Home to Columbian Mammoths & Dr. Pepper
Also home to Baylor University, of interest mostly because Gail’s baby brother spent his freshman year there. It wasn’t a good fit for him, hence one year. We drove by the stadium a few times, but never made it on campus.
Anyway, short, 3-night stay, mostly for our :
Visit to 1 new National Park Site:
- Waco Mammoth National Monument (#276), where today, fossil specimens represent the nation’s first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths. Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Columbian Mammoths were twice as big as Wooly Mammoths. We took the Ranger Tour of the Dig Shelter and took the short hike around the grounds. The remains excavated from Waco Mammoth through 1990 are now housed at Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex, which we didn’t visit (this time).
Perspective on Mammoths & Elephants 
Overview of the main part of the Dig Site. 
One of the few adult males, from thousands of years after the nursery herd 
Another adult female, from thousands of years after the adult male 
An American camel, a companion mammal with the mammoths 
Rendering of what a Columbian Mammoth might have looked like, a bit smaller, as the wall wasn’t tall enough! 
Painting of what the Nursery Herd might have looked like, running down the creek bed as it was flooded.
Other visits
We took a short walk along the Brazos River on the East Side Riverwalk, and visited 2 Waco Museums:
- Dr. Pepper Museum, where we spent way more time than anticipated…3 full floors of exhibits in on building, and then a few more across the courtyard with the Soda Fountain. The price of admission includes a Dr. Pepper. We, of course, upgraded to a Dr. Pepper Float.
- Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum, where we learned the history of the Texas Rangers, which started when Tejos was part of Mexico! Interesting exhibits. The surprise was, in the “Rangers in Pop Culture” exhibit, it was almost all about the “Lone Ranger“. The only exceptions being a couple of movie posters from the 1940s, and one display case for “Walker, Texas Ranger“.
Off for Austin
For more pictures, see (in-work) Adventure Album: Across South Texas
2 Comments
Gretta · February 4, 2025 at 2:36 pm
Well you are hitting a lot of places already Waco is the home of the home designer and make over homes on HGTV very famous, unfortunately I forget her name, if I remember it tonight will let you know,
We keep getting snow, then clear then another little bit. We are due for a real snow storm I think. Hope not this week my granddaughter is getting married on Friday evening.
Gail · February 9, 2025 at 6:53 am
SO…how was the wedding? And it’s Chip & Joanna Gaines, not one I watch