With a population of approximately 140,000, Waco, Texas, is known for many things: the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in 1993, Baylor University, the Waco Mammoth National Monument, and for anyone interested in home design, the Silos.
I grew up going to open houses and watching HGTV for fun with my dad, and I have been known to enjoy a nice DIY project now and again (or any chance I get). When my husband and I bought our first home in 2018 – a 1970s townhome on the island of Oahu – we discovered a mutual love for renovation work. In our second fixer-upper on the east coast, we went all-in: ripping up floors, tearing down a wall, painting from top to bottom, entirely gutting the kitchen, and turning our 1990s builder-grade condo into a true oasis (well… almost). You might guess, then, that Fixer Upper has been a bit of an inspiration for our own renovations, and there’s so much we admire about the fun duo behind the hit television show, Waco shopping destination, restaurant, and more, Chip and Joanna Gaines.
Visiting the Silos has always been on our bucket list, and when we found ourselves in Dallas earlier this month, we knew we had to make the hour-and-a-half drive down to Waco to explore for ourselves.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState Our day trip started out with brunch at Magnolia Table. I made a reservation two months in advance, which I 100% recommend – we visited on a random Thursday morning, and the wait was at least an hour for those without reservations.
This breakfast and lunch restaurant looks every bit of the part – full of black metal and wood accents and lots of plants, the light and airy space is supremely welcoming. You’ll feel right at home here, that is, if your home was designed by one of the most famous interior designers in the country.
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This breakfast and lunch restaurant specializes in tasty, old-fashioned cooking, utilizing fresh, homegrown ingredients whenever possible.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState Like always, we started with coffee – a lavender latte for myself and a Texas pecan drip coffee for my husband. We ordered the Brunch Burger and Harvest Salad, with a side of housemade sausage for our daughter and a chocolate croissant to share. Everything was perfectly decadent, and I wish I could have tried more!
Caffeinated, full, and happy, we were off to the Silos, which is less than ten minutes away. We met up with some family members who love Chip and Jo as much as we do and started exploring.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
We started with a meander through Magnolia Market, which was all decked out for the holidays and 100 percent put us in the Christmas spirit. We bought a few seasonal decorations, some new measuring cups and spoons for our home – copper and wood, of course – and a cozy new sweatshirt I never want to take off.
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We let the kiddos loose on the lawn and enjoyed the Texas sunshine before meandering towards the garden, where we discovered a bevy of gorgeous plants…
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…and the absolute cutest little greenhouse you’ve ever seen.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
There are more than half a dozen food trucks on-site if you visit during lunch, and each looks as mouthwatering as the last, but alas, we were still full from brunch, so sweet tea from The Alabama Sweet Tea Company in hand, we headed over to explore the beautifully restored chapel and the Shops at the Silos.
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Curated by Jo with a specific style and theme in mind, each of the six shops offers a unique selection of products – from bath and body, men’s provisions, and women’s clothing to bags and jewelry and books and paper and a retro plant shop.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState The shops were small, and the adults in our group took turns browsing while others stayed outside with the kids – who were busy picking up acorns. We opted to leave the acorns alone, and picked up a few paper goodies as well as some incredible-smelling bath bombs that make me wish we could snap our fingers and finish the bathroom remodel we’re currently in the middle of that has left us with only a shower in our guest bath for now.
We ended our day with a to-go coffee for the drive back to Dallas from Magnolia Press. Not only is the building itself gorgeous inside and out, but the Pumpkin Spice latte was a welcome and comforting treat.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
If you’re a fan of Fixer Upper and the Gaines’, a visit to the Silos is an absolute must. Just make sure you budget for plenty of spending money. For more information about visiting the Silos or Magnolia Table, visit the Magnolia website.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
Our day trip started out with brunch at Magnolia Table. I made a reservation two months in advance, which I 100% recommend – we visited on a random Thursday morning, and the wait was at least an hour for those without reservations.
Like always, we started with coffee – a lavender latte for myself and a Texas pecan drip coffee for my husband. We ordered the Brunch Burger and Harvest Salad, with a side of housemade sausage for our daughter and a chocolate croissant to share. Everything was perfectly decadent, and I wish I could have tried more!
The shops were small, and the adults in our group took turns browsing while others stayed outside with the kids – who were busy picking up acorns. We opted to leave the acorns alone, and picked up a few paper goodies as well as some incredible-smelling bath bombs that make me wish we could snap our fingers and finish the bathroom remodel we’re currently in the middle of that has left us with only a shower in our guest bath for now.
To discover more incredible boots-on-the-ground adventures across America from our team of local travel experts, check out all of the articles in OnlyInYourState’s Everyday Explorers series. What destinations would you like to see featured next on OnlyInYourState’s Everyday Explorers? Tell us where we should go on our nominations page.
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Address: 601 Webster Ave, Waco, TX 76706, USAAddress: 2132 S Valley Mills Dr, Waco, TX 76706, USA
