My Experience Staying at The Magnolia House + Waco Highlights

April & May is the month of travels!

I just returned from my mini trip to Waco, TX and tomorrow I’m leaving for a 2 week trip to Europe. Before I head out again, I wanted to share some of the highlights from my Waco trip as well as my experience staying at the Magnolia House B&B.

To my surprise, so many people shared my excitement for my Waco trip. I guess a lot of my Instagram friends are fellow Fixer Upper fans! For those who aren’t familiar, Fixer Upper is a TV show on HGTV where Chip and Joanna Gaines remodel homes that need extra loving. I was introduced to the show by my mother-in-law a few years ago and have been a huge fan of Chip & Jo since!

Now moving right to my trip, I would NOT recommend going to Waco if you are not a fan of Fixer Upper. Besides all the Magnolia things, there isn’t much to do there. With that said, if you are a fan (like me), you will LOVE it! We made a girls trip with my in-laws and we were geeking out seeing everything in person. Here are some of the highlights of the trip!

1. The Magnolia House in McGregor

All of us agreed, this was definitely our favorite part of the entire trip! If you haven’t heard, Chip and Joanna made a Bed and Breakfast in a town called McGregor (15 mins away from Waco) and it was featured on Fixer Upper. It can sleep about 8 people but I wouldn’t recommend any more than that because they only have two restrooms. First of all, their decoration is just WOW. It is truly like stepping into a house on Fixer Upper or even better, Chip & Joanna’s farm house. Almost every wall including the ceiling is covered in white shiplap and the furniture pieces is a mix of farm house, rustic/antique and mid century modern. It is quite expensive to stay there (about $800 a night) but personally, I thought it’s worth it! They have everything you would need and the whole home feels very well thought out. McGregor is a very small town with very few restaurants so if you get bored, every episode of Fixer Upper taped on the TV. As for accommodations, there are lots of water bottles, cooking utensils, coffee bar (my favorite), wifi, and the best part - 25% coupon for the Magnolia Shop! Also right behind the B&B is the caretakers’ home who can help you at any time of the day. The only negative points I can make about the home is that there is a train track nearby and sometimes, you’ll hear it go by right around bed time. Space X also launches their test rockets nearby so sometimes you’ll hear rumbling noises! This sound didn’t bother me. Overall, I LOVED staying at the Magnolia House and would totally recommend it for families or a group of friends!

2. Waco Tour

The Waco tour was created by David Ridley who was one of the guests featured on Fixer Upper Season 1 (the episode about the bachelor’s pad!) There is a 15-seater van that takes you all around Waco and informs you about the historic buildings, local businesses and of course, all things Magnolia. The whole tour is about $75 and lasts about 2.5 hours or so. You make two stops to stretch, use the restroom, and take photos but otherwise, the whole thing is mostly in the van. I enjoyed this tour and learned a lot about Waco. The town is a lot more interesting than one might think! However, I wish there was more time to stop and explore on foot. Otherwise, it was enjoyable and I’m glad this was the first thing we did so we knew where things were. If I were to come back, I would definitely want to do their Food tour!

3. The Magnolia Shop at the Silos

This is a must stop if you’re going to visit Waco. Truth be told, there’s not much to do else wise! If you’re local to Orange County, it reminds me of The Packing District in Anaheim except it’s filled with merchandise. If an indoor market place and Anthropologie had a baby, it would be the Silos. They are a few food trucks outside and an outdoor lawn for kids to run around. Their famous Magnolia Bakery is also right outside. You can’t miss because there’s always a long line outside! Personally, their cupcakes and baked goods were not my favorite but I did enjoy their Silo cookie. If you plan on shopping, I would come right when they open to avoid the crowds. If you’re staying at the Magnolia House, don’t forget your 25% coupon!

4. Magnolia Table

Magnolia Table is one of Chip and Joanna’s newest business ventures. They serve full breakfast, lunch and of course, coffee. Before going there, we had heard that the line could be anywhere between one to four hours so we made sure to come prepared. With our party of 8, our estimated time was 2 hours so we drove to nearby antique shops to browse around. About 1.5 hours later, we were seated. Walking in, the restaurant is open and inviting and all the staff are super friendly. I ordered the Eggs Benedict and lavender latte, which were both good. More than food though, I enjoyed the whole experience! The interior design is beautiful (no surprise there) and their staff is very accommodating. It is worth the wait as long as you don’t arrive super hungry! There are lots of little thrift shops nearby OR the Silos is not a far drive either.

A few last pointers about Waco/McGregor:

All shops and local businesses are closed on Sundays. Even the coffee shop Common Grounds didn’t open until 12pm! Most restaurants are open but plan accordingly.
McGregor is extremely small and there are very limited options. If you stay at the Magnolia House, I would do all the grocery shopping or pick up food from Waco and bring it into the house.
Save up! I wasn’t expecting Waco and Los Angeles prices would be so comparable. In fact, a lot of the antique shops were a lot more expensive than the thrift shops you find in CA. The Silo has mid/high ranged items so our coupon worked out great.

If you plan on going to Waco, I would recommend doing all of the Magnolia things. We had heard people say there isn’t much to do in Waco and that’s totally true if you only stopped by the Silos. If you’re going, geek out and do everything - otherwise, it isn’t worth it!