Day 2 – Waco, Old Friends and More Meat

After a solid 12 hours of sleep and finally getting rid of the sandpaper feeling in our eyes, we woke up feeling almost human again.

Well, some of us did.

Mikey and Liddy decided to spend an hour in the gym doing healthy and productive things. Ro and Al spent an hour in the breakfast room conducting important research into waffles, bacon and unlimited coffee. Everyone has their priorities.

With breakfast complete, we pointed the chariot south and headed for Waco, about an hour and a half from Dallas.

Most people know Waco from the famous Magnolia empire created by Chip and Joanna Gaines, which has transformed the city into one of Texas’s biggest tourist destinations. The city sits on the Brazos River and was once a major stop for cattle drives moving through Texas. These days, it’s a thriving university town and home to Baylor University, one of the oldest universities in the state.

The real reason for our visit, however, wasn’t sightseeing.

We were catching up with friends we met last year on a cooking tour through Sicily. Andre & Delwyn, from New Zealand, Carla & Linda, from Austin Texas, happened to be around at exactly the same time as us, so we arranged to meet in Waco for lunch.

It’s funny how travel works. One year you’re making pasta together in a tiny Sicilian village, and the next you’re sitting in the middle of Texas eating barbecue.

Lunch was at the famous Terry Black’s Barbecue. By now we’re beginning to understand that Texans don’t really do small portions. Brisket, ribs and sausage once again made an appearance, and while we promised ourselves we’d show some restraint after Day 1, those promises didn’t last long.

The food was outstanding, the company was even better, and before we knew it several hours had disappeared in stories, laughs and catching up on what everyone had been doing since Sicily.

Eventually it was time to head back towards Dallas.

After arriving at the hotel, a quick dip in the pool was required to wash off the Texas heat and enough sweat to fill a small reservoir. Temperatures were again hovering in the low 30s, with humidity determined to remind us we weren’t back home.

Refreshed and ready for Round Two, we headed out to Lane’s Oak’d BBQ in Addison for dinner.

Yes, barbecue again.

No, we’re not sick of it.

Well Ro is!

After dinner we wandered over to the Tipsy Oak for a few drinks and a chance to rest our rapidly expanding waistlines. A couple of cold beers, some good conversation and a comfortable chair were exactly what was required after another day on the road.

On the drive we passed through Arlington, which is preparing to play a major role in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, will host nine matches during the tournament, more than any other venue in the United States. The stadium holds around 80,000 spectators for football and can accommodate even more for major international events.

In a few weeks’ time, fans from all over the world will be descending on Arlington, but for now it was mostly Texans going about their business.

By the time we rolled back into the hotel around 10:30pm, the combination of barbecue, beer, heat and kilometres travelled was beginning to catch up with us.

Tomorrow would bring another day, another destination and, most likely, another ridiculous amount of smoked meat.

The Barbecue Road Tour rolls on to Oklahoma. See you tomorrow. 👋