The Capitol Of Texas

On this leg of our trip we learned that Texas is a very-very proud State. Texans are very proud of there state history, patriotism and their loyalty to fellow Texans and the USA. It truly is a wonderful state and the people are hospitable and friendly. The Texas flag flies everywhere and there was no better way of exemplifying that than in the Texas state Capitol of Austin. It was the first state Capitol building in our entire journey that was open to the public. Come on in…and we did.

Before we started the Capitol tour we walked around the beautiful grounds outside, checking out the statues and memorials dedicated to the military throughout American history. Fun Fact 1: This state Capitol is the largest in square footage in the entire country...and beautiful at the same time. We came in through the back door (First 3 pics above) and when we got into the building we were lucky. A tour was about to start in ten minutes so we jumped on board. The tour started just outside of the rotunda where a statue of Texas’ first Governor, patriot, and businessman Stephen F. Austin sided the entry. The Rotunda adorns portraits of all of it’s past Governors along with floors two and three.

The tour guide rocked, taking us into the senate chambers and then down into the guts of the lowest level of the compound. He provided us with a great combination of history, traditions, and facts, about the politicians and the building itself. Fun Fact 2: When additional space was needed they added a basement by digging millions of pounds of dirt to add administrative space to the building. There were offices everywhere. After the tour, we drove around to the front of the Capitol where a pro-life rally and protest was winding down. There was only one remaining protestor shouting from his megaphone. We ignored him. The building was even more magnificent from the front and the well-manicured lawn was adorned with monumental statues, trees, and decorative fencing. It was very impressive! The Governor,’s mansion was across the street. We took a walk over and a peek because you couldn’t get within 15 feet of the front gate.

After the Capitol and Governor’s mansion we went to Zilker Park which is home to Barton Springs. We can best describe Barton Springs as natural waters, the size of three Olympic pools. It is a pool. The water was 65 degrees and the temperature outside was in the 40’s. No way we were going in but it was fun seeing the lifeguards bundled up in winter wear while on their stands and people crazy enough to be swimming in it...and enjoying it. it was peaceful, calm and beautiful.

The next day in Austin we hit it pretty hard once again. First stop, The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, then, the LBJ Presidential Library and a walk down Rainey Street to the Driskill Hotel (Thank you Dave Gardner for the recommendation)…and dinner.

Bob Bullock was a 40 year Texas politician and two term Lieutenant Governor, He championed the preservation and exhibition of Texas state history, hence the museum bares his name. The experience at the museum was intriguing, enlightening, educational and fun all at the same time. Gosh, they had the Sante Marie wreckage there.

The Lyndon B. Johnson Library isn’t really just a library. It‘s much more a museum and a history and lifelong lesson of the 36th president of the United States. It was awesome! The first floor had a special Lady Bird Johnson display. It included everything in her splendid life from a child to being First Lady. Lady Bird shared her inside insights first- hand throughout the exhibit which included pictures, her wardrobe, and more.

The third, fourth and tenth floors were all dedicated to LBJ’s life and his presidency. From his years in Texas government to his vice presidency and then of course his presidency after the JFK assassination. The “museum” really gave you a feel for the man, his triails and tribulations along with his successes and accomplishments. His truly, was a magnificent life.

The next morning it rained. We went to the Texas State Cemetery where Stephen F. Austin, Bob Bullock and numerous famous Texans including governors, Pulitzer prize winners, military heroes, senators, congressmen, and coaches. The street that ran down the middle of the cemetery is the smallest highway in the state. It ran from one end of the cemetery to the other. It couldn’t be longer than 1/2 mile. Brad walked a portion of the cemetery. He walked in the rain reading the headstones. Kathy the wiser of the two, stayed in the car for that part.

We drove out to Mount Bonnell and got lucky again…it stopped raining. Mount Bonnell is a 100 step overlook of the city of Austin. It is alongside Lake Austin and the Colorado River. It’s the highest point in the city and the homes along the lake are absolutely breathtaking. The overlook also has a history to it (doesn’t everything in Texas?) dating back to the Civil War. We walked the half mile trail from one end to the other snapping pictures and ogling over the splendid homes below through our binoculars. After the hike we drove around the mountain-top casing the homes and estates not on the Bonnell water view. On the way home (our campground and RV), a friend of Kathy’s cousin Linda B. recommended a local restaurant called Chuy’s so we hit it. The food was great and we paid local prices which always makes the food taste better. It was eclectic, fun and we couldn’t get enough Tex-Mex in Austin.

By our last day in Austin we were exhausted. A couple friends recommended Franklin Barbecue so after we chow-boned there we vegged out the rest of the day. We were told people waited up to three hours to get in and some people wait an hour or two even before they open. When we got there which was around 1pm on a Tuesday there were only a handful of people waiting out the door. We took a place in line outside, after, Brad peeked in and saw there was another line of about 20-25 people on the inside waiting. We were greeted by a young lady telling us “we’ll definitely will have brisket and sausage left and we’re out of beef and pork ribs.“ We stayed, and gobbled the goodies. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience but felt there were 4 other BBQ joints in our travels that were even tastier.

We want to apologize for our late and untimely posting of our blog. We try to get a new blog out every week but this week we were in a campground ( Big Bend National Park) in the mountains, and, the internet and cellular service sucked. Originally, we wanted to include Dallas in this post but with the aforementioned obstructions we’ll send out our Dallas blog separate (hopefully in the next 3-4 days) and boy-oh-boy we can’t wait to share our Big Bend experience with you too. Thanks for reading down this far. Peace, Love and Family…and thanks for following our journey. Kathy and Brad