A Taste of Magnolia

A Taste of Magnolia

A week ago we returned from a six-state road trip that began and ended in Dallas, Texas.  Our first official stop on the trip was in Waco - better known as, Chip & Joanna land.  Of course, we had to check out the famed Magnolia offerings.  I'm shivering in the cold as I hold a cupcake from the Magnolia Bakery.  The large, rusty silos stand in the background, just past the small baseball diamond.

In case you're interested in knowing what it's all about, here is a brief visual visit to the Gaines grounds.

When we arrived at the Magnolia complex, we were surprised to see what looks like a village, with a lovely old church (ca 1894) and six matching buildings (three on each side of the village green).  The buildings house boutique shops and the church is a real church with pews and a peaceful, warm interior. You can see the silos in the background.  The Magnolia complex takes up an entire city block.

We continued walking past the church and arrived at the large food trucks, opposite the baseball diamond.  I imagine this area is usually mobbed with people, but the middle of the week on a cold March day is not too touristy.  We'd eaten at In'N'Out Burger, a western favorite of ours, so we did not partake of the Gaines menu.

We continued walking past several smaller food options that stood next to the big barn that contains the Magnolia store.  The 120 foot tall silos just ahead have quite a history. Built in 1950, they survived an F5 tornado that tore through Waco in May 1953. Over 1,000 homes and buildings in Waco were destroyed and 114 lives lost in that tornado. The silos escaped significant damage and have remained in their current condition ever since.  They serve as a prominent Waco landmark - and a logo for Chip and Joanna.

The store's entrance is directly across from the silos and is inside an updated barn.  It's not a large store at all.  It carries primarily housewares, tee shirts, caps and some souvenirs. There is a furniture store on the other corner of the complex - we didn't go inside there. 

These two photos show most of the area inside the store. The first picture shows about 1/3 of the floor space in the housewares section, and the second photo shows most of the other section.

Now, we come to the bakery - my favorite part of the Magnolia complex.  Bakeries and I are old friends and I like to keep in close contact with them.  This is a small bakery, especially considering the many (MANY) people who cross through its doors.  We waited in line about 10 minutes to get inside where only around a dozen customers are allowed in at a time.  I bought three small cupcakes ($3.50 each), a chocolate chip cookie and a "prized pig" biscuit (made with cheddar, bacon & chives).  It all tasted good.  Plus, we met two nice ladies who were on a bus trip from Mississippi and had a lovely chat with them in line.

The exterior of the bakery. You enter at the side of the building, (door with awning) and exit through the other door with awning. There are some tables and chairs just beyond the bakery, but it was way too cold to eat there. The car had to serve as our dining room on that day.

It is always good to personally experience places you've heard about and seen on television. Sometimes they exceed your expectations and, sometimes they don't. This was a bit less than I expected, but I still enjoyed our visit. A shout out to Mary and Frankie, the two sweet Christian gals we met in line.  Praising God for safety and meeting nice people along the way.  I hope you enjoyed your visit to Magnolia!