The Waco Way

Sunday, March 02, 2008
This weekend I headed to Waco with my friend Kelly to see a play one of her friend's was directing. A trip to my alma mater? Count me there! Since I've started this blog, I don't think I've documented this much traveled road South down 35....and so...a few of the highlights for all of you who traveled it with me for so many years....or didn't, here is my Baylor-Road Traveling Experiences:
I have it down to a science, I know where you will at 15 minute intervals (it takes about 2 hours total with weekend traffic). You know you are exactly 45 minutes outside of Waco when you pass 'The Catapillars'....I don't know what this really is, it's a bunch of dome houses along the road where people live, but to me, it's how I timed this road trip back and forth from college and home for 3.5 years.

...travel another 30 minutes down the road (going past the Hillsboro Outlet Centers which is the 15 minute interval between the two) and you will hit a little town called West, Texas. My car broke down here once, but that is only bad experience I have had. This stop is better known at the 'Czech Stop.' There is a festival there in the fall, but really-it's all about a bakery full of kolaches. There are a lot of signs that claim to have good kolaches, but the Shell station is where you are supposed to stop. I didn't capture all the cars, it was PACKED. We parked across the street today and waited in a winding line for about thirty minutes to get our box to go. They serve fruit kolaches, but my favorite is the sausage and cheese. If you haven't been-erase all the ideas of what you think a kolache is, because these are different....


And then-there is Baylor. You can see it from the highway. My very favorite building (and there are a lot of pretty ones) is Patt Neff. When Baylor wins a football game they light it up in green, and the chimes play from the bell tower nearby. This is rare, but there were a few good wins while I was there! We beat UT my freshmen year (just 1.5 hours down the same highway),the goal post came down, and was walked home along 35. The tower was lite.

No visit is complete without a stop at the bear pit. Today, one bear was sleeping in a den, I don't know where the other one was. They are cute. Sic' Em Bears!

Even with all that fun, my favorite thing in the world is coming back home, and getting my first glimpse of the Dallas skyline (even on a rainy day).

2 comments

Ella said...

ohhhhh! i miss baylor and quite surprisingly, i really miss waco, too!! what a great city, although i didn't really appreciate it while i was there. wish i could have gone with you! sic'em bears!

Charles and Heidi said...

You should ask LeeAnne about the catepillars! She took a tour one day.
Loved your trip today.
Thanks for sharing it!!
Love your blog!!!