, the busier local restaurants and attractions are. And I hate a crowd or a line for ANYTHING.

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