Waco, Texas 10/10

The heart of every HGTV goers bucket list….Waco, Texas!!! As mentioned in a separate post, Texas itself is packed full of charm and history…that alone makes it a bucket list fave (personally). Let alone being able to actually go visit this quaint little town that Chip and Joanna call home.

This town is adorable and being that tourist come to pack their streets from all over. Naturally one would assume the locals would be annoyed with it all, but nope…everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming. Which made the experience that much more pleasurable.

Initially, my friend AllieCat and I were going to do a self-guided tour through Waco. During our Austin, TX girls trip we decided to make the few hour drive to Waco- completely worth it by the way. We found a parking area and went to the Silos. Upon walking into them we were approached by a tour guide crew, we declined because $70 was a bit steep.

The Silos are just like they look on TV! Boasting an old rustic charm surrounded by green fields and elegantly designed little shops. Somehow we got extremely lucky and went on a day where there was hardly anyone there. Which we were informed was rare, but we definitely were not complaining.

What to do at the Silos..

Well, first and foremost, stop in at the little bakery right outside the silos. Not only is it adorable, but their baked goods are everything. Once you get in near the silos there are TONS of really awesome photo (…and spending ) opportunities! This is where the new Magnolia Market at the Silos  is and be warned, it is rather large. The walls have such encouraging sayings all throughout and the products…sheesh I could have VERY EASILY spent tons of money in there because everything was so adorable.

There is a field with tables and corn hole in the center surrounded by multiple different food trucks- to include the magnolia table food truck in case you are unable to get a seat at the actual restaurant. The menu options are obviously not quite as robust as the actual diner, but still. Also be sure to check at the beautiful garden tucked away in the far right corner, absolutely charming!

After the silos we walked a few blocks behind the silos to local shopping area. I think it was called “Spice Village”, but it is a big brick building that you walk into and has TONS of hard-to-pass-up items. Full disclosure, I spent too much money here and ended up with way more luggage than I should have had to tote home.

On our way out of the shops we were approached again for the exclusive tour in a nice Mercedes van….this time we decided “sure”. We are SO incredibly glad we did….why?

1. We were able to see so much of Waco that we probably would not have without the tour.
2. The guides taught us so much about the rich history within their little town
3. we were able to hit EVERY SINGLE HGTV fans bucket list destinations
4. we got an amazing coupon book for the restaurants and shops in Waco (that alone was worth it)
5. We got the insider scoop and learned that Jimmy Don was doing a pop-up that day
6. Our tour guide (the female, Gale) was on Fixer Upper (remember the coastal home they did in Waco, that is hers). She gave us the ins and outs of what it’s like being on the show and the entire process. It was so neat!

The guided tour honestly made the entire day so fun. They stopped at a lot of the local “fixer uppers” done (like the coffee shop)…even gave all of us the choice between a free coffee there or free ice cream! The guides took lots of pictures for all of us and later sent them out via text message. We were able to meet Jimmy Don and get our custom pieces autographed at his pop up (woot! woot!). They stopped and let us shop at Clint’s shop, Harp Design Co. (no he does not live in the house next to it any longer). Everyone on the tour got an exclusive tour of their town while pointing out houses featured on Fixer Upper and new projects Chip and Joanna were working on (like the huge, old house they just purchased and plan to use as the new Silo entrance). We learned so much about the community, our beloved Gaines, and some Texas culture, we truly enjoyed the tour.

Afterwards we decided to stop at ‘The Little Shop on Bosque. Which is the original Magnolia store…at this time it is like a discounted store for Magnolia. Be sure to check it out!

Tips

Knowing what I know now, there are a few things that would have been done slightly different..

1. Do the tour first thing in the morning. Right after stopping in the bakery (ya know, so you have a little snacky for the ride). Seriously, do it. 10000% worth it. Especially if you plan on buying anything there. The coupons alone will be worth it.
2. Take money into Harp Designs (Clint’s shop) during the tour, because you definitely have enough time to make some purchases.
3. Go to The Little Shop on Bosque BEFORE the Magnolia store and Silos because they have great stuff very reasonably priced
4. Do the Silos and then the last Spice Village