Texas road trip through Waco

[BSA1]

We have a new grandbaby on the way which means a road trip to San Antonio, TX. One of the routes takes us through Waco.

If I decide to fight the road construction on I-35 how long should I figure to spend visiting the Ranger Museum in Waco?

 

[X-Rap]

4hrs minimum if it's an interest to you.

 

[Sovblocgunfan]

Depending on your timing, you could also hit the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Tx. I was stunned at the depth and breadth of what the museum had to offer. Charles Goodnight is heavily featured there as well as Quanah Parker.

Surprisingly enough, they have an outstanding firearms exhibit. Including lots of dug relic firearms, period buffalo rifles and lawman stuff.

 

[jmace57]

I had my wife with me...so we did it in about 2 hours. If I'd been alone, I agree with X-Rap - 4 hours!

 

[J-Bar]

Waco is a great town. Both of my kids did their graduate work at Baylor, so we visited often. Don't rush your visit. I found the Ranger Museum almost overwhelming...so many beautiful displays, it's hard for a firearms enthusiast to absorb it all. You are also close to the Dr. Pepper Museum in downtown Waco, where you can buy the original stuff. Yeah, it tastes better! The Armstrong-Browning Library/Museum is on Baylor's campus, if you like 19th century art, furniture, and history of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. And Ninfa's Restaurant is handy for some great Tex-Mex food.

 

[Apachedriver]

Hillsboro south to Waco is great driving due to 3 lanes each way on I-35. I highly recommend you plan some alternate bypass routes as a backup for traveling the area south Waco through to Georgetown.

The major problems/accidents are occuring very regularly in the Troy to Salado part of the construction zone. I'm talking highway shutdowns (lack of shoulders) for several hours due to semi accidents and hazmat spills, especially around rush hour times but also in the pre-dawn hours. Salado's a cool little artsy town to visit but I-35 is murder with the construction right now and the village is taking a financial beating as a result.

Hwy 95 to the east works very well as a bypass. (It's your solution if you jammed once you're in the Troy/Belton zone. From Belton to Salado, on I-35, you're committed.) You can work your way back to I-35 around Holland or anywhere after the south end of Salado.

Hwy 317 to the west of Waco is a good drive too but it brings you into Belton right in the middle of the zone.

Hope it helps. Enjoy the museum. It's worth the time.

 

[shiftyer1]

I'd use the toll road if you can. I've been wanting to hit the ranger museum for years but never seem to stop when I pass thru. I think I need to make a day trip out of it.

 

[Jenrick]

Also down in San Antonio, if you haven't been yet, check out the Buckhorn Saloon. The main museum portion is a decent for a tourist trap, but the Ranger exhibit is outstanding.

-Jenrick

 

[X-Rap]

Go West of Waco on 84 and South to SA on 281, nice drive.

 

[BSA1]

Thank you for the suggests. We may decide to spend the night in Waco as the drive is about 12 hours.

We are familiar with the road construction. Our last trip through Waco was at night in the rain. We could hardly see the lane markers.

 

[Robert]

Well since this is more about travel planning than anything else we are done here.