If you ever watched Fixer-Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines, you know where Waco, Texas is at. If you don’t know where Waco is, it is 1.5 hours northeast of Austin and that’s where we went for the day.
I’m a huge fan of the show and I’ve been dying to go ever since we moved to Texas. Zach on the other hand was not as thrilled as I was until I told him they had flea markets and video game stores.
It piqued his interest and he agreed to go. I know him well enough now that the key to his heart is through vintage video games and through his stomach. It’s a big irony that I work for a game company.
I didn’t know much about Waco, TX except for the show Fixer-Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines. After watching the show for so many seasons, I knew I wanted to visit the town. They just seem like the family next door you’d receive an apple pie when you move in the neighborhood.
The drive to Waco from Austin was only about 1.5 hours drive and it was a pleasant scenic drive. We passed by towns we’ve considered living at like Pflugerville, Round Rock, Georgetown, and Leander and we can’t wait to check them out later this year.
We left the apartment an hour later than our ambitious goal of leaving at 7:00 AM. We slept in and that was okay since we didn’t have to be there at a specific time.
Here was our list of places to visit for the day.
- Treasure Flea Market/Games Shops
- Brazo Park East
- Mammoth Dig Site
- Dr. Pepper Museum
- Magnolia Market at the Silos
Our first stop was Treasure City Flea Market to find some video games. The flea market had a lot of stalls but not all were occupied probably because it was a little chili and COVID. The stalls had a variety of products such as fruit/vegetables, DVDs, clothes, tools, and random stuff you find at any flea market.
Zach roamed around the maze of stalls as I followed behind. He zipped through the stalls quickly looking for vintage video games but unfortunately, he didn’t find any. We’ll call this one a bust but nonetheless, this is a good place to visit if you like hunting for treasures.
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The flea market was a bust but Zach found a ton of games at Game X Change and FX Video Game Exchange. You can find his findings on his Youtube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/dakinggamer.
The game stores had a wide selection of games that he wanted and I was happy to see the joy on his face as he browsed each aisle as I do at grocery stores.
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On our way to the mammoth dig site, we saw this gorgeous backdrop of white rocks along the river so we had to stop. The Brazo River East Park is a park along the Brazo River where you can go fishing, canoeing, and boating on the river, play horseshoe, and play disc golf. It was a good stop to admire the relaxing calm water and watch boats go by and see freebies fly by on land.
Next, we headed to the Mammoth Dig Site to check out real-life remains of Mammoths. These creatures are massive and it was quite impressive to see their remains. This site was a bit sad as the scientist believe the family of Mammoths was drinking water when suddenly a flash flood happened where they got caught and died. It was a tragic event but appreciate the preservation of these bones for generations to remember and learn.
The dig site is small but educational and we were able to check out the dig site in less than 20 minutes for $5.00.
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The next must-see in Waco is the Dr. Pepper Museum, a non-profit organization full of fun history with a sweet ending. As we entered the museum we learned about the history of mineral water and how it was used for medical purposes to cure diseases. Mineral water was very popular to drink and bathe in.
Next, we learned about the history of Dr. Pepper and how it was developed by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist who invented the drink as a hobby and served it to guests. It evolved over time to other flavors and it was interesting to see all the popular flavors and the rejects. There were some inventions that I liked such as the Orbitz but the bubbles were not so popular and discontinued the drink a year later.
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The best part about the Dr. Museum is redeeming your voucher for a Dr. Pepper drink and upgrading it to a Dr. Pepper float.
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- The City of Waco
- Dr. Pepper Museum
- Waco Mammoth National Monument
- Brazos Park East
- Magnolia Market at the Silos
- Treasure City Flea Market
- FX Video Game Exchange
- Game X Change
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