Austin-It's SOCO-ol

Austin is the capitol of the state of Texas. Austin’s population of just under 700,000 makes it the fourth largest city in Texas and the 16th largest in the US. Settled around 1835 it was originally named Waterloo. President of the Texas Republic Mirabeau Lamar was responsible for the new name, choosing to honor Stephen Austin who is called the father of Texas for his role in the colonization and independence of Texas. Austin became the official and final capitol of Texas after it was annexed by the United States in 1846.

Our plans had been disrupted by the ice storm which closed down the city for several days in January 2007. When we finally arrived we found the streets slick and some stores and restaurants closed but luckily for us the places that topped our list were open.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum-located on the University of Texas- Austin Campus this Presidential Library is both entertaining and informative.

"I hope that visitors who come here will achieve a closer understanding of the presidency and that young people who come here will get a clearer comprehension of what this nation tried to do in an eventful period of it’s history." LBJ

The Library is administered by NARA and houses the entire collection of LBJ’s public career papers as well as close associates. These are used mostly by scholars but there is still plenty for the casual visitor to enjoy. The Museum has a waste amount of memorabilia from the Model T in the Lobby (it was a gift to LBJ from Henry Ford) to the Presidential limousine. There is a lot more to this consummate politician than I was ever aware of.

Jack S. Blaton Museum of Art also located on the University of Texas Austin campus this museum is just a few blocks away from the LBJ Library and Museum. It is home to one of the finest collections of 14-18th century European art in the country. It also have extensive South American holdings and also modern works by American Artists. The building itself is striking and when the new building opens next year it will be the largest University Art Museum in the country.

Quick Tips:

Texas-State Cemetery admittedly not everyone’s cup of tea but how better to get a look at the people who made Texas what it is today. There has been a concerted effort to get the bodies of the important figures in Texas history re-interred here. You will find one of the survivors of the Alamo here, former governors, Civil War generals and their man and politician both past and recent. The lines of race, religion and party affiliation have been blurred and their contribution to their state is what is taken into account. Not all the markers are grave markers some are commemorative only.

A Second Cemetery also got our attention, Oakwood . When we found out that Ima Hogg was buried here we had to find her grave. No easy task without a map.

Shopping on South Congress was very interesting. There is an eclectic array of offerings with plenty of antique and almost antique shops.

Things we could have or should have visited:

Bob Bullock Museum of Texas History

Governors Mansion - We really didn’t have a choice on this one it was closed the week we were there.

The Capitol

Website with useful information:

Austin CVB. This is a really all purpose site. I requested and received a brochure, a map and lots of helpful information from them before our visit.

Best Way To Get Around:

Austin-Bergstrom Airport is located five miles south east of the city of Austin. All the major airlines have flights in and out of this airport and in my case I was happy to have the option of traveling on Southwest airlines. We did not choose to use this airport but we could have. To get into Austin you can take the Super Shuttle, a taxi or rent a car. Capital Metro Bus number 100 can also be taken to and from the airport with bus arriving and departing every five to ten minutes weekdays and less often on the weekends. You can check their site for times. bus schedule

There is an Amtrak Texas Eagle Station in Austin. The Texas Eagle connects Chicago with Los Angeles with 40 stops in between. Highway 35 is the main artery that connects Austin with Waco to the north and San Antonio to the south.

Driving around Austin was very easy. We obtained a good map of the city and were able to find everything except for the LBJ Library-Museum easily. The problem with the LBJ Museum is that it is hard to see from the street and the signs for it are very small.

Another problem we found with streets were that they didn’t continued uninterrupted. Suddenly the street you were on would end and yet the street continued several blocks up with the same name, it was maddening and frustrating but still relatively easy to navigate. One way streets were the typical pattern, one going north, next going south for the most part.

There are several words that come to mind when it comes to the Austin Motel but I think to limit it to one it must be FUNKY. As usual I went in search of the unusual, the different, the funky and I found it. Their motto says it all, “So close yet so far out”. Family owned and operated since 1938 they offer 41 rooms with a style to fit anyone’s taste and budget.

First:
You can’t book this hotel way in advance. They only book three months in advance. Call them and find out when they will begin accepting bookings for the dates you want. If you are coming on a weekend you need to book at least two nights. Go to their website and look at all the rooms, they are all different. Austin Motel. You can find anything from a tropical wonderland to a very retro '50s look.

Second:
Expect to love it or hate it. We loved it. It’s unique and the help, is really helpful. When we had to cancel the two days we were stuck in Georgetown they were so understanding and didn’t charge us for the no show.

We booked two of the pool view rooms. These are larger than average and overlook the pool. Our room had a wrought iron canopy king sized bed. It had gauze draped over the top and down the poles. The whole front of our room was windows and in front of them were two wicker chairs. The floor in or room was all tile. Our bathroom was a retro '50s room. The colors, the shape of the sink and the shower curtain all screamed we’re old but in a nice way.

The walls of the room are bring, garishly so but we knew what it looked like before we booked. Their website shows pictures of each and every room so there are no surprises. Our TV was sitting against that bright blue wall on a wicker table with a wooden console table next to it holding a large vase and plastic flowers. On the wall is a tapestry. Tacky, oh yah baby but fun.

Joe’s room had two beds and some pieces of antique furniture. It was more conservative than our room, done in deep burgundy tones. His bathroom was also retro '50s in style.

The hotel has an outdoor pool, parking for some rooms is right out side their door or in our case we had to drive to another street and park on a cul de sac and walk down stairs with our luggage to get to our room.

What really sells this motel besides for its unique style and economical prices is it’s location. South Congress Ave is the hottest location in Austin and there are plenty of upscale restaurants, antique shops and stores to keep anyone interested for quite a while.

If you are looking for a restaurant that will give your taste buds something to sing about, I want to suggest the South Congress Grill. We were looking for a restaurant within walking distance of the Austin Motel. Some of the restaurants nearby were not open yet after the ice storm, we asked the desk person for some suggestions. With those in hand we headed out going south. It really was pretty funny, we crossed four lanes of traffic only to fund out that the restaurant was closed so back across; we went and being me I refused to cross again and insisted that we find something on the west side of the street. Sometime being a stubborn B..ch pays off. The first restaurant we came upon the South Congress Grill. We peeked in, it looked attractive, we all agreed this was the place.

We were given a nice booth on the back wall and soon had drinks and menu’s in front of us. I decided that I wanted to try the salsa sampler. There were three salsas, sencilla, morita and salsa de arbol or as we called them hot, hotter and hell that’s hot. Add to that the most amazing homemade chips made from yellow and blue corn and also taro root and you get a small idea of the delight we were engaged in devouring.

We raised our teary eyes to the high ceilings and light wood tables and chairs with rainbow colored plates and just sighed in happiness. It was a perfect beginning.

Joe ordered a house salad that came with their amazing house dressing with the spicy avocado
vinaigrette. It had homemade croûtons and yellow tomatoes. Lovely.

I ordered the Angel Hair Salsa Fresca -angel hair pasta tossed with jalapeno-garlic olive oil with tomatoes, sweet pearl onions and fresh herbs. Topped with eggplant, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, Parmesan and crumbled cotija cheeses. With four crunchy garlic toast it was light , full of flavor and out of this world delicious.

Al tried the Beef Milanesa, tenderloin medallions crusted in cracker crumbs and flash seared ‘A la plancha' served with a crayfish cream gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and vegetable of the day which was broccoli and corn. It was just divine, the beef perfectly cooked and plated.

Joe ordered the pork chop special which was humongous and also was served with the garlic mashed and vegetable of the day. He was very happy with his choice.

I ordered a cup of tea and then a cup of coffee. There was a very nice selection of teas offered. It was here that I had my only complaint, they stick the spoon through the handle of the cup and I spilled my first cup of tea getting it out. Maybe I am just clumsy but...

We got dried cherry pecan bread pudding with bourbon sauce and a scoop of ice cream for dessert to go. Enough for two to share and enjoy.

The Austin Motel doesn’t have a restaurant and I wanted to have a special breakfast. I did a little research and found several recommendations for the Magnolia Café and luckily it was just down the street from the motel.

You know that you are in for something unique when you drive up and see the sign that says ‘Sorry We’re open.” That gave us a good laugh and a bit of a pause. We walked in and actually the only one who noticed us at all was a customer who is obviously a regular and he told us that someone would be with us shortly. It took a bit longer than that, a bit longer than it should have but eventually we were seated, given menus and had steaming cups of coffee in front of us.

This place is bright, the walls and decor border on neon, it is wild and a little crazy. The waitress had an attitude but it was all light hearted and we fell in with it immediately. I ordered two scrambled eggs with wheat toast and a gingerbread pancake with strawberries and pecans, and yes they were fresh strawberries. Joe had bacon and eggs, served with a dish of fresh fruit and Al had two fried eggs served over a heaping bowl of home fries, and very good home fries they were. Well cooked and with good flavor.

We were very pleased with all the food. My pancake was amazing, just enough ginger flavor to make it interesting and the eggs were so big I swear they had to come from an ostrich.

This is a twenty four hour restaurant that could be called a diner. It is not fancy, it is a little worn and very common but the food was good and the portions more than generous. Service was okay, our waitress was a dud but there was another waitress always floating around who kept our coffee cups filled.

Interesting offerings that we didn’t try:

Love Migas-eggs scrambled in spicy love butter (fresh garlic-serrano) onion, bell pepper, tortilla chips and jack cheese. Served with black beans,

Eggs Zapatino-scrambled eggs on an English muffin smothered in queso served with home fries.

The Magnolia Omelette: avocado, black olives cheddar cheese/jack cheese and lemon sour cream sauce.

Royal Toast- four triangles of French toast and two eggs any style served with your choice of fruit or meat.

Pancakes: corn, whole wheat and buttermilk with choice of adding bananas, fresh seasonal fruit, pecans, blueberries or chocolate.

Magnolia Café is open twenty four hours a day and has two locations.

First let me warn you that parking here is a bear. It’s not that there isn’t parking, there is not only a large outdoor lot across the street, there is a parking garage almost next door. The problem is that they are both full. We refused to take no for an answer with the parking garage. You can talk to someone on an intercom and we keep trying to talk them into letting us in until they did and we found a parking spot so we were right, the lot wasn’t totally full.

Plans for a museum at the University of Texas at Austin began in 1927 when Archer M. Huntingon made a donation of some land to fund an art museum. It took 11 years for a College of Fine Arts to be founded. In 1963 a small museum was opened, and noted author James Michener and his wife Mari donated a collection of 20th-century American art that substantially improved the collection. So much so that they had to move to a larger building in 1972.

In April 2006 the new Blanton Musuem of Art opened. Designed by Kallman, McKinnell, and Wood, the New Mari and James A. Michener Gallery houses the museum's permanent collection on the second floor. The building is constructed of Texas limestone, granite, and South American epp wood with a Spanish tile roof. In 2008 a new building which will house a café, store, and auditorium will open and make the Blanton the largest university art museum in the country.

The Jack S. Blanton Museum is also the home of the Suida-Manning Collection of European Art. This collection brought this museum to a whole new level. They now have the eighth largest collection of Italian old masters outside of Europe. Their collection of 17th-century French paintings is only surpassed by the Metropolitan Museum. The collection is comprised of 250 paintings, 400 drawings, and 20 sculptures. It is made up of German, French, and Italian art from the 14th through 18th centuries. They went on display in 1999 and are an amazing collection. Many of the items are by lesser known artists whose work is seldom seen outside of Italy, but one painting has been identified as being by Parmiganinno and is only the third one in this country.

We got off the elevator and fell in love with the beautiful museum. Some wonderful and unexpected English portraits were the first thing we saw. The whole feeling is light and airy with high ceilings and amazing arches and angles.

There are rooms of the fantastic European collection followed by rooms of amazing prints. Mixed in there is a small amount of antiquities.

On to the modern works and one where you actually can walk into it. This museum is a winner and a must-see for anyone going to Austin.

There is a small gift shop on the first floor.

I am sure that most people don’t have any idea what the French Legation Museum is. When Texas became a republic they looked for recognition from other countries. This would add a certain amount of legitimacy to their country. In 1838, two years after the founding of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston sent James Pickney Henderson to France and England. France was at War with Mexico. They signed a treaty on September 25, 1839 recognizing Texas. England in spite of their desire to see slavery abolished world wide needed to protect their supply of cotton and in November 1840 signed three treaties with the Republic of Texas. The Netherlands also signed treaties with the Republic in 1840. They did not however send an ambassador they sent a Legate. He was Alphonse Dubois de Saligny and he was the charge d’affaires from 1840-1846. He was a friend of the son of the King which is probably how he got the position.

France had ulterior motives for sending Dubois, they hoped to be allowed to send colonist to Texas and it wasn’t long before the Texans had a pretty good idea just exactly what kind of person Dubois was. Before I explain the “Pig War” let me tell you about what you will see here.

You need to call ahead to arrange for a tour. Stephanie was waiting for us when we arrived. She walked us through the little museum where the office and store are located. They have done some excavations on the property and some of the things that they found are in cases. Excavations on the property have uncovered Indian artifacts dating back 9,000 years.

One thing we learned as we walked around the grounds was that this house is located on the highest spot in Austin. It originally stood on 22 acres today there are only three but still the view is spectacular.

The House itself is smaller than what you would expect. It is really only four rooms. The structure is built in a French Colonial style, much like what you would expect to see in Louisiana. It is constructed of cedar with oak and pine. Inside it is very much in the dogtrot style with one wide hall with doors at each end to catch the breeze and two rooms on each side. The kitchen was originally in a separate building. The furnishings are a mixture, with a few pieces actually from the Dubois period. The Robertsons lived in the house for over 100 years, many furnishings are theirs, the rest are period.

Today the property is maintained by the Daughters of the Texas Republic. To be a member you have to prove that your family roots go back to the Republic days. The interior has been painted to replicate how it would have looked in the 1842-46 period.

Now about the Pig Wars... Oh no, I’ve run out of space... You will just have to visit to find out.

This is a unique cemetery. When State Senator Edward Burleson died in December of 1851,Andrew Jackson Hamilton donated the 21 acres that comprise the cemetery to the state of Texas so that Burleson could be buried here. It became the Texas State Cemetery in 1854. After the Civil War the State took over the home for Confederate veterans and they buried the veterans along with their generals in the cemetery.

In 1910 Stephen Austin was moved to the Texas State Cemetery. In the 1920s Louis Kemp spearheaded a drive to have as many prominent former Texans reinterred in the cemetery. Starting in 1929 with the former governors James Pickney Henderson and Peter Hansborough Bell over 70 men and woman were moved into the cemetery. In appreciation for his efforts the cemetery road was declared a highway and named Lou Kemp Rd and it is Texas Highway 165, the shortest highway in Texas.

We began at the visitor center which was built in 1997 to resemble the long barracks at the Alamo. We picked up maps and then headed over to the museum. What is particularly interesting about this cemetery is that all the monuments aren’t grave stones some of them are cenotaphs (memorial markers), so not everyone whose stone you see is actually buried here, case in point Former Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry.

The is a very well organized cemetery and though not beautiful in the same sense as Glenwood cemetery, it makes up for that by its vast historical significance.

We headed down highway 165 to the only allowed parking area which is on top of the hill. Just our luck it was bitter cold with a biting wind when we were there but we still managed to enjoy poking around and trying to identify as many of the graves as possible.

One that is hard to miss is the Elizabeth Ney sculpture of Albert Sidney Johnston. He was a general for three countries, The Republic of Texas, The United States and the Confederacy. He was killed at the Battle of Shiloh. His monument is amazing.

The Stephen Austin Monument and the Joanna Troutman Monument were both done by Pompeo Coppini. Joanna Troutman was known as the Betsy Ross of Texas She created a flag that was carried to Goliad by Colonel Fannin and raised as the National Flag when the Declaration of Independence from Mexico was signed.

Reading the gravestones is like a who’s who of Texas History. We found Governor John Connally of JFK assassination fame. We found Barbara Jordan the first African American Woman elected to the Texas Senate.

Some we didn’t know like Susanna Dickenson Hannig one of the woman who survived the Alamo and as her stone says “Carried the news to General Houston at Gonzales”. She has a new stone in the shape of the state of Texas.

Entrance is free. Allow as much time as your interest dictates. We spent at least an hour.

After our wonderful dinner at the South Congress Café we headed back toward the Austin Motel on Congress. We came upon Uncommon Goods 1512 South Congress St which is open daily until 7pm but on Thursday they stay open until 9pm. We can never resist an antique/unusual item store. This shop has 30 dealers who offer an eclectic variety of object d’art, second hand cowboy boots, loads of stained glass windows, baskets, books, pottery, and a whole lot more. It can be a little crowded in some of the booths so be careful as you look at items. In some ways it was very flee market in the way objects are displayed. Be prepared to dig and look under tables and in cupboards. We were looking for a painting of bluebonnets and we did find a couple that were of interest. We didn’t buy but we did enjoy. There is a lot to look at allow yourself at least an hour.

Rues Antiques: 1500 South Congress. This is an interesting shop they have loads of really unique things but as to antiques, I am not quite sure how they get away with calling this an antique store. What I saw were a lot of reproductions that we not marked as reproduction. They had a very extensive collection of reproduction metal signs, quite a few Coca-Cola and others that were automobiles. The furniture seem to be authentic for the most part but don’t expect to find anything with any real age here. In the window they had a large display of stained glass but it was new glass not old an all the funky cats in the other window I just didn’t get, they obviously were new and sort of artsy crafty. Having said all that I bought a large out door thermometer here with a bass on it for our cottage. Al is a bass fisherman and we have his stuffed large mouth bass on the wall of our back porch ( it beats having it in our parlor at home) so I figured this would be a nice addition to that lake cottage feel. Joe found a couple of old art postcards so it was not a waste of time by any means.

Allens Boots 1522 South Congress, if you have always wanted to own a pair of real western boots, this is the place to stop. These beauties don’t come cheap but it’s all part of the Texas experience, this is the real thing. It doesn’t stop at just the boots either, you can get all your western wear here.

This is a fabulous Library that is amazingly hard to find. There is a sign that tells you which exit to get off the freeway and then nothing. We drove by it the first time. I am so glad we found it because it ended up being one of our very favorite stops in Texas.

You begin your visit by watching an orientation film. Given the weather we watched with only one other couple. Entrance to the museum is free, LBJ wanted everyone to have access to the Library.

For someone who lived through the Johnson presidency I found that I was woefully ignorant about the man. What I came away from here with was a very strong admiration. Also a great deal of sadness that the war that he inherited so overshadowed all the really wonderful things that he accomplished.

Lyndon Baines Johnson is a true son of Texas, his grandfather came to Texas in the 1850s and built a log cabin in what is now Johnson City. His son Sam married Rebekah Baines and they had five children. Lyndon was the eldest and very close to his mother. She was well educated and more ambitious than her husband and I think she passed this on to her son. His father and his grandfather were both members of the legislature so politics came naturally to him

Lyndon went to teachers college and became a teacher to poor Hispanic students in Cotulla. This lasted only one year but made a lasting impression. He went on to become the secretary to Congressman Richard Kleberg. He used those four years in Washington to make valuable contacts. It was during this time that he met and married Claudia "Lady Bird" Taylor.

In 1937 he was elected to the House and spent eleven years there. Lady Bird was the perfect political wife, she also had a great deal of business acumen and it was through her efforts that their financial stability was guaranteed.

In 1948 he won the democratic nomination for the senate and then the race. By 1953 he had been nominated as the minority leader of the senate the youngest man to ever receive that honor. He was a tireless worker and in 1955 when the democrats regained control of the house he became the Majority leader. He worked so hard is health suffered and he had a major heart attack that same year.

He was the ultimate politician. He knew how Washington worked and he surprised a lot of people by accepting the VP position in 1960. He was thrust into the Presidency in 1963 but was reelected on his own right in 64. The Vietnam War got a lot of press, so much so that I had no idea how much had been accomplished during his presidency to help the underprivileged. He can be credited with the Head-Start program, Medicare, student loans, Upward Bound and Medicaid. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the real highlights of his term.

We all loved this Library. There are loads of pictures and personal items. There is a wonderful picture of the family today with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Come here with an open mind and at least two or three hours to spend.

Some of the things we loved:

The automatron Lyndon standing behind a fence telling jokes.

The cases of presidential gifts. It is amazing what they receive from foreign dignitaries.

The portraits of all the presidents and first ladies.

The copy of the Oval Office and Lady Birds Office.

The Presidential Limousine.

The desk where the Civil Rights Act was signed into law.

When we found out that Ima Hogg was buried in Austin we made it one of our priorities to visit her grave. On Friday we headed to the Texas State Cemetery which was beautiful and had a great map to help us find all the important grave. After our visit we headed up Navasota Street in search of Oakwood Cemetery. Oakwood is Austin’s oldest cemetery, provisions for it’s created were made in 1839 when the city was founded ad the annexe was opened in 1917. This cemetery is maintained by the city of Austin and I have to tell you there is no comparison to the state cemetery or even to privately owned Glenwood Cemetery in Houston, this cemetery has a neglected look, everything is overgrown and in a bad state of repair. The office was closed, there was no map available and so we did the impossible, we set put to find the grave on our own.

Using logic, we tried to find a large monument since the Hogg family was well to do. We drove up and down and around looking at all the large monuments, no dice. We saw some maintenance men and decided why not ask them if they knew where it was. Oh yeah, that was a good idea, I don’t think they even spoke English let alone knew who Ima Hogg was, they just gave us a funny look which we took to mean no, they didn’t know where it was.

We headed for the annexe and went slowly up and down and around every road. No Ima. Okay head to the right and start going down any row that is wide enough for a car. Finally we started to feel discouraged and I just picked a row and said go down that one. Guess what, it was a really good guess. There it was, the Hogg family obelisk, nothing too pretentious. And in front of the larger monument was a very small little stone that said Ima Hogg. A lot of work to find but Joe was very happy so it was worth it.

Now here are the directions if you ever want to find this grave. Enter the cemetery and go past the office, take the fourth street on the left, there is a Norton family monument on the corner. Three quarters of the way down on the right hand side is the Hogg family plot.