George Bush Presidential Library

Oh my! That’s what we kept saying to each other all through this amazing museum. We arrived just as the museum was opening and before we knew it, we’d been there almost 4 hours!



Most of what I remember about George H.W. Bush was Desert Storm.  It was the first conflict that we saw almost live on TV.  There was so much more that I never realized.

Born in Massachusetts, he was on his way to Yale when Pearl Harbor was attacked.  He joined the Navy to become an aviator.  After a 10 month course he was commissioned as an ensign just before his 19th birthday.  After the war, he married Barbara and returned to Yale. Yale provided returning GI’s with an accelerated program, 2/1/2 years. Once finished, he and Barbara moved the family to Midland Texas.  He worked for several years in the oil industry before becoming president of Zapata Offshore Company. 

He ran for senate several times but never won.  He finally was elected as a congressman and thus started his political service.  He would go on to be appointed US Ambassador to the UN by President Nixon.  He also served as the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, working hard to keep the stain of Watergate from tainting the party.  He was asked by President Ford to head the CIA, which he did for over a year. 
The exhibits in this library are so interactive with news reels running it each area.  Its very easy to lose track of time. 

George H.W. Bush Library VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

If you ever find yourself in College Station, Texas, please take the time to see this amazing museum!!

LBJ Boyhood Home and Ranch

We left Medina Lake and drove to Johnson City, Texas to view LBJ’s boyhood home.  LBJ’s father was a Texas state senator and as a boy he would go with him to the Austin.  His mother had a love of teaching. Each evening, they would gather round the table and she would have the children debate different issues.



His father had a law office in this home and had the only telephone in Johnson City.  They also had a bathtub inside the house!
We then drove 14 miles down the road to the LBJ Ranch.   He donated his Texas ranch in his will to the public to form the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, with the provision that the ranch "remain a working ranch and not become a sterile relic of the past". 

LBJ Ranch VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Lady Bird remained at the ranch until her death in 2007.  Daughter’s Lucy and Lynda have homes somewhere on the ranch property. We were able to tour the bottom floor of the house.  The ranch was to have been the final stop on President Kennedy’s travels through Texas and the staff at the ranch were busy getting ready for that visit.  Of course that visit never occurred and Johnson was sworn in as our 36th president.  President Johnson wanted to be able to work while at the ranch, so there are many telephones and in most rooms 3 televisions. One for ABC, CBS and NBC.

I was in high school during these times.  What I remember most, of course, was the Vietnam War.  He felt he was pulled into this war and to him it was a ‘no win situation’.  But through his “Great Society” program and his war of poverty, he created programs such as Head Start, food stamps, Work Study, Medicare and Medicaid. He continued Kennedy’s legacy with the passage of the Civil Rights Bill.

Tomorrow we go on to visit the George H W Bush Library in College Station.  A history filled 2 days with 2 presidents.  One a Democrat and one a Republican!

Medina Lake

We left the Rockport area Saturday and drove the 200 miles north to the Thousand Trails park at Medina Lake.  Our thought was to be able to get a little fishing in.



This is the result of the drought in Texas.  It is so sad.  In the bottom corner you can see the fishing dock.  So there will be no fishing here.  However, we do have a lot of deer roaming around.



They certainly have no fear.  This is what Thousand Trails calls a preserve so these deer know that they are safe from any type of hunters.  The downside is you have to be very careful where you walk!!!