I got the chance to travel out to Waco, Texas and like any of my travels, I like to take some time to explore the historic areas around that others may not otherwise notice. It’s kind of that nostalgia of a road trip that gets me every time. You know I love visiting and supporting these little town squares and these two are no exception.
Heirloomed Travel : McGregor and Lorena, TX
Sometimes when there isn’t too much going on in a little town it can feel completely abandoned at times and it forces you to explore beyond the main strip you’d normally get sucked into and that was certainly the case in McGregor + Lorena, Texas.
I created a little Small Town Checklist that you can download and print for your next trip – CLICK HERE.
McGregor, Texas
The town of McGregor was on our roadmap because the Magnolia Inn is located here so I thought it would be fun to check out having watched that episode of Fixer Upper. It’s about a 30 minute ride from Waco with not much between except fields and rows of corn, a pleasant drive.
There was an old theatre that was since abandoned right in the downtown strip, along with a few businesses, shops, a library and a restaurant or two in town. The population of the town sits right around 5,000.
We wandered beyond the main drag to find a darling little train station that seemed fitting for a movie, the Magnolia Inn we can searching for, and quite a few beautiful historic homes too. McGregor is also home to a SpaceX facility which we didn’t venture to but I’m always interested in what Elon has going on.
And, of course I spotted a few historic homes that I couldn’t resist.
Lorena, Texas
We happened upon Lorena taking the backroads from our trip to McGregor back to Waco. We had struck out on a few of the towns along the way that never amounted to anything really (I like to take the long way around …) but this one was just too cute to ignore.
We got sucked in first by a few historic homes on the way into town from the highway, each felt very farmhouse and unique in it’s own way. We then stumbled upon Lorena United Methodist Church that seemed the perfect place for a sweet movie-like wedding ceremony.
The downtown in Lorena (isn’t there a country song about it? I can’t put my finger on it …) was very tiny in comparison to McGregor but seemed to be more filled with two really cute shops and a restaurant or two. The railroad again sat on the edge of town with the water tower rising above it in the background. A vintage truck drove by while we stopped to check out the downtown and it just seemed perfectly fitting.
Hope you’ll add these to your travels if you’re road-tripping it through Texas between Dallas and Austin. Love to know what small towns you love to explore! #HEIRLOOMEDTRAVEL
heirloomed is a lifestyle brand with a mission of “keeping heirlooms around for another generation.” Our blog features stories about family recipes, creating traditions with your family, interior design and entertaining by mixing new and vintage pieces, classic style, and small town + historic travel. Our shop features a collection of “goods inspired by the past, for generations to enjoy” with an array of products and meaningful gifts including linen aprons, tabletop linens, art, ceramics and beyond. Learn more at www.heirloomedcollection.com.
