Our Magnolia Pilgrimage
I have been an HGTV junkie since I purchased my first house. Love it or List It, Property Brothers, House Hunters… the list goes on. I’ll even watch crazy Christina and poor Terrick, although I already know that mid-episode their flip will look like a possible flop just to make the show more entertaining. I put up with the corny backstories, staged shots, and cheesy dialogue just to see the decorating and the real estate.
In 2014, I saw my first episode of Fixer Upper. I was hooked. Chip and Joanna were so authentic. I loved that the cheesy moments in the show are because Chip is flat-out nutty. I love their family. I love their interactions with their community and even though my taste is the furthest from farm house simplicity, I love the way they fix up these houses. Through the years my daughter got hooked as well. When we play MASH her husband choices include 2 of the three Gaines sons (poor Crew is a bit too young…)
So when my dear hubby had training in Dallas, we decided to use him for his company paid hotel room and take a quick little side trip to Waco. We enjoyed every minute of it. It was so cool to actually see places that were featured on our favorite show.
We left Dallas at 5 a.m. and arrived in Waco at 6:30. Just as the early bird gets the worm, she also gets a seat at Magnolia Table for an incredible breakfast. The food was spot on. My kids swear the bacon was the best they have ever had. To accompany great food, the atmosphere was top-notch. Joanna designed the space to make everyone feel at home and gave guests lots of decor to admire. By each table, there are leather pouches. Inside are conversation cards. Everyone is invited to place their cell phones in the pouch and really spend quality time enjoying meal with their family or friends.
The kids meals were reasonably priced and they included an adorable little box of colored pencils and a little boxed cookie from the bakery to take home.
Magnolia Table does not take reservations and we’ve heard that the wait to be seated can climb to 2 hours plus. But no need to fret, the Gaines put some major thought into keeping even the most impatient customers satisfied. You can always peruse through the merchandise store. In addition, a serene space outside serves as a wonderful place to order a fresh-squeezed orange juice, lavender latte or small pre-meal snack while you wait. The area is also stocked with Fixer Upper Trivia and other games.
After our bellies were full, we headed to the Silos. The area was smaller than I expected, and despite sky-high expectations, it did not disappoint. The space is comprised of Silos Baking Company, Magnolia Market at the Silos, Food Trucks, Magnolia Seed and Supply (complete with a whimsical garden), and a wonderful grassy area in a the middle for play time.
When we arrived, we immediately hit Silos Baking Company. We wanted to grab our delicious treats before a line formed. The bakery is absolutely charming and the cupcakes were to die for! Lemon Lavender is the most popular flavor and we loved it but decided the strawberries and cream cupcake was our family favorite. We didn’t try a Silos Cookie and are still kicking ourselves.
Then we headed into Magnolia Market. A line formed about 15 minutes before the store opened. It was beautiful, well organized and I loved so many of the products. After looking through everything, I finally decided on a t-shirt for Miss A and beautiful wall clock that would in no way, shape or form fit in my suitcase. I must have looked chic carefully lugging an oversized hotel garbage bag around the airport.
We enjoyed the grounds for well over an hour. The kids played kick-ball until the area got too crowded. Then they started a game of tag with some other children. We loved looking through Magnolia Seed and Supply and the kids explored the little garden.
I was most impressed with all the little details that make the Gaines’ stores/restaurants so unique…. Chip and Joanna put so much thought into how they want people to experience their properties and then add all the little touches to make that possible.. If you come with your family, lawn games and balls are available so that everyone can play. If it starts to rain and you were too excited to remember your umbrella, never fear, Joanna has umbrellas strategically placed on the grounds so not even the rain can, well, rain on your parade… They also want to make it a destination, so they have food trucks on the property with amazing food, so that you can make an entire day of it.
Our family is really trying our best to stay environmentally friendly. Although we were not surprised, we were thrilled to see that the Gaines strive to as well! Straws in the restaurant were made of bamboo. They were a beautiful substitute for ordinary plastic. In addition, the bottled water was sold in aluminum bottles throughout their properties. This kind of responsible behavior made us proud to be a patron!
We hear that Chip and Joanna have even more things in store for us in the future including a coffee shop and a hotel. Chip has even joked about making a man cave area. Sounds great to us. We can bring daddy next time and if that hotel is opened and has a vacancy, we won’t even have to bombard him in his company-paid room.