lost in exploration | waco part 2

an 11-day road trip starting in Indianapolis, visiting 10 cities in five states

*Waco is broken up into two parts because we spent three full days there, so don’t forget to check out Waco Part 1!

day six:

4 | 26 | 2023 (Wednesday)

A rainy Wednesday, but that didn’t stop us from touring the entire Magnolia Silos grounds.

We were up bright and early to Tour the Silos Grounds, because we had to be there by 8:15AM. The grounds open at 7AM but all shops open at 9AM. We were really getting a VIP tour… kind of.

Side note: this is one of the activities we purchased tickets ahead of time prior to our trip, but in hindsight, it wasn’t worth it (but our situation was most likely uncommon). The tour is conducted by a third-party. More on that later…

Magnolia Silos grounds map

Umbrellas in hand, along with my sweatshirt because it was a little breezy, we waited under the large pergola by the lawn until the clock hit 8:15AM. No tour guide in sight.

8:25AM rolled around, and a couple of Magnolia employees came out to say there was a miscommunication with the touring company; apparently, there wasn’t anyone scheduled to come. So, we were told that eventually someone with Magnolia would be out to walk us around instead.

Finally, around 8:35AM, someone came out to check us in and begin the tour. It began with him telling us a personal story as we filled out the online form for a free coffee at Magnolia Press (included with the $25 ticket). A few minutes later, we walked to Magnolia Press to pick up said coffees: a welcomed beverage given the circumstances and weather.

The back of Magnolia Press

Honestly, the remainder of the tour we both spent snapping photos, that no one else was doing, because the employee didn’t really know how to give a tour and basically shared personal stories the entire time around their Magnolia work life as well as talk about how great Chip & Joanna are. Not exactly the background info I was looking for from this tour. It was misty, windy and we both just wanted to go off on our own to explore.

Aside from the coffee, the best part of the tour was going on the rooftop of Magnolia Market where it’s employees only.

Around 9:30AM we were finally done and off on our own, but we only had an hour because our Magnolia Table reservation was at 10:30AM. So, we perused Magnolia Market for bit. Being the end of April, it was filled with all things spring! Of course, as I write this, they’ve since changed all of the marketing and decor over to summertime.

Springtime at Magnolia Market

Springtime at Magnolia Market

After walking around for a few, eventually, we found the clearance section. Both of us bought the softest Fernys sweatshirt along with a couple of other items. Something to note: if you have the Magnolia app (or even if you don’t, you can sign up), when shopping in-person you get 10% off everywhere Magnolia, including Magnolia Table! Once we purchased said items, we were off to breakfast for round two!

This time we decided to split the breakfast sandwich and pancake breakfast with chocolate chips! Highly recommend both of these dishes depending on your mood: savory or sweet!

On our way back, we stopped at The Findery, kitty-corner from the Magnolia grounds, as it was another suggestion from Summer (owner of Fox & Gray). It’s a cute boutique and worth a stop, especially with the cute mural on the outside!

Speaking of mural, I couldn’t help but “pose”, showing off my @happyhappyhouseplant sweatshirt - Grow Wild Plant Child.

Trying to pose with my @happyhappyhouseplant hoodie in front of this super cute and colorful mural by @kdunkscreative

Despite the continued misty drizzle, we walked around the rest of the Magnolia grounds starting with Magnolia Press. We didn’t grab any coffee, since it was super busy, and we already had some this morning from the tour. Instead, we snapped a couple of photos, used the restrooms, and made our way through Magnolia Home.

Magnolia Home - fully designed room vignettes

I fell in love with the Gerard chair; it was extremely comfortable, and I could’ve sat in it all day! Besides the chair, I really enjoyed the rug We believe in home. backdrop behind the counter. And the only items I left with are a couple of cute glass tumblers with a wavy rim. Definitely glad I purchased them!

Onto the Shops at the Silos…

Chapter One and Ferny’s Retro Plant Shop were our favorites, but there’s also Reverie (clothing), No. 16 (sports goods), Tried & True (bags, jewelry, accessories), and Vie Bien Aimee (skincare). Neither one of us bought any plants because of our travels and lack of space in the car, and believe me, it was hard to pass up! I mean, check out the cute name tags they each have. Joanna’s sister, Mikey, names them all!

After a morning of walking and shopping, it was time for lunch! They have a handful of food trucks onsite to choose from, and we decided on Cheddar Box because if there’s grilled cheese and/or mac-and-cheese around, chances are that’s where I’ll be (I am a cheesehead and after all). It’s a good thing we decided to split lunch because this grilled cheese was huge and delicious! We ordered The Boss (bacon, gouda, and basil) and Mac Daddy (blend of cheddar, gouda, asiago, romano and parmesan)… let’s just say it made up for the crappy morning. An absolute must-stop if you’re a cheese lover visiting Magnolia!

We finished our tour of the grounds with the garden area of Magnolia Seed & Supply. One thing about the rain, it sure does make for pretty flower photos.

Now, after all the hours we’ve spent in Waco, you’re probably wondering… “Where are the donuts?!” Well, let’s get to it! We chose a local donut shop in Woodway, TX: Nightlight Donuts & Coffee. It’s only a 12-15 minute drive from the Magnolia grounds, south on Franklin Ave. No, we didn’t try the coffee, but we heard the croissant donut holes were a must! And that’s exactly what we got: a bag of 5-holes, mix between glazed, chocolate, and cinnamon & sugar. Yes, I recommend them all!

I was also a little obsessed with the royal blue ceiling, annnnnnnd I may have also purchased a t-shirt because I am a sucker for a good t-shirt!

Nightlight Donuts & Coffee in Woodway, TX

After the donut snack, we made our way to Milo, our dinner spot for the evening. It was a little early, so we parked in the lot and walked to Balcones Distillery (another recommendation) for a drink. Unexpectedly, this area had much more to offer! Balcones was our last stop because first, we had to walk into Ramble & Co, a super cute shop specializing in graphic tees and sweatshirts and other goods. Then, as we walked by the Milk Bottle Cookies window, I spotted how huge and thick the cookies were and begged to go in! Tabs took charge because she limited us to two cookies when in reality, I would’ve gotten at least half a dozen! Annnnd we definitely didn’t need that many cookies with all of our donuts stops. So, as much as it hurt to not get to try them all, it was smart on her part. Haha! We finally made it to Balcones for a lil whiskey tasting before our dinner reservation at 5:00PM.

Now, the only “bad” weather we’d run into on this trip was on our way to Memphis. That ended up being a heavy downpour. However, all day we knew a bad storm (think tornado warning) would hit Waco in the early evening. This is why we visited more places because we didn’t go back to the Airbnb for lunch like we planned.

Our drinks at Balcones didn’t last very long, since we didn’t want to get caught in any rain. We walked back to Milo and got our table. The Milo staff were also very aware of the incoming weather and had people who were dining on the patio come inside. Of course, during all of this, I forgot to take a snapshot of the radar because it. was. nasty! Thankfully, by staying downtown in Waco instead of in our Airbnb about 15 minutes north, we missed the baseball-sized hail that pounded the area! We watched it downpour with smaller-sized hail and gusty winds. This occurred around 6:30PM, but there was another wave to come in the next hour or so.

We still had a great time watching the weather, watching the restaurant get busier and busier as the evening went on. The drinks were delicious - Two Weeks from Everywhere: Balcones Pot-Stilled Bourbon, cinnamon simple, pear liqueur, lemon - we enjoyed a couple each! The brussel sprouts as an appetizer hit the spot and the strawberry salad… utterly mouth-watering! They keep things fresh, so the menu evolves and changes with the seasons.

If you don’t visit Milo while in Waco, you’re absolutely missing out on great drinks, great food, and great vibes! I even got to chat a little with Corey (not Milo), the owner and executive chef. Truth be told, I didn’t realize who he was until we spoke with Jeremy, the restaurant manager. Overall, a lovely evening despite the crazy, wild weather!

Brussel Sprouts, crispy and delicious!

Two Weeks from Everywhere, we had two each, need I say more?

Strawberry Salad, also delicious!

We decided to head back to the Airbnb around 8:15PM, which was a bit of a mistake even though we made it safely. Remember me saying there would be another wave of bad weather? Well, unfortunately, that started a few minutes after we left. This was a torrential downpour even heavier than on our way to Memphis. Even though it was only a severe thunderstorm warning this time, it was still really bad. Thankfully, Tabs did a great job driving slowly and getting us back safely. We had to make a run for it on our way into the storage container! A little bummed we didn’t get another night on the roof, but at least we were back early enough to relax before bed.

beginning of day seven:

4 | 27 | 2023 (Thursday)

After a very wild night with all of the storms and even more rolling through late, it was a beautiful morning! We only had a two-hour drive to Austin and no lunch reservation, so we took our time gathering our belongings and packing the car. Before leaving town, we had to stop at Be Kind Coffee. It did not disappoint like most of our stops already. It has a cute, feel-good vibe with murals to match! There are a few locations in Waco; we visited the one on Washington Ave.

Latte and drip coffee at Magnolia Table

Somehow after grabbing coffee, we made our way back to this gorgeous green door that we passed earlier in the trip but weren’t able to stop. I say somehow because it’s not like we knew exactly where it was located, just happened upon it again. However, I will say, we almost passed it again, except Tabs made a Nascar move to pull over. Ok, maybe not quite, but it felt like it considering I wasn’t exactly paying attention! Ha! It worked perfectly because not too far away, then, was this planty mural that we also passed at one point and finally stopped to snap a photo. After all the photoshoots, we were on our way to Austin!

Green Door Lofts

Green Door Lofts on Austin Ave

Have suggestions for Waco that you don’t see listed below? Drop them in the comments so I can add them to my list!

mapping the details:

For reference, pink pin is our Airbnb. Otherwise, all locations listed from top to bottom.

*Something to note: this is a complete list of places we visited the entire time we were in Waco, which is broken up into two blog posts. Make sure to check out Waco Part 1.

on our list for next time:

  • Barnett’s Whiskey House

  • Little Shop on Bosque (was temporarily closed but hopefully they reopen it)

  • Glory Bell Coffee

  • Union Hall (urban eateries similar to Garage Food Hall in Indy)

Lost in Exploration 2023Jen Scherr DesignsRoad trip, bestie road trip, waco, waco texas, magnoliaComment