Magnolia Market and San Antonio Riverwalk

Sunset at Midway Park near Waco, TX.

We don’t often spend much time in urban areas, but there were a few towns in Texas that we wanted to explore. Our next destination on 4/23 was Waco, but we had a few stops to make along the way.

First up was a stop at Buc-ee’s, a Texas-born institution and convenience store sensation. Think of it as a gas station/convenience store on a massive dose of steroids. You really need to see one to believe it. The Hillsboro store where we stopped had only been open three days and with 120 gas pumps and a 74,000-square-foot convenience store on 13 acres, it was the largest gas station in Texas! Randi had introduced me to Buc-ee’s when I visited her in New Braunfels last year, but it was all new to Rog, Bob and Carole. The first time in the door it’s hard not to just stop and stare. Aisle after aisle of snack foods, freshly made brisket sandwiches, prepared deli foods, a fudge station, bakery, and my favorite, the jerky bar. All that, plus gifts, clothing, souvenirs, home décor – and the majority of items are branded with the Buc-ee’s Beaver logo. Lol. We fueled the rigs and did not leave empty-handed.

You really have to see one to believe it! 

The hilarious thing was that a few days later we passed the “World's Tiniest Buc-ee's”. It’s an art installation along Highway 90 between Sanderson and Marathon, TX. We did a double-take and had a good laugh. A quick internet search provided this picture and that there is now a historical marker at the site reading: "Originally established April 1st, 2022, this Buc-ee's location served the area faithfully despite its lack of operating hours, bathrooms, employees or a home decor section. It was an important content stop for weary Instagram influencers and other travelers on the famous Marfa trail." 😊

The World's Tiniest Buc-ee's! (online photo)

We made our second stop to satisfy our curiosity and our sweet tooth. Do you know what kolaches are? Well, we didn’t. However they were featured at several roadside stops and bakeries, so we pulled into the Czech Stop on I35 near West, TX to learn more. They had quite a selection of baked goods, both savory and sweet. Kolaches were sweet rolls with a fruit filling, and they had a huge selection to choose from. I picked up an assorted half dozen, a loaf of jalapeno beer bread, and some breakfast rolls with bacon, egg and cheese. Yum!

Check out the weekly grocery list! 

We arrived at Midway Park campground near Waco, TX on Tuesday, 4/23.  We had reserved a double site to share, but it wasn’t quite wide enough for us to park side by side, so we ended up nose to tail. It worked out well, and the campground was really nice. Plenty of shade and space for the pups to play and even a lake for Riley.

Is this not the coolest tree?
Ancient burled oak and it was still alive.

Parked nose to tail with Bob & Carole at Midway Park.

The pups loved the grassy slopes and, of course, the lake. 

Wildflowers at the campground, and... 

...my favorite, lightning bugs!! Can you see him?

We were there for two nights to check out Waco. Why Waco? Well, Bob and Carole are fans of Chip and Joanna Gains’ TV series “Fixer Upper”, which was filmed in Waco. Chip and Joanna have turned Waco into a tourist hot spot with their Magnolia Market at the Silos, a large shopping area built around two old grain silos featuring several restaurants, boutiques, and shops curated by Joanna Gains.  The couple have several businesses in Waco and have built quite the business empire including Fixer Upper, Magnolia Network, Magnolia Realty, Magnolia Homes, Hearth & Hand for Target and numerous retail and restaurant businesses.

Since I’d never seen the show, I skipped shopping at the Silos in favor of working on the blog (I am soooo far behind, I know!). But Carole and Bob really enjoyed it and it did look like a fun place to visit! Here are some of their pictures.

Originally part of the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company,
some of the buildings are over 100 years old.

Chip and Joanna rebuilt an abandoned 1894 church on the Silos property.
The church was one of the oldest buildings in Waco.

Some of the Magnolia home decor shops.

Chip and Joanna Gains have made Waco a tourist destination.

On Wednesday, we took the pups to Cameron Park, a 416-acre preserve with a zoo, huge trees, tall cliffs overlooking two rivers, playgrounds, a trail system and large grassy fields where the pups could run.

Cameron Park overlook above the Brazos River.

Lovely walking trail along the river...

...and a huge grassy field to run in!

We really enjoyed the mile-long stretch along the Brazos River featuring 28 sculptures each representing an animal found in the Cameron Park Zoo. The elephant sculptures were my favorites. Can you tell?

Twinsies!

Another cutie.

A few more of the 28 animal sculptures. What fun!

We also walked across the historic Waco Suspension Bridge. Completed in 1870, the traffic across the bridge included wagons, pedestrians and cattle herds. It served as a Chisholm Trail crossing for many years. At the time of its completion, it was the longest single-span suspension bridge west of the Mississippi. Today the bridge is for pedestrians only and joins two parks.

This extensive sculpture commemorates the bridge's history as part of the Chisholm Trail.

The Waco Suspension Bridge.

We moved on Thursday, 4/25, to Traveler’s World, a private RV park in San Antonio. We had heard a lot about the San Antonio Riverwalk and were excited to explore the city. Before we got to play though, we had laundry to do and errands to run.  We stowed a month’s supply of dog food (Costco) and chocolate covered expresso beans (Trader Joe’s), some things you just don’t want to risk running out of. Lol. 

What we didn’t know was that we’d timed our visit to coincide with the annual San Antonio Fiesta. The Fiesta is a ten-day festival held every spring in San Antonio. It began in 1891 as a single parade to honor the heroes of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. But it has grown over the years to the largest celebration in San Antonio. There are activities every day – markets, parades, music, a night carnival and so much more! The Fiesta draws over 2.5 million attendees annually. So much for a quiet stroll downtown. Lol.

San Antonio Fiesta!

The Budweiser Clydesdales in the Parade of Flowers.

The office staff at the campground, who gave us the heads-up about the Fiesta, recommended taking the bus into town. Parking is scarce and expensive. On Friday we took her advice and caught the #42 right across the street from the campground. Because of the parades a lot of streets were closed so we rode as far as we could into town. Even with the Fiesta crowds we were able to see a few of the local landmarks.

The Torch of Friendship.
The sculpture symbolized two cultures, languages and roads merging into one,
specifically those of the United States and Mexico. 

St. Joseph Catholic Church - 1868.

Luckily, the bus dropped us off close to one of the access points to the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is San Antonio’s number one tourist attraction, and for good reason. Beautiful curved paths line both sides of the San Antonio River, with pedestrian bridges spanning the river and stairs leading up to street level all along the path. We enjoyed the stroll and the crowds weren’t bad because the hordes were lined up on the streets above for the Parade of Flowers. Good timing on our part!

San Antonio Riverwalk.

More scenes along the Riverwalk.

The Riverwalk is below street grade and delightfully cooler.

We took a ride along the Riverwalk on one of the Go-Rio San Antonio River Cruise boats, where the pilot entertained us with the history and stories of the buildings and sights we passed. Then we had dinner at Casa Rio, which was the first business to open its doors on the River Walk in 1946!

A boat ride is a great way to explore the area.

The guide talked about the history of the buildings and pointed out architectural details.

A very cool optical illusion!
The building looks two dimensional.

Dinner at Casa Rio.

The guide said this was the "Kissing Bridge", hey when in Rome.... Lol.

You can’t visit San Antonio and not see the Alamo. We’d been told it was closed because of the parade, but we figured we might as well walk over and at least get a glimpse. When we arrived, we were pleased to find out that it was open. It was a lot smaller than I imagined. I was expecting a large fortress, but it was a small mission church where the Texans had positioned three cannons on an elevated platform. We all know it ended badly. Those that survived the 13 day seige were executed by the victorious Mexican general. Hence the battle cry, "Remember the Alamo". I think it's interesting to note that at the time Texas was part of Mexico and the Texans who instigated the revolt were mostly illegal immigrants from the United States. 

Carole got this shot of the Alamo and some of the festival parade participants.

Inside the Alamo.

A statue of Davy Crockett who died at the Alamo.

Alamo staff in historical garb.

On Saturday, Randi and Jose met us at the campground. They only live about 40 minutes away and we’d bribed them with promises of a nice dinner out in exchange for another round of package deliveries. Lol. They suggested Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse right on the Riverwalk. I’d never been to one before. They had an outstanding salad bar and charcuterie board and a cadre of servers circulating the dining area with an assortment of meats. You could try as many different types and have as much as you wanted. Everything was delicious. It might have been my first Brazilian steakhouse, but it won’t be my last. Lol.  

Back to the Riverwalk for a delicious dinner at Fogo de Chao.

Waiting for the bus back to the campground.

We had one straggler, a package that arrived after Randi and Jose left for San Antonio. I opted to ride back to New Braunfels with them and then Rog would pick me up after he’d fed the puppers. While we played Pony Express, Bob and Carole rode a portion of the Riverwalk trail system that is open to bikes. In the downtown area, it's only open to pedestrians but further out it’s a multi-use trail. They stopped at this mission a few miles from the campground. 

San Jose Mission on the San Antonio River Walk Mission Reach Trail.

The San Jose Mission is called the "Queen of the Missions".

We woke on Sunday 4/28 to thunderstorms and heavy rain. A big branch broke off a tree and fell right next to Bob and Carole’s coach – a little too close for comfort! Fortunately, it didn’t do any damage and the RV park staff were quick to get it moved so we could leave on time.

That is too close for comfort!!

Our next stop is a first come/first served campground at Padre Island National Seashore. Waterfront property – woohoo!