TRAVEL TEXAS (Christmas Edition: Waco)

Our first day in Waco was a long one!

The weather was perfect for our first stop- a picnic in Cameron Park.  We sat and ate sandwiches under the trees and beautiful Texas sky.

Then we walked on over to the zoo.  Economical to get in… and a sight to see!  The 52-acre Cameron Park Zoo was a delight.  We took our time.  We enjoyed the beautiful land, read about the animals, and even spent some time interacting with them.  We got one eagle to spread its wings and stomp its foot as we made noises (really not sure if it was happy… or if that was a warning to us).  😉  We got the parrot and macaw to swing and bob their heads to us singing “You May Be Right.”  We got the otters to jump back into the water and perform for us.  I beckoned the eel to come out of his hiding spot.  The elephants moved a little closer as we trumpeted.  We perked many ears.  And while we couldn’t find a single lemur on the island that was their “enclosure,” we heard the tiger roar and watched the orangutans play.

 

 

 

 

 

I loved the natural-habitat exhibits.

My favorite thing was the tube slide that went straight through the otter’s pool!

 

 

 

 

To keep enjoying the gorgeous day, we headed to Magnolia Market and the silos next.

 

 

 

It was packed when we got there.  But I quickly grabbed a bean bag chair on the fake grass lawn… kicked back, relaxed, and enjoyed watching the kids play.

I never did step into the bakery or the shop.  But watching everyone swing, play soccer, hula hoop, throw the footballs around, play with their families, etc was certainly good enough for me.  Loved it!

After a quick search on yelp, we ended up at Shorty’s Pizza Shack for fried pickles, pizza, and calzones.

 

Our second day in Waco was another fun one.  Once I got a much-needed good night’s sleep, we packed up and headed to the Dr. Pepper Museum.

The two beautiful buildings were packed with memories and information about Dr. Pepper and all of the sister companies.  There was a science lab, where the kids got to watch Dr. Pepper/cake mix cupcakes being made.  And I was thrilled that there was a scavenger hunt for the whole place, really involving the kids in finding items and reading about the history.

 

 

 

 

Our last stop was Hey Sugar, a local candy shop.  Hundreds of nostalgic lollipops, bubble gum, and boxed candies.  A bunch of popcorn choices.  And dozens of bins of candies and chocolates to purchase by the pound.  Ben also found a wall of funny animal masks.  😉

 

 

 

If you’re trying to plan a new trip for your family, look into Waco!  If you’re already considering Waco, check out these ^ spots that we visited, stop by airbnb’s website, and contact the Chamber of Commerce.  And have a great time when you TRAVEL TEXAS!