Waco, Texas?

I am a huge "Fixer Upper" fan. This summer we are looking for a little low key getaway. I would love to go to Waco, Texas to visit the silos that have been made famous by my favorite TV series. However, the things I would like to do will hardly be considered a "vacation" for my teen boys.

What other things are there to do in Waco? I know there is the Dr. Pepper Museum, and Baylor University. What about BSR cable park? I know my boys would love it, but looking at pictures online the water looks....not so inviting! Is the water at the cable park, specifically in the lazy river, clear? We have been tubing near San Antonio and the water there was crystal clear. The pics I have seen of the cable park lazy river look kinda green. Anyone been who can better describe the water conditions?

Any other suggestions for things for teen boys to do in Waco, Texas and surrounding areas welcome! Also suggestions on places to stay, eat and other things to do for the whole family would be appreciated! Thanks!

The Texas Rangers (The police force not the baseball team) Hall of Fame and Museum is in Waco. Other than that not much.


The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is only about a 1.5 hours by car. Lots of stuff to do there.

The spring-fed rivers near San Antonio, New Braunfels and San Marcos are a whole different situation than Cable Park in Waco. Cable Park is entirely man made and the reason the water is green is because they add the color to mask what would be brown colored water otherwise (most creeks, ponds and lakes in Texas have brown-colored water due to the soil content). I'm sure that the park still has to meet certain guidelines for water quality otherwise people would not be allowed to swim in it. If you want more of the clear, spring-fed waters that you enjoyed before, there are plenty of swimming holes near Austin that you could visit on the way to and from Waco.

As far as Waco, it looks a lot more interesting on Fixer Upper than it is in real life! It's interesting to see the Baylor campus and the Dr. Pepper Museum is fun for about an hour's worth of time. The Mammoth National Monument is very cool--maybe your boys would enjoy that? There's also a zoo in Cameron Park, but we've never been there (not a big fan of zoos). Waco is a typical large Texas city--some nice neighborhoods, shopping and parks, but also it's share of run-down areas.

Again, if you included Austin in your itinerary, you would have more activities to choose from. We really like the Bullock Texas State History Museum near the capitol. And the LBJ Presidential Library is pretty impressive (one of three presidential libraries in Texas, and we've seen them all!) There's Barton Springs to cool off in and you can also tour the Circuit of the Americas racetrack, if your guys are into that.

My husband and I are big Fixer Upper fans and have also looked into visiting Magnolia Market. But having been to Waco in the past, we have held off, knowing that there's not a whole lot else there that would interest us, especially in the summer when it's so hot. Maybe we'll combine it with a weekend in Austin in the fall.

Thanks! We may pick a different location. Guess I'll save Waco for an adult only weekend at a cooler time of year. I had done some research and hadn't found much to do for the teen set, but thought perhaps I was just missing something. Guess not! LOL.

I have to laugh in agreement with you, being a "Fixer Upper" fan and wanting to see Waco. We drive through there regularly (about once a month) en route to see our DGDs, and both DH and I get all giddy when we see the silos. We kind of perk up, wondering if we'll see Chip and Joanna.

You could plan a vacation in the Dallas Forth Worth area with a day trip to Waco. I am not sure what your boys are interested in, but there is a lot to do in the DFW area.

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Originally Posted by Cinderelley

You could plan a vacation in the Dallas Forth Worth area with a day trip to Waco. I am not sure what your boys are interested in, but there is a lot to do in the DFW area.

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We have been to the Dallas\Grapevine area many, many times. When the kids were younger they adored Great Wolf Lodge, and we still really love Gaylord. I suppose DH and I will plan a weekend to Waco at another time. Seems too hot there for a summer trip anyway.

We have, instead, decided to head to Universal again this summer. Just can't beat Universal's military discounts and there isn't another place we get more bang for our buck!

Not going to ride the new Joker ride at Six Flags? :P