What in the World's in Waco, TX?
What would possess my Mama and I to take a trip to Texas in the dead of summer is a mystery to most. . . but if you frequent HGTV you may've heard of a little show called Fixer Upper. If you're familiar, you likely know exactly why we ventured to Waco, Texas for our recent girls' trip.
Yes, we, along with everyone else are fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines, the cohosts of one of HGTV's most popular renovation shows, Fixer Upper, and the creators of Magnolia Market. We love us some good ole fashioned farmhouse decor, shiplap and of course, demo day! So naturally, we couldn't wait any longer to check out Magnolia Market in Waco.
Mama and I in front of the iconic Magnolia silos.
We'd both stepped of the plane from an early morning of travel, but we wasted no time in making our way to Waco and straight for Magnolia Market we went. . . more specifically, straight for the food trucks at Magnolia we went. Of course the Silos Baking Co. is on sight, but the other options for food come from various food trucks that are parked on the property. There were so many choices it was hard to decide, but we settled on high-class grilled cheese sandwiches from a truck called Cheddar Box.
We explored every inch of Magnolia Market to make sure we got the full experience. It was rather hot that day and we were still adjusting to the heat, so we navigated the grounds outside first before making our way into the air conditioned buildings.
The gardens at Magnolia Market are to die for and really make me want to step up my gardening game. The rows and rows of strawflower, sunflowers and wildflowers attract the most beautiful butterflies. The veggie patches are adorable with their baby eggplants and tomatoes that were just starting to come in around the time that we were there.
Every aspect of Magnolia Market is thoughtfully pieced together. You can really tell that Chip and Joanna have poured their passion into this little plot in downtown Waco. In addition to the outdoor attractions, there is of course the market itself, Silos Baking Co. and Magnolia Seed + Supply.
All in all, it only took us about two hours to tour the entire property thoroughly, but every minute was filled with excitement and astonishment at the incredible creativity of the team and kindness of the men and women who make Magnolia Market the experience everything visitors dream of.
Next we made our way to the Dr. Pepper Museum, which was only a few blocks away from Magnolia Market. I had no idea Dr. Pepper was originally produced in Waco, but voila! I'm not much of a soda drinker, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be Dr. Pepper. With that in mind, Mom and I split a DP from a vintage glass bottle. How could we not?!?!
Waco Mammoth National Monument is also jut a few minutes outside of town and we couldn't miss the opportunity to get a stamp in our National Park Passport, so we headed that direction next. Here, we learned of the country's only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths and their bull mammoth. And, believe it or not, there was also a camel discovered here too. All of these creatures are thought to have lived in what is now the Waco area nearly 67,000 years ago.
I must admit, I'm not much for paleontological sites, but this was actually really cool. You could clearly make out the bodies of each of the animals and the tour guide was great, providing all sorts of interesting facts!
We had such a great first day of our Texas road trip. Although Waco wasn't much on the map five years ago, there truly are so many things to do in this tiny city that it's surely worth a trip.
