Mostly Magnolia

Of course, a visit to Waco would not be complete without a visit to all that is Magnolia.  Again, for those who watch “Fixer Upper”, you know what I’m talking about.  The surprising thing about The Silos is that it really is in the middle of a sort of semi-industrial area.  There is a church within a block (and we parked in the church parking lot), but most of the rest of it wasn’t all that appealing from an aesthetic perspective.  But, The Silos made up for that!

As we drove up, the line for the bakery was out the door and down the block a bit.  However, by the time we parked and walked over to it, the line was not quite as long.  We made it into the bakery without much of a wait, and then got to wait in a winding line that took us about 10 minutes to reach the front of the line.  There were cupcakes and cookies to choose from, and I believe, a cake or two.  We opted for Shiplap Cupcakes (one each)!  They were vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting.  They were surprisingly substantial, and Jeff thought there was a bit too much frosting, but we did our part and pretty much finished them!

When we first got in line for the bakery, we noticed that there was quite the crowd waiting to get into the Magnolia Marketplace (it wasn’t open yet).  By the time we finished our Shiplap Cupcakes, the Marketplace was open and the crowds dispersed (inside the store!).  We did wander through the shop and I really liked all the beautiful displays (just one shown here).  I picked up something a friend wanted, but otherwise, I didn’t buy anything.  It was almost like there was too much from which to pick!!

Also at the place where the bakery and marketplace are is the Magnolia Seed and Supply.  We didn’t actually make it there, but I caught an image of some of the flowers and the shop’s sign.  It is just what it says it is – a place to pick up seeds, gardening tools and generally all sorts of things for one’s garden.  I think they also have some fun starter kits for kids, too!

About a mile or so from The Silos is Clint Harp’s shop.  Again, “Fixer Upper” fans know Clint as the excellent woodworker guy who takes Joanna’s ideas and brings them to life!  The shop is next door to the house that Chip and Joanna renovated for them in one episode of the show.  They don’t live there any longer – after two years of living there, Clint said that it just seemed too close to work, and many tourists were checking out their home when they came to the shop.  So, now, it's available to rent on Airbnb.  Oh, and the bear is one we picked up in his shop for our home.

Another craftsman made famous by “Fixer Upper” is Jimmie Don!  His iron designs are often seen in the homes that Chip and Joanna renovated on their show.  Although Jimmie Don has a temporary trailer about 2 blocks or so from The Silos, we decided to find his actual ranch out in Crawford, Texas.  It took a bit of driving around, but we did find it!! The iron sign is one that is now right at home on our back patio!

As we walked the area around The Silos, we happened to be at the back of The Silos just as a train chugged past.  As you can see, The Silos are almost right up against the tracks.  As a final note, I recently read that Chip and Joanna are planning an expansion of the area included in The Silos that will boast a coffee shop.  They also have a restaurant, Magnolia Table.  It’s not in the same location as The Silos, and is supposed to have good food.  We didn’t visit it, as they don’t accept reservations, and word has it that the best way to assure yourself a seat at the table is to get there in the morning, put your name on the list, then visit The Silos and hopefully, by the time you’re finished at The Silos, your name will then be at the top of the list at Magnolia Table!  We weren’t certain of the timing, so we thought we’d perhaps try it the next time we’re there!

Enjoy!

Waco Mammoth National Monument

One day in 1978, Paul Barron and Eddie Bufkin were walking along a dry creek bed ravine near Waco.  As they started climbing up the ravine, one of them grabbed at what he thought was a larger rock to help him with his climb.  He then noticed that the “rock” was very smooth, and was concerned that he had discovered a skull.  As it turns out, it wasn’t a skull – it was the top portion of a femur of a Columbian Mammoth!  The Strecker Museum at Baylor University identified it, and it was only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.  As it turns out, and entire herd of Columbian Mammoths were buried here!  It was thought that the herd got caught in a flash flood and was unable to climb out of the ravine to the safety of higher ground.  In any event, it was the largest Columbian Mammoth find in history.  In 2015, this site was declared to be the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

I have to admit, I never knew there was more than one type of mammoth.  The Woolly Mammoth was the only one I ever heard of.  However, as you can see from the chart in the above photo, the Columbian Mammoth was much larger than the Woolly Mammoth.  There was a rendition of what scientists think the Columbian Mammoth looked like. They had much longer legs than the Woolly Mammoths, and weren’t as woolly, either.

The building that we were able to walk through on our visit actually covers and protects the dig site.  And, that means that we got to see the mammoths as they were uncovered.  It was incredible to see so many of the mammoths so close to each other.  As I said above, it is thought that the mammoth herd was caught in a flash flood, trapped and actually carried downstream for a while before they drowned and were buried in the mud and muck of the flood waters.

Even their remains were very large!  I had to take two photos of this one male mammoth in order to capture not only his body, but his tusks, too!  Although these animals were very large, man was not in danger of being eaten by them.  They were herbivores, and only fed on the grasses and leaves growing around them.

I did manage to get some close-up photos of some of the portions of the mammoths.  The top (largest) photo in the above image was of the jaw of a mammoth.  The smaller photo partially layered on top of it is one of the actual teeth of the mammoth.  And, finally, they had a femur on display from a mammoth.  When I stood next to this femur, it came up to about my waist!  Was this the femur that Paul and Eddie first found?   That was something I wasn’t able to find out!

Enjoy!

Touring Waco

Our on spring RV trip, we stopped off in Waco, Texas, to check things out.  We happened to be there on a Sunday, when most of the shops, etc., were closed, so we decided to do a little touring around the city of Waco and the surrounding area and save the shops for Monday.

We didn’t realize that the historic Chisholm Trail went through Waco.  The Chisholm Trail was used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle from ranches in Texas to Kansas.  It’s named the Chisholm Trail after Jesse Chisholm, a half-Cherokee trader from Tennessee, who created the trail to get his good from one trading post to another.  And, the Chisholm Trail crosses the Brazos. River at Waco.  To read more about the Chisholm Trail, you can just click on this link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisholm_Trail.  

For those of you who happen to watch the HGTV show “Fixer Upper”, the view of the Waco Suspension Bridge is a view that is seen often as a lead in to segments on the show.  In 1868, the Waco Bridge Company started building this suspension bridge.  It was finished in 1870 and opened to allow pedestrians, wagons and cattle herds.  It was a toll bridge and special rates were given to “frequent crossers”!   People began to complain about the tolls, and in 1889, the bridge was sold to McClennan County, who turned around and gave the bridge to the city of Waco.  Today, no cars or other automated vehicles are allowed on the bridge – it’s open to foot traffic only.

Outside of Waco, we discovered a small little church is the community of Rock Springs.  I think it’s still used today, but I guess we missed the Sunday services.  So, instead of a number of people outside the church, we got to enjoy a lovely peaceful view of this scenic church.

And, of course, we found a quilt shop!!  Now, to be honest, we found it on Monday, but I thought I’d include it with this blog post about touring Waco.  I have an idea of the quilt these fabrics will become, too – the pattern is in the book!

And, yes, we did end our tour day on a high note – or, at least, a red note!!  We got to sit outside and enjoy some wine along with the Texas hill country scenery!

Enjoy!