• Business Insider asked stylists and designers to share what's going out of style this summer.
• Minimalist and neutral pieces are being swapped for pops of color and vibrant prints.  
• Tenniscore is continuing to win people over, replacing typical athleisure wear.

As gas prices unexpectedly dip and grocery stores finally start lowering prices, there's a little more wiggle room in the summer budget to refresh your wardrobe.

To help get you started, Business Insider asked stylists and designers which items you should get rid of right now.

Here's what the experts said.

Say goodbye to distressed denim.

Distressed denim can look messy. It doesn't follow the current trend toward a more sophisticated and polished look, said Patrick Kenger, personal and celebrity stylist and image consultant at Pivot.

As a replacement, the stylist suggested tailored denim or linen shorts.

"These options help to achieve a polished look while remaining comfortable," he told BI. "You may also want to consider a linen blend to avoid wrinkles."

Swap out minimalist and neutral pieces for vibrant pops of color and prints.

Neutral colors and overworn solids are on their way out this summer, according to Chloe Chamberlain, designer, cofounder, and chief of design at Vitality.

Instead, consider incorporating some vibrant pops of color and fun prints into your everyday wardrobe.

Put your regular waistline clothing in the back of the closet.

Melony Huber, designer, founder, and design director of La Peony, said to put away anything that sits on your natural waistline.

"It's time to upgrade to something more interesting," she told BI. "Clothing that is high-wasted in pants or drop-waisted in dresses adds some visual interest to your styling and wardrobe."

Synthetic, non-breathable fabrics are not ideal for warm weather.

Kim Appelt, celebrity fashion stylist and author of "Style for Everybody," told BI that synthetic fabrics that don't breathe should be avoided this summer.

As a replacement, the stylist said natural fibers like cotton or linen are ideal for warmer weather.

Replace baseball caps with rancher or bucket hats.

Though baseball caps can help keep the sun off your face, Huber finds them a bit boring and outdated.

"For a fun replacement, opt for a rancher or bucket hat to instantly give off summer vibes ready for the pool or beach," the designer told BI.

Both options still have brims for sun protection, but they're slightly more elevated.

Flip-flops aren’t supportive enough for everyday wear.

According to Kenger, flip-flops are too casual for many occasions and are not supportive enough to function as everyday wear.

"Slide sandals or espadrilles provide both comfort and style and are appropriate for a multitude of summer activities," the stylist told BI.

Cargo shorts can be bulky and unflattering.

Cargo shorts are decidedly casual enough for a summer day, according to Kenger. But they often appear bulky, creating an unrefined silhouette.

"To follow the elegant trends this summer, look for tailored Bermuda shorts or chino shorts, which are much more stylish and appropriate for a broader set of occasions," he told BI.

Typical athleisure is being replaced by a more preppy style.

The new trend this summer is all about tenniscore, according to Huber and Chamberlain.

This preppy aesthetic — which includes skirts, tanktops, dresses, and accessories that would fit in on a tennis court — is replacing typical athleisure workout wear.

"It's the perfect summer fit that you will wear over and over again all summer long and be right on trend," Huber told BI.

Cheap costume jewelry can distract from your look.

Say goodbye to cheap costume jewelry this season. Appelt wants people to replace these pieces with minimalist, high-quality accessories.

Consider a pair of classic diamond studs, pearls, or gold hoops. For necklaces, the stylist said to stick to simple gold or a few fine-layered chains.

• Missouri's Kansas City Chiefs are pushing for a move across state lines.
• The NFL team wants Kansas to approve a tax incentive that would fund a brand-new stadium in the state.
• Proponents argue that if Missouri or Kansas doesn't act, the team could leave the region altogether.

The Kansas City Chiefs may be on the move.

Kansas lawmakers are gathering this week for a special legislative session and could vote on a bill that would give millions in tax incentives to expand the state's tourism and entertainment industries.

All eyes are on now the bill which, if passed, could help the reigning Super Bowl champions (as well as MLB team the Kansas City Royals) move from the Missouri side of the city to the Kansas side of the city.

At a hearing on Monday ahead of the formal start of the session, representatives for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals asked Kansas lawmakers to pass the bill, according to the Missouri Independent.

That legislation would give the teams hundreds of millions of dollars to help fund building new stadiums in Kansas.

"If we want to be major league, we've got to have major league teams," Korb Maxwell, an attorney who represents the Chiefs, told lawmakers on Monday, according to the Independent. "This is the greatest opportunity we've had in any generation, and it's here before us right now."

The proposed legislation would strengthen the state's Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond program, and let Kansas provide bonds that would pay for up to 70% of the cost of building brand-new stadiums for one or both of the sports teams, The Kansas City Star reported.

Under the bill, the teams would be required to spend at least $1 billion on the new stadiums and training facilities, the Missouri Independent reported.

The state would pay off the bond given to the teams over 30 years using sports gambling and lottery money, according to the Kansas City Star.

Meanwhile, Missouri legislators are fighting to keep the Chiefs for themselves. Officials in Jackson County, Missouri on Monday proposed a resolution for a countywide sales tax, local Kansas City outlet KSHB reported. Depending on how much the tax is — the current options are each just a fraction of a cent — it would either pay for capital improvements to the Chiefs' existing stadium or building a brand-new stadium in Missouri, according to the outlet.

The Chiefs' current home at the 50-year-old Arrowhead Stadium is in need of some improvement since it was last renovated in 2010.

Team President Mark Donovan said last summer the team is looking into three options: renovating the existing stadium, building a new one on-site, or moving to a new location entirely, Sports Illustrated reported.

And back in 2022, Donovan even floated the idea of moving from Missouri to Kansas, according to the outlet.

Proponents of the move argue that if something isn't done to keep the Chiefs and the Royals local to Kansas City, the teams could choose to leave the Kansas-Missouri region altogether — a development that could devastate local Taylor Swift fans.

Representatives for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Arizona opened the doors for outside investors in law firms, and Steve German had high hopes.
• But he says his co-owner, 777 Partners, was hit by scandal and didn't invest millions it promised.
• German also regulates law firms with outside investment, and says they're being "abused by hedge funds."

Two years ago, Steve German was optimistic.

He'd done well for himself as a trial lawyer in Phoenix, suing insurance companies on behalf of workers who were denied benefits. And he'd just launched a new venture with Miami investment firm 777 Partners that he hoped would revolutionize the legal business.

Arizona had recently begun permitting non-lawyers to invest in law firms, which is banned in nearly every other state. German seemed poised to ride the wave of deregulation and build what he'd later describe as "generational wealth."

State bar associations have long restricted lawyers from selling stakes in their firms to outside investors, out of a desire to protect consumers from bad advice, to keep financiers from distorting firms' ethical obligations to their clients — and to keep profits in the hands of lawyers. That meant that firms basically had to eat what they kill: any investments in marketing, technology, or building cases had to come from client fees or the firm's cut of jury awards and settlements.

Allowing private equity riches to pour into law firms was a potential game-changer. When he spoke to Business Insider in 2022, German excitedly described how he might use 777's money to take lower fees and allow clients to designate charities they'd like to benefit. He was making connections with referral sources and said he'd hired BerlinRosen, one of the better-known PR firms that works with plaintiffs' lawyers.

"It was something that was revolutionary in many ways, and it was something I saw as a way to do good," German recalled. The firm, called Scout Law Group, was one of the first such firms — known as an alternative business structure, or ABS — to be approved by state regulators.

"The ABS program reminds me of when Uber first came to town and everyone was like, 'oh my god, that's crazy,'" said Andy Kvesic, who serves on the state committee that approves ABS applications.

German's optimism was short-lived. Before 2022 came to an end, his relationship with 777 had begun to sour amid disputes over funding. Now, German has become a vocal critic of Arizona's hands-off approach to regulating these new entities.

German said 777 didn't supply money on the terms or timeline it promised and planned. While he got some funding and was able to build a portfolio of about 300 to 400 cases, German said the millions that his partner had promised never flowed. He had to whip out his own checkbook to pay vendors and employees, he said in a lawsuit filed in April alleging fraud, breach of contract, and unpaid wages. It's one of several lawsuits involving 777, which, according to Semafor, has also been under Justice Department scrutiny.

777 has not yet filed an answer to German's complaint. The firm did not respond to a request for comment.

He first decided to resign from Scout last summer, a few months after the firm and its leaders filed licensing paperwork with state regulators that he said he now believes was incomplete. But he told Business Insider that after he forwarded his "break-up letter" to state regulators, he came to regret the decision; it touched off a bar investigation and resulted, for a period, in the suspension of Scout's license. He ended up rescinding the resignation and sticking around until 777 picked a new compliance lawyer in December, he said.

After all that, he expected that the firm and its new leaders' license application would be closely scrutinized. He said the steady drumbeat of negative reporting made it clear that 777 hadn't been upfront about the controversies it was involved in.

But, he said, the committee that reviews ABS applications renewed Scout's license with barely any discussion. German also sits on the committee, and he was recused from the decision. But he said that and subsequent board decisions, like giving a pass to a lawyer who failed to mention that he'd been suspended in another state, unsettled him.

"What we're doing is sending the wrong message," he said. "What we're saying is, don't disclose your bad stuff."

Regulators approved 777 Partners despite litigation, DOJ probe

German isn't the first business partner to sue 777 Partners, and he may not be the last. After the firm began investing in soccer clubs, Brazil's news outlet O Globo reported that one of its owners, Josh Wander, was until 2018 on probation for a cocaine-related charge. (At the time, 777 called it "ancient history.") The firm's reliance on insurance premiums, which are normally invested conservatively to ensure future claims can be paid, to fund its risky bets in sports teams and other speculative investments was unearthed by Semafor, and insurance regulators and business partners have been asking questions and filing lawsuits.

But German said on some level, it's about more than money. Revelations about 777's other business lines — for instance, its work with online payday lenders that charge sky-high interest rates and pay Native American tribes to use their sovereign immunity as a legal shield — repulsed him when he learned about them last July after reading about it in the soccer publication Josimar, he said.

Asked how he didn't know about the controversies until 2023, German said he'd asked Steven Pasko, one of 777's principals, if they were the subject of any lawsuits while he was filling out ABS licensing paperwork, and he had denied it. He said he still didn't know how the controversies didn't come to the attention of ABS committee staff.

"These people are the exact opposite of who should be approved," he said. "We're supposed to be looking out for the public interest, and we're letting in guys who are sued for RICO?"

ABS committee minutes show that Scout's renewal application passed 5-1, with two recusals and two absences. According to the committee's most recent annual report, 25 new entities got a green light last year; one application was denied. The number of complaints jumped from zero in 2022 to 24 in 2023, though no discipline was imposed on any of the four entities that were the subject of complaints.

Lynda Shely, an Arizona legal ethics lawyer who is also a member of the committee, said she would not comment specifically on German's dispute with 777 and Scout, which she has advised. She was also recused from the vote on Scout's renewal application. But she pushed back on the idea that Arizona was being too permissive, saying many applications don't even make it to a vote because of the heavy scrutiny applied by committee staff. Funding and marketing firms were cutting deals with law firms in non-public arrangements for years before Arizona changed its rules, she added.

"There's a whole lot of disclosure that occurs through our model," she said. "There's more transparency about the relationship with an ABS."

As Business Insider reported in 2022, Arizona's ABS structure has unleashed a wave of experimentation. In some entities, lawyers and accountants are working side-by-side to serve clients better, and in others, technologists are helping traditional law firms work more efficiently, with the potential to share in the upside. Advocates see it as a way for lawyers to sell packages of valuable services, instead of selling billable hours.

But one of the most common uses of an ABS has been for personal-injury and mass-tort attorneys to team up with funders and marketers more directly than is possible under legal ethics rules in other states.

Defenders of traditional law firm structures say lawyers take an oath to do what's best for their clients. They argue that involving outside funders in firm management creates a risk that profits come first and clients come second.

But some advocates for systems like Arizona's say those risks can be managed by requiring lawyers to have the final say, keeping a close eye on the new firms, and taking complaints seriously. They say there's nothing wrong with lawyers using outside money to reach more injured clients, who may not know where to turn when facing medical bills from car wrecks and dangerous drugs.

"So far, it is a success," said Shely. "Like any new program, [we] will have growing pains and need to adjust and tweak things as we go."

For much of 2023, German said, he expressed his discontent with 777's leadership, including its general counsel Ed Gehres and its chief financial officer Damian Alfalla. He said he had conversations with other investors about buying 777's stake in Scout, but the talks ultimately went nowhere. He said other investors wanted to borrow money against Scout's unearned contingency fees, which could have made it impossible for those clients to find a new lawyer if they had to leave Scout for some reason.

Gehres and Alfalla didn't respond to emails seeking comment.

In the wake of his own dispute with 777, he said he has become alarmed by the permissive approach the state has taken toward licensing and thinks more scrutiny is needed. He said he still believes that the ABS model has the potential to fill gaps in the legal marketplace, but he said greenlighting any applicant — many of which have little connection to Arizona — is a mistake.

Allowing outside investment into law firms, he said, "is a privilege. It serves a purpose for access to justice. It's not for a billionaire equity fund to use to game the process."

• The phone cutoff for Apple's gen AI system, Apple Intelligence, is the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
• Apple's AI head, John Giannandrea,  said older iPhones can't handle the computational demands of AI.
• Apple Intelligence will roll out with iOS 18 and the new iPhone 16 lineup this fall.

Why can't you run Apple's fancy new AI features — collectively called Apple Intelligence — on your old iPhone? It wouldn't be a good time, according to Apple.

The company limited its highly anticipated generative AI system to only the latest iPhones — the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the upcoming lineup, presumably called the iPhone 16. But, fortunately, more models of Macs and iPads qualify. You just need an iPad or Mac with an M1 chip, which means models launched in recent years will work.

In an interview with John Gruber's podcast "The Talk Show" after Apple's WWDC last week, Apple's head of AI strategy and machine learning, John Giannandrea, explained that while the AI model could theoretically run on older devices, it would be "so slow, it would not be useful."

The stricter cutoff for iPhones isn't an arbitrary limit to drum up smartphone sales, according to Giannandrea.

"Otherwise, we'd been smart enough just to do recent iPads and Macs too, wouldn't we," added Apple's CMO Greg Joswiak.

According to Giannandrea, Apple's newest A17 chip is the ideal hardware for running Apple Intelligence, in part because its ANE [Apple Neural Engine].

"The inference of large language models is incredibly computationally expensive," he said. "So it's a combination of bandwidth in the device, it's the size of the ANE, it's the oomph in the device to actually do these models fast enough to be useful."

The latest iPhones also have more RAM, or memory, which is also key to running on-device generative AI features.

"The No. 1 constraint in running these models is memory," tech analyst Ben Thompson previously told Business Insider's Peter Kafka. "And every single device that supports this has 8 gigabytes of RAM as a minimum. That's just the long and short of it."

While Apple said the cutoff for Apple Intelligence on the iPhone wasn't intended to drum up sales, it could use any extra incentive to convince customers to upgrade their old device. Sales of iPhones declined 10% year over year in the first quarter, and data suggests people are holding on to their iPhones longer.

Apple Intelligence features will be free for users and are set to start rolling out in the fall with iOS 18 and the new iPhone lineup.

• Brian Paquette develops new menu items as the director of culinary at Chili's.
• Paquette owned a catering company before leading culinary innovation at Chili's.
• He told us his favorite menu item and his secret ordering hack.

To many, coming up with new chain restaurant menu items might sound like a dream job.

For Brian Paquette, the director of culinary at Chili's, it's a reality.

Business Insider interviewed Paquette while visiting Chili's headquarters in Dallas. We were able to work alongside him in the company's test kitchen, where his ideas for new Chili's menu items go from simple ideas to full-fledged menu items.

He revealed how he comes up with menu ideas, shared the biggest challenges of the job, and gave us his best ordering hacks.

Before Chili's, Brian Paquette ran his own catering company.

Paquette ran a catering business for five years before becoming a managing partner at Chili's in 2007.

In 2014, he advanced in the company to become a senior culinary and beverage operations manager, before assuming his current role as director of culinary in 2020.

Paquette's day-to-day work involves everything from brainstorming new menu ideas to conducting quantitative and qualitative testing to get something on the menu.

Based on data and consumer feedback he collects through surveys or focus groups, he'll determine the best new ideas and present them to Chili's leadership team.

The best of the best ideas, like the chain's baby-back ribs and fajitas, can end up on the company timeline, which lines the walls of Chili's headquarters in Dallas.

"We're going to have thousands of ideas over our career, and if we get three right, we're probably in pretty good company," he told Business Insider.

His biggest advice for those wanting to become culinary directors is to work hard and care about the customer.

While Paquette's culinary background helped him get to where he is, he says a strong work ethic is still the most important trait.

"I've watched a number of people come through, many that did have a background in formal culinary education, and then many that just had worked their way through the ranks," he said.

"We just had our contingent of 65 managers here earlier today and every one of them in the room says, 'I want to do what you do someday.' That's aspirational.

"My response to that is, 'Work hard. Don't let people think that you have another aspiration. Give them clear direction. This is what I want to do with my career and how I want to grow.' That's what I did, and people believed in me."

He added, "I think the biggest thing is just having a heart for this client, this guest, this vein of business, and wanting to feed a lot of people every day."

One of the biggest parts of the job is being able to spot trends.

Paquette told BI that the biggest trends he's seeing — including at Chili's — are a sweet-and-spicy flavor combination and the popularity of appetizers among customers.

"Sweet and spicy is definitely something that's coming up. A lot more Asian [flavors] in food," he said.

"Then, it seems like appetizers, eating more off small bites, is getting more and more popular, and we're looking at appetizers now to see if we can answer that call as well," he continued.

Paquette said there will "always be a guest" who comes in and only wants to order appetizers. However, he doesn't want customers to see appetizers as a "replacement entrée."

"We want it to be incremental. It's something that people are really excited about, to come in and share and then have a meal post. But there'll always be that guest that wants that bar experience, potentially; sit down and have a couple of drinks and just have an appetizer," Paquette said.

He says even if a product is doing well, he always wants to find ways to make it better.

"Tenacity is imperative. You've got to keep pushing. You've got to be willing to take a little bit of a leap sometimes," he said.

For example, customers enjoyed the chain's chicken crispers, "but I thought they needed to be bigger and I think they need to be juicier," he said, so he worked with his team to create the best version possible.

"I'm always reminding my team; I say, 'If you make a small change, it affects 50,000 people today.' It's a big deal. It's a responsibility," he said. "So I think, in the end, it's also having a heart for the responsibility of feeding a lot of people every day and getting it right."

His favorite Chili's menu item is the Big Mouth Burger Bites.

The Big Mouth Burger Bites are Chili's version of sliders. They can be served as an entrée or as part of the Triple Dipper appetizer combo platter.

"Crispy bacon bits, sautéed onions, our burger, which is already amazing," Paquette said. "I personally think that piece of bread is the best piece of bread we have in the restaurant for those Burger Bites."

We tried the Burger Bites for ourselves as part of the Triple Dipper, and thought they were satisfying sliders, especially when dipped in the chain's ranch. The bacon bits were crispy and salty, and the cheese was melted over every inch of the bite-sized burger.

He's also created his own "secret menu" Chili's hacks over the years.

"Salsa and ranch mixed together is next level. We make them both in-house, you mix them together 50/50, and for chips, it's just out of this world," he told BI. "Dip your fries in it, dip your chips in it. It's awesome."

We were convinced to give it a go and had to agree — it was awesome.

The job does have its challenges — he says dessert is the hardest menu section to innovate.

Paquette told BI that while he finds it easy to get creative on other areas of Chili's menu, desserts pose a challenge.

"We keep trying to come up with some unique ideas and things that'll fit the bill for our guests, and that the chocolate molten [lava cake] is a pretty big hit," he said.

Chili's chocolate molten cake, one of the chain's most popular desserts, is a chocolate cake with a molten chocolate lava center, topped with vanilla ice cream in a chocolate shell, and drizzled with caramel sauce.

Paquette said that coming up with new ideas isn't the only challenge — it can also be hard to get people to order more than one dessert per table.

"Getting people to think of an 'also' dessert, not just one, is hard,
he said. "So we're working on desserts, working on other platforms, not just chocolate, to see if we can get some more traction."

• Kevin Costner cast his son Hayes in his Western film "Horizon: An American Saga" for companionship, he told "Today."
• Costner acknowledged the criticism of nepotism in Hollywood.
• "I realize there are so many young actors out there that would just kill to be in this movie," he said.

Kevin Costner cast his son Hayes in his upcoming epic Western "Horizon: An American Saga" for a simple reason: he wanted his companionship on set.

"He's a beautiful boy, and he's quiet," Costner told "Today" of his 15-year-old son Hayes. "And I have not shoved my children into the business."

Still, he's seemingly aware that the "nepo baby" reactions to his casting are soon to come. "I realize there are so many young actors out there that would just kill to be in this movie," Costner continued, "and I don't want to take those parts away from them just 'cause I can place my own children in."

"Horizon" marks Hayes' screen debut. He plays Nathaniel Kittredge, the teenage son of Sienna Miller's character, Frances. Meanwhile, Costner's character, Hayes Ellison, is named after his son.

"It was a smaller part," Costner said of his son's role. "I selfishly wanted him with me for the week, two weeks, he was with me. And we would drive to the set every day."

Costner described his son's performance in the film as "really beautiful." "It's a really complicated scene. In the end, there's a nobility, there's an absolute fatalness about it. It's what you want in a son," he said.

The movie, opening June 28, is the first chapter of Costner's four-part franchise about America's westward expansion post-Civil War. Chapter Two will be released in theaters on August 16.

• Pay TV just suffered its worst quarter in history — a stunning 6.9% drop.
• The TV industry used to hope that digital services like YouTube TV could make up for losses from regular TV.
• But that's not happening. In fact, YouTube TV just had its first quarterly subscriber loss ever.

If you pay any attention to the TV business, you know that pay TV subscriptions have been falling for years. People who used to pay for TV are cutting the cord, and younger people aren't bothering to sign up for pay TV at all.

The trend is only accelerating: The first three months of 2024 were the worst the pay-TV business has ever seen, according to analysts at MoffettNathanson. They estimate that the industry lost a record 2.37 million subscribers — a drop of 6.9%.

A few years ago, optimists in the industry thought that growing digital pay TV services, like YouTube TV, would help make up for the decline of conventional pay TV providers like Comcast.

But that hasn't panned out. And worse than that — those digital TV subscription services are also starting to wobble.

Hulu Live TV, Fubo, and Sling also lost subscribers in the first quarter, MoffettNathanson estimates.

Most startling is that even YouTube TV, which has been growing steadily over the past few years, shrank last quarter — the first time that's ever happened. MoffettNathanson estimates that Google's pay TV service lost 150,000 subscribers in Q1.

For context: YouTube reported that it had more than 8 million subscribers back in February. I've asked YouTube for comment.

The most obvious rationale for the loss: People who were using YouTube TV to watch the NFL — the most powerful draw on TV — canceled the service once the season ended. If that's true, then the glass-half-full perspective is that those subscribers will return this fall when the season starts up again.

But the glass-more-than-half-empty take is that the churn problem that bedevils most pure-play streaming services like Disney+ and Max is also a problem for the digital pay TV services that give you a bundle of channels.

Of course, the fact that all of these digital TV services are easy to add and drop is a good thing for you, the person who pays for TV. And it has been a selling point for those services.

But it's also one reason why the TV industry is increasingly trying to get consumers to sign up for long-term contracts — just like the old-timey cable TV days.

Back to the future!

• My parents are both Greek, and they took me back to Greece every summer to learn about my roots.
• Thessaloniki is a mainland city with incredible food, beautiful history, and plenty of nightlife. 
• Islands like Corfu and Rhodes will give you amazing beaches without as many tourists.

As a kid, I spent nearly every summer with my family in Greece.

My parents immigrated to California from Greece in the 1980s, but they made sure I grew up learning about our family's roots. We spent almost every summer of my childhood in Greece, where beach days were filled with that perfect turquoise Aegean Sea and big fresh bowls of horiatiki.  

Friends now frequently ask me for advice on their Greece trips, but the only places they ever want to visit are Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens. My answer to them is always the same: You can experience so much of Greece's incredible food, culture, and beaches without setting foot in its packed tourist destinations.

So, with the help of my lovely parents, I've brought you a list of seven incredible spots in Greece that hold some of our favorite memories.

Thessaloniki is a beautiful city packed with great food and incredible history.

Most of my summers in Greece were spent in Thessaloniki, where both of my parents grew up. It's the second biggest city in the country after Athens and dates all the way back to 316 BC. 

Ancient ruins can be seen in the city's downtown area, along with the majestic Byzantine churches. But the most important landmark is the White Tower, which was built in the 15th century after Thessaloniki fell to the Ottomans. The White Tower now has an exhibition on the city's history, and you can go up to the top for spectacular views from its balcony. 

Thessaloniki is also packed with so many delicious tavernas and restaurants that the city landed on Time Magazine's list of "The World's Greatest Places of 2022." My mom recommends visiting the Ladadika neighborhood at the city's center for dinner, or going to Aretsou for views of the water. Try the bougasta — a Greek dessert of custard wrapped in phyllo — or koulouri, Greek sesame bread rings that were my mom's childhood favorite. 

"Walk in the Thessaloniki promenade to enjoy a sunset and, if the sky is clear, a perfect view of Mount Olympus," she added.

I'll let you in on a secret: The best beaches in Greece are actually in Halkidiki.

Sure, Santorini's got those gorgeous white buildings, and Mykonos has the wild nightlife. But if you're looking for an incredible beach vacation, you might be better off on the mainland. 

Even as a kid, I remember being stunned by the beaches in Halkidiki. The sand is soft and white, the water is warm, and the colors of the sea are the brightest blues you'll ever see. One summer my mom and uncle took me to a different beach every day, and she still loves to tell the story of how I gave all the Halkidiki beaches an "A++" because I loved them so much. 

Halkidiki is near Thessaloniki, so it's also a great place to visit if you want to combine a city escape with a beach destination. Plus, with so many local tavernas by the sea, you're sure to have a great meal of octopus, ouzo on the rocks, and some calamari. 

"If all you want for your vacation is to lie on a beach and listen to the waves, Halkidiki is your destination," my mom said. 

A trip to Meteora will give you an unforgettable hike.

Meteora is another childhood trip I'll always remember. Located in central Greece, the Meteora monasteries — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — are perched on huge cliffs that will take your breath away. 

Orthodox Christian hermit monks first began coming to the cliffs of Meteora around the 9th century, looking for peace and isolation. In the 14th century, the first Meteora monastery was built, spearheading the beginning of the site's monastic community, according to Visit Meteora. Six of the 24 monasteries remain active today with more than 60 nuns and monks. 

"It's absolutely amazing to realize that monks built these monasteries and lived there for centuries," my mom said. "The unique rock formations and nice sunsets offer many photo opportunities. It's a really special place that makes me feel close to heaven." 

Delphi is a dream destination for history lovers.

Ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the "navel of the world." The myth goes that Zeus released one eagle from the east and one from the west and the birds met in the middle at Delphi, where the famous oracle was built. 

In addition to being an incredible archaeological site, Delphi also has a stunning natural backdrop. My mother said she still remembers the sweeping views of the valleys and the lovely olive trees in addition to the incredible ancient ruins. 

"I loved visiting Delphi because of its history, but also because of the beautiful natural surroundings," she added. 

And how could you not be wowed by the birthplace of the Olympics?

For as long as I can remember, the Olympics have been a huge point of pride in our household. My parents always loved reminding me why Greece walks first in the Parade of Nations, and why the Greek flag is always flown during the closing ceremony. 

So as a kid, it was incredibly special to visit Olympia, where the Olympics first began. The games were held in Olympia every four years from 776 BC to 393 AD, and ruins from the sporting events still stand there today. 

"Olympia has always had an emotional impact on me," my mom said. "To be able to walk in the same field where the Olympics started moved me very much when I visited for the first time." 

"I think this would be a special place for someone who loves sports or history," she added. 

Corfu is one of my family's favorite islands in Greece.

I have this distinct memory of seeing beautiful candy-colored houses along the water in Corfu. The stunning city is a great option if you want to visit a beautiful Greek island without fighting hundreds of other tourists for a picture of the sunset. 

Once under Venetian rule, the Italian influence is still apparent in much of Corfu's beautiful architecture and delicious food. Along with stunning beaches, the island is known for its lush flora and fauna. My parents took my sister and me to Corfu when we were kids and said it was a great spot for family vacations. 

My dad also recommends adding a trip to Ioannina on the way to Corfu to visit the stunning Perama Cave. 

Rhodes is a stunning Greek island that feels straight out of the Middle Ages.

Ruled by the Knights of St. John from the 14th to 16th century, Rhodes still feels steeped in medieval history. I remember being wowed as a kid while walking past the majestic castles, under the stone arches, and through the tiny cobblestone alleys on the island's Old Town. 

Rhodes also has plenty of beautiful beaches, as well as Butterfly Valley — my mom's favorite part of the island.

• Kate and Anthony's sweeping romance wrapped in "Bridgerton" season two. 
• But, c'mon — who wouldn't watch more Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey? 
• There's fertile ground for a Kanthony spinoff series — and the show teased that they're going to India.

Kate and Anthony's love story on "Bridgerton" is done — but if there's any couple on the show so far who could carry a spinoff series, it's them.

Not every "Bridgerton" couple demands excessive rumination. In fact, the show is stronger for its ability to finish the stories of each lead couple and move on to another in subsequent seasons without getting too tied up in previous storylines. Even Kate and Anthony's sweeping love story has concluded, and they've settled into marital bliss.

But here's the thing: Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey are just so damn fun to watch. And the people — me! — want more of them.

Kate and Anthony are still extraordinarily charming

Sure, people complained about the lack of outright sex in season two, but that didn't make Kate and Anthony's romance any less sexy. By the time we see them in total marital bliss in season three, it feels like they really had to fight for it. They spent most of the third season enjoying an extended honeymoon, dispensing advice to Anthony's wayward siblings, and bickering — and they earned it.

To best understand their current dynamic, take a look at their conversation with Colin in season three, episode seven. While they're ostensibly there to assuage Colin's pre-marital worries, it turns into affectionate bickering.

"Marriage takes hard work," Kate tells Colin. "But it is work that is worth it."

"Our marriage is not hard work," Anthony quips.

"You are wearisome tonight," Kate replies, exasperated.

Ultimately, Kate's sage advice — and Anthony's empathy — seem to right Colin's headspace. But the exchange, which makes up one of the season's best scenes, is more a testament to their enduring ability to entertain, and Anthony's newfound comedic relief status.

Of course, a good dynamic does not a full television series make. Executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers told Town & Country that the show tells complete stories. To tell further ones would require further conflict.

"There are no spinoffs to be had because we'd have to find some reason to break a couple up, and that feels very artificial," Rhimes said.

Luckily, "Bridgerton" has just given us the perfect set-up for a potential Kanthony spinoff — one that feels like it could generate another story.

Kate and Anthony are going to India — and we should follow them

During Colin and Penelope's wedding breakfast, Anthony and Kate discuss their next steps. Kate is envious of her sister Edwina's life, presumably back in India, and describes her "charming" hometown to her husband Anthony. With a baby on the way, Anthony is thinking about the future of his family and proposes that they have their child in India.

"Our child will always be a Bridgerton. But I should like them to know that they are a Sharma as well," Anthony says. "Know their history. And it is important for me to know it so that we can share that history with our child together."

The entire exchange feels like a reason to comfortably skirt around Kate and Anthony by removing them from the picture altogether, while still leaving the door open for future appearances in season four and beyond. But it's also fertile ground for a spinoff: We still don't know much about Kate and Edwina's heritage and life in India.

As Vice reported, season two of "Bridgerton" presented the Sharmas' cultural heritage as a mishmash of language and customs from across India. And while Kate spoke about her childhood, the show wasn't able to visually render it. A spinoff set in India — and hopefully featuring Charithra Chandran back as Edwina — would help flesh out their characters, and lend some credence to Anthony's desire to know about his wife's family.

Of course, there are also demands like actor's schedules to contend with. But Ashley told French entertainment outlet Premiere that she would be down for a Kanthony spinoff in the future. And when it comes to the main series, the actor has had discussions with showrunner Jess Brownell about Kate's future.

Ashley told People that both she and Bailey "adore" their characters on the show, and would do their best to return for season four.

"I think we'll do all we can with our schedules to make it work so that we can, hopefully," she said.

All episodes of "Bridgerton" season three are now streaming on Netflix.