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Tag: Texas Hill Country

Coby and Kevin’s Excellent Hill-Country Adventure

Saturday, we began our day with a drive from the state capital to Johnson City, Texas to visit the boyhood home of former President Lyndon B. Johnson. The home sits in a National Park in Johnson’s name and encompasses a good portion of the area. The home was modest looking but was a nice home for the early twentieth century. Created in the style of a “dog-trot” home, the house was well furnished and equipped with the newest technology and modern conveniences of the time: telephone, running water, and expensive furniture uncommon in households of the 1920s-30s.

Johnson Family Law Library
Johnson Family Law Library

Our group was fascinated with one of Mrs. Johnson’s key teaching tools, a Charles Allen Gilbert work titled, “All is Vanity.” This piece is an illusion she used to teach her pupils to look beyond the surface and see what’s really there, a lesson not lost on LBJ the politician.

"All is Vanity," by Charles Allan Gilbert
“All is Vanity,” by Charles Allan Gilbert

Once our tour of the home was over, we loaded up and went to find the “Texas White House,” the Johnson family-owned ranch used by President Johnson during his tenure in the White House. Johnson spent 25% percent of his presidency at the ranch working with staff and officials on policy issues. Of note, the parking lot had been converted from a runway President Johnson used for his Lockheed VC-140 jet, jokingly called “Air Force One Half” due to its smaller size.

Air Force One Half
Air Force One Half

The house itself progressed over time. The original one-room home was made of native limestone, but was steadily expanded throughout the Johnsons’ ownership. They had an array of art and artifacts including a letter from Texas President Sam Houston to one of the Johnson’s ancestors. Intriguingly, it was written from Huntsville, Texas. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the home, so we could not document the letter.

Other interesting features of the home included evidence of President Johnson’s obsession with information. In both the living room and the bedroom, Johnson had three televisions set up, one for each network. He even ensured that his seat in the dining room had a direct line to the televisions in the living room. Lady Bird Johnson was said to only have control of one TV, in her sitting room, to watch her favorite western show, “Gunsmoke.”  On the other hand, she got the best bedroom, so perhaps it was a draw. It was neat to see how the Johnsons lived while in Texas and to see the surroundings in which much domestic and foreign policy was discussed.

LBJ Pool
LBJ Pool

Once we finished our tour of the home, we ate lunch at East Main Grill in Johnson City, choosing from a selection of sandwiches. We used this time to discuss what he had learned that morning and what we were going to do for the rest of the day, as well as a short rest before hitting the road again!

At the entrance to the Benini Studio and Sculpture Ranch we were greeted at the gate by the awe-inspiring “Marathon,” a massive Texas longhorn designed with three types of steel.

Marathon, by B.H. Turner (Photo by Kenneth Voight)
Marathon, by B.H. Turner (Photo, K. Voight)

This sculpture was a true indication of what to expect. The six-mile trek to Benini’s actual studio was in itself an adventure, winding through Texas hill country, passing various sculptures. One included parts of a Walgreens’ sign entitled “He Kept Telling His God ‘Give Me A Sign’.” At the studio we were greeted by Lorraine Benini, the artist’s wife and business partner, who was a gracious hostess.

After a quick overview of the workings of the 140-acre property, she let us explore the art gallery at our leisure.

Benini Gallery
Benini Gallery

A recurring theme in Benini’s work, predominantly his sculptures, was exploiting available materials and transforming it to art, an object to prompt conversation and unveil the object’s true meaning.

The Painter
The Painter

Benini was kind enough to give us insight in to his work process and also offer a few wise words. He explained that his art was “controlled chaos,” but he truly prided himself with his “masterful and unique” ability to mix colors unlike any other artist.

Benini_Painting

One of the lessons that really hit home was his suggestion that life, like artistic inspiration, will force you to adapt, and accepting that fact will serve you well—whether as an artist in the Hill Country or as a legislator in the Texas Capitol.

A quick fifty-five mile drive later we found ourselves zipping up and down the streets of Austin on a “Haunted” Segway tour.

Students on Segways
Students on Segways

When we weren’t racing up and down the sidewalks, we were being terrified, or at least mildly agitated, by the different ghost stories spawned by tragic events in Austin’s history. One story told by our tour guide highlighted the tale of a suicide in the Driskill Hotel, a tragedy that has prompted tales of hauntings and ghostly sightings.

Students_Helmets

We brought the day to an end with an amazing dinner at Kerbey Lane Cafe, where we met with SHSU alum Blake Roach, who is employed in the office of Attorney General Greg Abbott. Blake gave us a more informal perspective of the career path many of us are pursuing. He explained how both the Junior Fellows, predecessor to the LEAP Center, and his attitude allowed him to make necessary connections to get ahead in his career. Blake’s words brought home the theme of the trip: to get ahead, you have to work hard, make connections, and develop professional skills.

Author mikeyawnPosted on February 13, 2014Categories Art, Civic Engagement, Law, Politics, TravelTags Austin. LEAP Center, Benini, LBJ National Park, LBJ Ranch, Segway Tour, Texas Hill Country, Texas White HouseLeave a comment on Coby and Kevin’s Excellent Hill-Country Adventure

LEAP Center Students Explore the Hill Country

Joycelyn Ovalle–On Saturday morning we met up with SHSU alum Will Phillips, a former Junior Fellow and POLS graduate, and headed to Johnson City, the home of former president Lyndon Baines Johnson.  Our first stop was his humble, yet peculiar, “Boyhood Home”.  We were guided through the home by a National Park Ranger, who offered insightful tales of LBJ as a boy.  When the future President was in middle school, for example, he was referred to as “First Base Johnson” for his baseball skills, but he didn’t really enjoy baseball.

LBJ's Mitt
LBJ’s Mitt

He played to make contacts, a political player more than a sports fan.  He followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a local politician.  The two of them would often go to the Texas Capitol together and, by the age of 11, LBJ was claiming he would one day be President.  He was correct.

As President, Johnson often referred to himself as the son of a “poor dirt tenant farmer,” but his childhood home suggests otherwise.  The family owned a telephone and a gas stove, items that weren’t in many early twentieth century homes.   As we continued to explore the works of President LBJ, we moved away from his “Boyhood Home” and transferred into the home of the president – “The Texas White House”. We made a stop at the Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historic Park and we spent our afternoon enjoying the weather, admiring his ranch, and learning about his works as a president and his last days as a Texan.  The Johnson’s residence was filled with historical artifacts and well preserved personal items.

Presidential Golf Cart
Presidential Golf Cart

From his flamboyant convertibles to his shoes and shorts, there is no doubt that “The Texas White House” truly resembled President LBJ.

LBJ Ranch
LBJ Ranch or “Texas White House”

It was extensive and distinguishable from the outside, but welcoming and refined from the inside. Another note worthy artifact was a framed letter hanging in the Johnson’s living room. As Bearkats, everyone wanted to see it, particularly because it was sent from our hero, Sam Houston and was written from Huntsville, Texas in 1838.

After building up hunger from the walk around the LBJ Ranch, we stopped at a popular Johnson City restaurant in the heart of town called the East Main Grill. It is an exquisite southern restaurant providing delicious arrays of soup, salads, and sandwiches. While all of the food items sound fantastic, there was definitely one that stood out from the rest. The Ultimate Grill Cheese sandwich consisted of fresh apples, tomatoes, swiss, cheddar, and gorgonzola cheese. Only a few students were smart enough to try it, and they were not disappointed.

Following lunch, we made our way down to the Benini Studio and Sculpture Ranch, which is owned by the Italian artist Benini. Driving through the Hill Country of Texas, you could not help but appreciate the natural brush terrain it’s known for. Sculptures are placed throughout the property, and they become more elaborate as you approach his studio.  While the sculptures were impressive, Benini is best known for his painting.   His ability to blend colors to create depth and shades without the use of an airbrush is what sets him apart from his contemporaries, and it was a pleasure (and an adventure) to meet and explore the mind of Benini.

He talked about his childhood growing up in Italy during a time of turmoil. With political unrest, war, and problems with his father, Benini began to copy things, and this turned into his art.  He spoke freely about his life experiences and gave us a tour of his studio, the place where he imagines and creates his pieces of art.

Benini's Work Shoes
Benini’s Work Shoes

It was a rare experience, and we were all appreciative of the opportunity and the ability to not only see his art, but to learn more about it and the processes he used to create it.

Benini's Studio
                               Benini’s Studio

But the art did not end at his gallery; his whole ranch was filled with trails leading to different sculptures, a hand cropping out of the hillside; a massive drum set (with drums!) beside a pond; a glass figure looking over the beautiful hill country. It was an intriguing and educational afternoon.

Our evening events concluded with a night out under the Austin sky.  The Leap Students ventured on a haunted Segway tour in downtown Austin.  We had the opportunity to ride around the Texas State Capital, through the streets of downtown Austin and various city attractions.  Our group had to quickly learn how to master the Segway, learn how to go up and down hills and most importantly how to brake!  Throughout the tour the guide told 3 ghost stories based off of local downtown buildings.  The first was told at The Driskill, which the guide said is “the fifth most haunted building in America”. The second story was told near the Speak Easy, and was a tale of two young girls who died in an elevator.  The last story was told at the west wing of the Texas State Capital, where it is said a former governor shot his wife and her ghost haunts the apartment in the capital.  The Segway Tour was both fun and educational as well as a neat way to view Austin.

LEAP Center Students at the Capitol
SHSU Students at the Capitol

The final stop of our night was at Kerbey Lane Café.  We met up with Sam Houston State Alumni Blake Roach, who is living in Austin and works for Attorney General Gregg Abbot.  The Leap Students had the opportunity to both pick his brain about his successes while enjoying a wonderful meal.

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on February 12, 2014Categories Art, Civic Engagement, Politics, TravelTags Art, Austin, Benini, LBJ, LEAP Center, Texas Hill Country, TravelLeave a comment on LEAP Center Students Explore the Hill Country

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