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Waco Texas did not disappoint.

There is a National Park built around an archeological dig site for the Mammoth. When I was planning our trip, I found the link in my search. I clicked on it expecting a tourist trap. It was nothing like I had imagined. There were actual mammoth fossils! The dig is protected by a structure built over top. The only things touching the ground are the outside walls. The walkway inside is suspended from the ceiling, creating no disruption to the site.

The remains of the Mammoths are preserved in the soil, partially exposed from tedious work. The discovery is fascinating. I took a lot of pictures. While I don’t believe in the scientific timeline based on billions of years, I cannot dispute their existence. Their size is spectacular. The tusks, trunks, and vertebrae all in full view. Using my imagination, I can visualize them walking about. I wonder what they were doing when they very quickly lost their lives. Maybe foraging or even resting from travel. One theory is they were overtaken by a flash flood. I have my own theory, and it doesn’t take 165 million years.

The discovery was made by someone with a connection to Baylor University. All the documented findings lead us to present day- National Park status. It is a site worth seeing. If you haven’t done so, you need to.

Of course, in Waco, we visited Magnolia Market, the Silos, and Magnolia Table. It is everything I thought it would be. The story behind Chip and Joanna Gaines history is a good one. You can read it in their book The Magnolia Story. When visiting, I really got the feel for the hard work and thought put into every single aspect of the space. It is a place to come for shopping, hanging out, eating lunch or grabbing a sweet treat. There is a garden shop- Magnolia Seed. There is also a large area for just relaxing and spending time together.

The main shop is large with plenty of room to move, as busy as it was. There are so many things to look at and an equal number of things to dream about. We spent a good portion of the afternoon there, shopping and topping it off with a cupcake from the bakery. Lavender Lemon- delicious!

We had a great time at Magnolia and will likely return sometime in the future. It was a good experience for us. We do a lot of projects together, so it was nice to see another couple who dream big and their results in person.

We drove around the city for a bit before checking into our hotel. It was the 4^th day of our vacation and we needed the rest. John had already driven from Ohio to Texas by himself- so he was worn out. I just wanted to stretch my legs. We ended up at the Waco Suspension Bridge.  The history behind it is awesome. It was a nice place to stretch and relax for a few minutes before getting back in the car.

I will leave it here with some photos of our trip. Sometimes pictures speak louder than words.