Hey y’all!
Have you ever created a bucket list? I love the idea of bucket lists because they allow you to dream and be adventurous. Bucket lists don’t always have to be completed before you die; they can be for a certain amount of time, like the summer! Summer is the perfect time to be fun and adventurous.
A couple months back I really became fascinated with home decor and antique shops so I Googled “antique shops in Lexington” and other similar searches and a whole list of new places were introduced to me. This made me curious about other “hidden gems,” if you will, in my hometown: cute little boutiques, hipster coffee shops or great food places. I was shocked at the number of places I came across over the internet. I was determined to make the most of my summer so I made a summer bucket list in my fancy dancy Bullet Journal (if you missed my post about Bullet Journaling, check it out here.) At first it was just a list of places that I wanted to go over the summer. They weren’t necessarily places that I hadn’t been to before. However, as my list was evolving, I wanted it to be more of a list of places that I had never been to. My list comprised of 76 different places like coffee shops, home decor stores, restaurants, and more.
On my days off, I would get on Google Maps and type in the addresses of several places that were near each other and would find the best route to visit them all. I made a whole day out of it. I would usually start with a coffee shop in the morning, then visit several boutiques or stores and then maybe a bakery for a snack or a restaurant for lunch and then visit a few more stores. I would cross several off in one day and it was great.
My favorite boutique that I visited is Queen Bee Gifts, located in Palomar Centre. I absolutely LOVE this place!! They have so much adorable decor items and gift ideas for every style. Every time I go in there I want to buy the whole store! Definitely check this place out!
My favorite coffee shop is A Cup of Commonwealth. When I visited, I was probably in there less than five minutes because I was taking my coffee to go, but the staff made me feel so welcome and engaged in conversation with me about my day or my weekend. I really appreciate that. They also have a whole wall dedicated to paying it forward. People buy a cup of coffee, write on the sleeve for a specific person or type of person (IE: UK Alum) and then place the sleeve on the wall for someone to pick up. So cool!
I didn’t get to check off everything on my list, but I did get the majority. Most of the places that are left are restaurants (contrary to popular belief, I’m not made of money.) I’m hoping to get those checked off when I go home for Christmas break or possibly next summer. This is what my list looks like currently:
If you have any questions about a place on my list, feel free to comment below and I’ll let you know what I thought about it!
I would highly recommend searching for “hidden gems” or places that spark your interest in your hometown and creating a bucket list to visit them all! I couldn’t believe the number of places that I didn’t even know existed after living in Lexington for almost my whole life. You’ll never know what you may find: perhaps your new favorite coffee shop or boutique!
Hope y’all have a fantastic Thursday!
Alyssa
akentuckygirlsthoughts 