Recently, when we have been visiting cities, we have opted to leave Daisy at the camper, since there are frequently not many places where dogs are allowed. It is especially challenging if we are running errands or hoping to go see a particular attraction. However, when we started planning our day trip to Waco, Texas, we realized that the places we wanted to visit were incredibly dog-friendly, so we were ecstatic to be able to bring her along.
Even though I needed to stop a JoAnn Fabrics, which is not dog friendly, Will wanted to pick up a few things next door at Cabela’s, which is very welcoming to our furry friends. Just walking in the store, we could tell Daisy was excited to be out on such a unique adventure.
Our second, and my most anticipated stop, was to Magnolia. When we had TV and I regularly watched HGTV, I was never a huge fan of Chip and Joanna Gaines, but I am thoroughly impressed with the empire they have built. We certainly do not have room to deck our halls with all things Magnolia but going and experiencing this one-of-a-kind destination was something I was truly looking forward to.
The entire experience from the moment you step foot onto the property is meticulously crafted. From the clean white buildings with black trim to the Astroturf lawns throughout, they have created an environment that will always look clean and put together and exactly as they intend. While we enjoyed the experience, it truly felt as planned and well executed as a walk through anything Disney…but geared toward the upper class Southern woman.
It is also set up in a way that clearly encourages spending money, because people were walking around with armloads of shopping bags.
While we did not partake in many of the shopping opportunities, we thoroughly enjoyed the food options and the people watching. There are several local food trucks to choose from along with a café, coffee shop, and restaurant. The food trucks all looked amazing, so we opted for the shortest line and enjoyed some pulled pork and brisket. We also had to try the tea from Alabama Sweet Tea, and although pricey, it did not disappoint (pro tip: refills are $2, so instead of buying us each our own for $9/each, we shared one and got a refill before we left, saving us some $$…you get to keep the mason jar regardless).
The most surprising thing about our visit, though, was that it is very dog friendly. They do ask that dogs stay off of the Astroturf (we did not initially see the signs for this, but the security guard was the absolute nicest guy and was very kind in asking us to keep Daisy moving). We saw quite a few dogs out and about, and Daisy loved just hanging out and people watching as much as we did.
Even though we only made a couple of stops, we were pleasantly surprised that the places that we wanted to go were so accommodating to Daisy being with us and enjoying the day. I cannot say we will rush back to Magnolia, but it was a unique and overall enjoyable experience.
Nurturing Adventure 