A visit to the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas

One morning while my nephew, Matthew, was at Longhorns Football Camp at the University of Texas last week, my sister and I walked across the street to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, a site I was eager to see. I've been greatly interested in politics all of my life, so a visit to a presidential library was a must.

Rhonda and I took a selfie as we walked up to the next floor and looked at the four floors of LBJ archives. The red boxes with the Presidential Seal on them all face outward so visitors can see them, a design feature that was requested by Lady Bird Johnson.

LBJ recorded lots of his telephone calls, and a docent told us that we should stop and listen to a few at one of the telephones carefully placed throughout the exhibit. Rhonda is listening to one of the recordings here, and I listened to conversations with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Richard B. Russell (fellow Georgians) and Katharine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post. 

It was quite sobering to see this display of the clothing that President Johnson and Lady Bird wore on November 22, 1963, the day President Kennedy was assassinated. I can't imagine the shock of having to assume the presidency under such circumstances.

I knew that President Johnson was known for his Civil Rights achievements, and I enjoyed seeing the desk where he sat when he signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I thought about the privilege of voting when I cast a ballot yesterday in my local election for sheriff. Voting is so important, and regardless of which side of "the aisle" you're on (and why does there have to be an aisle? we're all in the same boat, aren't we?), I think it's so important to vote.

Moving right along, I have to confess that I was so disappointed to learn the Lady Bird Johnson portion of the exhibit was temporarily closed due to water damage. They did have a notebook showing photos from the exhibit, so that's the closest I got to seeing this china with wildflowers on it.

Presidential china has always fascinated me, so this photo of President Johnson with Dr. King and other Civil Rights leaders caught my eye.

And I don't know if they had tea or coffee, but President Johnson and the prime minister of South Vietnam seem to be enjoying a good conversation over these cups.

I like to think that perhaps the First Lady and her staff were pausing here for a spot of tea!

And while this was a coffeepot and not a teapot, I thought you might enjoy seeing what the president of Ireland gave the Johnsons in 1964.

I greatly enjoyed my visit to the LBJ Library and came home with a richer appreciation for our 36th president. My sister has also visited JFK's library in Boston and found it quite impressive. Have any of you visited a presidential library? I'd love to visit them all!