A favorite day trip from Dallas is the town of Waxahachie.  In less than an hour, you can step back in time and enjoy a quaint town full of grand Victorian homes, charming cottages and antique shops.

Super Sister came to town, and our goal for the weekend was to visit Waxahachie, Texas for the annual Gingerbread Trail.  Each June several of the restored homes are open for touring.

As we drove into town, we noticed that several (actually more than several) citizens were hosting yard sales.  It would have been fun to have visited more of these, but we tried to stay focused.

Some of my favorite homes are the cottages.  In 1900 this small three room with a foyer home (which has been expanded throughout the years) was built to be a rental home.  (Photographs were not allowed inside the homes – bummer!)  The owner works in uptown Dallas and enjoys the more peaceful lifestyle that Waxahachie offers for his family.

This 1933 cottage was much larger than we expected.  Also surprising were the many reclaimed beams, pieces of lumber, and tiles from the home that were used in this restoration.  This might have been my favorite house on the tour.  The owners are not strangers to home restoration, and they appear to have learned a lot along the way.

Getting to go inside one of the grand Victorian homes with gingerbread trim is always a treat.  This home was impressive.

My favorite part of this house was the screened in porch.  I liked it.  I loved it.  Equally impressive were the 5 acres of grounds surrounding the home.

They had chickens (with the fanciest chicken coop I have ever seen), goats, a humongous vegetable garden, and pretty rose gardens surrounding the home.  Wow!

The history behind each house is most interesting.  Charlie Gipson – a Cvil War soldier, lawyer, Speaker of the House for the 18th session, and founder of the Waxahachie Enterprise (now the Waxahachie Daily Light) – bought this property in 1910.  The blended family who now live here have 9 children, two dogs, and two cats, and they feel the layout of this large five bedroom home is perfect for their family.

This home was filled with collections.  People who enjoy collecting antiques are drawn to towns such as Waxahachie and homes such as these to showcase their collections.  It is a natural progression.  If you are interested, this home is for sale, and the owner hopes to find another home in the area to restore.

For lunch we headed downtown to the square.  There we had lunch and shopped the antique malls.  The Ellis County courthouse which was built in 1895, is listed in the top 100 most photographed structures in the State of Texas.  I understand why.

Sweet Mother of Pearl.  A vintage car show was in progress, and there were some beauties.

My favorite (although I must admit I have not tried many others) restaurant in Waxahachie is the Doves Nest.  We had to wait and wait, but it was worth it.  Luckily the Doves Nest also has one of the best gift shops around, and we found plenty to buy.

Super Sister and I were so busy visiting that I forgot to take pictures of our food.  But, when the Bourbon Pecan Pie appeared at our table, I suddenly remembered that I was a blogger, and this pie was certainly blog worthy.  Be still my heart!  It was warm, filled with chocolate and pecans, and had the slight hint of bourbon.  I am here to tell you.  It is worth a return trip to Waxahachie.  Our cute waitress mentioned that she worked at The Doves Nest while she was pregnant with her son, and during her pregnancy, she gained 60 pounds.  She blamed the Bourbon Pecan Pie.

What an enjoyable day.  I got to be with Super Sister, the weather was almost perfect, we saw beautiful homes, shopped, and ate delicious food.  Life is good.

Blessings to you and yours,

FYI:  In December, Waxahachie hosts a Christmas Tour of Homes.