I'm so excited to share my Magnolia Market travel guide with you! I've been dying to go to Waco and visit the Silos for awhile now. I finally had the opportunity to go last month and let me tell you it was ALL the things. We had such a great time and I can't wait to plan our next visit!
HOW TO GET THERE
There are plenty of options when traveling from Southern California. Austin or Dallas/Ft. Worth are equal distances from Waco, so we checked for the best deal and found it to be cheaper to fly into Austin from Long Beach through JetBlue. We rented a car through Enterprise and were on our way! It took about an hour and half to get to our hotel from the airport.
WHERE TO STAY
After researching hotels in Waco, we booked our stay at Hotel Indigo. I'm glad we decided to stay here, the rooms are really nice and spacious. The best part is that it was walking distance to Magnolia Market.
WHEN TO GO
Spring time in Texas is relatively mild so in my opinion it was the perfect time to visit. We decided to go before Easter and after some schools were on Spring Break to avoid large crowds. However, no matter when you plan on visiting The Silos, be prepared for tons of people. I think the key is going right when it opens or close to when it closes for the day.
Our first day in town was a Thursday. We didn't get into Waco until after Magnolia was closed for the day, but the grounds were still open until 7:00pm. It was a great time to walk around and scope everything out without all the crowds. It was the perfect opportunity to get unobstructed images of the grounds without hundreds of people.
The next day, we were up early and ready to start our day at The Silos. We arrived at the bakery when it opened at 7:30am with only a few people in front of us. We were given a menu card and a pencil to fill out our order to hand it to the cashier. Being one of the first people in the doors, it was a little overwhelming because everything looked so good, we couldn't decide what we wanted in a short amount of time. After a few minutes we received our pastries and we headed to the tables to enjoy our items. My mom had the blueberry crumble muffin, my dad had the prize pig biscuit and I had the lemon lavender cupcake. Joanna sure knows what she's doing, those were the best baked goods we have ever had! We then walked around and waited for Magnolia Market to open at 9:00am.
Shortly before the store opened, a line started to form and we were among the first few guests to be welcomed into the store. It was everything I imagined and more. I was so excited to see all of the accessories that we have seen Joanna use to work her magic on Fixer Upper. The visuals are amazing and I was obsessed with this paper floral wall right inside the entrance.
"I must have flowers always and always" -Claude Monet
Since our hotel was so close to Magnolia, we couldn't resist going back for more on Saturday. We had a feeling it would be more crowded on the weekend, so my mom and I got decided to get to the Silos earlier than we had the day before. We arrived to the bakery at 7:00am and were the first in line!! Soon after, the line started to wrap around the building so we were happy we got there when we did. Let me tell you it is worth it to get there right when they open so you don't have to worry about them running out of anything. They sell Common Grounds coffee at the bakery as well as on site out of their food truck and my mom said it was the best latte she has ever had!
Since Magnolia is closed on Sundays, we bought treats on Saturday to travel home with us. We were a little worried they wouldn't taste that great the following day but they tasted just as good when we got home after our flight.
WHAT TO DO
Besides spending each morning at The Silos, we wanted the full Magnolia experience. We went to Harp Design Co, we found the Magnolia House and we explored one of Jo's favorite antique shops.
Harp Design Co.: is just a mile and half away from The Silos. Clint's shop is next door to his home that was featured on an episode of Fixer Upper. It was raining when we got there and the small shop was a little crowded but definitely worth the stop. He has great pieces for sale and the quality is amazing. I think we saw him poke his head out of his workshop while we were on our way out!
808 N. 15th Street, Waco, TX 76707
Magnolia House: since were not familiar with Waco before our trip, we assumed the Magnolia House vacation rental would be somewhat close to The Silos. It is actually in McGregor TX and it's about 30 minutes away. The farmhouse is so beautiful in person and I wished we could have gone inside! It was definitely worth the trip!
323 S. Madison Avenue, McGregor, TX 76657
Cedar Chest Antique Mall: if you watch the Fixer Upper you have seen Joanna's trips here. Cedar Chest is right off Highway 84 and we stopped by on our way back from Magnolia House. My dad and I share the same love of antiquing but my mom on the other hand was not as thrilled. This was probably the largest antique shop we've been to and it took about an hour to see everything it had to offer.
31707 US-84, McGregor, TX 76657
WHERE TO EAT
Magnolia has great food options with the food trucks that they have on site everyday. Since we were there so early each morning, we actually didn't eat lunch on property but we stumbled across great options around town for lunch and dinner:
Brazo's Bar & Bistro: this is a boutique restaurant inside Hotel Indigo and it didn't disappoint. Must try the avocado fries!
Heritage Creamery: is a local hand crafted ice cream shop right by Baylor University and next door to Common Grounds coffee shop. We stopped here after dinner one night, and while they were out of a few flavors that we were excited to try, the ice cream we did get was amazing!
Cricket's Grill & Draft House: sports bar atmosphere with great food.
The Backyard Stage & Grill: we went here for lunch after our first morning at Magnolia. The location was convenient to the Silos and the food was great. My parents said the brisket was the best they have had!
Twisted Root Burger Co: a must stop for a great burger and a fun/casual atmosphere.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Our trip to Magnolia was everything and more! While my mom and I were so excited and had an idea of what to expect, my dad had no clue but went along for the ride. He was just as in awe as we were. Everything at The Silos was top notch. There were always a large number of friendly and helpful employees on hand to assist with any questions and give recommendations to us out of towners!
A big shout out to the best parents for taking me to The Silos and letting me check it off my bucket list. This trip would not have been possible without them!
Thanks for reading!
