Abilene to Waco 188 miles. 30th October 2025.
We set off from the hotel in Abilene just after nine and had an uneventful journey through the Texan countryside. After all the journeys we have made this holiday we have seen so many different aspects of this state that nothing surprises us anymore. Therefore after a quick pit-stop in a town called Comanche, for coffee and petrol, we arrived in Waco at around 12.30, too early to check-in. Parking in the hotel car park we decided to have a walk to explore our latest city and were very pleased to see pavements. We had planned to visit the Dr Pepper museum which is a few blocks away from the hotel but noticing that the Magnolia Silos were just a little further on, we chose to go there instead. Walking past Dr Peppers I was amused by the sign outside banning smoking, vaping, weapons, firearms, Coke and Pepsi from the premises.
The silos were part of a complex that processed cotton seed for the oil and ceased operations on the 1990s. The site was purchased by Chip and Joanna Gaines in 2014, and it was renovated and opened to the public in 2015. Chip and Joanna are well known for their house renovation programme on HGTV called “Fixer Upper” and also for producing items of housewares under the Magnolia label. They have transformed the former industrial site to a retail park with entertainment space and a series of food trucks providing sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and other dishes.
In the first year of operation the site attracted over a million visitors and has contributed to bringing downtown Waco back to life. The shops mainly sell Magnolia branded goods and reminded us of a cross between Habitat and Ikea and were generally quite pricey.
The food trucks were good though and we enjoyed a lunch of spicey chicken (Sylvia)
and pork (me) served with rice, vegetables and a tasty sauce.
We ate outside on the lawn surrounded by Texan blackbirds who were waiting anxiously for any crumb that we might drop.
Walking back to the hotel we were allocated a room with patio doors out to the swimming pool area. It was so good to be able to get fresh air into our room. After sorting out our things we once again had a walk out, this time to the riverside walk. The Brazos River runs through Waco and is one of the longest rivers in the USA. Not far from the hotel is the historic suspension bridge that was completed in 1870 and used as a cattle crossing over the river as part of the famous Chisholm Trail.
To commemorate this a series of sculptures entitled “Branding the Brazos” was commissioned and consists of 25 bronze cattle being driven by three cowboys on horseback. I’m afraid the photos don’t really do them justice as they occupy a large area leading to the bridge but it is an awesome sight.
Apparently this weekend is “Homecoming” for the local Baylor University so I think it’s going to get very busy.