Mount Bonnell, and Star of the Republic Museum -- Mum & Dad Visit Texas – March 2007 (Part 1)

DAY ONE:  Thursday, 29 March 2007

My parents came for a few days, as opposed to a full week the last time they were here.  This time they would be heading on to Florida after leaving Austin, so they had a full schedule here.  Instead of getting a hotel room, it made more sense to have them sleep in the front room, the one Aislynn uses when she stays over.  Ignoring the fact that it’s cheaper, it’ll give more quality time.  Instead of having to take them back to hotel when they’re ready to turn into pumpkins, and meeting them once they’ve gotten ready in the morning, we’ll be able to socialize for some extra time.  With that in mind, there was no need for them to get a rental either, as we’d just chauffeur them.

As with the earlier visits, Mum figured out some places she wanted to see, and I had a couple of suggestions to take them too.  She did make the comment that we don’t always have to be doing something, which is true.  But we can chit-chat in the car on the way to someplace just as easily as we can hanging out at the house.  After getting Mum & Dad at the airport, the day was cloudy and over-cast.  That also meant it wasn’t too hot or humid either, so it made sense to hike up Mount Bonnell.

Located in the middle of Austin, it provides an excellent view of both the Austin skyline and the Colorado River (which becomes Town Lake, as it intersects the city).  Driving up to where it’s located is an adventure in itself, as the roads have steep hills and sharp curves, and this is all residential.  Once you reach the point where you can pull off and park, there’s a series of steps which will take you to the top of its 780 foot elevation.  Not very high for northern New Yorkers, but it is the highest point in Austin.  Looking upriver, you can see the large number of wealthy homes on this waterfront property.  The various dams along the upper sections of the Colorado River (like Mansfield Dam my parents visited on their very first trip here in 2003) help manage the water levels to cut down on flooding.

Because of the haze in the sky, the visibility was poor.  While the skyline of Austin was visible, it wasn’t very clear.  There are something like sixteen places on the outer edges of the city which you’re supposed to have an unobstructed view of the dome of the state capitol.  In this shot, you can see it on the far left, as well as the Fortress of Solitude-like design of the Frost Tower, and a bunch of other buildings whose names I can’t recall.  But considering Mum & Dad were in transit all day, this was all the excitement they could for today.  After a nice dinner, and some social time, they crashed out so they could have the energy to explore tomorrow.

DAY TWO:  Friday, 30 March 2007

            When Mum & Dad came to visit Austin the very first time, they went to the Bob Bullock Museum.  There were a lot of exhibits on the Independence of Texas, which they found fascinating reading.  And as many of those places are within day trips of Austin, Mum & Dad have wanted to hit them one or two at a time on their trips down.  After going south to hit Gonzales last time, this time we’d be going east.  In the vicinity of Navasota (where the Texas Ren Faire is held) is a place which has the distinction of being called the “birthplace of Texas.”

This is named such because the site used to contain a town named Washington which was located along the Brazos River, which was to be the capitol of the Republic of Texas back in 1836.  The town was sacked by the advancing Mexican army after all the residents fled.  Once independence was gained, the capitol was later moved to present-day Austin.  The county which this area was in was named Washington to honour it, even though there was pretty much nothing left of the original capitol.  (As Argyle is located in Washington County, New York, we all got a little amusement out of this.)  What is left of the grounds where Washington once stood was created into a historical park.

Most of the park is a bunch of dirt paths laid out in a grid, with the remains of a few foundations.  As this was supposed to be the capitol, it’d had been marked out for future growth.  Also on the grounds was the Star of the Republic Museum which gave a lot of information of the War for Texas Independence, and the historical figures involved.  The Museum was also filled with lots of artifacts, clothes, and room re-creations to show what life was like during the period.  One of the things which was really interesting about the Museum was it was in the shape of a star.

After there, we drove over to nearby Brenham, where Lee’s mom (and her husband) had come out to meet us.  Brenham had a display of large eggs scattered all over the city, each with a different design.  These were similar to the ones we’d seen in other places (the horses in Saratoga Springs, NY, and the guitars in Austin).  It was a nice afternoon as the families got to spend time with each other.

Once we’d wandered around Brenham a bit (having fun going into the random stores and such), Lee’s parents headed back to Houston, and we returned to Austin.  We couldn’t stay away too long, as there were three dogs waiting at home to be let out of their houses to do business.  With the pooches taken care of, the rest of the evening was relaxing.

More information on the places we visited can be found at:

Washington on the Brazos:  birthplaceoftexas.com

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