WE HAVE A WINNER

We’ll get to that later.  This entry should perhaps be subtitled, “Wanna see my scar?”  The subject is LBJ, and today we traced his life and in doing so relived a little of our own history of the ‘60s.  After escaping Pedernales Park, we headed a short ways west to Johnson City, yes, named for the old boy’s grandfather, and his boyhood home.  It’s nothing fancy, and it’s grounds are

a darn sight prettier than they were in his youth.  Swept-dirt yard then, in the baking sun, but now a park-like setting with green lawns and big shade trees.  The interior had been done as per their memory, but the original furnishings had long been discarded.  Here’s his bedroom, which he shared with his brother.  There’s

a picture of a 5-year old LBJ on the wall and I gotta tell you he is the oldest looking 5 year old I ever saw.  Almost like Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”  Loni liked the kitchen best.

Johnson City houses the LBJ museum, and it was very well done.  It’s amazing the convoluted journey of a future president. 

After that, a few more miles west is the community of Stonewall, which is the site of the LBJ Ranch, 2,900 acres, about 600 of which have been donated for this other part of the museum.  The main house sits on an oak-covered knoll facing the Pedernales River (this stretch has plenty of water and is beautiful). Apparently LBJ spent more time at his Texas White House than any other president spent at their home residence.  I thought W took that prize, but I guess not.  The house was the site of many high level conferences, both with his cabinet as well as foreign leaders, often sitting under the huge oak tree that is behind Loni in the pic above.

Ladybird, as a condition of donating the house, required it to be furnished as it was in the mid-60s, so it’s filled with period stuff that could have been in our own home back then.  Nothing at all fancy.  No pics were permitted indoors, so here’s the rockers on the front porch, all of which are original and used in the 60’s.  Just like at the White House, he had his three tv’s side-by-side in the living room for simultaneous viewing of the three networks.  He and Ladybird are both buried there in the family plot.  Her headstone hasn’t been installed, so flowers mark her grave.

So, on to the winner, which is the Ladybird Johnson Municipal Park in Fredericksburg, the next city west of Stonewall.  The has got to be the nicest public park we’ve ever stayed in.  All the spaces sit under big pecan trees so they stay relatively cool, all are generously sized and spaced apart.  Bathrooms & showers spotless.  Right on the river (at the right in the pic above) which, because of two dams, was very full and beautiful.  

On the opposite side was the municipal golf course, which blended in so well you think it is part of the park.  In front of us was the municipal swimming pool, which was Olympic sized and cost only a buck to use.  Believe me, we did.  Kudos to the City of Fredericksburg!