I got my second chance.
#1 for Hearts ER
Feeling seen can be transformative. Before her heart attack, Nichole’s physical and mental health hadn’t been her priority. But in the AdventHealth ER, the exceptional care that quickly saved Nichole’s life was delivered with such compassion that it restored her health — and her entire outlook.
“AdventHealth set me free,” says Nichole. “I’m living the life I was always meant to live.”
Northwest Georgia’s #1-rated ER team knows you have a lot of great living left to do.
Residential Remodeling | General Contracting
• Whole house remodel
• Kitchen, bath, and basement remodeling
• Interior and Exterior painting
• Room additions and sunrooms
jerry@ericksonconstructionservices.com
“Working
Joseph Hendrickson / Shutterstock.com
Erickson Construction, Rated Top 15 Basement Remodeler on
We’re Better Together
One of the songs I chose for my wedding in 2018 was “Better Together,” by Jack Johnson. It’s about how, through all of life’s struggles and joys, everything is better when you’re with the one you love. Yet, while I love my spouse deeply, there are times when I’d like to “accidentally” push him off a cliff!
Joking aside, my husband, Jerry, and I are very different people at our core. Having been raised in a military family, I value structure, a neat and well-organized household, and careful financial management. My husband, while he tries to be organized, is far more impulsive, spontaneous, and a thrill-seeker. As you can imagine, we don’t always see eye to eye. He may see me as controlling, and I see him as an out-of-control Tasmanian devil. To help us navigate our conflicts and work through ongoing issues, we agreed that counseling was the most logical solution and that it was important for our marriage. Which is why our article on the benefits of couples therapy (see page 26) really resonated with me.
Jerry sneaking a peck on an outing to the Spring Steeplechase in Aiken, South Carolina, last year.
For six months, Jerry and I saw an excellent, no-holds-barred counselor who helped us understand the root causes of our conflicts and how our own perceptions and fears shaped our reactions. As an extrovert from a long line of strong, independent women, I was comfortable with her direct style. Jerry, being introverted, was far less at ease opening up and sharing his thoughts. He’s never admitted it, but I believe he found it freeing to express himself to an unbiased listener in our sessions. One of our counselor’s best recommendations was that we both read or listen to Terrence Real’s The New Rules of Marriage. I was the eager student — listening to the audiobook, taking notes, and following our counselor’s advice to the letter. Jerry reminded me of the jock in high school who hadn’t studied for a big test and was desperately hoping to blend into the back of the class. Still, while counseling is probably the last thing most men want to do, showing up for it tells your wife that the marriage is worth fighting for. Just making that effort meant the world to me, and Jerry and I always left our sessions feeling more connected. Some of the most touching moments were watching him be vulnerable, and it was those moments that reminded me exactly why I married him.
Do we have the perfect relationship? No. But then, who does? Marriage counseling taught us a lot. Now, when something needs to be addressed, we set aside time to discuss it calmly rather than letting it fester. We’ve also learned that showing appreciation for one another cannot be overstated, and to never underestimate the power of a compliment.
Life’s challenges are hard enough on their own, but they’re far easier to face when you have someone by your side. Just like the song says, we truly are better together.
In addition to our piece on the benefits of a relationship tuneup, we have some tips on how to spruce up your outdoor living space (page 22), a roundup of some truly special lodgings just a short drive away (page 28), and much more. Enjoy.
MAY/JUNE 2026
Volume 17 | Issue 3
Publisher and Founder
Editor-in-Chief
Laura Wood Erickson
Editor
Jill Becker
Creative Director Andi Counts
Designer Mackenzie Allanson
Copy Editor
Elin Woods
Contributing Writers
Wannetta Beck
Jill Becker
Ande Frazier
Carrie Karnes-Fannin
Christina Neri
Kathy Patrick
Robert Smyth
Selena Tilly
Elin Woods
Web Master
Veridian Design Group Sales
Laura Wood Erickson
wood.laura@yahoo.com
Contact us at: (706) 346-9858
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NW Georgia Living is published bimonthly by L. Wood LLC. Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be copied, scanned, or reproduced in any manner without prior written consent from the publisher.
FaUx ReaL toUCh FLoweRs
MAY
Scott Foxx and Johnny Jackson
Thru June 25
Rockmart Cultural Arts Center, Rockmart Exhibit showcasing two West Georgia artists exploring how memory takes shape visually, materially, and culturally. rockmart-ga.gov/ rcacartgallery.aspx
Pumphouse Improv Comedy
May 1, 8pm
Legion Theatre, Cartersville
A fast, fearless night of improv where anything can happen and usually does. pumphouseplayers.com
Love/Sick
May 1-10
DeSoto Theatre, Rome
The Rome Little Theatre presents this fun, romantic comedy. romelittletheatre.com
Cave Spring Baconfest
May 2, 10am-3pm
Rolater Park, Cave Spring
Chrysler Letter Cars
May 5-Aug 30
A food festival celebrating everything bacon, plus a car show and arts and crafts vendors. cavespring.ga.gov/events
May Market at Rose Lawn
May 2, 10am-6pm; May 3, noon-5pm
Rose Lawn Museum, Cartersville Features dozens of food and garden vendors, entertainment, and handmade arts and crafts. roselawnmuseum.com
International Spring Festival & Parade
May 3, noon-7pm
Downtown Cartersville
This annual festival celebrating unity, diversity, and community transformation features live performances, traditional foods, art exhibits, family activities, cultural showcases, and wellness resources. facebook.com/ events/1530772375004172
Savoy Automobile Museum, Cartersville Chrysler had a run of 10 years building highperformance luxury cars known as the Letter Cars, and this exhibit showcases a mix of these incredibly designed vehicles. savoymuseum.org
Downtown Cedartown Association May Mixer May 9, 10am-3pm Downtown Cedartown
Come mix, mingle, and shop your way through an afternoon featuring downtown Cedartown merchants, plus a lineup of local makers, vendors, and other businesses. downtowncedartown.com
Ducky Derby & Jeep Cruise-In
May 9, 10am-3pm
Train Depot, Summerville Enjoy crafts, food, music, and the arrival of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s
passenger steam engine. There will also be a rubber duck race down Town Creek. facebook.com/ cityofsummerville
Mother’s Day Tea with Valerie
May 9, 10:30am-12:30pm
Bartow History Museum, Cartersville
Celebrate Mom with a morning tea service, complete with sandwiches, scones, and sweets. Local author Dr. Valerie Holt will share traditions and tips for hosting your own elegant gathering. bartowhistorymuseum.org/ events
Preternatural and The American West:
Michael Scott
May 9-Oct 11
Booth Museum, Cartersville
More than 30 works by Michael Scott explore the four elemental forces of the planet: earth, air, fire, and water, and the complex relationship between the natural world and human intervention. boothmuseum.org/events
Songs of America
May 9, 4-6pm
Rotary Plaza, Rome
This free concert presented by the Three Rivers Singers includes songs like “Yankee Doodle” and “This Land Is Your Land.” threeriverssingers.com
Friday Night Concert Series:
1st Generation Band
May 15, 7:30pm East Washington Street Entertainment District, Summerville
Bring your lawn chairs and dancing shoes for a night of soul, pop, and top 40 hits performed by a seven-piece party band.
facebook.com/ cityofsummerville
Rumours Atl: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute
May 15, 7pm
Forum River Center, Rome
The tribute band performs Fleetwood Mac classics like “Rhiannon” and “Go Your Own Way.” forumrivercenter.com
Battle of Resaca Civil War Reenactment
May 16-17
Chitwood Road, Resaca
This annual reenactment of the first major battle of the Atlanta Campaign takes place on the original battlefield and includes a cavalry competition, camp tours, period church service, and more.
georgiadivision.org/bor_main. html
Music by the Tracks: Babe’s Bayou
May 16th, 7-9pm Downtown Cartersville
The Music by the Tracks season kicks off with Babe’s Bayou, an Adairsville band with a love for classic country from the ’80s and ’90s.
cartersvillemuseumcity.com/ events
The Gothic Market
May 23-24, noon-5pm Clarence Brown Conference Center, Cartersville
This unique folklore-themed Halloween and horror exhibition brings together witches, monsters, tarot, dark fairytales, and more. Gothic or formal attire is encouraged.
cartersvillemuseumcity.com/ events/the-gothic-market
May Market & Melodies
May 23, 10am-3pm Train Depot, Summerville
A day full of food, crafts, and lots of music. The arrival of the TVRM passenger train and the operation of the train turntable will be a hit for railfans. facebook.com/ cityofsummerville
Pumphouse Improv Comedy
May 27, 8pm Legion Theatre, Cartersville
A fast, fearless night of improv where anything can happen and usually does. pumphouseplayers.com
Peek Park Summer Concert Series
May 30, 7-9pm
Peek Park, Cedartown Free family concert featuring local favorite Them Mixon Boys.
cedartowngeorgia.gov/peekpark-summer-concert-series
Jeff Kinsey / Shutterstock.com
JUNE
Seven Generations of NASCAR
June 2-Sept 27
Savoy Automobile Museum, Cartersville
This exhibit explores the evolution of NASCAR, from bootleggers hauling moonshine to high-speed stock car racing. At least one different series car from Generation 1 to the present will be featured.
savoymuseum.org
With Liberty and Justice For All
June 2, 7pm
Rome City Auditorium, Rome
A free Northwest Georgia Winds concert honoring Juneteenth and July 4th. romegeorgia.org/events/withliberty-and-justice-for-all
KC and The Sunshine Band
June 5, 7pm Forum River Center, Rome
The legendary group delivers their signature blend of R&B, funk, pop, and Latin percussion. forumrivercenter.com
Cowboy Western Heritage Festival
June 6, 10am-3pm Summerville Depot, Summerville
A family-friendly celebration of Western traditions, history, and the cowboy lifestyle. Reenactments will be the theme throughout the day. facebook.com/ cityofsummerville
First Friday Concert Series
June 6
Downtown Rome
Free concert on the Town Green featuring South of Nashville and All Talk. downtownromega.us/events/ first-fridays
Native American Moon String Quartets
June 13, 7pm
Darlington School, Rome
Outdoor concert by the Rome Symphony Orchestra featuring two celestial-inspired works by distinguished Indigenous American composers
Louis W. Ballard and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. Bring your own seating. romesymphony.org
Friday Night Concert Series: Strictly Skynyrd June 19, 7:30pm
East Washington Street Entertainment District, Summerville
Head to the outdoor stage and get ready to enjoy some great Southern rock. facebook.com/ cityofsummerville
Phillips Championship Rodeo June 19-20, 8pm
Phillips Ranch, Resaca
Enjoy exciting rodeo action by some of the top rodeo athletes from eight different states.
phillipsrodeo.com
Dairy Day at the Depot
June 20, 10am-3pm Summerville Depot, Summerville
Food and craft vendors are on-site, along with lots of
dairy favorites. Compete in the Ice Cream Eating Contest or purchase a wristband to sample all of the homemade ice cream.
facebook.com/ cityofsummerville
Music by the Tracks: KAMP
June 20, 7-9pm
Downtown Cartersville KAMP plays everything from the songs you grew up on to the ones you know right now. Dancing is practically unavoidable. cartersvillemuseumcity.com/ events
Cedartown Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary
June 27, 7-10pm
Bert Wood Park, Cedartown
This family-friendly event commemorating the country’s semiquincentennial includes food trucks, lawn games, a free concert by Southern rock band Georgia Red Clay, and a grand finale fireworks display. cedartowngeorgia.gov/ america250
Feeling Patriotic
Five great reads that will give you some perspective when America celebrates its 250th birthday come July.
Well, America, we’ve made it 250 years, and looking back, it’s been a bit of a wild and sometimes bumpy ride. But we made it, and that’s worth commemorating. Not just the big, known moments and names, but the quieter ones, too. Ordinary people in extraordinary times. Anniversaries like our country’s semiquincentennial this July invite us to look back not just at what happened, but how it felt to live through it. That’s where these books come in. The titles I’ve featured here offer a way to step into those early days and see the world as those who lived it might have seen it, whether in growing cities or along the uncertain edges of the frontier. Some are rooted in research, others in imagination, but they all bring the past closer and make it feel real.
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War
By Nathaniel Philbrick
I’m not an expert on Colonial matters. Still, if you’ve sat through enough history classes and majored in history in college, like me, you may think you’ve learned everything there is to know about the Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, and the Mayflower. But after reading this book, I can tell you you’re probably wrong. I learned so much from reading this book, especially concerning the Native American history in the region, and how it was really those meddling kids of the original Pilgrims who started messing things up. Mayflower does a lot to dispel the myths surrounding many historical events of the time, including Thanksgiving. (It’s far more interesting than we tend to give it credit for.) If you’ve never heard of King Philip’s War, think the Pilgrims were just quiet people who were sort of lost, or that Massasoit was just being a nice guy, think again. History is, as always, far more interesting than the simple myths.
Anniversaries like our country’s semiquincentennial invite us to look back not just at what happened, but how it felt to live through it.
BY ELIN WOODS
My Dear Hamilton
By Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
Calling all Hamilton fans, and those who just like good historical fiction — this book is for you. In the musical Hamilton, we’re asked about who tells your story, and we really only get Alexander Hamilton’s story. This book reminds us that there was quite a fascinating woman behind Hamilton, one Eliza Schuyler, and she has a tale worth telling, too. What looks perfect on paper and in society is far from it, both in her growing up as a young woman and in her eventual role as the future Secretary of the Treasury’s wife. After the infamous duel in which Eliza is left a widow, her heart is broken yet again, and we learn that why we care about Hamilton, and in fact even the nation today, has a lot to do with her telling other people’s stories, and now getting the chance to have her own story told. There are plenty of women who stood by the powerful men we tend to remember, and this book lets one of them step into the light as well.
1776
By David McCullough
Call me biased, because David McCullough is from my part of the world and we were both born in the same county. Still, this book, along with his other even longer texts of the time, ranks as one of my favorites on early American history, by detailing the events of 1776 that shaped the country we’re now celebrating 250 years later. This book largely deals with early battles, highlighting the generals on both sides and what it cost both sides to fight the war, but if you’re expecting it to follow all the rules, think again. One of the coolest things I learned reading 1776 is just how much Tory sympathizing there was in Revolutionary America. We know it existed — watch just about any movie set in the time period — but this is something that’s certainly glossed over, at least it was for me, as it seems that nearly every person was willing to die for the cause of liberty and revolution. Not so, it seems. While 1776 is now imprinted on our minds as the year of the Declaration of Independence, this first full year of
battle in what would become the Revolutionary War influences how the rest of the war will go, and it matters more than I ever imagined.
The Whiskey Rebels
By Davis Liss
To quote, once again, from the musical Hamilton, “Imagine what gon’ happen when you try to tax our whiskey.” The Whiskey Rebels tells us exactly what happened when the early republic did just that. In this historical thriller, Ethan Saunders, one of Washington’s best spies (his spy ring is such an interesting part of history you should read more about it, too), is penniless in Philadelphia after an accusation of treason, and has left a diary. Still, he gets a second chance, serving his old enemy, Alexander Hamilton. He’s trying to establish the Bank of America, and Thomas Jefferson, and others, aren’t having it. On the other side of Pennsylvania, Joan Maycott, the young bride of a Revolutionary War veteran, is struggling to make ends meet, as the nation can’t support its ex-soldiers. When opportunity strikes for her to get involved in distilling whiskey, which is both a culture and a currency, she and her fellow makers catch the unwanted attention of Washington, D.C. Saunders and Maycott’s worlds begin to collide in The Whiskey Rebels, and neither will leave unchanged.
The Midwife’s Tale
By Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
By now, many of you have likely read Frozen River, a historical mystery inspired by the life of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife who investigates a murder in 1789 Maine. If you haven’t read it, or if nonfiction is more your thing, why not read the real-life account by the real woman who inspired what was the most checked-out book at my library last year. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich uses Ballard’s diary to explore not only what Ballard’s life was like, but also what the lives of women and society, and the history of medicine, were like in the 18th and 19th century. It’s an intriguing read because not only is this a rare sort of history — an average woman in early America — but it also takes place in Maine, which isn’t really one of the standout states when we think of early history. In fact, it’s not even a state during the span of her diary. Frontier life told through wars and men exploring the west is obviously interesting, but this is something else altogether, and one I think you’ll come to enjoy.
Elin Woods is a librarian from the mountains of western Pennsylvania. When she's not busy reading, she enjoys baking historical treats and exploring the East Coast. She balances her mostly nonfiction history reading with the occasional modern romance novel and plenty of cookbooks.
The Cost of Convenience
How delivery fees, subscription services, and the like secretly add up and are affecting your financial future.
BY ANDE FRAZIER
You didn’t mean to spend that much this month. You really didn’t. But somewhere between the streaming services renewing quietly in the background, the $4.99 delivery fee that turned into $11 with tip and service charges, and the pair of shoes you ordered at 11 p.m. while scrolling through Instagram, it happened again. The money is gone, and you’re not entirely sure where it went.
Welcome to the cost of convenience. It’s one of the most underestimated financial forces in modern life, because it doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t show up as one big, painful charge, but rather arrives incrementally in small, comfortable, almost invisible amounts that feel reasonable in the moment but devastating in the aggregate. Let’s look at what’s actually happening.
Subscriptions were supposed to simplify our lives. And in many ways, they did. But somewhere along the way,
The most powerful financial move you can make is knowing where your money actually goes.
we went from one or two streaming services to a full portfolio of monthly commitments we barely track. Music, TV, cloud storage, news, fitness apps, meal kits, software subscriptions, beauty boxes, you name it. The average American household now spends more than $200 per month on subscription services, and most people, when asked, dramatically underestimate that number. Why? Because each individual charge feels small. Because we signed up months or sometimes even years ago, and the decision is now automatic. Because the money leaves before we even think to question it. And unfortunately, that’s by design.
Subscription models are built on behavioral psychology. Companies know that once you’ve opted in, inertia takes over. Canceling feels like effort. Keeping it feels like a bargain. Even if you haven’t used the service in three months, you tell yourself you might, and so the charge continues. This is not a personal failing. It’s the predictable outcome of a system engineered to work exactly that way.
Delivery fees operate on a similar logic. The convenience of having something arrive at your door, whether it’s with your dinner, your groceries, or a last-minute gift, carries a price that most people don’t fully calculate. A $15 meal becomes $27 after the delivery fee, service fee, and tip. A grocery order adds $10 in fees before you've
even put a single item in the cart. Individually, these feel like reasonable trade-offs, but collectively they represent hundreds of dollars a year spent on the act of receiving things, not on the things themselves.
Here’s what I really want to talk about, though, because it goes deeper than line items on a bank statement. The convenience economy is also an emotional economy. And that’s where it gets complicated.
Scroll culture has fundamentally changed the way we shop. We no longer go to a store with a list and a purpose. We browse passively, habitually, often unconsciously through curated feeds that are specifically designed to surface things we didn’t know we wanted until we saw them. An algorithm has studied your behavior, your interests, and your past purchases. It knows what to show you, and it knows that the path from “I didn’t know this existed” to “add to cart” can happen in under 30 seconds. This isn’t shopping; it’s emotional spending on autopilot.
For many people, particularly the high-achieving, professionally driven financial clients I work with, spending can become a form of stress relief, reward, or self-soothing. You’ve worked hard, you’ve given a lot, and buying something feels like giving something back to yourself. And in small doses, there’s nothing wrong with that. The
feelings are real, but the solution is costing you more than you realize. And not just financially, but in terms of what that money could have been doing for your future. Every dollar that leaks out through convenience, whether it’s a forgotten subscription, a delivery fee, or an impulse purchase at midnight, is a dollar that isn’t building wealth, growing in a retirement account, or funding the financial independence you say you want.
The part that most financial conversations skip is that the emotional component of money management isn’t a side issue; it is the issue. You can have all the spreadsheets and budgets in the world, but if you haven’t examined the feelings and habits that drive your
and look at every recurring charge. Not just the ones you remember, but all of them. For each one, ask yourself: Do I actually use this? Do I value it enough to write this check on purpose every month? If the answer is no, cancel it today. Not eventually, but today.
Second, slow down the scroll. This doesn’t mean you have to delete every app. But becoming aware of how and when you shop online is powerful. Notice if you’re shopping when you’re stressed, tired, or bored. Those aren’t shopping moments; they’re moments that deserve a better response. Walk, call a friend, or do something that genuinely restores you instead.
Third, make saving as easy as
This isn’t shopping; it’s emotional spending on autopilot.
put to work for your financial future. Set up an automatic transfer to your savings get paid. Make building wealth as effortless as the leaks that drain it.
Convenience is not the enemy, but unconscious spending is. The most powerful financial move you can make isn’t finding the right stock or timing the market; it’s knowing where your money actually goes and deciding, on purpose, what it should do instead. Your future self is watching, so make sure you’re spending in a way you’ll be proud of.
Ande Frazier is a nationally recognized author and financial expert based in Rome, Georgia. Specializing in behavioral finance, she writes and speaks about how emotions and mindset shape our financial decisions. She is a frequent contributor to outlets like CNBC, HuffPost, Yahoo Finance, and is the author of the Amazon best-seller Fin(anci)ally Free.
Getting to Know …
Carrie Karnes-Fannin, business owner
and children’s author
BY JILL BECKER
On page 22, you’ll find an article about how to spruce up your home’s patio so that you can live your best outdoor life. Carrie Karnes-Fannin knows a little bit about that herself. The Rome resident is co-owner, with her husband, Todd, of Archadeck of Northwest GA, a company specializing in the custom design and construction of outdoor living spaces. “Todd likes to joke we’re the Chip and Joanne Gaines of Northwest Georgia,” says Carrie. “We help people make their backyards the places they actually want them to be.”
When asked to describe her and Todd’s winning team dynamic, Carrie says, “I tend to be a big-picture, back-ofthe-envelope-sketch person, throwing out ideas and dreaming with the homeowner about what their backyard could become. Todd is opposite in the best way, as he’s wonderfully precise. He measures everything down to 1/32 of an inch and turns those ideas into
imagination and precision is where the design magic really happens.”
Also on the company roster is the couple’s rescue pup Bodhi, who’s even got his own photo and bio on the company website, which reads in part, “When he’s not raising employee morale and putting his paw print of approval on outdoor living designs, you’ll find Bodhi chasing balls, going on long car rides, and taking naps under desks.”
The couple also has two grown daughters. The oldest, who lives in Rome as well, owns the West Ave. Barbershop in Cedartown. The youngest lives in Dallas and works in underwriting. Funnily enough, it was another family member who was the catalyst for Carrie’s other job as a children’s book writer. The inspiration came one day during an ice storm, when she was stuck inside and idly scrolling online. “I was admiring pictures of my niece’s new puppy when the words ‘Spike the Dog-Dog was born a cool fall day’ popped into my head and refused to leave,” she remembers. “I had to get the story down just to get it out of my head.”
words can work together to create something magical for a child.”
A few weeks later, she signed up for her first kid-lit writing class and hasn’t stopped honing her craft since. “Writing for kids is a privilege,” says Carrie. “You get to be part of a child’s first encounters with stories. It’s challenging to reenter a child’s mindset and truly see through their eyes, but that same perspective is also the reward.” Her debut picture book, Universe Pie, which was inspired by astronomer Carl Sagan and features everything from dinosaurs to rooftop stargazing, is due out from Gnome Road Publishing in fall 2027.
Here’s more about this fascinating local resident, who also happens to have penned a story for this issue, which you can read on page 28.
Is there a particular genre of children’s literature you typically write?
Carrie ended up finishing the story and creating cut-paper illustrations to go with it, then had it bound in book form. After that, she was hooked. She’d dabbled with writing in the past, including the “awkward beginnings of a historical novel,” but says picture books “opened a door to a form of storytelling I’d never explored — the way art and
I’m really all over the place when it comes to genre. I write both fiction and nonfiction, lyrical stories as well as funny ones, and everything from picture books to early middle grade.
Have you ever entered any writing contests?
Oh, so many contests! My very first
Carrie with her trusty camera
Studio Kate
was the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge. It’s a blast, and a perfect way to shake up your writing. Contests help you break free: short deadlines, randomly assigned genres, wacky story prompts—they force you to dive in without being too self-conscious. Plus, these pieces often become seeds for bigger projects. Contests also have the bonus of putting you in front of agents or editors. In my case, entering a few key contests gave me one-on-one sessions with my eventual editor, Sandra Sutter. After a couple of meetings and having her read several manuscripts, she ultimately acquired my picture book, Universe Pie
What are some of your favorite children’s books?
That’s such a tough question. As a kid, my favorite books were Island of the Jacob by Katherine Paterson. The
themes of loneliness and longing really resonated with me. I think most middleschoolers feel that to some degree. It’s a time of transition, where you’re almost a stranger even to yourself, trying to figure out your place in the world. I still love reading middle-grade books, and would love to publish a novel in that space someday.
Tell us about some of the other things you like to do.
Anything outside, really. I’m an avid shutterbug, so you’ll often see me with dirt on my sneakers and a camera in my hand.
What’s your favorite place in Northwest Georgia?
Anywhere there’s a waterfall. The one at Lula Lake is divine. You have to make a reservation, but the trip is totally worth it.
What do you do to unwind?
Yoga, and walking the dog up and down the hills of Old East Rome.
What’s something you’d love to cross off your bucket list?
I’d love to travel to Scotland and see some of the ancient Pictish stones.
What’s something you can’t live without?
Todd.
What’s something you’d never be caught dead doing?
Singing in public. My husband has a wonderful voice, and I could listen to him all day long, but I cannot carry a tune in a proverbial bucket.
What’s something you always do before you fall asleep each night?
I always give Bodhi his goodnight ear rub. He stands next to the bed, with his chin on the mattress, waiting for me to rub his ears and tell him goodnight before he trots off to his own bed.
To learn more about Carrie Karnes-Fannin’s writing, visit carriekarnesfannin.com.
For more information on Archadeck of Northwest GA, go to archadeck.com/nwga.
Carrie’s oldest daughter Kathryn and husband Todd
Carrie’s lovable pup Bodhi
Alpharetta Amazes
The Atlanta suburb provides a whole world of experiences just a stone’s throw away.
BY ALISSA HOLDEN
Imagine trading your usual weekend routine for a visit to a walkable city where dinner, live music, and a morning on the trail are all just a few minutes apart. A little more than an hour’s drive from Northwest Georgia, Alpharetta feels far enough away for you to recharge but close enough to reach on a tank of gas. The far-north Atlanta suburb blends a modern downtown, treelined parks, and a food scene that may surprise you. Whether you’re there for a concert, a shopping weekend, or simply a change of scenery, you’ll find plenty to fill a short escape. What surprises many first-time visitors is how compact it all feels: The parks, music venues, restaurants, and shops are close enough that most of the time you can park once and explore the rest on foot.
A Taste for Everyone, From Rustic to Refined
Alpharetta’s dining scene is wonderfully deep, with more than 200 restaurants and every imaginable cuisine, ranging from laid-back barbecue joints to white- tablecloth dining rooms. You can eat your way around the world in a weekend and still have spots left on your must-try list.
A great place to begin your international food journey is Efendi Mediterranean Restaurant, where you can build a Turkish-inspired meal with options like dolma, mixed grilled kebabs, fresh baklava, and cocktails, setting the tone for an experience that may even feature live belly dancing. For a taste of Asia, Edo Japanese Cuisine pairs torched sushi rolls and
teppanyaki cooked right in front of you amid a quietly polished atmosphere. Craving Italian comfort food? Rena’s Italian Fishery & Grill leans into old-world favorites like tagliatelle alla Bolognese with homemade pasta and Chilean sea bass finished with a bright lemon-caper sauce.
For a cuisine that’s a little closer to home, Smokejack BBQ in downtown Alpharetta smokes brisket and burnt ends that draw diners again and again. Its smoked turkey sandwich and mac and cheese make easy takealong options. Area pizzerias turn out everything from thin, foldable New York-style slices to Neapolitan-inspired pies, and the burger faithful can track down a stacked, sauce-dripping version and other delights at NFA Burger at Avalon
For a city its size, Alpharetta has an unusually robust steakhouse scene, with nine spots for date nights and celebrations. Oak Steakhouse marries fine dining with a modern, rustic atmosphere. The dry-aged ribeye and truffle fries are worth the
Photos courtesy of Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Smokejack BBQ
trip alone. Lapeer Steak & Seafood provides seasonal surf-and-turf meals that are perfect for special moments, while Connors Steak & Seafood uses mesquite-fired grills to create a hint of smoke in its fare.
Whether you’re in the mood to linger over a special-occasion steak or grab something casual between concerts or shopping, you won’t go hungry here.
Unique Shopping and Trendy Finds
Here, shopping feels less like an errand and more like an outing. There are more than 250 shops in town, and you can wander from independent downtown boutiques to the polished storefronts of Avalon, the city’s 86-acre open-air hub for fashion, food, and community.
Fashion fans will appreciate that Alpharetta is home to the only Boden store in the U.S., as well as Georgia’s exclusive Jo Malone London boutique, a pairing that brings a dose of British style to suburban Atlanta. For something that feels distinctly Southern, pop into Southern Local, whose shelves are stocked with regionally themed apparel, candles, jams, and gifts, with many sourced from local makers.
Specialty shops abound as well, including Comeback Vinyl, an independent record store; Pop Cult, a collectibles and souvenir emporium; and Alpharetta Outfitters, your one-stop shop for hiking gear, camping equipment, and other outdoor supplies.
Music is the Beat that Shapes the City
Time your visit right, and discover why Alpharetta is called Georgia’s “Music City.” The thriving live music scene plays out across cozy courtyards, accessible stages, and a major amphitheater. Throughout spring and summer, Brooke Street Park and the Town Green are transformed into musical gathering areas. Start with dinner at a nearby restaurant, bring a blanket, and enjoy free outdoor concerts. Shows feature local talent blending folk, country, pop, and Southern rock.
For a unique, intimate musical evening, Union Hill Park hosts Home by Dark, an acclaimed concert series where songwriters share the stories behind their music. Meanwhile, Avalon Nights Live turns the Avalon plaza into a Friday-night dance floor with acoustic acts, cocktails from numerous restaurants, and spontaneous sing-alongs. The crescendo arrives each October with the Wire & Wood Songwriters Festival, Alpharetta’s signature music celebration. Spanning two days and six outdoor stages, this free festival draws
more than 30 performers, from rising stars to Grammy-winning artists. Just a few miles from downtown, Ameris Bank Amphitheatre takes
Up on the Roof
Big Creek Greenway
Avalon
9Witgiggs / Shutterstock.com
things to a grand scale. From April to October, the 12,000-seat venue draws national touring acts ranging from country icons to classic rock headliners to modern chart-toppers. No matter your genre preference, there’s a performance waiting to be the soundtrack for your getaway.
Outdoor Spaces for Everyone
One of Alpharetta’s biggest surprises is how quickly you can trade bustling streets for scenic trails and open play areas. Whether you’re an avid walker or traveling with kids who need room to roam, there’s always a green space close by. The Big Creek Greenway stretches for nine miles, giving cyclists, walkers, and skaters a shady path that follows the creek, with plenty of birdwatching along the way. Closer to the heart of town, the mile-long AlphaLoop links downtown and Avalon, making it easy to explore on foot or by bike. Families gravitate to the city’s parks, including 25 public green spaces and four designated arboretums. At Wills Park, the newly rebuilt Wacky World playground blends imaginative structures with accessible features so that kids of all ages and abilities can play side by side.
Hidden Gems That Set
Alpharetta Apart
Beyond its expected charms, Alpharetta hides special surprises that make a visit
truly unforgettable. At the Indiehouse fragrance studio, for example, guests can design their own custom scent. A trained fragrance expert guides you in crafting a bottle that captures your unique personality. It’s both an immersive experience and a souvenir. At Star’s Hat & Jewelry Bar, fashion turns into fun. Schedule a session with friends to design personalized jewelry or a signature hat, where the feather, band, and sparkle are all custom-picked by you to help create your own special look.
For history and reflection, the Walk of Memories at American Legion Post 201 honors our military. The only memorial of its kind in Georgia, the tribute features nearly 8,000 bricks engraved with the names of Georgian soldiers, along with monuments and artifacts spanning from WWII through Vietnam, including a restored M60 battle tank and UH1 Huey helicopter. It’s a thoughtful stop, especially as the country kicks off the America 250 commemorations.
Adventure seekers can find their thrill at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Campus, located within the American Honda facility. Both seasoned and beginner riders can train on the state’s only public on and offroad course.
Elevated Nightlife Ends the Day
When the sun goes down, Alpharetta doesn’t wind down so much as shift gears. After dinner, there are plenty of
spots to linger over a drink, catch a show, or take in the skyline. Comedy fans will enjoy the Helium Comedy Club, an intimate venue that hosts a mix of touring headliners and up-and-coming comics. For something more interactive, there’s Roaring Social. Hidden behind a discreet entrance inside The Hamilton Hotel, you’ll find a 1920s-inspired speakeasy setting featuring live music and a handful of bowling lanes tucked behind the bar. If you prefer your evening out under the stars, Up on the Roof delivers wide-angle views over downtown from its rooftop perch. Enjoy creative cocktails paired with small plates like fried green tomato sliders and grilled shrimp tacos.
Your Perfect Place to Relax and Recharge
With more than 30 hotels ranging from boutique stays downtown to familiar brands near the main corridors, it’s easy to find a home base that fits your style and budget. Avalon is home to the EVEN Hotel Alpharetta, a convenient spot if you like the idea of stepping out of your room and straight into the action. From there, it’s an easy stroll to dinner, a movie, or a quick spin on the nearby Greenway before breakfast. An excellent downtown option is the aforementioned Hamilton Hotel, a boutique lodging blending modern accommodations with a vintage, industrial charm inspired by the history of the Western & Atlantic Railroad that connects Chattanooga with Atlanta.
Close enough for a spontaneous weekend yet varied enough to warrant repeat visits, Alpharetta makes it simple to get away without going far.
ALPHARETTA, GA
To explore upcoming events, choose your restaurants, book your hotel stay, and more, visit awesomealpharetta.com.
Roaring Social
Motorcycle Safety Foundation Campus
PerfectYourPatio
Expert tips for giving your outdoor living spaces the ultimate glow-up.
As spring blooms fade and summer’s golden light takes over, your front porch and back patio deserve a fresh start. The good news? You don’t need a contractor or even a big budget to transform your porch or patio from a cozy spring nook to a vibrant entertaining hub for barbecues, sunset cocktails, and lazy weekends. With the following recommended tips and tricks, the myriad of DIY projects and tutorials available on YouTube, and any number of clever upcycles, you can warm up your area with texture, color, and glow to create a welcoming, high-end-looking outdoor living space.
The Power of Pillows
Decorative pillows are the easiest and quickest way to inject some personality. This year’s hottest outdoor fabrics emphasize performance and sustainability. Think weather-resistant Sunbrella-style textiles, eco-friendly recycled plastics, and luxurious weaves that mimic linen or velvet without the fade. Micro-block small-print floral
Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textures for added interest.
fabrics in beautiful blues and greens are popular right now, as are oversize florals, bold geometric prints, tropical leaf motifs, nautical stripes, and soft neutral bases in terracotta, sage, and warm mocha tones. Layer a few graphic lumbar pillows with plush square cushions on your seating. Pro tip: Choose UV-protected, quick-dry fills for your pillows so they stay fresh through rain and spills.
A front porch bench instantly becomes the star when dressed up. Grab a simple wooden or wrought-iron piece (thrifted or basic box store), add a weatherproof bench cushion in a coordinating print, and pile on those new pillows. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textures for added interest.
Get Into the Swing of It
A particularly inviting element on a porch or patio is a bed swing. Nothing says “Sit down and relax awhile” like a queen-size swing full of pillows and
lot of money by building your own swing following a video tutorial and purchasing a swing-hanging kit at your local hardware store. Using thick rope instead of chain to hang it gives it an overall softer look.
Go Green
Surround yourself in nature by building a living wall of plants, which can be easily accomplished by nailing 2×4s to an existing patio wall, attaching plastic pots or wooden boxes to the boards, and filling them with your favorite greenery. Another option would be to mount a vertical garden frame or modular pocket planter system on a blank fence. Fill it with low-maintenance live beauties like trailing pothos, ferns, succulents, and herbs. The layered greenery creates instant drama, softens hard surfaces, and even helps with air quality in a sunroom, for example. Watering is easy, too, using a spray bottle or drip system.
For zero upkeep in non-sunny spots, mix in a few hyper-realistic faux panels. Today’s artificial greenery looks so lifelike you’ll do double takes. Complement the living wall with DIY pots that scream Pottery Barn for pennies. Start with clean, plain terracotta, plastic, or thrift-store containers, then apply two coats of exterior chalk or spray paint in creamy white or stone-gray tones. Dry-brush darker shades for dimension and seal with an outdoor matte varnish. The result is textured vessels that look hand-thrown and high-end.
The latest lifelike faux greenery can also help your front porch planters stay perfect all season. Options include UV-treated boxwoods, eucalyptus, and monster and cascading ferns that laugh at the heat and rain. Cluster them in your freshly painted pots or hanging baskets flanking the door — there’s no watering and no wilting, just constant summer lushness.
Light It Up
Lighting turns any porch or patio into a magical evening retreat. Head to the dollar store or your favorite thrift store for basic glass or metal hurricanestyle lanterns, then paint them matte black, distressed white, or soft gold and tuck in battery-operated flameless candles or fairy lights. Hang them from overhead hooks, line the porch railing with them, or cluster them on tables for instant warmth.
Other easy and fun ideas include draping solar-powered string lights along eaves or beams, filling mason jars with LED tea lights for rustic charm, and creating pendant clusters from thrifted glassware. The soft, flickering glow sets the perfect mood for summer nights. Another way to add soft lighting to a sitting area is to install a flexible LED light strip underneath or inside a coffee table. There are some fun options that would work as a coffee table, such as a rattan basket, a wrought iron plant stand with a wooden top, or a ceramic garden pedestal with cutouts.
Lighting turns any porch or patio into a magical evening retreat.
Make a Great First Impression
Don’t overlook your front porch. Change out the utilitarian welcome mat and replace it with a brightly patterned outdoor rug. You can add more interest by layering a larger, natural fiber rug underneath it. Another idea is to transform an old picture frame into a showstopping wreath for the front door. Just remove the glass and backing, wrap the frame with floral wire or zip ties, then hot glue on faux or dried flowers, eucalyptus, greenery from the yard, succulents, and a lovely bow in a coordinating color. It’s personal, budget friendly, and way more interesting than a store-bought wreath.
Love MacKenzie-Childs checkerboard pottery but not the price? You can paint your own checkerboard pattern on a thrifted or discounted urn using blue painter’s tape. It makes a great statement piece at a fraction of the cost. Pairing the piece with matching checkerboard-pattern fabric pillows pulls the look together.
Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy the Great Outdoors
My husband and I retired and moved to the lake for the sole purpose of entertaining family and friends more often. The view never gets old, so we wanted to make sure our guests had plenty of seating areas where they could relax and take in the calm. Beautiful resin wicker sofas, chairs, and rockers are built for the outdoors and hold up well. Metal and glass counter-height tables are easy to clean and make another nice gathering spot. A fire pit area near the water is a must, surrounded by the ever-popular Adirondack rocking
chairs. If you’re looking for a deal, the aforementioned furniture pieces can sometimes be found at salvage or consignment stores.
Projects like these just take a weekend and some basic supplies from the hardware or dollar store. Your porch and patio will feel fresh, inviting, and ready for every summer memory. So, grab your paintbrush and tool belt, head outside, and let the outdoor living season begin.
Wannetta Beck is a retired realtor, home stager, and decorator who lives on Weiss Lake in northeastern Alabama. Her hobbies include flower arranging, painting, and reading.
The Love Doctor Is In
How attending couples counseling might be the best thing you ever do for your relationship, even if you’re not in crisis.
BY CHRISTINA NERI,
LCSW
On a typical Friday evening in Northwest Georgia, the silence inside the cars on the road is often louder than the traffic. Behind the steering wheels are couples who are successful, driven, and deeply committed to their families, yet they are struggling. They’ve mastered their careers and their carpools, but their most important partnership has stalled.
Most couples tend to walk into a therapist’s office at the 11th hour, and by the time they sit down on the couch, they’ve spent years — years filled with resentment, silence, or explosive conflict — waiting for a safe space to talk. But here’s the unfiltered truth: If you’re in a marital crisis, a safe space isn’t enough. You don’t need a passive listener to nod while you vent; you need a navigator.
Beyond the Couch Cliche
In the movies, couples therapy is often portrayed as a soft, hand-holding exercise where everyone cries and the therapist asks, “And how does that make you feel?” But that shouldn’t be viewed as the status quo. At my practice, Maverick Marriage Therapy, for example, we treat the therapy room like a laboratory. The goal isn’t just to save a partnership, but to understand the engineering behind why it broke in the first place.
In this laboratory, we’re not looking for a villain or a victim. We’re looking for the dance. Every couple has one: the predictable, repetitive set of moves they make when they’re in conflict. Often, by the time a couple gets help, their dance has become so destructive that they can’t hear each other anymore, so the work involves stopping the music, analyzing the steps, and learning a new way of moving together.
The Neurobiology of the “Stall”
One of the most profound things couples should know is that most of their failed conversations are not a lack of love, but rather a result of biology. When you feel attacked by your partner, your logical brain, the prefrontal cortex, essentially goes offline, and your survival brain, the amygdala, takes over. This is what’s called an amygdala hijack. Your heart rate spikes, your vision narrows, and you literally lose the ability to process new information.
In this state, known as diffuse physiological arousal (DPA), your body is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, and you’re no longer debating with your spouse about the dishes or the budget; you’re reacting to a perceived threat. You can’t be creative or empathetic, and you certainly can’t resolve a complex issue in your relationship.
Part of the work of a couples counselor is to teach partners how to recognize this physiological spike. They learn how to self-soothe and break the biological loop of conflict by identifying physical cues, such as tightness in the chest or heat in the neck, which gives them the power to call a strategic timeout before the damage is done.
The Success Formula
A good therapist doesn’t guess at their clients' futures; they rely on the gold standards of research. This includes the Gottman Method, which is based on 40 years of data. That research is used to identify what’s called the Four Horsemen— criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling — which predict relationship failure with startling accuracy.
But counseling doesn’t just identify the problems; it installs the antidotes. For every horseman that enters a
relationship, there is a specific, research-backed behavior that can neutralize it. Contempt, for example, is replaced with a culture of appreciation, and defensiveness is replaced with a willingness to take responsibility for even one percent of the problem.
Relational life therapy (RLT) is also utilized. This method, aimed at high performers, focuses on radical accountability. It challenges each partner to see the behaviors they use to protect themselves that actually end up pushing their partners away. RLT asks couples to choose relational empowerment over being right. It’s not always easy to hear, but for most couples, it’s the directness they’ve been searching for.
The Power of the Intensive: Why Surgical Therapy Works
For many couples in counseling, the traditional 50-minute session once a week feels like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. By the time you settle in, recap the week’s fights, and finally open up, the session is over, and you’re forced to pack up your raw emotions and return to your daily life without a resolution. That’s why marriage intensives are so effective. By condensing months of therapy into two or three consecutive days, couples can bypass the weekly start-stop cycle. The model works because it allows the partners and therapist to do deep, surgical work without the interruption of life’s daily stressors.
Imagine spending 16 hours over a weekend focused entirely on your relationship. It’s not just managing symptoms; it’s stabilizing the crisis and installing new communication protocols. The result is a radical breakthrough that creates lasting momentum. Couples often start off hopeless on Friday and leave on Sunday with a clear road map for their future.
A View From the Laboratory: The Sarah and David Breakthrough
Choosing Your Speed
The amount and type of counseling you get is up to you. The important thing is to start on the path toward a healthier, happier, and stronger relationship.
Standard weekly therapy is ideal for maintenance and minor adjustments. It provides a consistent touchpoint for couples looking to sharpen their communication and deepen intimacy over a period of 6 to 12 months. And you don’t necessarily even have to leave your house, as many therapists, such as myself, offer virtual appointments in addition to in-person sessions.
Marriage intensives are the gold standard for couples in deep crisis, infidelity recovery, or chronic gridlock. These marathon interventions provide the equivalent of six months of therapy in a single weekend, offering the most rapid and effective path to stabilization.
The Leaning Out Spouse: The Three Paths
I hear statements like “My husband won't come to therapy” or “My wife is done” every day. When one partner is “leaning out” and the other is “leaning in,” traditional couples counseling fails because their goals are mismatched. In these cases, discernment counseling is used. It’s not about fixing the marriage yet, but about gaining clarity.
Every couple has a dance: the predictable, repetitive set of moves they make when they’re in conflict.
I recently worked with a couple, let’s call them Sarah and David, who arrived for an intensive on Friday morning. They were both highly successful professionals who, by their own admission, were failing at home. They’d spent years in “roommate mode," punctuated by explosive arguments that left them both exhausted and lonely.
By Saturday morning, we had identified their particular dance. Sarah’s sharp criticism was actually a desperate, misplaced plea for connection, while David’s cold withdrawal was a survival tactic to keep the peace. Through the intensive, they didn’t just talk about their problems; they practiced the repair in real time.
I watched David recognize his own amygdala hijack mid-sentence. Instead of walking away, he used the tools we’d practiced to stay present. Sarah, in turn, learned to soften her approach, replacing criticism with a vulnerable request. They left Sunday afternoon not with a perfect marriage, but with something far more valuable: a relationship tool kit, and the mutual grit to use it.
An Act of Grit
Three distinct paths are looked at:
Path One: Keeping things as they are.
Path Two: Moving toward separation or divorce.
Path Three: A six-month all-in effort at therapy with divorce off the table.
This short-term protocol, spanning one to five sessions, is designed to help both partners understand how they got to this point and what their roles were in the relationship’s breakdown. It provides a constructive path forward, regardless of the ultimate outcome.
There’s a stigma that seeking help is a sign of weakness. And in our culture of filtered lives and perfect social media feeds, it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one struggling. In reality, though, choosing to repair a relationship is an act of grit. It takes immense courage to look at the raw parts of your life and decide they’re worth fixing. It takes strength to stop blaming your partner and start looking at your own dance.
Whether it’s through weekly sessions or an intensive weekend retreat, the goal of couples counseling is about connection. Don’t wait for the engine to seize when the mechanics of repair are readily available to you.
Christina Neri, LCSW, is a certified Relational Life Therapy practitioner, a Level 3 Gottman-trained therapist, and the founder of Maverick Marriage Therapy in Marietta, GA. With more than a decade of experience in relational healing and individual empowerment, she specializes in highintensity repair for couples in crisis. She is licensed to practice in Georgia and Illinois, and offers both in-person and virtual consultations.
Storybook Stays
BY CARRIE KARNES-FANNIN
Making summer travel plans?
Here are six unique lodgings worthy of the journey all on their own.
There’s a kind of small magic in a drive through the Northwest Georgia mountains. You leave early, when the dew holds on the grass and the roads are still half-asleep. Then, somewhere past the last familiar exit, as the interstate falls away, the scenic two-lane roads start to pull you through long bends of trees, birdsong, and cool air. That’s when you start to feel it — you’re on vacation.
But there are trips and then there are travels, and one of the factors that quite often distinguishes the two is where you choose to stay on your journey. For that reason, we’ve compiled a list of six lodgings all within a few hours’ drive that are as special, if not more, as your ultimate destination.
THE NEON ROAD TRIP DREAM
The
Groovy Nomad
Trenton, GA | thegroovynomad.com
The Groovy Nomad isn’t so much a motel as a time machine with the dial pushed all the way to 11. When Melissa and Ryan Faircloth found the old, abandoned motor court, little remained of the vibrant 1950s road-trip waypoint once favored by families traveling the valley between Lookout and Pigeon mountains. The brick showed the passing years in the worst way, and all of the motel’s stories had faded. But in 2020, the couple bought it and staged a colorful intervention, pulling a fragment of roadside history back from the edge.
Each room has its own kitschy theme, like the Elvis suite
Dunya Camp
and the Flower Power room. “We didn’t just add a few vintage touches,” say the Faircloths. “We fully leaned into the ’60s and ’70s aesthetic groove. Every room is bold, colorful, and intentionally designed to feel like you’re stepping into a different era. Guests don’t just visit once; they keep coming back to see what the next room feels like.”
The mechanical clack of rotary phones and the low electric hum of the neon courtyard sign provide the only soundtrack. That’s because the couple deliberately designed an analog atmosphere to help enhance their guests’ rejuvenation. “In today’s world, everything is so fast and digital, so when guests come here, it’s almost like a reset,” say the Faircloths. “They can unplug, relax, and just enjoy the moment.”
Befitting bedside table read: Big Fish, by Daniel Wallace. Wallace’s novel explores the thin line between reality and the stories we tell to make life feel larger.
THE CREATIVE’S MOUNTAIN CANVAS
Andiamo Lodge
Mentone, AL | andiamolodge.com
Tucked into the quiet beauty of northern Alabama, just over the border where Lookout Mountain rises like a limestone fortress silhouetted against the sky, you’ll find the Andiamo Lodge, a boutique, design-forward retreat where art, food, storytelling, and culture converge. Andiamo, which is Italian for “let’s go,” is the spirit behind it all — let’s go relax, let’s go learn, let’s go hike, let’s go experience.
Founded by international photographer Colleen Duffley and her husband, Steve Carpenter, the adults-only lodge offers thoughtfully curated stays featuring extras like chef-led dinners, creative workshops, and immersive weekends. The list of activities includes everything from photography and flower-arranging classes to fly-fishing outings and gardening workshops.
detail at Andiamo Lodge.
Morning arrives here with the scent of hot coffee and bacon-cheddar scones pulled warm from the oven, as the lodge’s Spotify station plays low in the background. Decorative branches gathered by Colleen echo the woods just outside the windows. The lodge isn’t precious about its beauty; you can touch the art. The line between indoors and out softens and blurs without much effort.
Befitting bedside table read: Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver’s 2000 novel is rooted in the rhythms of Appalachia’s ecosystem and the lives within it.
The Groovy Nomad
Andiamo Lodge
Summerville, GA | dunyacamp.com
THE SPIRIT OF ARRIVAL
The Hearn Inn
Cave Spring, GA | cavespringhistoricalsociety.com/rentals
More than a century ago, The Hearn Inn’s quaint two-story building served as the female dormitory for the Georgia School for the Deaf. Today, its wide steps and wraparound porch welcome travelers from all over the country. “The building has always been a place where people arrived to begin something new,” says Kristi Kent, communications director with Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism. “Today, it carries that same spirit of arrival and possibility.”
The story of Dunya Camp begins with a camping trip during the pandemic. “I’m not a camper, but that trip changed something in me,” recalls co-owner Sangeetha Ramkumar.
“Being outdoors, sleeping in a way that felt completely outside of my normal life, didn’t just relax me, it reset me.”
Sangeetha and her husband, Saeid Kazerooni, wanted to share that experience with others. “A tent is one of the most intimate ways to exist in a landscape,” says Sangeetha. “It doesn’t separate you from your surroundings in the way a traditional structure does. You remain aware of everything. You hear the wind shift. You notice the birds before sunrise.”
Nature and the location are the main characters here.
Dunya Camp resides in a part of North Georgia the Cherokee once called the “Enchanted Land,” where the rocks and waterfalls hold their own stories if you stay long enough to listen.
The luxe accommodations play a major supporting role. But glamping doesn’t begin to describe the experience. At Dunya Camp, you’re transported to another place and time altogether. The climate-controlled safari tents are spread across six acres to ensure your privacy and include amenities like outdoor showers, barrel saunas, hot tubs, wood-burning fireplaces, and fabrics and textures reflecting the owners’ Indian and Persian influences. With no televisions to fill the space, the evenings stretch out, and at some point, you stop reaching for distractions and just revel in your storybook surroundings.
Befitting bedside table read: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed. The New York Times best-selling memoir chronicles loss, walking, and the discoveries that happen along the way.
The inn’s six rooms are full of history and period pieces, adding to its charm. In your leisure time, you can lounge in the communal sunroom or living room, or relax in one of the rocking chairs on the front porch. Larger groups can rent the entire house.
Cool water is another defining feature of a stay here. The inn is located in beautiful Rolater Park, and just down the path, you can fill a bottle with fresh, crisp water straight from the local spring, which remains a constant 57 degrees year-round. Cave Spring’s town square, with its antique stores, specialty shops, and restaurants, is within walking distance as well. Befitting bedside table read: The Water Is Wide, by Pat Conroy. This gripping memoir explores the themes of teaching, place, and personal transformation.
Dunya Camp
The Hearn Inn
Office of Tourism
LEGEND OF THE LOST RUINS Barnsley Resort
Adairsville, GA | barnsleyresort.com
Barnsley Resort is reminiscent of an English village, with loose clusters of cottages, lush gardens, and the historic remains of a 19th-century estate encompassing its 3,000 acres, creating a romantic, almost Gothic setting for weddings and other celebrations.
A visit here is one of luxury, hospitality, and exploration. Your choice of accommodations includes one of the newly redesigned private cottages (ranging from one to seven bedrooms) or one of the 55 rooms and suites at the Inn at Barnsley Resort. The myriad on-site activities include everything from canoeing and clay shooting to archery and axe-throwing. There’s also six lighted pickleball courts, an award-winning golf course, two pools, fitness trails, and a top-notch spa for when you need to wind down after all that exertion.
You also have options come mealtime. Dinner at the resort’s signature restaurant, Jules, feels rooted in its former 19th-century farmhouse setting. Fire snaps in the hearth and a portrait of Julia B. Barnsley — a friend of Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell and the possible inspiration for Scarlett O’Hara — hangs on the wall.
A visit to Barnsley is somehow equally relaxing and invigorating, allowing guests to recharge their batteries, enjoy the great outdoors, learn a new skill, and, most of all, create lasting memories.
Befitting bedside table read: South Toward Home, by Margaret Eby. This travelogue takes you on a journey through Southern literary landscapes and the stories they hold.
GOING OUT TO COME IN Len Foote Hike Inn
Dawsonville, GA | hike-inn.com
In Amicalola Falls State Park in the Blue Ridge foothills near Dawsonville sits the Hike Inn, a bucket list destination for many a Georgian. It was built in the mid-’80s as a place to step away, and, indeed, you literally have to hike five miles through the Chattahoochee National Forest to get there. The trek acts as a filter, stripping away what you didn’t realize you were carrying. Along the trail, you meet people — CEOs, mechanics, schoolteachers, and politicians — but titles fall away by the time you reach the inn’s front door.
The Hike Inn’s accommodations, or bunkrooms as they call them, consist of bunk beds, a stool, and not much else, and the electronic distractions of modern life are absent here. There’s no pinging emails, no deadlines, no social media to distract you. Instead, the communal meals at a shared table unfold in conversation, board games stretch late into the night, and songs and s’mores break out around the campfire.
Befitting bedside table read: Killing the Buddha on the Appalachian Trail, by John Turner. Walk alongside Turner as he treks the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail and reflects on leaving expectations behind and accepting the trail as it is in the moment.
Carrie Karnes-Fannin is the president of Archadeck of Northwest Georgia, a custom outdoor living design and construction company. She is also a children’s book author, whose upcoming nonfiction picture book, Universe Pie, is due out from Gnome Road in 2027.
Len Foote Hike Inn Barnsley
Destination Dawsonville
The History of the Floyd County Courthouse
After a recent devastating fire, we look back at the life of the 134-year-old downtown Rome landmark.
BY SELENA TILLY
Photo: Tony Pope
On March 23, 2026, a fire broke out at the historic Floyd County Courthouse in downtown Rome. Thankfully, no one was injured, and the fire was contained, but the landmark building suffered major damage, including the partial collapse of the bell tower. The loss of this local landmark is significant, and the building’s future remains to be determined, but its history and place in the community live on.
The vision for a Floyd County courthouse first emerged back in 1891, with numerous citizens and lawmakers advocating for a structure that would reflect the county’s industrial growth.
A spot of land off Bridge Street (5th Avenue) was selected as the best site for the new building. Located on the chosen site was the homeplace of Naomi Bale, a longtime resident of Rome, whose family operated the Bale Phosphate Works on the land that is currently home to the judicial parking lot. The family also operated the Bale Ice Company across the street from the home. Soon, a deal was struck, the house was removed, and the land was prepared for the new courthouse. The adjacent phosphate company stood for many years after the courthouse was completed, until the company’s buildings were replaced by those of the Davis Foundry.
Various individuals submitted ideas for the new courthouse, including constructing it from marble, although brick and granite were ultimately chosen due to cost. Renowned architectural firm Bruce & Morgan of Atlanta was selected to design the Romanesque Revival structure, and the construction was overseen by local contractor Joe B. Patton. Patton had built numerous structures across the South, including the Hall and Walker County courthouses in Georgia, the Chattanooga and Benton County courthouses in Tennessee, and the Russell County Courthouse in Kentucky, and his expertise was instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.
The cornerstone was laid by the Masonic order on October 10, 1892, and the official opening took place on November 6, 1893. The total project cost was $65,500, comprising $10,000 for the lot, $50,000 for the building, $5,000 for furniture, and $500 for miscellaneous expenses. Most of the funds were raised through taxation, leaving a $27,000 deficit, half of which was expected to be settled in 1894.
The original layout consisted of a basement level housing the county surveyor’s office, the school commissioner’s office, a bathroom, a coal room, and a steam boiler. The main floor housed the treasurer’s office, tax collector’s office, county clerk’s office, ordinary’s office, city courtroom, judge’s room, jury room, and sheriff’s and deputy’s offices. The second floor housed the superior courtroom, judge’s quarters, jury quarters, witness room, quarters for county commissioners, solicitor’s office, and a law library.
In 1926, the building suffered substantial damage from lightning and wind during a storm, necessitating a rebuild that altered its main structure. The renovation affected the turret, the dormers atop the tower’s sides, the corner architecture, and the interior layout of the first two floors. The courthouse’s original slate roof was also replaced with modern roofing.
Two years later, a fire broke out in the main entrance after someone threw an incendiary device through a window. The blaze was discovered by Lon Frazier, who operated the city street sweeper. The fire damaged the first floor, spread to the basement, and ascended the main staircase.
Since then, the courthouse has maintained its same configuration and has undergone only cosmetic restoration. Notably, the building lacked a bell or clockworks, until clockworks were installed in 1989. A bell was never added.
Recent renovations had begun at the courthouse earlier this year, before the
The courthouse’s future remains to be determined, but its history and place in the community live on.
March fire started, which luckily involved relocating vital records to either the new judicial building or the county records retention center.
Only the tax and tag offices remained in the courthouse, and the majority of their records had already been digitized. Until plans for the building’s future are finalized, courthouse operations have been moved to a nearby building.
We are grateful to the facilities maintenance team’s efforts to evacuate all personnel, and the fire department’s tireless work to contain the blaze and protect our beautiful downtown and the surrounding buildings. Hopefully, this symbol of Floyd County, which has been a defining feature of the Rome landscape for 134 years, will live to see another day.
Sources for this article include the Rome Weekly Tribune, Rome News-Tribune, personal knowledge of the author, and numerous documents and images from the Rome Area History Center’s archival collection.
Selena Tilly is a local historian and director of the Rome Area History Center. Her family has called Floyd County home since 1826. She has been researching the history of Rome and Floyd County for more than 40 years and is in the process of writing three books on local history.
An early shot of the courthouse, before the clockworks were added
Original site owner Naomi Bale
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Heat + Sweet =AComboThat
Like a little spice and a little sweet? Great, because they make the perfect flavor fusion.
Stroll down the grocery store aisle and you’ll see all kinds of examples of the spicy-sweet food trend, from mango-habanero chips to ancho-infused chocolate bars. To bring the trend to your dinner table, it needn’t involve too much of either taste; rather, just a nice blend of complementary flavors. Consider a dash of cayenne in candied nuts or snack mix, hot honey on sandwiches or grilled items, and maple syrup with sriracha for a fantastic glaze. Here are four spicysweet recipes to try.
The meals pictured are representations of the recipes featured in this article.
t B e B ae t
Sweet and Spicy Thai Noodles
Serves 4 | A quick and easy meal bursting with flavor. Add cooked chicken, shrimp, steamed edamame, or vegetables if desired.
8 oz. rice, soba, or other thin noodle
¼ c. peanut butter
1¼ c. soy sauce
2 tsp. unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. chile paste
¼ c. chopped peanuts
Fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, chopped Thai basil, or toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Cook noodles according to package and drain, reserving ¼ of the cooking water. In bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and chile paste until smooth. If sauce seems thick, add cooking water, one tsp. at a time, to desired texture. Add a tbsp. of oil to large skillet over medium-low heat, then add cooked noodles and sauce and toss well. Cook till heated through. Transfer to serving platter, then top with peanuts and
Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin
Chile Chocolate Cupcakes with Chile Cream Cheese
Frosting
Serves 24 | This sweet, mild heat can be “warmed up” by doubling, or even tripling, the spices.
18.25-oz. box devil’s food cake mix
tsp. ground ancho chile pepper
tsp. cayenne pepper
c. vegetable oil
Frosting:
1 tsp. ground ancho chile pepper
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 c. confectioner’s sugar, or more as needed
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
½ c. butter, softened
½ tsp. clear vanilla extract, or to taste
24 small dried red chiles, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. For cupcakes, whisk cake mix, ground ancho chile, and cayenne pepper. Beat in water, oil, and eggs with electric mixer on medium; beat for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling
Serves 4 | The dry-rub spice mixture is also an ingredient in the special sauce. Adding a bit of chile sauce or crushed red peppers in the sauce ramps up the spice level.
2 tbsp. chile powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
24-32 oz. pork tenderloins (2 loins, 12- to 16-oz. each), trimmed
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
¼ c. ketchup
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1½ tsp. sugar
Adjust oven rack to middle position, heat to 450°. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on sheet. Combine chile powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in bowl. Reserve 1 tbsp. spice mixture. Pat pork dry and season with remaining spice mixture. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook tenderloins until browned on all sides, around 5-7 minutes. Transfer pork to prepared baking sheet. Bake until meat registers 140°, around 15-18 minutes. Transfer meat to platter, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Combine reserved spice mixture, ketchup, vinegar, and sugar in bowl and brush over pork. Slice pork and serve.
Feel the Burn
BY ROBERT SMYTH
Every day, you hear about the latest gimmick or medical product that will help you lose weight and regain your strength. Feel 60? With this “x, y, or z,” you’ll feel years younger and look fantastic. At least that’s what all the ads say.
Obviously, the medical community has yet to do the studies on the rejuvenating powers of grandchildren. Witness this quote from Woman’s World magazine:
The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is often described as one of life’s most precious treasures. This bond is characterized by unconditional love, shared experiences, and the joy of rediscovering childhood through the eyes of a grandchild. Grandparents often find themselves rejuvenated by the laughter and curiosity of their grandchildren, which can make them feel young again.
Great quote, and almost correct. The unconditional love and shared experiences parts are accurate, but the rejuvenation part, well, I’m going to have to add a big question mark.
That wasn’t a workout. That was my grandchildren.
energy than the Energizer Bunny on steroids. You try to keep up with one, and by the time you catch him, you turn your head and the other one is 200 yards in the other direction. They had a huge foam area at the race for everyone to run through, and both boys found that real quick, so the next half hour was spent trying to keep them from covering me in soapy foam. By the time their parents crossed the finish line, it looked like I had been the one running the 5K.
When I say these kids are solid, they’re like holding squirmy 30-pound hand weights.
My lovely wife and I recently spent the weekend with children that we consider our grand peeps. Their ages range from 8 months to 9 years old, and that time with them was better than any gym workout you can imagine. First, cardio. If you think running on a treadmill for 20 minutes is hard, try chasing two boys all over the park for the evening.
My oldest and her husband decided to run a 5K a few months ago and asked my wife and me to watch their two sons and wait for them to come across the finish line. But let me tell you, those boys have more
Then there’s the upper-body weightlifting. I’m not sure when it all changed, but in recent years, the good Lord has apparently added some extra heft to babies and toddlers. The day after our foamy cardio workout, we spent the day at the ball fields with our grandniece and grandnephews, who are just as much grandchildren to us as well. So, while mom and dad were coaching and scorekeeping for the older grandnephew, Ms. Becky and I handled the other two. Once again, just like their cousins, these two have a lot of energy and love to be held. It was up and down, back and forth, all over those ball fields, and when I say these kids are solid, they’re like holding squirmy 30-pound hand weights. My wife and I woke up the next day both sore and exhausted, as if we’d spent the whole weekend in the gym.
Would we change any of it? Not on your life. It’s the best tired and sore you can ever experience. Maybe that’s what that article meant by rejuvenation. Anyway, better get back to the real gym so I’ll be fit enough to make it through the next family workout.
“Summertime and the living is easy.”
George Gershwin
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