What on earth could Waco, Texas and Budapest, Hungary possibly have in common?

I asked myself that somewhere between lattes at Magnolia Market and a spontaneous detour to the Dr Pepper Museum during my two week Texas vacation. I came to Texas to unplug, to experience the state, not to think about work. But somehow, this bonus stop brought me right back to it.

Inside the museum, I stepped over a glass floor covering a deep well at the heart of downtown Waco, the original source of the city’s naturally sparkling mineral water. Yes, real sparkling water, rising straight from the ground. And here I was thinking sparkling water came from some lab where they pump gas into tap water and call it fancy. But the real magic? It was flowing from the earth long before soda was even invented.

Back in the 1800s, Waco’s bubbling wells earned it the nickname Geyser City. Locals believed the mineral water could help with fatigue, digestion, mood, even the spirit. It became a kind of early wellness destination, long before spa culture had a name. The only reason you haven’t heard of these wonders is because we pulled up too much of a good thing. People got a little overexcited drilling artesian wells for that natural sparkle until the pressure dropped and the geysers ran dry. Classic us, when the earth gives us magic, we try to bottle it, sell it, until suddenly it’s gone.

Still, it left behind a legacy. A local pharmacist started experimenting with that same mineral fizz, mixing it with fruit syrups and spices. Twenty three flavors later, Dr Pepper was born, the world’s first soft drink, originally created in Waco.

That experience truly made me reflect. Because the same instinct to seek, to heal, to restore is what drew us to Budapest as our next Salt & Rind inspiration. A city literally built on thermal springs, where mineral rich waters still run through its rituals. In Budapest you’ll find more than 120 natural hot springs flowing beneath the city. The tradition of thermal baths goes back to Roman and Ottoman times. Bathhouses like the Széchenyi Thermal Bath (quick note, it's breathtaking!) were built in the early 1900s over deep artesian wells, pulling up water rich in sulfate, calcium, and magnesium, minerals that soothe skin, relax muscles, and bring the body back to balance.

So, Waco bottled it. Budapest built bathhouses around it. Both built on the belief that what flows from the earth can bring you back to yourself.

And me? I finished the day with a strawberry Dr Pepper float, because a touch of sugar can still make this woman happy.