Waco, Texas - The Unplanned Stop

Here we sit, in Waco. The stop was unplanned, seems as if the truck just decided it was tired and quit climbing hills. Now if that trailer had been on my back I would have quit four years ago. We found a campground and then a GMC dealer.

Waco had its first inkling of birth in 1837 when the Texas Rangers built Fort Fisher. They pulled out a short time later because "the location was too far beyond the limits of civilization". In early 1849 and enterprising business man laid out the first streets of Waco and sold lots for $5 apiece. I don't believe any of those lots are still available for $5......

While here, we decided to look around a bit. First stop was for lunch at the Brazos Belle Riverboat. Unfortunately the Belle was riding a little low. Waders were required dress, and we'd left ours at home.

We moved on to a steak house that bragged about the biggest steaks in town. Sharon fell off her diet and ordered the ultra super duper whole cow T-bone. This is all she left behind.

Also dropped by the McLennan County Courthouse, which was built in 1901-2. Nice looking building, especially from a tourist's point of view and not as a customer!!!

We moved on for a peek at the longest (475 feet) single span suspension bridge West of the Mississippi, at least it was when it was finished in 1870. The "toll" bridge was built by a private company that had been granted a 25 year monopoly. No other bridges or ferries were allowed to be built or operated within 5 miles up or down river. This monopoly lasted only 19 years until public outcry forced the county to buy the bridge and open it for toll-free crossings.

After the bridge was built the town began to boom and the railroads came. The bridge became the main crossing point for cattle drives on the Chisholm trail. During the cattle drive era Waco was known as Six-Shooter Junction. During the 1890's Waco became the largest inland cotton market in the world (or so claimed the town father's). Now Waco boasts a city population of about 120,000 and a metro area of more than 215,000.

Our stay was short, fortunately the truck problem was not major. Waco may be worthy of a longer visit sometime in the future. Oh yeah, Waco is the home of Dr Pepper. We did visit the Dr Pepper Museum and that will be published soon.