hueco
what would you do with 48 hours in the buckle of the bible belt?
i recently had just that – two days and an opportunity to do a tornado-quick tour of the central texas city of Waco. my main purpose being to film a short ‘what to do, see, and spend your money on’–style video for my friends at stab. but after production, i decided to take my own advice and enjoy what the blossoming city had to offer beyond its past (read: cult-y) associations.
as a born-and-bred west-coaster, i wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of cultural or culinary offerings, but i was pleasantly surprised by the range of in-touch and interesting eateries and retail purveyors alike. refreshing takes on southern staple foods, melt-in-my-mouth pastries, locally-roasted coffee, and artisanal mocktails topped the list of things that weren’t on my McLennan county bingo card. and yet, there they were, standing right alongside or ‘round the corner from long-running bbq joints and gun clubs central texas is so widely known for.
when i wasn’t wiping my plate clean at milo or poring over the innumerable yet tidy stacks at fabled bookshop, I wandered the streets, taking in the midland skyline and exploring some less-frequented corners of waco’s charming downtown. in these quiet nooks, i found my own perspective of the storied city, and even bumped into some kindly locals whose rustic drawl melted the heart of this california country girl.