Austin Trip, Day 4
Apr. 3rd, 2009 02:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
llcoolvadToday my host had to work, so I took myself off to the local museums. Being an obsessive sort, I decided to see ALL of the museums that I could in one day. It was a beautiful sunny day, finally, but inside I went.
First up, my view! Thanks, hail. This is fun to drive with. Thanks, Enterprise. You might be willing to pick me up, but you aren't willing to give me a replacement car. Bastards.
Keeping with my current tradition to see Things Presidential (if available) when I travel, my first stop was the LBJ Library and Museum. Located on the UT campus, it's not very nice on the outside (undergoing some kind of ugly construction), but very nice on the inside. Very of its time, with poured concrete exterior and lots of marble and steel interior. And stacked to the brim with cute old people volunteers. Three floors of exhibits, including a 7/8ths scale replica of the Oval Office as it was during Johnson's tenure, a replica of Lady Bird's office, large photos of the inside of the White House, a nifty video of Johnson's life, amusing letters Lady Bird sent to Lyndon before they were married, a creepy animatronic of Johnson telling jokes (he was funny!), and a very large exhibit of the moon project. Kennedy set it in motion, but he put LBJ in charge of the implementation, so really the moon landing was Johnson's baby. And damn, I never really realized just how many liberal programs Johnson was responsible for. Amazing. Thumbs Up for the Library. And hey, it's free! That was NOT true of the Clinton Library.
After I bought stuff in the gift shop, I then headed out to the French Legation Museum, which is tucked away on a little side street. Thanks, GPS! It wasn't terribly exciting, however. Oldest framed structure in Austin, built in 1840. Which isn't extremely old when you're from New England, but it was still kinda neat. The tour guide did her best to make things interesting, but a woman on the tour kept asking stupid questions and dragged it down a bit. The grounds were very attractive, and the furniture inside was very cool. Very dark inside and again no flash allowed so I didn't take any pictures of anything other than the kitchen.
And finally I decided to go to the Bob Bullock Museum, more formally known as the Texas State History Museum. As I walked in the main doors I was suddenly attending a livestock auction, which was kind of neat. Cows outside, a really big pig when I drove up, bunnies, everything. But I came in at the tail (hee) end of it, so I didn't see much. Back to the museum: It's got a couple IMAX movies (that I was too late for, alas) and a few floors of dimly-lit dioramas of Texas life. Some a/v stuff like oil industry propaganda films, an exhibit of women in the armed forces, and a few other things of interest. Seems unfinished, and seems to lack any real content. Mostly by the end of it I wanted to sit down. Which I did, in the "Story of Texas Cafe" which had a nice balcony overlooking the parking lot.
So that was my day of museums! After a brief trip back to the hotel to freshen up, I met up again with a friend at her favorite coffee shop, and we picked up![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
slipdragon after his job was over and all had dinner at the Hyde Park Bar and Grill (excellent food!).
As always, more pictures here.
First up, my view! Thanks, hail. This is fun to drive with. Thanks, Enterprise. You might be willing to pick me up, but you aren't willing to give me a replacement car. Bastards.
Keeping with my current tradition to see Things Presidential (if available) when I travel, my first stop was the LBJ Library and Museum. Located on the UT campus, it's not very nice on the outside (undergoing some kind of ugly construction), but very nice on the inside. Very of its time, with poured concrete exterior and lots of marble and steel interior. And stacked to the brim with cute old people volunteers. Three floors of exhibits, including a 7/8ths scale replica of the Oval Office as it was during Johnson's tenure, a replica of Lady Bird's office, large photos of the inside of the White House, a nifty video of Johnson's life, amusing letters Lady Bird sent to Lyndon before they were married, a creepy animatronic of Johnson telling jokes (he was funny!), and a very large exhibit of the moon project. Kennedy set it in motion, but he put LBJ in charge of the implementation, so really the moon landing was Johnson's baby. And damn, I never really realized just how many liberal programs Johnson was responsible for. Amazing. Thumbs Up for the Library. And hey, it's free! That was NOT true of the Clinton Library.
After I bought stuff in the gift shop, I then headed out to the French Legation Museum, which is tucked away on a little side street. Thanks, GPS! It wasn't terribly exciting, however. Oldest framed structure in Austin, built in 1840. Which isn't extremely old when you're from New England, but it was still kinda neat. The tour guide did her best to make things interesting, but a woman on the tour kept asking stupid questions and dragged it down a bit. The grounds were very attractive, and the furniture inside was very cool. Very dark inside and again no flash allowed so I didn't take any pictures of anything other than the kitchen.
And finally I decided to go to the Bob Bullock Museum, more formally known as the Texas State History Museum. As I walked in the main doors I was suddenly attending a livestock auction, which was kind of neat. Cows outside, a really big pig when I drove up, bunnies, everything. But I came in at the tail (hee) end of it, so I didn't see much. Back to the museum: It's got a couple IMAX movies (that I was too late for, alas) and a few floors of dimly-lit dioramas of Texas life. Some a/v stuff like oil industry propaganda films, an exhibit of women in the armed forces, and a few other things of interest. Seems unfinished, and seems to lack any real content. Mostly by the end of it I wanted to sit down. Which I did, in the "Story of Texas Cafe" which had a nice balcony overlooking the parking lot.
So that was my day of museums! After a brief trip back to the hotel to freshen up, I met up again with a friend at her favorite coffee shop, and we picked up
slipdragon after his job was over and all had dinner at the Hyde Park Bar and Grill (excellent food!). As always, more pictures here.
