This summer we decided to take a vacation to Texas. Me? I just wanted Texas so we could go to the Magnolia Silos. So I planned a beach vacation in Galveston. We were not impressed with the beaches there, not to mention we got ourselves right in the middle of a tropical storm. Even though Galveston was a bust, we still made the most of it.
After Galveston we headed to San Antonio. On our way we stopped in Goliad, TX. Our plans were to visit the fort at Goliad, which was the site of the Goliad Massacre, which happened shortly after the massacre at the Alamo. If you’re a history buff, I would suggest visiting Goliad. It was a nice place and there was hardly anyone there, compared to the Alamo. They could use the visitors.
After our short stay in San Antonio, we finally headed to Waco, which was the highlight of my trip. If you are into HGTV’s Fixer Upper and Farmhouse Style home décor, you will love Waco. But just a heads up, don’t go on a Monday. Just don’t. Most of the antique and junk shops are closed. We found out the hard way. I was so bummed. And honestly, in my opinion, if you are blessed to have a shop in the same town as Joanna Gaines, then you ought to be open seven days a week. Just sayin.
Okay so we got to Waco and we checked into our rental home. Love! It was an older ranch style home but completely redone in beautiful, cozy décor. Every room was just perfect. Here is a picture of the bedroom our girls stayed in.
And check out this awesome vintage stove! I would be happy to have one of these. It made cooking fun, although I only cooked macaroni and cheese and hard boiled some eggs on it. It was nice to use.
So we arrived on a Sunday, checked out the house, and really didn’t stay long before I wanted to go check out some places. If you have ever read the Gaines’ book, The Magnolia Story, then you know about Joanna’s little shop on Bosque. We went there first and had to take a few pictures. I got this awesome picture of the famous sign.
I took this picture as well. Such a sweet little shop. The neighborhood wasn’t really what I envisioned it would be. But it was really neat to find it’s location.
My dear mother, she had so many good ideas on our trip. She was great to have along because she likes to read about history and look up old songs to play. She kept us busy on the car rides. I learned a lot because of her reading. She wanted to visit the location of the Branch Davidian Massacre, so we did that while we were in Waco. That was an eye-opening experience. If you’re in Waco, look it up and go. If the gate is open when you get there, it’s okay to go in. A nice lady came out and talked to us. After that, we went to the historic Waco Suspension Bridge.
Here is my sweet mother at the Suspension Bridge. *Notice the phone in her hand. She’s always looking stuff up on her phone.
Like I said, we arrived on a Sunday and it was evening and the Magnolia Market was closed. We did drive by it and it just got me all excited for what was in store for us the next day. Hey! We did find this house. It was on an episode of Fixer Upper. It’s literally a couple of blocks from the silos. Look how adorable! It’s like a two story tiny house.
Okay so Monday morning we headed to the Magnolia Market. As expected, it was busy! We arrived about 9:30 and the place was already hopping. Tip, don’t pay to park. Drive down the street and past the Market, turn right into their parking lot and park for free. It’s behind the market. When you walk in the courtyard area, this is the view. It doesn’t look that busy, right? Wrong! Everyone was just around the corner.
We came in through the parking lot area and there were lots of food trucks, lots of people lounging in bean bag chairs, some guys throwing a football, kids running and playing. They had large toy boxes just full of fun. But we didn’t play. We headed for the market.
There was a steady flow of people pouring into the market. We made our way up the ramp and into the door. I was amazed at the amount of people in the shop. Please don’t let the amount of people keep you away though, it’s a great experience. There are many pretty things to look at and, truth be told, I didn’t think the prices were all that bad. Okay, I probably spent too much money in there but I had to buy some stuff. I bought a metal basket and a “Cups for Days Rack”. I guess I need to start buying cups for days.
Here is the Market. Sorry to all the strangers who got in my pictures. If you identify yourself and want me to black out your face, I will. Until I hear from you, you will be sitting pretty in my photos.
Me, shopping. Look at all those pretty signs! Anyone who knows me, knows that I make signs all the time. I loved looking around even if it was shoulder to shoulder with people.
I thought Chip’s Corner was pretty cool. Mainly because I’m definitely putting shelves like that in my breakfast room. Aren’t those neat?
After you exit the market, get in line for the Silos Baking Co. bakery. I think we waited almost an hour but the goodies are delicious. I’ve heard there are times the lines are shorter but I don’t know when that would be. We went on a not so busy day. They say to avoid Friday and Saturday. Those are supposed to be the worst for crowds. Waiting in the line wasn’t bad though. They give you a menu card to make your selections while in line. It keeps the line moving and it also gives you time to choose what you want.
I selected the blueberry muffin. I can’t even explain how moist and tasty it was. Fabulous choice!
There are a lot of places to go and things to do in Waco. We are going to have to plan a second trip just because there were a lot of shops that I wanted to go to but couldn’t because they were closed. We did check out Spice Village, The Harp Design Co. and The Craft Gallery Gift Store.
For your convenience, here is a list of places that I put together to visit:
Magnolia Market – 601 Webster Ave.
Common Grounds Coffee Shop – 1123 S. 8th St
Laverty’s Antique Shop – 600 N. 18th St
The Shops on LaSalle – 2223 LaSalle Ave
Elite Café – 2132 S. Valley Mills Dr
The Findery – 501 S. 8th St
Vitek’s BBQ – 1600 Speight Ave
Heritage Creamery – 1125 S. 8th St
Dr. Pepper Museum – 300 S. 5th St
Little Shop on Bosque – 3801 Bosque Blvd
Harp Design Co. – 808 N. 15th St
Spice Village – 2nd & Franklin St
Dirt Roads & Dirt Daubers 