The very next weekend after we returned from Atlanta, we took a road trip to Austin. This was our 2nd visit to the capital city of Texas and was chosen because we had a certificate for a free night at an Intercontinental Hotel and decided a good choice would be a stay at the historic Stephen F. Austin in downtown Austin. We hit a bit of a road block when we arrived in town - literally. We, as we have a gift for, arrived in Austin just in time for the ROT Rally – the “Republic of Texas” Motorcycle Rally, that is – the largest motorcycle rally in Texas. Sigh.
We got a bit of a late start on Saturday due to the live band playing across the street from our hotel until 2:00AM, but that was okay because I didn’t have a lot of “things” on my Austin to-do list – we were mostly there just to enjoy the hotel. And, we did LOVE our room and the hotel. Here's a couple of pictures:
So...after breakfast at the Magnolia Cafe, we ventured to the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. This museum is fairly new and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was really well done and covered a lot of history – from the men who discovered Texas, through Independence and statehood, the Civil War, and up to present day. It was very informative. Some of the information was a repeat from the Star of the Republic Museum we recently visited in Washington-on-the-Brazos, but I still enjoyed it.
That evening, we tried...once again...to see the famous bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge. If you recall, last time they flew, but it was too dark to see them. This time, they didn't fly at all. I think those little bastards sense my presence and refuse to do their thing when I'm around. Very frustrating!!! Then again, mildly amusing.
We headed back home on Sunday and on the way, we decided to go to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Lyndon Baines Johnson was the 36th President of the United States. He was born in Stonewall, TX in a farmhouse near the Pedernales River and raised in Johnson City, a town named after his ancestors. His mother, Rebekah, was one of the few college-educated women of that day and she instilled in her children the importance of education. His father, Sam, was a State Legislator.
The LBJ National Historical Park consisted of several stops beginning with a visitor center which overviews his life. Across the street is Johnson’s Boyhood Home. LBJ moved to this home with his parents when he was 5. It was from the front porch of this house that he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives and that began his career in politics.
From the boyhood home, we headed out to the ranch. Here, you stop at the visitor center and pick up a free CD to guide you through, and a permit. There are several stops along the way including LBJ's first school, the Junction School, and the reconstructed birthplace. Across the street from there is the Johnson Family Cemetery where LBJ, Lady Bird, and several members of the Johnson family are buried. Next, is a drive by LBJ’s grandparent’s house. From there, the tour takes you around the airstrip and out to the show barn. We stopped there and learned that the cattle being raised on the LBJ farm are direct descendants of the cattle that LBJ raised himself when he lived there.
Reconstructed birthplace:
Family Cemetery:
In the show barn - the cattle are now branded on their horns:
The last stop on the ranch tour is the Texas White House. It was recently opened to the public after Lady Bird passed away in 2007. The house is being returned to its appearance when LBJ was President. Currently, there are 4 rooms open for tour – LBJ’s Office, the Family Room, Kitchen, and Dining Room.
On the way out of the house, one of the tourists asked about LBJ’s treatment of Lady Bird…”I heard that he wasn’t always very nice to her.” The park ranger said that his MIS-treatment of her was well documented. He would often make disparaging remarks about her clothes and his philandering was also documented.
LBJ became President upon the assassination of President Kennedy. He was re-elected in 1964, but decided not to run for re-election in 1968. His accomplishments in office include landmark legislation such as Medicare, Head Start, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and forty-three national park authorizations or additions. He also signed more than sixty education bills – a great tribute to his mother.
Here's a couple more pics of our weekend.
Joe with Stevie Ray Vaughan:
Austin is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World":
