Small-town escape

This charming Central Texas town offers the ultimate weekend escape

Those who think Waco is only a college town Texans use as a pit stop between Dallas and Austin have seriously underestimated this gem. From one of the country's largest city parks to hip watering holes and top-notch dining and shopping (there's more than just Chip and JoJo's Magnolia Market home store), this town is more than worthy of a weekend getaway.

So, fill up the gas tank and make room in the trunk for all the treasures you'll be bringing back.

Stay
Wacotown has all your usual suspects of centrally located hotels. But for a town now known for home renovations, home rentals on Airbnb and HomeAway will put you in the right frame of mind for a weekend away from the real world.

Explore
At 416 acres, Cameron Park is one of the largest city parks in the U.S. Work up a sweat at Emmons Cliff, take a leisurely stroll around Lovers Leap, or pack a picnic to eat at Circle Point. Rent a kayak at one of several rental companies and spend an afternoon floating through the Brazos River. After a day outside, catch a flick at the historic dine-in theater Waco Hippodrome that first opened in 1914.

For a comprehensive tour of this small town, Waco Tours highlights the town history, Baylor University, beautiful homes, and winding roads all from the window of a tour van driven by a local guide. History buffs should view a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths from a suspended bridge at the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

Shop
If you only know one attraction in Waco, it’s probably Chip and Joanna Gaines’ home decor haven Magnolia Market at the Silos. Mitigate the crowds by arriving early. Spice Village has a collection of shops with home decor, stationery, fashion, and gifts in a 10-minute walk from the Silos. Chip and Jo’s friend Clint Harp has his woodworking studio-turned-storefront called Harp Design Co.

Dine
Steps away from Spice, grab lunch at the food trucks on Franklin Avenue and University Parks Drive. The brunch food at Mad Hasher Waco will help you carb load for all your exploring. The Grape is a modest little bistro with a hefty wine list and daily changing menu. Bangkok Royal, Baris, and 1424 Bistro please guests and locals alike.

Drink
Common Grounds is a coffee shop turned concert venue. Sip on a No Bull from the Cowboy Menu while listening to a some local musicians. The Backyardhas a calendar full of well-known and local country artists with bar games, bar food, and (of course) a full bar. For a quieter vibe, Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits offers, as the name suggests, caffeine and alcohol. Sit on the roof for a sweet view of the city. Wine connoisseurs will find tasty vino sourced from family-owned growers and plenty of Instagram-worthy photos at Wine Shoppe.

Waco offers a mix of shopping, dining, the great outdoors, and more.

Magnolia Market at the Silos/Facebook

Waco offers a mix of shopping, dining, the great outdoors, and more.

texas wine museums

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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