The Mug Shakes

So for those of you who haven't heard, the Mug Shakes is this amazing new dessert spot that opened up inside of the Victoria Gardens food court last month. Ever since the grand opening, their lines have been out the door! Luckily, my friend and I arrived right before they opened yesterday!

The Mug Shakes is well known for serving up milkshakes that come with a ridiculous amount of toppings. I ordered the Banana Bang (banana + toffee) while my friend picked up the O'Real Bomb (oreo cookie). Both drinks were pretty impressive (see the photos above). Mine was topped with whipped cream, caramel, banana slices, banana chips, and the most amazing toffee that I've ever tasted! But that's just the beginning of it! While waiting for my drink, I saw someone walk away with a milkshake that was topped with a piece of cheesecake!

Another fun fact about the Mug Shakes is that each person gets to keep the mug that their drink comes in! And if you turn in six mugs, you get a free shake! Now I have to admit, I couldn't handle finishing my entire shake, but I think that it was still worth it for the experience (and the cute mug lol). If you have any sort of sweet tooth, this is definitely the place to be.

The Mug Shakes

12434 N. Main St. {food court}

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Nashville Series: Dozen Bakery

Dozen Bakery
516 Hagan St.
Nashville, TN 37203

Nashville Series: The Parthenon

I was a Classics major in college, so it should come as no surprise that one of my bucket list goals is to visit all of the ancient archaeological sites in Greece and Italy. When I found out that there was a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, I just knew that I had to go see it for myself! 

So you might be thinking, "What is a replica of the Parthenon doing in Nashville, of all places?" It was originally built in 1897, along with several other copies of historical structures, for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. The six-month event was held to celebrate Tennessee's one-hundredth anniversary of statehood. After the exposition was over, the Parthenon was the only building to remain standing. Now it sits in the middle of Centennial Park, which is a very beautiful place to visit on a sunny day. Check out more photos below!

The Parthenon

2500 West End Ave.

Nashville, TN 37203

Nashville Series: Belle Meade Plantation

On my second morning in Nashville I decided to drive over to the Belle Meade Plantation. I only had about an hour of free time, so I just bought a ticket for the grounds tour. Fun fact: every ticket comes with a free wine tasting (for all you wine drinkers out there lol). Anyways, I would love the chance to tour inside of the mansion next time. I'm sure it's beautiful!

Nashville Series: Antique Archaeology

One of my favorite shows of all time is American Pickers! So when I was planning this Nashville trip, I made sure to include time to stop by Mike Wolfe's store, Antique Archaeology. It's located in Marathon village, which has a pretty cool back story. A lot of the buildings used to be a part of the Marathon Motor Cars factory. Years after the factory closed down, the buildings were renovated and now house several store fronts, studios, and artist galleries. Pretty cool, huh?

Anyways, Antique Archaeology's Nashville location is kind of small, but packed to the brim with antiques and American Pickers merchandise. Plus, when I walked in, singers were performing live inside of the store! I think that it's definitely worth a trip for any fan of the tv show. One day I hope to visit the original store in Le Claire, Iowa (bucket list!).

Antique Archaeology

1300 Clinton St.

Suite #130

Nashville, TN 37203