A couple weeks ago, I surprised my husband with a trip to Waco, Texas. This was planned out sometime in August and though it was a secret hard to keep, it was well worth the wait. We arrived in the nick of time to the first destination, The Roadside America Museum. Carol Estes, a renowned classic car owner peered out of his window while unlocking the door to the museum. He took us though his shop, pointing out life-sized characters from the Looney Tunes, wildly vintage collectibles, handcrafted trophy cases and so much more. Carol's little hole in the wall is full of iconic memorabilia and classic restored vehicles which I never knew existed. We eventually parted ways after we gawked at all of his beautiful vehicles but the temperature kept dropping so we decided to check out Overflow Coffee on the way back.
This two-story building was the old T.B. Bond Pharmacy also known as,"Texas' Oldest Pharmacy". It's brick walls gave character to the coffee shop but as many small towns go, it began shutting down so we headed back to our airbnb enjoy our snacks, crisp wine and the remaining hours snuggled up on the couch at The HillsBurrow.
The next day was frosty but absolutely gorgeous. My husband and I drove to Waco to delight in the infamous Magnolia Table.
"An hour and forty minute wait, is that okay?"
We agreed, knowing good and well that's about as good as it was going to get. We decided to try all the coffee and pastries, especially Joanna's famous biscuits, which you can find her recipe HERE.
About twenty minutes into a mouth full of buttery biscuits and croissants, we found a cute cement table across from the waterfall. There was an elderly couple about to sit alongside the wall when I asked, "Would you guys like to join us?"
Before Daniel could even interrupt or give me "the eye", they were already sitting down asking our names. Colleen and Michael began their story of why they were at the silos and asked us the same question. Within minutes, we knew exactly why we were there. Colleen shared her testimony as did Michael. They continued and confirmed their love for Jesus as did we. Two hours flew by and before we knew it, we were off to our own table. The breakfast was everything we were hoping for and the conversation with that particular couple was priceless and full of wisdom!
After our bellies were full, we decided to take a walk around the silos district and get the full effect of what Waco had to offer. We topped off our Alabama Sweet Tea and headed for the greenhouse and local shops around town.
We started off at Fabled Bookshop with the full intention to only browse for, "just a few minutes" while we sipped our coffee and loose leafed tea. Unfortunately for my husband, after taking one step inside the beautiful local shop with its C.S. Lewis' lamppost replica, a life-sized Aesop the Owl and the bold aroma of coffee beans hit my nose, I knew my "just a few minutes" turned into a bold faced lie. The shop was deep and books lined the walls, floor to ceiling. It was quaint and smelled of new paper. Chipper, down-to-earth girls filled the shelves while a young gentleman praised my choice of literature. He continued to fill my white paper bag with bookmarks embossed by a local purveyor called, January Letterpress and highly recommended that we go and take a peek.
So we were back on foot, snuggled up while the crisp autumn breeze followed us along.
January Letterpress was about half a mile up the street and once we stepped in, we knew we were home. My husband darted for the comfy lounge chair while I photographed all of the naturally-lit stationary items, vintage letterpress (which is still in use), vintage desk and all things creative. Their simple, yet chic wall of handcrafted cards set as decorations, added just the right amount of color to the room. It was pure joy being inside of a room full of creativity. We met the young owners and enjoyed hearing their testimony of their lovely, little shop.
There were numerous shops, coffee shops and little odds and ends but I would have to say, my top two favorite shops were Fabled Bookshop & Cafe and January Letterpress but if you're in the area already, don't forget to enjoy Bru Artisian Coffee Works inside the beautiful Paper Crown as well!
Overall, we had a wonderful weekend and it was the perfect weekend get-a-way for a couple of days. We did not have much planned nor a pocket full of cash but it was exactly what we needed.
After leaving the silo district, Dan and I checked out something else that Waco is known for but you'll have to tune in next week for more details!
Hugs,