On the Road to Gypsyville

I love to travel, and I am also married to someone who loves to travel. Thank goodness. We also love to travel at the last minute. We do occasionally plan a “real” vacation where you must book a room before showing up at said location, but that is not our norm. It is much more the norm for us to call or text each other and decide to leave within the hour and hope to high heaven that there is a room available when we get there- it’s a little risky, but it’s fun. This last minute travel is possibly the best part of having grown up kids and no pets (except for the kids’ pets which we are not morally obligated to watch with the exception of honeymoons, which do seem to be on the rise at the Bonderosa this year…but I’ll save that for another post). And so it began, on a hot summer Friday afternoon in July. We loaded up the van for its maiden voyage and headed south of the border. The border being the Red River dividing God’s country right in two: Oklahoma & Texas. I’m proud to be an Okie (from Atokie), but I love me some Texas too. In fact, everywhere we go when people hear me talk they almost always blame my country twang on the great state. Anyway, I am a huge fan of the Junk Gypsies and have wanted to visit their store in Round Top, Texas ever since they opened, and my driver agreed, so off we went!

“Not all who wander are lost. ”

— J.R.R. Tolkien

We stopped and stayed in Waco on the way and had a great supper at George’s which is a traditional standard around the Baylor campus. The atmosphere was fun(in spite of Covid-19’s best efforts to ruin 2020), the service was great, and our food did not disappoint! George’s is known for their “crazy wings,” so of course we had to try them, and they were true to their name…. crazy good, although there is no actual wing involved. It’s basically a chunk of chicken, a sliver of jalapeño, and a bit of cheese rolled up in bacon and deep fried-the bacon is the crust. Needless to say, that was some good crazy if I’ve ever had it! It’s worth a stop if you’re in Waco visiting the Gaines family.

The next morning we headed to Round Top. We arrived at lunch time and decided to go to Royer’s Cafe which is known for the pies and rightly so. The food was amazing as well. Anytime you can have fried chicken, jalapeño cheese grits, creamed corn, and pie in the same sitting, it’s a win. If you go to Round Top, plan your trip to accommodate at least 2 pie eatings at Royer’s- one is not enough. I will be returning to try their most famous pie, the Sweet & Salty(think brownie pie topped with caramel, sea salt, and Blue Bell ice cream because, well Texas). After lunch it was time for my long awaited visit to Gypsyville!

As you pull into the gates of the Junk Gypsy Headquarters, you are immediately drawn into a wonderland of gypsy goodness. The store is a beautiful mix of colorful barn wood and old tin siding with huge ornate corbels and asian lions guarding the cutest double red doors a girl has ever seen. Their down-home eclectic style is what draws you in and makes you want to pull up one of their vintage lawn chairs and stay awhile. And stay awhile we did(this is when who you marry becomes very important…. marry someone who will wait on you for hours(4) and not fuss and who will also tell you to go ahead and buy the hat — just because he knows it will make you smile). Anyway, as I was saying, it is a beautiful place with giant shade trees and fun little surprises around every corner such as the pieces of old china lining the flowerbeds and an old carnival ride car full of plants. Inside is even better. They have all sorts of home decor, clothing, trinkets, antiques, light fixtures, furniture, hats, and of course boots. Everywhere you look there is something unique to see and want… It is overwhelming in the best of ways. I tried on everything from clothes to boots and ended up leaving with a cute red marching band style jacket, a belt with a pistol buckle, some vintage band posters, and the afore mentioned brown felt hat. I could not decide on a pair of boots, but I will use that as an excuse to go back….

After all that looking around and shopping we were ready to eat again. I know. There’s a definite pattern forming here(and there’s no use pretending—ya’ girl likes snacks). For a small town, and I do mean small(population 90), Round Top has several great places to eat. And drink. We decided on The Garden Co. Feed & Firewater for dinner, and it was GOOD. They have lots of American farm-to-table classics done very well with lots of fresh vegetables and yummy drinks. They are known for their Crispy Brussel Sprouts and for good reason, y’all. SO. GOOD. The sprouts are cooked perfectly crispy with Kalamata olives, capers, glazed pecans, and tossed in a sweet Thai chili sauce…(I’m sorry, but you had to know). Anyway, if you go to Round Top, you should have dinner and a Ranch Water at the Garden Co. And don’t forget the sprouts(or the crème brûlée)!! After dinner we walked around the square then drove around town looking at all the quaint buildings full of all sorts of art, antiques, and other unusual finds. Many of these shops are only open during the day and some from Thursday to Sunday. We ended the evening at Teague’s Tavern where a few of the locals were hanging out. David, who drives in every weekend from Houston to tend bar, made one the best Bloody Mary’s I’ve ever tasted. He knows his stuff.

The second best part of this trip was where we stayed. The Junk Gypsies knew that they were on to something and added a small boutique hotel on the property called the Wander Inn(you know, in case anyone wandered in…). It is just as perfectly designed as the store. There are a couple of buildings/houses called the Crown House and the Star House which have 4 guest rooms each. The rooms all have private baths attached and are decorated differently in true JG style. We stayed in the Rambler which you can see in the photos is absolutely stunning. Each “house” has its own great room where guests can visit, read, play games, make coffee, and just relax. There are no televisions but instead porches with rockers where you can enjoy the country view and a shared fire pit surrounded by adirondack chairs. Another added bonus is the prompt 9a.m. delivery of warm homemade biscuits that arrive at your door each morning in a cute tin bucket with real butter and jelly. I mean really, y’all. Need I say more?

It’s a well known fact that eventually all good things must come to an end, and our trip was no different. The next morning after we enjoyed our hot biscuits, we grabbed a coffee at the Round Top Coffee shop and headed on down the road. We didn’t make it far before we stopped in at Gasoline Hill & Antiques, an amazing sign shop with lots of beautiful original signs and other treasures. I am officially in the market for a light up crown sign(every girl needs a good crown, right?). You won’t be surprised to hear that we stopped to eat on the way home. We found a great BBQ place called Back Porch Barbecue in La Grange and had another tasty meal followed by homemade banana pudding(the good kind like Bonnie Stricklen and Monta Cochran are known for). Our only other stop was for fuel and an Icee at Buccee’s, of course(I mean have you even been on a road trip if you haven’t stopped at a Buccee’s…please).

Round Top is pretty quiet overall, but there is plenty to see and taste and buy especially in the Fall and Spring during Antiques Week. The Round Top Antiques Fair is famous and has sparked about 50 other shows that go on concurrently, and people from EVERYWHERE gather to find everything from flea market “junktiques” to fine European antiques and genuine Americana. The Junk Gypsies also host the Junk-O-Rama-Prom one night of the week during the Fall and Spring fairs. This prom is a legendary event in itself where people get all gussied up in vintage prom finery and all sorts of other fabulous attire and join the gypsies for a fun night of music, dancing, and other revelry which I hope to be a part of as soon as I can get my prom dress zipped(or possibly let out after all the pie and grits….). Anyway, whenever you decide to go, Round Top will not disappoint. Just make sure to check the Round Top Chamber website https://www.exploreroundtop.com/ to make sure the places you want to see are open! All in all, the maiden voyage of the van(we still need to name her) was a success and will go down as one of the first in #theadventuresofmarciandclint. I am already planning my next trip to Round Top(and my next piece of pie). If you have any questions about traveling down to Gypsyville, feel free to email or comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer your questions and get you headed on down the road!!!