Johnson City, TX

Monday, February 8

Today was another warm, sunny day in Texas Hill Country — it’s been the perfect weather the past few days! Morning clouds burn off to reveal afternoon sun and temperatures in the high 60’s which has been ideal for hiking, biking and exploring the charming small towns west of Austin. There is so much to see and do in this area; Andi and I have really enjoyed visiting here.

Monday started at Pedernales Falls State Park. I did my workout outside under the covered picnic area while Andi got the kids up, dressed and fed. Then, we were on the road by 9:00am in route to Johnson City, TX.

It was another “parking lot school day” for us. Andi ran into the local Lowe’s Market for groceries (which appeared to be a cross between a small grocery store and an ACE Hardware) while Tory, Aden and I stayed in the RV and did school. Andi returned to say his shopping experience was exactly what you’d expect from a grocery store / ACE Hardware combination — not very good! Looks like we’ll have to make a stop for groceries in another town tomorrow.

Afterward, we drove a few miles outside town to the LBJ State Park and Historic Site. I don’t think I’m outing Andi when I say these historical stops aren’t on the top of his list, but I personally enjoy them. I love history and find it interesting to see the places that have shaped the lives of past presidents and other successful contributors of our country. I also think these visits are a valuable lesson in living history for Tory and Aden. I wouldn’t plan a vacation to come to the LBJ Historic Site specifically, but since we’ve got the time and we’re here, we might as well see it. So, off to the LBJ Ranch we went!

Upon our arrival to the state park visitor center, the four of us went inside to get a map and two Junior Ranger booklets. We spent some time in the exhibit center learning about Texas Hill Country as well as Lyndon & Lady Bird Johnson.

The grounds of the LBJ State Park and Historic Site are massive and very neatly kept. After the kids completed their Junior Ranger booklets, we walked outside to the Living History Farm to see a corral of Texas Longhorns and pioneer cabins on display.

In addition to information about LBJ’s life, the park also shared examples of what Texas Hill Country was like for farmers in the early 1900’s. There were no roads connecting settlers to Austin, nor electricity or plumbing. Bringing these modern resources to rural farm communities was one of the initiatives LBJ worked to provide when he was a Texas legislator. He was born on this Texas ranch, and knew first-hand the hardships farmers faced in providing for their families.

Tory and Aden were sworn in as Junior Rangers of the park and collected Junior Ranger badges. Then, the four of us set off on our electric bikes to see the LBJ Ranch.

LBJ’s home, affectionately called “The Texas White House,” is closed for repairs, but we were able to bike all around the property itself. It was a beautiful afternoon to be outdoors, and very enjoyable to bike on the paved roads without any cars to contend with.

We passed the Johnson’s family cemetery and saw LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson’s graves. I think it’s neat they were buried here on their ranch. It’s obvious Texas Hill Country meant so much to them.

Around 3:30pm, we hopped back in the RV and made our way into Johnson City. Andi reserved us a camping spot at a winery in town through our Harvest Hosts membership. Being a member of Harvest Hosts allows us to camp at their network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and museums for free. Who knew there were so many wineries in Texas Hill Country? This area west of Austin is dotted with them.

Admittedly, this is only the second time we’ve used our Harvest Hosts membership. For whatever reason, their locations never seem to line up with our travel plans so I was excited this winery worked out for us to stay. I had visions of Andi and I sitting on the patio drinking wine together for a rare RV date night. Unfortunately, our evening didn’t turn out to be quite as romantic as I hoped for, but we did enjoy a nice conversation with another full-time traveling couple while we were there.

Technically, there is no camping fee at Harvest Hosts locations, but it’s an unwritten rule that you’ll buy something from whatever business you are staying at for the night in an effort to support them. Andi purchased two bottles of 290 Vineyard wines for us to take home.

Since we were camping within walking distance to downtown, Andi and I decided to take the kids out for dinner tonight. The four of us walked over to Pecan Street Brewing and found a table on the back patio. It was a gorgeous evening to be outdoors. Very thankful for this weather.

Andi went all in on ordering from the restaurant’s southern menu with a spiked peach sweet tea and fried chicken with pecan crust. His chicken portion was huge! No doubt that amount of meat could have fed our entire family. Tory had her usual cheeseburger for dinner, Aden ordered chicken fingers, and I had a tasty Mediterranean flatbread pizza. We left with full bellies and happy hearts.

One more day in Hill Country tomorrow; we’re making our way to Fredericksberg, TX.