Waco is a sleepy town that Chip and Joanna Gaines have brought an explosion of attention to with their popular HGTV show "Fixer Upper." The Silos are ground zero for all things Magnolia, home to Magnolia Market, Joanna's garden, Magnolia Seed + Supply, several food trucks surrounding a faux lawn and Silos Baking Co. Grab your girlfriends, mom or spouse and make the 2.5 hour trek from the Woodlands for a Waco day trip!
Start your trip at the Silos, of course! From what we've read and experienced, there really isn't a great time to avoid the crowds. Week days will almost always be calmer than a weekend. Plenty of staff is on hand to welcome and guide you through the grounds. On our Friday afternoon visit the crowds were calm in the lawn/food truck area but claustrophobic in the Magnolia Market and Seed + Supply shop. We started with a grilled cheese from Cheddar Box and found a shaded picnic table surrounding the lawn. There was plenty of seating and many 
unique seating areas. We then made our way through the small garden, took a moment to actually stop and smell the roses, and made a quick spin through the tiny Seed + Supply shop. The lawn area is home to many great selfie spots and my friend and I had fun photographing ourselves and the iconic grounds. We then went into the actual Magnolia Market which features home décor items and lots and lots and lots of Magnolia-branded merchandise. We made a quick spin through and then my friend grabbed a photo with Jo's Mom (who wears a name tag that actually says "Jo's Mom"). If you plan to visit with kids, do not expect to drag your stroller through the shop - it's way too confined and too many folks.
From the Silos, we hopped the Silo District Free Trolley for a brief narrated on-off tour of downtown Waco. A quick ride will bring you to Spice Market, home to a collection of over 60 boutiques assembled across 30,000 square feet. If you love wood signs with trendy slogans on them and soft t-shirts with Texas-themed prints, you'll be in heaven. Many of the shops feature unique items across collegiate, kids, baby, home decor, mens accessories, jewelry, souvenirs, bath & body, candles, clothing and more. Across the street is a small food truck park and the Waco Suspension Bridge and Riverwalk Area across the Brazos. Instead of flagging the trolley for a ride back, we walked the few blocks back to the Silos, pausing briefly at the Dr. Pepper Museum (just a few blocks away) for a drink.
Upon returning to the Silos, we hit the infamous line for the Silos Baking Co. A greeter told us the shaded line would only be about 20 min. or so but that a Silos Baking Co. food truck had just opened for the season by the lawn and featured most of the cupcakes and treats from the shop. My friend and I shared a look of "Why not?" and walked over to pick up a Lemon Lavender and Strawberries N Cream cupcake. Absolutely delicious and worth the calories! We jumped in our car and finished our trip with a short drive out to Clint Harp's Harp Design Co., featuring wooden wares from the "Fixer Upper" star.
Having had the experience I am now happy to check Magnolia Market off of my bucket list! If you're a "Fixer Upper" fan or even if you've never seen the show at all, an enjoyable day awaits in Waco!
