Texas Adventures ~ Part 1

A couple Wednesdays ago I flew from Pennsylvania to Texas for a special girls’ get away. My mother and sister from New Mexico flew in the same day and we were picked up by my Fort Worth sister.

The next day we just kind of hung out and enjoyed each other’s company. Then Friday came. But before I tell you about our Epic Friday (as it’s come to be known in certain circles), let me give you a little back story.

A few months ago my Texas nephews and I had a Facebook argument conversation about barbecue. They said Texas has the best barbecue and I said Texas isn’t the only barbecue in town and I’m really not sure how it all went down. I tried to find the thread but there have been a lot of status updates since then. Anyhow, they decided we would have to make a trip down to Driftwood, just outside of Austin, so they could take me to the original Salt Lick.

Turns out Waco is on the way to Austin and, as it happens, Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s Fixer Upper just opened a store in Waco and the grand opening was… wait for it… Friday! Not only that, but West is right before you get to Waco. West is famous for their kolaches – delicious Czechoslovakian pastries – and the boys had plotted our course with stops in West and Waco.

So Friday morning came and seven intrepid adventurers set out in two cars.

Friday morning, October 30th.

Do you watch the news?

Did you hear about the weather in Texas on Friday, October 30th?

Here are just a few of the headlines:

“Deadly Floods, Possible Tornadoes Strike Texas as Storms Sweep Through”

” Flipped trucks, widespread damage in south Austin, Texas, after rainstorms, flooding”

” Flash flood warnings continue in South Texas, with rainfall totals over 1 foot”

You get the idea. The weather was bad. But since we were foolish intrepid we went anyway.

So we drove through the pouring rain and sighed our relief when we made it to Slovecek’s in West. Slovecek’s is a gas station with a meat market, bakery, gift shop, and beer cave, among other things. It also has the nicest public bathrooms I’ve ever been in. Which was rather convenient due to the quick stop at Starbuck’s on our way out of Fort Worth. Here we indulged in Klobasnek, Czechoslovakian meat pastries, for breakfast.

Once sated, we returned to the cars and continued on to Waco for the grand opening of Magnolia Market. The rain had lightened significantly and we thought maybe it was passing.

We were wrong and not a one of us was willing to stand in the rainy line. Especially because I think there were two umbrellas between all seven of us.

So my car pulled up to the curb and I jumped out, hiding my camera in my rain jacket, and snapped a couple of shots. We never did see Chip or Joanna. Waco was a bust.

Finally we were on our way to Austin and the real reason for our road trip…

Coming up: Disturbing weather reports, delicious food, huge gas stations and more rain. Much more rain.