I came to Waco 4 years ago and I can’t believe how much it had changed when I went back with my mom a couple of weeks ago! It was my mom’s first time in Waco. We had fun exploring not just Magnolia, but the rest of historic Waco. Cheers to mid-winter getaways and going to places that make you feel inspired!
Here are the places we visited that I loved, plus where we stayed:
The Silos: This is probably everyone's #1 stop. The property now takes up an entire block. They have added the coffee shop, Magnolia Home, six specialized stores, a church and baseball field. It really is beautiful. Parking was not the best and it was not even that busy when we went. There was a lot of road construction so there may be future parking in the works I hope!
Magnolia Press: This was on my list of stops I knew we had to make! Magnolia Press is on the Silos property, it is spacious and the colors inside are gorgeous. Dark green and gold...a lot like Baylor University colors! Several college students were studying inside. I loved the booths and long tables in the center of the space. Of course, I had a chai latte, it was very good!
Spice Village: If you love to shop for gifts and things for yourself this is your place! Spice Village is a collection of several stores all under one roof with just one check out! There is a whole mix of products and the clothes selection was really fun and priced well. It took us a good two hours to get through it all!
Waco Tours: I went on a Waco Tour my first time to Waco and loved it so much I had to go again with my mom! They do a wonderful job explaining the history of Waco plus showing the group some Fixxer Upper homes! You can ask them anything too! The tour is about 2.5 hours long. You do get out at three different stops on the tour and a treat is included and Dr. Pepper, as Waco is the home of Dr. Pepper.
Homestead Village: This is one of my favorite hidden gems! On the outskirts of town is a large property called Homestead Village. They are stores, restaurants and workshops and now tiny house rentals on the property. They showcase a community of craftsmen who have talent in pottery, blacksmithing, woodworking and fiber crafts. You could spend half a day here so make sure you make time to hit this little gem!
Magnolia Table: I was so excited to try the food here because my last visit Magnolia Table was not open yet. I HAD to try the famous biscuits and they were GOOD! So filling! I ordered the Farm Eggs Benedict, delicious! If you go for breakfast, you won't need to eat lunch and if you go for lunch, skip breakfast to save room for the filling food they serve! Of course, Joanna uses her favorite black and white and plants throughout the restaurant. It was very refreshing and family style.
Little Shop on Bosque: My first time visiting Jo's very first store! They do not ship here, so if you have traveled from afar, don't get too excited about the bigger pieces. There was a lot of fun discounted items to choose from here.
Heritage Creamery: This is a stop on the Waco Tours, but if you don't do a tour stop here if you need an ice cream treat! I had the coconut dairy free and it was actually VERY GOOD! The ice cream is all made in house.
Common Grounds: A fun college coffee shop next to Baylor University. This is where Chip and Joanna would meet in the earlier days for coffee dates!
Harp Design Co.: I'm sure you have heard of Clint. Well, this is Clint's shop. Super cute and lots of his handmade items plus more home goods. A modern flare to it, cute and quaint. This is also another stop on the tour.
Waco Suspension Bridge and Riverwalk: There's more to Waco then the Silos and shopping. Head to the river walk and walk across the suspension bridge. Cameron Park is also beautiful!
Places to Eat: Honestly, my mom and I did not eat at any spectacular restaurants for dinner. Our lunch from Magnolia Table was so filling, we grabbed Mediterranean food later that evening and our second night we went to a taco place that was good, but nothing to write back home about.
The line to get a Magnolia cupcake was 30 minutes long on our last day so we passed on the extra calories ha! I suggest getting a cupcake first thing when they open or right before they close.
Mostly everything is open until 5pm or 6pm in Waco.
Chip and Joanna are working on renovating a hotel downtown. This means I have to go back again! Ha! Next time, I am snagging Andrew to come with me!
We did fly into Austin, TX and it was an hour and a half drive to Waco. My first visit I flew into Dallas. Both were easy drives.
We stayed in an Airbnb through Waco Vacation Rentals and the house we found was Chip and Jo's first house together! It's called the Giraffe House. Quiet neighborhood, great backyard, loved the front porch swing and loved the renovations they did to the house. It's a great family house or girlfriend house. I slept in the bedroom upstairs which had an amazing bathroom and a cute attic space.
