Waco, TX

FRI., MAY 20, 2022 thru WED., MAY 25, 2022

Friday morning we said our goodbyes to (brother) Andy & Linda. Always sad to say goodbye, but we’ll be seeing them in less than a month in Ruidoso NM so no tears were shed. Thanks to Linda’s suggestion, we traveled 70 miles north on scenic TX 317, which was much more enjoyable than I-35. We traveled through small towns and ranches to arrive at Airport Park (a Corp of Engineer park) in Waco, TX. First time here. We’ve got a campsite with a killer view. By Sunday the temps may be cool enough that we can actually sit outside and enjoy it!

Saturday, May 21st, was hot! We had a quiet day of doing odds & ends. It was VERY stormy earlier in the evening. Torrential rain, thunder, lightning and winds registering 44.5 mph according to our weather station. Our tiny home was rocking big time. Second to worst weather we’ve experienced in 2 1/2 years of full time RVing. Before things got really bad, Gary and I were both outside watching the storm come in, and we could see Joe doing the same thing outside his tiny home. Cheryl was hiding inside like a smart person. The lightning was something to see, although exceedingly difficult to catch via camera. I focused on getting pics of the beautiful sunset instead.

Cooler temps prevailed on Sunday, May 22nd, after our Saturday night storms. We took advantage of it and visited Waco Mammoth National Monument with Cheryl & Joe. In 1978 two men stumbled upon a bone in a ravine near the Bosque River. It turned out to be home to the nation’s only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths. Fossils are “in situ” or “in situation.” They are left intact in the river bed. Now housed in a temperature controlled building. Columbian Mammoths were one of the largest land animals that ever lived. They got to 14 ft tall and weighed in at 20,000 lbs. Seeing this reminded me of the Clan of the Cave Bear book series by Jean Auel. that I read years ago. One of the books was The Mammoth Hunters. An interesting visit to a unique National Monument. 

In the afternoon we road bikes for 6 miles on the Waco Lake Hike & Bike Trail that runs across the Lake Waco Dam. Nice views! Lake Waco has 60 miles of shoreline. Cheryl had a flat tire on her bike that needed repair so she made lemonade out of lemons and sat in the shade and read. In the evening we all enjoyed a campfire, since the temps were actually cool. We were listening to ‘70s music feeling thankful we are living this life and enjoying all its wonder.

On Monday, May 23rd, we all headed into downtown Waco to visit the historic Waco Suspension Bridge (1870). Cattle drives crossed the bridge at one time. Now marked by a larger-than-life sculpture of 13+ steers and several cowboys on horseback. Amazing. We also walked along a small part of the 7-mile Riverwalk which follows the Brazos River. Lovely spot! No tourists to be found downtown. They were all at our next stop “Magnolia Market at the Silos,” HGTV’s Chip & Joanna Gaines brainchild. There’s 2 historic (1950) landmark 120’ silos. There’s a 12,000 sq ft retail store located in a historic grain barn. (Reminded me of a giant Pottery Barn.) In addition there’s a really expensive furniture store, an historic church that was moved to the area, 9 food trucks, a bakery, and several large play areas for kids with lawn games, ball fields, fake grass and lots of picnic tables with shade. It’s lovely but very Disney-esque in that fake-perfect-world-kind-of-way. But we did manage to buy lunch and smoothies off the food trucks and a few over priced items from the bakery to take home. Afterwards we headed back to our tiny homes and got a campfire going, but we were watching very dark clouds and some thunder and lightning in the distance. Not exactly a relaxing campfire for Cheryl & I. 

On Tuesday, May 24th, we did more exploring of Waco. First was a stop at the Doris Miller Memorial. Mr. Miller was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross for bravery during WWII. We first learned of Doris (born & raised in Waco) at the National WWII Museum in NOLA. Love how all this history tends to come back around and form a circle of knowledge. Doris Miller served in the mess hall of the USS West Virginia. During Pearl Harbor he helped pull the ship’s mortally wounded captain to safety. He then, having never been trained, started using heavy artillery to fire at the attaching planes. The memorial seemed fitting based on such heroic deeds. 

Next we visited the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum at Baylor University. It is devoted to the lives and works of Robert & Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The Armstrongs secured the funding for the library and tracked down many of the one-of-a-kind items inside. The Italian Renaissance building is a thing of beauty. There are 62 stained glass windows, the largest collection of nonreligious stained glass windows in the world. Many of the stained glass windows depict scenes from the Browning’s poetry. The BBC ranked it as one of the 5 most beautiful college libraries in the U.S. The building is absolutely gorgeous. 

While there we heard piano music coming from the large Meditation Room. We wandered over and saw a young woman playing the piano. We sat in awe and listened. She was amazing. We teared up. Joe recognized the piece as a Rachmaninoff Concerto. No sheet music. She was playing from memory. After she finished playing, we clapped and went to chat with her. Adriana is homeschooled and a junior in high school. She comes from a long line of musicians. Her grandfather was a composer and her Great Aunt was a child prodigy. Obviously talent runs deep in this family. At our prompting, she played another piece by her grandfather. We all felt privileged to witness her playing. Joe took it upon himself to send an email to the Director of Admissions at Baylor lauding Adriana’s talent. She wanted to apply next year but not to the music department because she said “I’m not good enough.” We beg to differ. Joe got an email back from the Admissions Director who said he would watch out for her. Guardian Angel Joe could alter this girl’s future in a very positive way!

It’s these unexpected gems that makes this traveling lifestyle so rewarding. Gary captured a small portion of her performance on video and the remarkable space she was playing in.

While at the museum, it was suggested by a staff member that we visit Homestead Heritage and Homestead Craft Village on the outskirts of Waco. We drove over and spent several hours exploring. It’s an “agrarian and craft based intentional Christian community.” Very much like a modern day Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts complete with artists at work in their workshops producing pottery, fiber arts, blacksmithing, woodworking, a gristmill and a cafe where we had a fabulous lunch. On the property there is a historic 200-year-old barn that was disassembled and transported from New Jersey and put back together that now houses hundreds of craft items. Another very special day with special friends.

Tuesday night severe thunderstorms were predicted. After dinner it was still calm so Gary & I sat outside for awhile until those threatening clouds and increased wind brought us in. Shortly after we came inside wind gusts reached a high of 57 mph. That’s the most we’ve experienced in our tiny home! Wow! I put a bike helmet on my head briefly. Got to protect the melon if things go to hell in a hand basket quickly. lol. Gary had his helmet nearby but didn’t put it on. Thankfully the really high winds didn’t last too long and while we had intermittent thunder, lightning, and heavy rain thru the evening, it wasn’t too bad. 

Wednesday was a chore day with errands and some cleaning, but we all did manage to get in a bike ride around the campground. We were so glad we did. We were privileged to see the smallest fawn we’ve ever seen with her Momma. These unexpected moments are the best! 

Gary edited together a few of my video clips with the doe and her fawn. I particularly like when the fawn is crossing the water…