Get The Gate Code! & “President Dolan”?

CRAZY CAMPGROUND STORY: When we first arrived at McKinney Falls State Park Campground in Austin, Texas, Kevin made sure to ask the ranger what the gate code is. We knew we would be out late several nights (read about the convention we attended in last week’s blog) and didn’t want to be stuck outside the gate. He asked several times, making sure to know what the gate code is. Then a few days later we noticed the gate is bent and laying down in the grass! Kevin asked the ranger and we were told that on Friday before we got here, someone had hooked up a tow rope and pulled the gate down. Who does that and why?! The gate is very long! We can’t imagine what they were thinking. The ranger said they know who did it and it is under investigation with the police. So all this worry and asking about the gate code and the gate had been on the ground the entire time we were here. Too funny! 🤣

Our Campsite, McKinney Falls State Park Campground, Austin, TX 11/23

If you go to Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas, be aware of parking if there is a longhorn football game. There are all sorts of warnings about this on their website. The game started at 11:00am on a Saturday when we were there so Kevin called the library and asked if we would be able to get a parking spot if we were there when they opened at 9:00am. Oh yes, he was told. We decided to head there and just hang out until it opened. Well, even at 8:00am, the roads were blocked and closed by police and it was a mess. People for the game everywhere. We pulled into a normal parking lot for the library but it was blocked off for the game. We asked the police officer where the LBJ Library parking lot is. She said to go to the next lot. Turned around, not easy in our big truck, and went to that lot. There they said, no, this was rented out by some name company for the game. Where do we go? Try the lot over there. Kevin was ready to give up but I said let’s try once more. The guy at the next lot said yes, we could park in between the orange cones for the library. Whew! Hung out on this cloudy dark day in the truck for awhile and then walked to the library. There were two people ahead of us and then a couple came up behind and we had a nice chat before doors opened. Inside we learned so much about what President Lyndon Johnson did. All videos were captioned. Yes! He took office right after Kennedy was shot and killed. He had lots of ideas all his life and so his plans were already laid out. He expanded on Roosevelt’s New Deal with Great Society. His remarks at Gettysburg, May 30, 1963, “Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men’s skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact.” 

The Johnson Treatment: “One on one, Lyndon Johnson had an unmatched ability to persuade people to his point of view. He used a mixture of charm, intimidation, logic, kindness, cajolery, and horse-trading to get the deals he wanted. And he very often moved in close to make his point – thrusting his face directly into his listener’s, leaning over a shorter man, touching, prodding. The countless examples of his almost irresistible power to persuade came to be known as the Johnson Treatment.” 

A Fun Bookstore To Visit, Bastrop, TX 11/23

The Painted Porch bookstore is in Bastrop, Texas. Kevin had read about it and thought it would be unique place to see. Downtown Bastrop has a craft fair on the sidewalks once a month and this was it. He made a purchase of a set of 3 books. I had happily reminded him, “You can get 1 book but then I will change that to 3 books” just like he does when I buy fabric for quilting: I want 1 yard but he gets me 3 yards. 🙂 I LOVE us!!!

Boat Dock, Lake Conroe RV & Camping Resort, Willis, TX 11/23

Travel Day: Austin, Texas to Lake Conroe RV & Camping Resort, Willis, Texas. When I woke up, I saw a weather alert for dense fog. Yes, it was very foggy. We decided to wait an hour. It was a very good decision to wait until the fog was lifted. Lake Conroe has 157 miles of shoreline. This campground is very nice and a lot of people say it is one of their favorites. We got set up and notice the water wasn’t on. Kevin went to the ranger gate and was told the water was off but should be fixed in a few hours. It was fixed soon after, thankfully. We went for a walk. The campground has a beach, harbor for boats, and a boat launch. 

“President Kevin Dolan” Sitting At President Bush’s Desk! George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum, College Station, TX 11/23

One day we drove 1 hour to College Station to visit President George H. W. Bush’s Presidential Library. Security for this place is crazy! We had the full body camera and X-ray all our things. It was like going to the airport. We started at the movie and thankfully the captions were on. This museum has a great feeling and flow, we thought. So many museums have displays around the edges and in the middle of each room and it doesn’t flow to me. This one did. This was a library where we remembered a lot of the events; it being in “our young adult days”. One of the neatest things was a docent told us we could sit at the president’s desk.

Clean House But The Garage Makes The Best Place For Her Photo. George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum, College Station, TX 11/23

A sign says, “This photo of Mrs Bush is by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz for inclusion in Women, a book featuring women throughout American at the end of the 20th century. The photograph session took place in 1999 at the Bush residence in Houston. Mrs Bush recalled that on the day of the photo shoot, she frantically cleaned her home from top to bottom, not being sure of where Leibovitz would want to set up. When Leibovitz arrived, she walked throughout the home, and then proceed to the garage, where she decided to stage the session. After requesting that President and Mrs Bush’s vehicles be removed from the garage, and setting up her equipment, Leibovitz took this photograph – one of Mrs. Bush’s favorite portraits.” Isn’t that great? The best place was the garage. LOL (Sorry about the overhead light reflections on the picture. This is the best shot I could get.)

Graves Of Robin, President, Barbara Bush. George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum, College Station, TX 11/23

Outside we walked to the beautiful pond and then on to see the graves of President, Mrs. Bush, and their daughter, Robin.

I can’t wait to share my travel journey with you next week…you won’t believe the museum we found! Like no other. HAHAHA