Along the Garden Path: Bucket list – Fixer Upper!

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We enjoyed a trip this fall when Donn and I decided to travel for a couple of weeks to destinations we have had on a “Bucket List.”

With beautiful October weather, we traveled to Waco, Texas — home of Baylor University — to visit Magnolia Market, owned by HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines. “Fixer Upper” is an American reality television show based in Waco, Texas and I enjoy watching the series to see how Chip and Joanna work with clients on buying and remodeling homes.

The couple have been blessed with four wonderful children and have worked together to pursue their dream in opening the Silos at Magnolia Market along with other businesses. They are making a difference in the area and striving to make Waco beautiful, one home at a time. They work as a team to create a design style with skills that many of us envy.

There is a little something for everyone at the Magnolia Market, which is located in the heart of Waco. Great shopping, games, gardens, the bakery and an array of food trucks. The Silo’s Bakery is the best we have ever experienced that specializes in Joanna’s personal recipes and hand-picked favorites like “The Prize Pig” bacon and cheddar biscuit and the “Nuts & Bolts” cupcakes.

The TV episodes refer to towns around Waco such as Woodway, McGregor and Crawford areas; we checked them all out.

The Magnolia Seed and Supply shop offers gardening tools, flower growing kits for the kids, fairy garden supplies, and unique vessels to plant in. There was a nine-foot wooden tepee with hyacinth vine planted around it incorporating an area where the kids can go in and have fun.

It was great to see the large picnic area with container gardening on each table and the Market is also within walking distance of the Dr. Pepper Museum and Spice Village.

In McGregor, Texas, we saw the Magnolia House, a beautiful home redesigned by Joanna to reflect the charm of their own home with shiplap on the walls and a wrap-around porch.

This Vacation Rental is available for people to rent the entire home, not just as a single room. The Innkeepers home which was redesigned by Chip and Joanna is located beside the rental.

From watching the shows we had checked out other interests and visited Commons Grounds Coffee shop, Clint Harp Designs, Cedar Chest Antiques, Laverty Antiques, and the area of Jimmy Don Holes’ iron designs.

After Waco, we traveled through New Mexico and were able to see some of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta sites. We then proceeded on to Sedona, Arizona; this quaint-artsy town was loaded with scenery and eateries. We enjoyed a Pink Jeep tour into the country viewing the amazing rock formations we all have seen on TV and in the movies. We stayed at the Star Motel which is an older ten-unit property in downtown Sedona.

After Sedona, we headed to the Grand Canyon – what a majestic site! We did another Pink Jeep tour around the east and south rims for three hours. We had an American Indian guide that was so informative and knowledgeable about this area of our great country. The vastness of this upper desert area is beyond what we can imagine.

Starting to head back to Ohio, we stopped at the Four Corners of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. This is the only place in the USA you can touch four states at one time.

We traveled over the Rockies towards Dodge City, Kansas. After 4,487 miles of half state routes and half interstates, we returned home; a wonderful trip indeed.

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By Charlene Thornhill

Along the Garden Path

Charlene Thornhill is a volunteer citizen columnist, who serves The Daily Advocate readers weekly with her community column Along the Garden Path. She can be reached at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

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