Waco and Magnolia!

My sisters and I have been fans of the Fixer Upper show and were sad when it ended.  We like the ethics and style of Chip and Joanna Gaines, the hosts of the show.  We also like the way she decorates that looks homey and classic at the same time.  So when Cheri came across a great deal to visit, we were all excited.  We love to spend time together anyway, and going here was an added bonus.

We got there shortly before 9.  The main market opens at 10, but there were other things to do before that.

 Here's the Market, all quiet before opening.

And the area by the Silo's, soon to be filled with people.

 We started in the Magnolia Seed and Supply which opens early.  The gardens around it are very well kept up.

Inside the Seed and Supply.

 A wall near the Silo's.

They have free shuttles; one takes you on a tour around Waco, the other takes you to different Magnolia sites.

We took the shuttle to the Magnolia Table, a restaurant formerly known as the Elite restaurant.  Elvis used to visit it when he was stationed near here in the army.  It had fallen into disrepair when Chip and Jo bought it and renovated it.  They did a wonderful job.  It's a beautiful place now.

We had a 45 minute wait to get it, but were able to sit on a covered porch with tables to wait.

Here's my yummy breakfast, eggs, bacon, biscuit and tator tots.  I only ate one tot - this was filling!

We had something cool happen here.  We were seated at one end of a big table, and on the other side was a group of 8.  We ended up praying with them and then talking together.  We met so many nice people from this area; everyone was very friendly, from the workers to the people visiting.

After we ate we got back on the shuttle where we met more nice people, on a church trip from Alabama.

Then it was back to the Market, where there were many more people than earlier.  We had fun shopping here too.

There is a large area outside with bean bags to rest on, games to play, a few large swings, a covered pavilion and a lot of food trucks.

Even the bathrooms are beautiful there!  Every place we went was clean and very nice.

We stopped at a few other shops, including Joanna's original store which is now used for damaged and sale items.  Then we stopped at this ice cream place, known for it's homemade ice cream and ice cream sandwiches.

Last stop - the famous Waco Suspension Bridge.

 This bridge was built in 1870 and is still in working order.

It's also the site of this well known sculpture, commemorating the Chisholm Trail and all the cattle that crossed the bridge.

The sculpture consists of 28 head of cattle and 3 wranglers on horses.  It is set up under the trees, down the street and is really amazing to see in person.

This was our last night, we left Waco the following morning.

What a fun time with my sisters!  We had fun and lots of laughs - and ate too much!

Now it's back to the real world.