Housed in an 1841 home of a former French diplomat, and dedicated to represent France’s role in Texas’ history, this is one of the oldest frame structures in Austin. Following Texas’ independence from Mexico in 1836, France was one of only two countries (the other being the United States) to officially recognize Texas as an independent entity. Jean Pierre Isidore Alphonse Dubois was designated as the first “Charge d’Affairs” between France and the new Republic. His goal was to bring new French settlers to Texas. By 1842, the house was abandoned and Dubois was recalled to France (since Texas had become part of the United States and was no longer an independent country). Subsequently, the Bishop of the Diocese of Galveston, John Mary Odin, lived in the home for a short time. It was then bought by Dr. Joseph Robertson. Several generations of Robertsons inhabited the home until 1940. In 1945, the State of Texas bought the home from the Robertson’s heirs and turned it into a museum in 1949. This is the type of history we love!

Entrance to the French Legation Museum, which is the oldest frame structure in Austin.

For six years, this structure served as the home of the French Charge d’Affairs.

...whereas the parkour was for more formal occasions.

Included in this room was this old wine cask .

From the beginning, this was the master bedroom...

...with this serving as the guest room, and later as the children’s room.

As with many properties of the era, gardens were important to the overall ambience.

Gaps under the toad deck of the Congress Avenue Bridge serves as the nursery for the bats...

...which begin to go food hunting st sunset .

It is amazing to see them swarm above the city.

A statue of the Mexican Free Tailed bat is located at one end of the bridge.

During the summer months, this event draws huge crowds that fill every space on the bridge...

...most of the ground just below the bridge...

...and even on the water of Lady Bird Lake.

    Constructed in 1854, the Texas Governor's Mansion has been home to every governor since 1856. As such, it is the oldest, continuously inhabited home in Texas, as well as the oldest west of the Mississippi River. In addition, this is the fourth oldest governor's mansion in the United States that has been continuously occupied by a chief executive. Architecturally, it's design is considered to be in the Greek revival style. On June 8, 2008, a disgruntled citizen threw a Molotov Cocktail at the building. The resulting fire severely damaged the mansion. It took nearly four years to restore the building. Today, the mansion is open for public tours, but only by appointment (usually made a week in advance to accommodate background checks).

The Governor’s Mansion in Austin Texas has been home to every governor since 1856...

...and is considered to be the oldest governor’s residence west of the Mississippi River.

We love winding staircases!

Located to the left of the main hallway, the “small” parlor was used as a reception room for important guests.

Next door, the “large” parlor was used for more formal engagements.

Every large home has to have a library.

Included in this room is the “Pease” sofa from Texas’ fifth and thirteenth governor, Elisha Marshall Pease (1853 to 1857 and 1867 to 1869).

We would love to have had a dining room like this that seats 14 (of course it would have to come with its own set of butlers).

The Conservatory is used for more intimate family meals.

On the second floor is the San Houston bedroom...

...and the Pease bedroom.

Archive photo of how the mansion looked in1860.

   Located about a half-mile from the University of Texas (Austin) campus , and just a few blocks north of the Texas State Capital, the Texas State History Museum (aka the Bullock Museum), was established in 2001 "...to tell the story of Texas." Now owned by the Texas State Preservation Board, the museum was named after Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock who led the campaign for its creation. Construction of the building began in 1999, and it was opened to the public two years later. Since 2001, nearly eight million visitors have explored the museum. It features some of the most significant artifacts pertaining toTexas. Many of its exhibits are interactive. Comprising three floors, the first focuses on "the land", while the second floor looks at "the identity" of the state, and the third on "opportunity" (aka the future). If you are planning on visiting this wonderful museum, note that on the first Sunday of each month, admission is free for the whole family.

Officially known as “The Texas State History Museum”, the Bullock Museum is located between the University of Texas (Austin) campus and the State Capital building.

In 1684, French explorer La Salle led an expedition to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River. This three-masted ship, La Belle, was part of that expedition when it sank in Matagorda Bay during a winter storm.

More than three hundred years later Texas Historical Commission archaeologists found La Belle and were able to salvage its hull along with much of its cargo.

One of the museum’s special exhibitions focuses on the Rise and Fall of Prohibition in Texas.

William (“Billy”) Sunday left his Major League Baseball career to become one of Prohibition’s greatest supporter.

This 1836 hand-colored lithograph by Carl Nebel depicts The Plaza Mayor de Mexico as it appeared during Stephen Austin’s imprisonment (from 1834 to 1835).

Texas became the 28th state to join the United States in 1845. This “Great Luminary” star flag depicts the individual stars grouped to form one larger star. It was in use for only one year when another star had to be added to represent Iowa (the 29th State).

Next to Lyndon Baines Johnson, Audie Murphy is perhaps the best known Texan of the twentieth century.

The original “Goddess of Liberty” stood on top of the Texas State Capital building between 1888 and 1985. It’s design was thought to have been inspired by images of Zeus’ daughter Athena (Greek goddess of wisdom).

    Dedicated on May 21, 1971, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library was the first Presidential library to be located on a university campus (i.e. The University of Texas in Austin). It is one of thirteen Presidential libraries run by the National Archives and Records Administration. In addition to exploring the life of LBJ ( our 36th President serving from 1963 to 1969), the museum contains a 7/8th scale replica of his Oval Office. Within the library, a four story Great Hall is home to 45 million pages of historical documents pertaining to Johnson's public tenure. Visitors can listen to recordings of telephone conversations Johnson had with other public personalities. With over 125,000 visitors per year, this is one of the more popular Presidential libraries.

The ten story LBJ Presidential Library is located next to the LBJ School of Public Affairs on the University of Texas campus in Austin.

Dominating the main lobby is this 1968 Lincoln Limousine that LBJ ordered for use after he left the Presidency. Unlike the official Presidential limo, this one was neither armored, bulletproof, nor bomb-proof.

On the top floor of the library is this 7/8th scale replica of Johnson’s Oval Office...

...as well as this replica of Lady Bird Johnson’s office when she was the First Lady.

Candid photo of the First Family during Johnson’s tenure as President.

LBJ had a wonderful sense of humor, especially when it came to himself. It was said that he greatly admired political cartoonists, often collecting their work. He once stated that political cartoonists were “...the most influential journalists in America.”

Johnson felt that one of the highlights of his Presidency was his June 13, 1967 appointment of Thurgood Marshall as a Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The other milestone of his Presidency was the July 2, 1964 signing of the Civil Rights Act.

The Great Hall of the Library contains over 45 million pages of documents pertaining to LBJ’s Presidency. These archives take up four stories of the building.

    Located just a mile from the State Capital building, the University of Texas campus is one of Austin's main attractions. While the first mention of the establishment of a Texas university occurred in 1821 at the constitutional state convention, no action was taken until 1881, when the University of Texas was founded. It's Austin campus is the flagship for this public research university. With a student population of 51,000 and with faculty/staff numbering more than 24,000, the University of Texas serves as host to two museums and 17 libraries (including the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library). It was elected into the Association of American Universities in 1929 ( only the third university in the American South to reach this milestone). UT is ranked as a major center for academic research, with members of its faculty having received the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the Wolf Prize (an international prize for "...achievement in the interests of mankind..."), an Emmy, a Turing Award (for computing), and a National Medal of Science (as well as many other awards). Its "Longhorn Network" ( a 24 hour television network in partnership with ESPN) is the only sports network featuring the college sports of a single university.

The University of Texas is not without its controversies. In 1916, Governor James E. Ferguson feuded with UT over his desire to remove certain faculty he found "objectionable." When the Board of Regents refused to comply with his request, the Governor vetoed the entire appropriations for the university. The Texas House of Representatives stepped into the fray by charging the Governor (amongst other things) with "Misapplication of Public Funds" and removed him from office. On August 1, 1966, student Charles Whitman barricaded himself on the observation deck of the tower of the Main Building and began shooting, eventually killing 14 people before police killed him.

  The first Presidential Library on a university campus (LBJ's library) was dedicated here on May 22, 1971 and is one of 13 Presidential Libraries run by the National Archives and Records Administration. Totaling more than1400 acres (with 423 acres at its main campus in Austin), The University of Texas is massive, and includes its own TRIGA nuclear reactor ( a class of small reactors designed and manufactured by General Atomics). Two public radio stations, KUT and KUTX, also operate on the campus. The University of Texas' Austin campus was on a direct line between our apartment and downtown Austin, so we got to visit it daily.

1903 photo of UT’s old main building.

It even includes its own Visitor Center.

As one of 13 Presidential Libraries run by the National Archives and Records Administration, the LBJ Library was the first one built on a university campus.

Dominating the center of UT’s campus...

...the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (aka Longhorn Stadium) has been home to the University of Texas at Austin football team since 1924.

Like many large scale universities throughout the U.S., the campus has its own medical school (the Dell Medical School Center).

Known as the “Texas Tower”, the main building at the center of the campus was the site of a mass shooting in 1966 by a distraught student.