Tui Snider - author & speaker

st anthony's greek orthodox monastery

Gorgeous Greek Monastery in Arizona

by 2 Comments

Join me for an A to Z Road Trip!

I’m taking you on a road trip with me by sharing travel photos for this year’s A to Z Blog Challenge. So come along as we explore some of my favorite offbeat, overlooked and just plain interesting places in Texas… and beyond!

 

Today is letter G:
Greek Monastery in Arizona

St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)
St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)

St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery

In 1995, six Greek monks from Athos, Greece moved to the countryside near Florence, Arizona and created a beautiful monastery. Called St Anthony’s, the monastery features garden pathways, fountains, citrus orchards, olive groves, chapels, guest quarters, and even a gift shop.
St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)
St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)

Visitors are welcome

As you may have guessed when I mentioned the gift shop, St Anthony’s Greek Monastery welcomes visitors on site. There are, however, certain rules  that visitors must follow.
To see the full visitor’s guide, click here: St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery
St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)
St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)

Remember to wear “proper attire”

To me, the most memorable part of guest code is that we were all required to wear “proper attire.” Of course, everyone’s idea of proper attire varies according to their culture and upbringing. And while my family and I all thought we had dressed modestly, we were still required to pile on a few more layers once we arrived! Thankfully, the monastery has a whole bunch of extra shirts, skirts and scarves to help out if your outfit isn’t up to snuff.
Check out the photo above to see how my family looked once the folks at the monastery dressed us for our visit. It was 90 degrees that day, too!
St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)
St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)

Beautiful masonry

At any time, roughly 40 to 50 monks live and work at St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery. It’s a very peaceful place and the grounds are immaculate, and – thankfully – full of shade!

I was especially impressed by the beautiful stone work at St. Anthony’s. It really made me feel as if I had stepped through a wormhole and was actually walking the grounds of a European monastery.

 

St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)
St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)

No need for a tour guide

Even though there are no official tour guides, my family and I really enjoyed our visit to St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery. They do offer brochures explaining the history and function for each building on the grounds.
St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)
St Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ (photo by Tui Snider)

Make it a Greek-themed day

It was very relaxing to stroll through the monastery grounds, and we probably spent about two hours there. Afterwards, we drove to Florence and ate an early dinner at Mount Athos Restaurant and Cafe. Although it’s not affiliated with the monastery, the eatery is owned by a Greek family. The food was terrific and it fit in nicely with our Greek-themed day!

*****I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Come back tomorrow for the next letter in the alphabet!*****

 

Psst! Instagram, anyone?

If you are on Instagram, I’d be delighted to follow you! Simply follow my photo feed (@TuiSnider) on Instagram and I’ll follow you back!

What is the April A to Z Blog Challenge?

 

Each April, bloggers from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to meet other bloggers.

To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then use the blog hop linky to visit as many other bloggers as you can. In addition to my personal blog here, I’m also writing A to Z posts for the the Story Dam writing community. You can check those out by clicking here: Story Dam’s Writing Quotes & Encouragement

Check out more April A to Z Blog Challenge Participants by clicking the link below:

Find out more about the April A to Z blog challenge, and check out the other participants!

A2Z-BADGE_[2016]

Curious about my books? I’ve got 3, so far…


To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best-selling travel guide: 
UNEXPECTED TEXAS: Your Guide to Offbeat & Overlooked History, Day Trips & Fun Things to do near Dallas & Fort Worth.

For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best-selling travel guide to haunted places: 
PARANORMAL TEXAS: Your Travel Guide to Haunted Places near Dallas & Fort Worth.

For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out this bizarre piece of West Texas history: 
The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber

 


white-line-separator

Hey, you! Want to come along for the ride?

No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui's books can take you on a FUN adventure!
No matter where you live in the galaxy, Tui Snider’s books can take you on a FUN adventure!

FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my newsletter using the form below. Each week, I’ll let you know the Historic Cemetery Symbol of the Week, who Teal Gray & I are interviewing on our show that night, and any other fun or interesting news. You can also mix & mingle with me by clicking this link & “liking” my Facebook Author Page: