Xanadu Coffee

Xanadu Coffee is a cute little spot in Chelsea. It's nestled between a dry cleaner, barbershop and an AT&T store right on 23rd street. I love the lighting and the cute décor inside! The subtle flowers on the backsplash was definitely my favourite detail. The spot is small and doesn't have a bathroom so I wouldn't recommend setting up camp here for hours on end to study, but they do have free wifi and the mirrors add a nice touch and make the space feel more open. 

They have many flavours of gelato which you can enjoy outside, and their coffee is delicious as well. It was recently re-opened by new owners who are Turkish – so of course when we found that out we decided that we had to try their Turkish Coffee! I decided to try their cappuccino as well. Both were good but a bit bolder than I was expecting. The menu includes hot and cold coffee, teas, smoothies and plenty of food items as well like sandwiches, sweet and savoury crepes and waffles! 

We didn’t have much time to sit and enjoy your coffee so we got our to go. This place is not fancy but the coffee is good and the barista was super friendly! Would definitely recommend paying them a visit if you’re in Chelsea. 

Three Brothers Coffee

Nashville is such a cool city with great music, delicious food and of course lots of great coffee shops! During my research for our trip to music city, I came across so many great cafés to visit, but ultimately landed on Three Brothers Coffee since it fit well with our itinerary and of course, because of the picturesque alley!

Three Brothers was created by the owners of an outdoor/adventure store (right next door) called Cumberland Transit. They brew a rotation of coffee from around the country. Check out what they are currently brewing here.

This café is located close to Centennial Park, right by Vanderbilt University and attracts a ton of students. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the coffee shop is spacious inside with lots of large tables allowing the students to spread out and study alone or in groups. The menu is extensive will all kinds of coffee as well as some loose leaf teas to choose from. We grabbed an iced coffee, rested for a bit and enjoyed the awesome art in the alley outside. The café features Nashville based artists and the displays rotate every month or so, and is a must-see if you find yourself visiting Nashville.

Travel Tip: Visit the Parthenon located right in the Centennial Park, just a short walk away form this coffee shop.

Nashville, Tennessee

Hey Y'all! I've had Nashville on my travel wishlist for a few years now and I finally had a chance to spend an awesome weekend with family exploring the state which is home to so many legendary country music venues!

So I have to admit that am not a huge fan of country music but I really loved learning about the history and hearing all of the music on the streets. We explored a few different neighbourhoods including downtown, The Gulch and 12 South. Some of our highlights included all of the murals (I stopped to take sooo many pictures!),  visiting the Parthenon, shopping at Reese Witherspoon's store - Draper James, strolling across the John Seigentaler Bridge and eating BBQ at Martin's and hot chicken at Hattie B's. The Country Music Hall of Fame is nice and very picturesque too. We had a great night at The Big Bang - a dueling piano bar too!

The only stop we sadly weren't able to make was The Bluebird Café. If you're planning to visit make sure to reserve tickets online the week before! The Grand Ole Opry is also super famous so if there's a show that's in line with your visit you definitely look for tickets!