Wild West Walking or Wriding Waco Weekend

We have always thought of Waco as a fast food stop on I-35 on our way to or from Dallas or Austin. We knew it was home to the Branch Dividians, Baylor University, and President Bush's Ranch, but when we spent a weekend in Waco we found it was much more than a local gas and fast food stop. So here are Texas Outside's ideas for a fun and Wild Waco Weekend.

Load up the bikes or walking/jogging/hiking shoes and head to Waco - you're going to help lower our dependence on oil and save some gas money by parking the car and enjoying Waco by bike or walking all weekend - quite gripping, walking and riding is good for you, so get with it!

Here's the plan for Friday:

• before you check in, stop and have a good dinner and occasional music, sitting on the deck of Dock's River Front restaurant (254-714-2993) overlooking the Brazos River
• check into the Marriott Courtyard or the Hilton in downtown Waco
• cross the street from the Hilton and get ready for some good times
  • try Crickets Grill and Drafthouse for pool, darts, shuffleboard, video game, and hundreds of different draft beers

Get up! It's Saturday, a beautiful day and there is lots more to do. Grab a cup of coffee or breakfast and lets get going. After all that partying, its time to get some exercise to clear the head and loose some calories - so put on the shoes of choice or jump on the bike and:

• head to Cameron Park (map of the Park) and enjoy it's 400 acres of dense foliage, high overlooks, river bottoms, lush vegetation, towering limestone cliffs for:

  • riding on nearly 20 miles of renowned mountain biking trails (all named and marked for difficulty) which are a natural maze that showcases the local ecosystems and suites the kids or beginners and challenges the mountain bike extremists
  • hiking or jogging any of the trails within the park or along the river
• after a good ride, cool off on a hot day in one of the Park's water spouts
• look for a pickup game of horseshoes or disc golf in the park
• when you're done with the park, bike/walk a little further to Cameron Park Zoo - an outstanding 52 acre zoo with winding paths that lead to very well done exhibit

Saturday night try dinner at Buzzard Billies (burgers, pasta, steak, or Cajun seafood) or Ninfas for good Mexican - both are across the street from the Hilton. After a good diner, it's time for more of the same fun you had on Friday night or you can bike/walk over to Waco Hippodrome or the Baylor University Theatre for a little culture before you hit the clubs.

If you still have some energy and want to keep going on Sunday, then rent a canoe or kayak and explore the Brazos or Bosque River, ride the trails again, or play disc golf, horseshoes, or fish at Cameron Park. If you need to slow down a little, then take an easy bike or walk over to:

• Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum, Texas Sports Hall of Fame,and Mayborn Museum Complex - you can all three in a morning or afternoon
• bike around the Baylor campus
• Dr Pepper Museum
• tour the historical houses

Have fun. You can learn more about Waco by going to the Discover Texas Section of Texas Outside and just click here.