Magnolia Trip Guide
/Magnolia Trip Guide
Recently my mother and I took a day trip to Waco, Texas to visit Magnolia! You might also associate Magnolia with the names the Silos, Magnolia Market, Magnolia Bakery, Fixer Upper, and more recently Magnolia Table.
I attended college at Baylor in Waco, TX and believe it or not Magnolia was not known of back then. I am a fan of the HDTV show the Fixer Upper and since then have been back to see this amazing place! When we last went we got to eat at Magnolia Table that recently opened!
I had many people comment about the pictures I posted from our day trip and say they really wanted to go. I am writing this little travel guide in hopes that if you are planning a trip you this will help you not miss out on any of the fun and be able to maximize your time.
Road Trip!
Lets start at the beginning of our trip. We had visited Magnolia before during football season and during the summer when school was out. Any time you go it will be busy, but if you can I'd suggest not going going on a Baylor football home game day as you will have additional visitors. I'm not one to wait in lines and the two times I've been able to get cupcakes with a very short line from Magnolia Bakery was during the weekdays of the summer. What spurred this trip idea was wanting to eat at the newly opened Magnolia Table and see a Titanic exhibit that was in town at the Mayborn Museum and will be until January 2019.
Czech Stop
If you are driving south on I-35 like we were from Dallas, TX you have to stop at the Czech Stop. If your in a hurry go on your way back, but they have the best kolaches. It's located in West, TX and about 15 minutes outside of Waco. My favorite things to get there are their Strawberry Cream Cheese kolache and Sausage and Egg kolache. They have just about any kind you can imagine along with other backed goods. There is also a gas station so its a great place to fill up and get a bite to eat.
Magnolia Table - Part 1 (get the reservation)
Our goal was to have a late lunch at Magnolia Table (only open for breakfast and lunch) and we knew the line would probably be long so we went their first to put our name on the list. We were very impressed with how organized everything was. After we were told there was a hour and a half wait we put our names on the list thinking we would try to do something else while waiting another employee was waiting to tell us how to spend our time. The hosts had taken my phone number and I received a text with a link. The employee proceeded to tell us that this link told me exactly how much time I had till we would be seated and how many people were ahead of us. This was great because we now didn't have to rush to get back.
TAKE AWAY + MARKET
Before we left to spend some time at Magnolia Market while we waited, we stoped in the TAKE AWY + MARKET attached to Magnolia Table. They had items from the Table and Bakery already prepackaged and ready to eat on the go. Now they don't have everything, but if your in a hurry it's a good option. They also have Magnolia gifts like mugs, hats, jams, and t-shirts. At Magnolia Table they also have a great covered outside area for guests who want to wait on location and a little coffee/espresso bar that I partook in !
Magnolia Market + Silos + Bakery
With the amazing app telling me how much time we had till our table was ready we headed to Magnolia Market! It was less than 10 minutes away and we found a great parking spot on the side of the road. As we walked up I notices there was barely a line out the door of the Bakery so we hopped in line and were inside in now time. I have to say they do move very quickly so a long line will go by very quickly if you don't mind they wait and they have a covered area while your in line. We decided on the Strawberries'n Cream and Lemon Lavender cupcakes! I have never had cupcakes better than this! The icing is so fluffy and the actual cupcake isn't heavy/chewy! It goes together perfectly!
With cupcakes in hand we went inside Magnolia Market. When you first walk in they have a sweet saying on the wall to your left. I think they change it every season because it was a different one the last time a came. There are so many great decorative items for your kitchen and home, but my favorite is their candles! I love the cracking sound they make as if you have a campfire in front of you. I also love their signature magnolia wreath and metal plaques! I got one of the metal plaques as a gift for my husband one year that says "You are my greatest adventure!" At the back of the building is where they have a warehouse with their sale items. In the quart yard they have lots of food trucks, swinging benches and areas to relax and enjoy the outside. They also have a garden and SEED + SUPPLY shop where you can purchase seeds and gardening items.
Magnolia Table - Part 2
All this time is have been checking my app off an on to see how much time we had till our table was ready. When we had about 30 minutes left we went ahead and went back to Magnolia Table. When we got there our table was almost ready. When we were seated I took in how bright and crisp the restaurant looked. It had a welcoming feel and everyone was very friendly. It happened to be national avocado day so I got the Avocado Toast with an Egg and my mom got their Cheeseburger that came with tater tots. Now I've never been a huge fan of tater tots, but our waitress said they were a house specialty so I tried one. Ya'll these were the best! They didn't look like your average tater tot and there weren't very many, but they were very filling and tasted amazing and so did my meal. The portions were large and they didn't skimp on my avocado spread. On our way out we saw where Chip and Joanna Gains put their hand prints into the concrete outside of their restaurant like movie starts!
Titanic Exhibit
After we ate we made our last stop at the Mayborn Museum. This is part of Baylor's campus, but I had never really visited the museum and after our visit I wish I had as a student. They have the Titanic Artifacts Exhibit at the museum from June 2, 2018 - January 6, 2019. It was an interactive experience, because you pretend that you were one of the ships passengers. Before you enter the exhibit you are given a boarding pass with the real name, station, background, and story of a passenger from the Titanic. At the end of the exhibit is a list of survivors and those that perished and you get to see if you survived the voyage. I survived along with my mom! Along the way you get to touch a block of ice to see and feel what the iceberg was like that the ship hit. With your purchase of this exhibits tickets you also gain access to the rest of the museum and other exhibits that are entertaining for children and adults.
If You Have Time
If you have time other places I love to go are Common Grounds and Spice Village! Common Grounds is a specialty coffee shop not too far from Magnolia Table just off of Baylor University's campus. They have a nice outside area to sit and have concerts. Also there is also an ice cream shop right next door. From there you can walk around the campus if you like. A great place to shop is Spice Village not too far from Magnolia Market in Down Town Waco. It's also near Ninfas if your want Mexican food. They have a collection of shops featuring college gear, home decor, jewelry, souvenirs, candles, clothing, and much more.
