Weekend in Waco, Texas
Only an hour and forty minute quick road trip from Dallas is Waco, Texas…perfect gal pal weekend road trip! I am sure you have heard of Waco because of Magnolia at the Silos, but have you heard of the BSR Cable Park? The lazy river at the BSR Cable Park is a great way to get some sun, enjoy gal pal chats, and have a cold drink! Here is a recap of our gal pal trip to Waco!
Weekend gal pal adventures in Waco, Texas! My gal pal and I left Dallas on a Friday in May of 2021 a little after lunch, stopped at the Outlet’s at Hillsboro, they were closed for good (good for our bank accounts). So, we stopped at Slovacek's in West, Texas for a kolache instead, I had a strawberry cream cheese kolache and my gal pal had a sausage and cheese kolache. They are delicious and worth a stop!
Once we made it to Waco, Texas we went to Spice Village which is “the dream shopping experience. More than 60 boutiques under one roof”! It is a fun place that has clothes, candles, hats, gifts, and so much more. I bought a crossbody and a bracelet! We walked around downtown Waco and it felt empty, stores were shut down and not much was going on. Not sure if this was due to COVID or if it was like that before COVID.
After Spice Village and walking around downtown we decided to check in to our super classy room at the Super 8 in Waco…y’all I do not recommend the Super 8, but it sure did make for some good memories. Sometimes when traveling, the not so fun things turn into the best memories…like noisy hotels, bugs in the bathroom, and random loud conversations at 2 am. It was one of the cheaper options but was still almost $200 for two nights.
We decided we needed dinner and a drink at the original Buzzard Billy’s patio overlooking the Brazos River. FUN FACT, did you know the Brazos River is the 11th longest river in the United States? Yeah, I didn’t know that either. Thanks Google! Also, did you know the original Buzzard Billy’s is in Waco, Texas….BUT really, I bet you didn’t know you would be learning all the facts today. Your welcome!
Buzzard Billy’s was nice and relaxing, sat on the patio enjoying the sunset! I had the combo platter with blackened shrimp, catfish, and chicken. It was pretty tasty!
After dinner, we went back to the hotel, we weren’t ready to settle in for the night, so we walked to Heritage Creamery. I had a hot, freshly made skillet cookie with a scoop of cookie crumb ice cream on top, y’all this was DELICIOUS! This is a must stop in Waco if good dessert is your thing!
Then we went back to the hotel and crashed from all the sugar!
Saturday Waco Adventures!
We got up at 6:00 am to go wait in line for Magnolia Table! You can make reservations, but reservations fill up so we just did the walk up. I would suggest getting there before 7 am when they open to wait in line. We got there at 6:55 and had to wait 45 minutes. It was worth the wait!
For breakfast at Magnolia Table, we shared a cinnamon roll (you can also get these at the Silos Baking Co at Magnolia Market) but it was warm and SO DELICOUS. Then I had the French toast, this is my favorite breakfast restaurant in Texas!
After breakfast, we went to Magnolia Market at the Silos. It opens at 9 am (FYI Magnolia Market at the Silos is closed on Sundays) so we were there early and ready for it to open to beat the lines to get in!
At 9 am we went to Magnolia Market, Magnolia Seed and Supply, Magnolia Home, and all the other fun shops! My favorite purchase (and only purchase) at Magnolia Market was the Lake & Skye 11 11 Eau De Parfum. It wasn’t cheap, BUT it is free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates…so basically it is a healthy essential right? Or so I was telling myself this.
GAL PAL TRAVEL MONEY TIP: Talk about travel budget expectations BEFORE you go on a trip and help hold each other accountable! My gal pal and I were laughing because she was really good at gently reminding me about watching my spending! I was like I have money in my travel budget, I can move money from there for my purchase. Keep each other accountable and don’t let your spending get out of control!
When you talk about the travel budget before the trip the expectations are set. If you don’t talk expectations one person might plan on spending around $200 and the other might plan on spending $1,000. One person might end of resenting the other or getting frustrated with the other person without even realizing it. Knowing the money expectations BEFORE the trip can be really helpful and also help with awkward conversations during the trip. That is one of the first things I ask a friend when we are planning a trip together!
After Magnolia, we went to the BSR Cable and Surf Resort which is about 20 minutes outside of Waco. Thanks to my gal pal for finding this hidden gem! BSR Cable park has a water slide called the royal flush, a lazy river that is glorious, cable park (for wakeboarding), surfing (different levels of waves and you have to book your surfing time), beach, bar and grill, and cabins!
My favorite thing at the water park was the lazy river! It was nice to just hangout, have gal pal chats, and have a cold drink while soaking up the sun!
You can also bring your own drinks into the park, but can’t take them over to the surf/beach area!
After we had enough sun, we went back to Waco and had dinner at Hecho En Waco, it was okay nothing super special. I probably wouldn’t go back.
Of course, we decided we needed dessert SO donuts at Nightlight Donuts & Coffee it was. I had donut holes and they were the biggest donut holes I have ever had. I really liked the donuts, it tasted more like funnel cake and more fried and not like a cakey donut. My gal pal didn’t like the donuts as well. I would always go for a chocolate chip cookie or a donut though, so it didn’t compare to Friday nights skillet cookie and ice cream.
To end our night we went to Emmons Cliff in Cameron Park in Waco. It was a beautiful evening to walk outside in nature and see the cliffs and river! Loved driving around Cameron Park!
After we got home we went on a quick evening walk before bed!
Sunday morning, we got up bright and early and headed home to Dallas…then I had a 30 minute repack and headed to my next road trip destination…Greeley, Colorado for 2 weeks! Stay tuned for more on Colorado!
Quick Recap:
Favorite Restaurant: Magnolia Table
Favorite dessert: Chocolate chip skillet cookie with ice cream at Heritage Creamery
Favorite Activity: Emmons Cliff OR the lazy river at BSR Cable Park
Favorite Purchase: Lake & Sky perfume from Magnolia
Gal Pal Money Tip: Talk about money expectations BEFORE the trip and keep each other accountable
Trip Budget Breakdown:
Gas: $30.00 Dallas to Waco round trip
Lodging: $190.00, Super 8 for 2 nights. $95.00/each
Activities: BSR Cable Park $40.00 day pass
Food: $101.00 (dinner at Buzzard Billy’s, Heritage Creamery, breakfast at Magnolia Table, Nightlight Donuts, and dinner at Hecho En Waco)
Personal Shopping: $185.00 (not included in total trip)
Total Trip: $251 without personal shopping. $436 with personal shopping!
