Texas provided us with a great opportunity to visit several cherished friends and to learn more about President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Dallas: We first met Kacey Claiborne at our church in Cupertino in the 1990s and it was a real treat to catch-up with her on her home turf of Texas. An extra added bonus was that we enjoyed our very first Mexican food of the trip, and Sue was a happy camper. We missed seeing Kacey’s husband Phil who was out-of-town, but we hope that the next time we visit we’ll have a ‘full house.’
Houston: Jim and Jan Hartman are great friends of ours from our Modesto United Methodist Church days. They befriended us forty years ago when we were newlyweds and took us into their hearts and home, and modeled for us what true friendship looks like. It was a gift to enjoy time together at a fantastic South African restaurant and to share our stories of life and faith.
Austin: Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library: A short drive to Austin gave us the opportunity to visit the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas. It was a beautiful, and moving tribute to a man, who as a Southerner, led Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act along with critical environmental legislation.
President Johnson is also remembered for putting troops on the ground in Vietnam, but his emphasis, as a former school teacher was to provide educational opportunity for the poor, and a shining star of his was getting the Elementary and Secondary Education Act passed by Congress. It is striking how much he accomplished, and amazing to learn how he knew how to lean on every senator to get the vote that was needed across both sides. We listened to his telephone conversations with famous people, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Harry Truman, Jacqueline Kennedy, and so many more. As seen in the above photo, the library includes a replica of his Oval Office.
Austin Beer Garden Brewery: After visiting the LBJ Presidential Library, we took in some of the culture of Austin! We sat next to young high tech workers, smiling as we overheard conversations of life in Austin and their excitement about work. Enjoying the brews, caprese salad, and pizza was a perfect end to our day.
The LBJ Ranch at Stonewall, Texas: This morning, while driving west through the Hill Country of Texas, we stopped at the LBJ Ranch National Historic Park. This picture is of the original one-room schoolhouse LBJ attended, and where as President, he signed the Education Act (with his childhood teacher sitting next to him).
On this ranch, we also saw a replica of the house where President Johnson was born, his ‘Air Force 1/2′ – the small jet that flew him from Austin or San Antonio to his ranch (since the real Air Force One was too big to land there), and the family cemetery where he is buried. We then saw his home here, the Western White House, where he visited with his staff and dignitaries from around the world.
As teenagers, we mostly associated President Johnson with the Vietnam War (and not in such a flattering light), but after visiting his Presidential Library and his Western 
White House we came away with a renewed understanding of so much that he accomplished: the Civil Rights Act, Medicare, NASA, Head Start, and many contributions to preserving wilderness, helping environmental causes, and education. We also saw firsthand that the Hill Country of Texas is so enchanting and we understood more clearly how restorative this beautiful area would have been to President Johnson and his family.