Winter Getaway - WACO, TX TOUR

I'm sure that ten years ago, most Americans might have immediately thought of the Baylor Bears when the name WACO was mentioned...but nowadays it is all about MAGNOLIA.  Bill and I prepped up for this town- we both read the Gaines' book, Magnolia Story, but mostly we watched EVERY episode (sometimes several times) of their HGTV hit, Fixer Upper.  You must understand that Chip and Jo are household names in our home!!  The book was readable and seemed authentic, quite truly a "rags to riches story" with lots of hard work and faith involved.

So, rather than waste any more time in College Station, we kind of hightailed it to Waco on a sunny Monday, just to get a headstart!
The original Magnolia store that Jo opened before their success, had been sold some years back, but then re-purchased by the Gaines so is now used to sell the most recent seasonal stock at 50-75% off.  So glad we started here- I found a $5 Christmas ornament and a $9 Magnolia wreath vine. Unfortunately, we somehow locked the keys in the van in that parking lot...but, no worries, that small detail did not de-rail our fun!






We next headed to Harp Design and the home that Chip & Jo renovated for Clint's family.  Because of the tourists, the Harps eventually turned this home into a rental for the very tourists that kind of drove them away!!  Below are some of the other spots that we drove past: the recently purchased Cotton Land castle, not yet renovated; Hillcrest Estate, now an Airbnb named Magnolia Stay; the McGregor Airbnb, Magnolia Bed & Breakfast, which included a refurbished ranch for the caretakers shown on an early season episode.  Apparently the caretakers did not have enough to keep them busy so the B & B is on its own... except for the gardeners and housekeepers who keep it in tip top shape!! It was so charming.  Adding to its charm is the fact that Jo's mom prayer-walks the property several times a week (that fact was shared by the local antiques dealer!)



 

Our final "find" was to drive past what we thought was the Gaines home as shown on the show...but later found out that they now live at a different farm/home (which appears to be a pretty well kept secret from the tourists).  The original no longer had the "Magnolia" over the entrance to the driveway, but did have security cameras and was well fenced.