Day 1: Waco

I don’t think I’m quite ready to talk about the rest of our preparations for this trip. The two days leading up to our departure were rough for a variety of reasons and the threat of a major hurricane didn’t help. Maybe in a day or so I can recount Sunday and Monday, but for now, we are skipping right to Tuesday and our day spent in Waco, Texas.

We are staying at Lake Waco RV Park. The park is sufficient. I don’t really have much to compare it to. The spots seem pretty close together, but the lake is pretty and it’s not too bad getting in to downtown Waco. Let me pause here. It’s unbelievable to me that Waco is a tourist destination. I was born in Waco and while I don’t remember the 18 months I spent here, I remember my parents, specifically my mom, talking about how there was nothing other than Baylor in Waco.  Now people drive from all over, even other states, to visit the Magnolia Silos in Waco and for a chance to glimpse Chip and Joanna! Have you seen that meme about cauliflower? It goes something like, “If cauliflower can be pizza, you can be anything.” I think Waco is the municipal equivalent of cauliflower. If Waco can be a tourist destination, you can be anything.

In our rush to leave Sugar Land, Maisie, our dog, wasn’t able to be groomed on her normal day, and she needed a haircut in the worst way. I don’t think she could even see where she was going. While Jordan worked from the RV, the kids and I set out for our first destination – Petsmart! Funny enough, this turned out to be one of their favorite stops of the day. They marveled over the scorpions and tarantulas for sale. I had to drag them out of the store so we could hit up the Dr. Pepper museum. I heard Lucy say to Hudson as we left, “it’s soooo nice being in stores again!” Yes, we had our masks on.

The Dr Pepper museum was well done, but my kids just wanted the free Dr. Pepper you get with your price of admission so while I was trying to read about the history of Dr Pepper all I heard was “WHEN are we going to get our Dr Pepper??” I honestly should have just taken them straight to the soda fountain and bought them a Dr Pepper. I might suggest to the museum that they offer the DP either before or after your visit. I think my kids would have paid more attention if they weren’t just trying to get to the end for the 10 free ounces. They did really enjoy the Make Your Own Soda exhibit though. The sodas were… sweet. If you ever make your own soda, I would suggest not putting dark chocolate, vanilla and rose in one bottle.

In the car, after we left the museum, the kids devised a plan to start their own Soda Shop. They were going to call it Four Man Sodas and each family member had to contribute a signature flavor. It was only going to be open on the weekends and one day during the week. Hudson estimated they could make $300 their first year, but backed out of the venture when he realized he had to supply start up funds and split the profits with Lucy. I will give him credit though that before he dissolved their verbal contract he argued some of the profits should go to charity. These are steps in the right direction for him. For those that don’t know Hudson, he has been adamant in the past he never wants to get married because he isn’t interested in sharing his stuff or splitting his money with his wife so he can have a big house and sports cars. I haven’t yet told him that sometimes I, too, have this fantasy. (That was a joke. Most days.)

After a quick stop by Target, a meltdown over a $50 toy I refused to buy, and picking up the freshly groomed dog, we made our way back to the RV park. I mandated quiet time for everyone. After a late night the night before (yep, still not quite ready to recount getting here yet), we needed some rest.

The only person who needed a haircut more than our dog, was Jordan. I had scheduled an appointment for him at a salon I found near the Silos. So after our quiet time, we headed back into Waco. While Jordan got his haircut the kids and I walked over to see what the deal with the silos were. This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t really get it. I mean, it looks awesome and maybe my lack of enthusiasm comes from the fact that they are doing construction, but… I can’t imagine making a trip to just go there. Someone tell me what I’m missing. Did I not see it all? Aren’t all these items for sale at their online store, too? Maybe I need to go without children? We LOVED the Silo Bakery though. We stopped by at 4:15 right before they closed and were able to snag cupcakes for dessert after dinner. I would have loved to been able to eat at Magnolia Table, but they were booked solid.

I “cooked” my first dinner in the RV tonight. Does it count as cooking if you just use an instant pot? If so, I cooked. I’m a little worried about how to plan meals over the next 8 weeks, but I figure I’ll learn as we go. That’s kind of how we are doing everything!

The only real drawbacks from today were that I rolled down the truck’s back passenger window to holler at Jordan while I was backing up and it will not roll back up. So, I’m taking the truck in tomorrow morning with two kids who are going to be less than thrilled to sit at a mechanic’s shop. I’m going to bring card games in hopes of keeping them entertained. Also, our shower wasn’t draining properly. We thought there was a clog. Turns out our gray water tanks (run off from bathroom sink, shower, and kitchen sink) were already full. I’m glad that was all it was, but also…what a wake up call – we use a lot of water!

We’ve met several families who evacuated to Waco from the hurricane.  I saw a poignant post about how families in New Orleans mark life “before and after Katrina” and that families affected by Laura will most likely do the same. I do believe that prayers in these situations are helpful, but I also know actions that directly impact your neighbor are vital in helping communities rebuild. If you can, donate to the Red Cross who is already in affected areas.

Until next time…

Sarah