Austin

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Austin turned out to be our favorite city in Texas. There seems to be plenty to see and do here. The State Capitol building was within an easy walk of our hotel and we explored around there on our first afternoon. The building is quite impressive starting with the outside where there are a number of sculptures, including one honoring the Texas Rangers (see photo). The inside is equally impressive and we got to see some of the rooms and chambers, including the Governor's reception area. (Governor Rick Perry was apparently not in on the day we were there, otherwise we undoubtedly would have been admitted to his private office. <g>😉 We started the next day at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library which is located on the University of Texas campus. It is located next to the Longhorns' stadium and within sight of the UT Tower (see photo). We enjoyed the library very much and learned more than we knew before about LBJ. Maggie and I both remember those turbulent days of his presidency from November 1963 to January 1969 and it was emotional at times to relive some the events. As with all Presidential Libraries that I have been to, this one concentrated on the good things that the president did. It was nice to be reminded that LBJ should not be completely defined by his Vietnam policy. In the afternoon we visited the Texas State History Museum which is new and presents various aspects of the state's history. The story of the fight for independence from Mexico is covered and the Civil War, but it also delves into the economic history, especially the oil industry (see photo). And that is about it for us for Austin and for our trip to Texas. This may not be our favorite state to visit, but we found enough good things to do to keep us smiling (see photo) and we will look forward to our next travel adventure.

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