I’m finally home after spending the last 5 days with my best girlfriends. We’ve been friends for over 10 years and we just got around to taking a trip that didn’t include our kids or husbands. This past weekend was much anticipated and, although we missed our families like crazy, we’re glad we got away.
Waco
We headed out on Thursday and made our way to our first destination of the trip Waco, Texas. In the past few years, Waco has seen a surge in tourists thanks, in part, to Chip and Joanna Gaines from the HGTV hit show Fixer Upper. The couple has gone from small town business owners to a multi-million dollar home improvement empire. They have opened multiple businesses in their hometown, and have gone on to cut major deals with Target, Star Furniture and Anthropologie to name a few — so of course we had to see what all the hype was about. The main attraction is definitely the Magnolia Market at the Silos.
Magnolia Market Experience
The market sits on a 20,000 sq.ft. lot which includes the Silos Baking Co. — a bakery dishing out Joanna’s personal recipes and hand-picked favorites. There is also the Magnolia Seed and Supply– a garden shop that sells all things gardening. And The Magnolia Market which has just about anything and everything you can think of to decorate your home. From kitchen utensils, rugs, wall decor and candles — it really has everything!
The next day we visited the Dr. Pepper Museum located across the street from the Silos. There was so much information about the history of Dr. Pepper that it was a little overwhelming. We got to see some of its earliest commercials all the way to the most recent. We got to read about some very important people who were responsible for introducing the original Dr. Pepper recipe to the world. It was exciting to be able to walk the halls and go into the rooms that housed the original equipment. We were able to finish off the tour with some complimentary Dr. Pepper which was delicious!
Dallas
The next day we were off to Dallas! Our hotel was located in downtown Dallas, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how similar it was to Houston. After checking in to our hotel, we made our way to Highland Park Village. This part of town is super nice! We had a late lunch at a The Honor Bar and it did not disappoint. I ordered the veggie club which was delicious!!
After lunch we had a hankering for some dessert and found this amazing ice cream spot called Howdy. The ice cream was delicious, and we’re so glad we found this spot. We loved that the ice cream shop employed a staff of special-needs individuals, which really hit home for Amanda because her sister has down-syndrome. We love a business that treats everyone as equals!
Dancing The Night Away…Sorta.
That night we were determined to hit the town and go dancing. We made our way to a part of town that is known for bars and clubs. I will admit that it was a little out of my element, but went with the flow. Starting the night off at 10pm is unusual for me as I’m usually crawling into bed at that time. After nearly an hour looking for parking we finally made our way up and down the street looking for a place to go into.
We stumbled upon a bar –unfortunately I cannot remember the name of it. I did remember that there were three swings when you walked outside on the patio. Not much to say about this place other than either I cannot hold liquor or the liquor was bad because I got so sick and had to leave. Yeah, I was THAT girl in the bathroom. Definitely never want to feel that way again!
The next morning was brutal! I felt so sick and practically slept most of the day. I finally had enough energy to venture out of the room around 2 pm. At this point, I was so hungry that all I wanted was carbs. I kept saying I wanted pasta or a bunch of bread. We finally decided on a Mexican restaurant called Meso Maya. OMG!! This place was amazing! All of the food was delicious. I ordered the Del Mar Enchiladas and I practically gobbled it all up. I think I may prefer this place over my love, Lupe Tortilla.
Netflix and Chill
That night we took it easy — went to a corner store and stocked up on snacks, then headed back to the hotel for a movie night. At this point we were all exhausted, really missing our families and just wanted to be back home. It’s funny how, as moms, we want to have a weekend all to ourselves but then we instantly want to be back to our chaos at home. We all craved it actually.
I am so glad that we were able to go on this trip together. It was nice to have deep conversations again and just enjoy each others’ company. These girls and I became wives and mothers together and our kids are all the same ages. We have the best time together and I can’t wait until our next trip. But this time….I’m thinking beaches and spa days.
