It’s no secret I love to travel and I’m guessing you share my interest as well since you’re reading this blog post. Unfortunately, it may not yet be the best time to hop on a plane or even jump in our car to enjoy a simple road trip. But someday (soon we hope) this will all be behind us and we’ll once again take to the skies to explore this wonderful world of ours. In the interim, I’ll continue to share some stories with you about trips I’ve taken in days gone by so, at the very least, we can all be “armchair travelers.” This post will chronicle the next journey in my ongoing quest to visit all of our Presidential Libraries and Museums. I hope you enjoy it.
When it was time to pick up the pace regarding my Presidential Library and Museum visits, I made plans to travel to Austin, Texas, home of the complex devoted to Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States. Turning in some of my #British_Airways Avios points for US domestic travel with their One World partner #AmericanAir was the obvious choice since it’s a great way to maximize their usage. Traveling in North America means you can avoid the sky-high, government-imposed taxes and fuel surcharges that accompany most of their award flights to, from, and through London. For 65,000 Avios points and only $11.20 in taxes, I secured confirmed seats in First Class!
On departure day it was a quick and easy check in at the American counter at #RDUAirport. Transiting security was also a breeze with #TSAPRECHECK_ after which I made my way to our local Admirals Club. As my flight was close to the noon hour and lunch would be served (this was before the coronavirus), I didn’t partake of any of the varied breakfast foods available at the club but used my time to relax with a cup of coffee and catch up on some paperwork. Boarding for my first flight to the #DFWAirport was on time and I settled into my favorite aisle seat in the second row on the port side of this B737 aircraft. On all American flights with a scheduled meal service you were able to pre-order meals starting 30 days before your flight and up to 24 hours prior to departure. Our service started off with warm mixed nuts and a beverage of choice. I selected the chicken parmigiana for my main course, served with a cherry tomato sauce and creamy polenta with chives, along with a side salad and dinner roll. A large chocolate chip cookie was offered (and accepted) for dessert.
We landed on time and, with nearly 2 hours before my next leg, I opted to visit the Dallas #AmericanExpress Centurion Lounge. This is one of my favorite Amex lounges in the network. Located in Terminal D across from Gate D12 on the Mezzanine Level, the lounge can be reached from any terminal via the Skylink Train. It showcased an assortment of premium amenities, such as phone booths, showers, a spa and a family room. Along with the excellent food and beverage offerings, this lounge is unquestionably the best at the airport, making it a “must-visit“on your next trip to or through American Airlines’ largest hub. My final flight of the day was on another B737 and lasted just under an hour, putting us in the #AustinAirport around 5:15pm.
The #JWMarriott Hotel was my home in the Texas capital for the next 2 nights. This 1,012-room property was voted the #1 hotel in Texas by the readers of #CNTraveler in 2019 and it’s easy to see why. It’s a 34-story high-rise, upscale property with impressive views of the city as well as an on-site spa, seven bars and three restaurants catering to nearly every taste. I was checked into one of the top-floor Skyline rooms. It featured signature Marriott bedding, high-speed Wi-Fi as well as a 48” LED Smart TV, upgraded bath amenities and an ergonomic chair for the large, in-room desk. As a Lifetime Platinum member in the #MarriottBonvoy Program, I was also granted access to the Executive Club. Open 7 days per week, the club served complimentary food including a continental breakfast, midday snack, cocktails (for a fee), hors d’oeuvres and dessert.
The following morning at the 9:00am opening hour, I arrived at the Johnson Library and Museum. Located on a 30-acre site on The University of Texas at Austin campus, I was immediately struck by its size. The white, travertine-marble building is 10-stories tall and just plain boxlike in its windowless appearance but it‘s certainly in keeping with the outsized personality of LBJ himself. Through the National Archives and Records Administration, the Federal Government operates and maintains all the presidential libraries. This one houses more than 45 million pages of documents and over 600,000 photographs from Johnson’s tumultuous time in office from late 1963 to early 1969. It also contains about 55,000 artifacts donated by the President and Mrs. Johnson, their family, friends and associates.
LBJ’s Presidential Limousine is on display in the lobby and was one of the first exhibits I came upon. This custom-built, black stretch limousine was used by the president beginning in 1968 while he was in Austin, TX. Weighing in at a heavy 5,100 pounds, this presidential transport vehicle had plenty of cool features for its day. It’s equipped with a television, telephone and even a reserve fuel tank! There‘s also a very specially-designed communications system within the automobile for contact with the Secret Service. However, unlike the current presidential limousine known as “The Beast,” this one’s not armored, bullet-proof or bomb-proof.
“Please Hold for the President” was the exhibit where I picked up one of 11 wall phones and could hear Johnson speaking. These were recorded selections garnered from some 643 hours of his actual Oval Office phone conversations. Some of them I heard included his persuading members of Congress to pass favored legislation and friendly talks he had with Martin Luther King, Jr. On the lighter side, I also heard him placing a very specific order for casual slacks he wanted to wear after work as well as him seeking (and getting) advice from his wife, Lady Bird Johnson. The President didn't want these recordings to be touched until 50 years after his death. But, recognizing the analog Dictabelt tapes were deteriorating and needed to be preserved, Mrs. Johnson later gave her approval to use the special equipment the library had built to transfer the recordings to then standard reel-to-reel tapes. In 1990 the recordings (now digitized for archival purposes) were made public.
The Legacy Gallery is dedicated to the impact President Johnson had on America. If you’ve ever applied for college financial aid, enjoyed wildflowers along our highways, enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid or visited a national park - chances are that legislation introduced and championed by LBJ was responsible. His vision of a “Great Society” included a wide range of US law, such as the landmark Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts as well as lesser-known Federal laws such as that requiring the use of seat belts in automobiles. Another exhibit sheds light on the War in Vietnam which began long before Johnson’s Presidency and ended in 1975, years after he left office. But that war is most closely associated with his White House years. Of the Library’s many millions of files, photos, recordings and films, a substantial number relate to America’s presence in Vietnam and are included in an interactive exhibit titled “The Vietnam Conflict.” It offers a far-reaching look at a war that eventually divided our country, including those young men who served and were never universally thanked or appreciated for their service and those young people on college campuses who so opposed our involvement.
One of the most fascinating and sobering of the museum spaces is devoted to the tragic events of November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated during his motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Then Vice President and Mrs. Johnson were riding in another car in the same motorcade when the assassin’s bullets struck the president. This quiet and respectful exhibit displays the actual suit worn by LBJ on that fateful day as well as Lady Bird’s dress. It's accompanied by an audio recording of Mrs. Johnson reading from her diary entries. Other important artifacts from that day and those that followed help bring events into focus. One display case houses a letter from Jacqueline Kennedy to Lyndon Johnson, thanking him for “walking behind Jack” and for his kindness and support in the days that followed her husband’s death. Along the back wall of this gallery is a display of November 27, 1963 when President Johnson addressed the nation. In this speech famously called “Let Us Continue,” he stated his primary goal would be to continue President Kennedy’s legislative agenda during the fulfillment of his presidential term.
The Johnson Library also includes a replica of the Oval Office as it appeared during his time in office. It’s located on the 10th floor and was constructed at a 7/8th scale. The office looks exactly as it did during LBJ’s Presidency, including the desk he used beginning in his Senate days and through his White House years, his books and the multiple TVs he installed to keep him apprised of the news. Hanging over the fireplace, is a portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was President when Johnson came to the nation's capital as a congressman in 1937. LBJ had great respect and admiration for Roosevelt and said he was responsible for his great desire for public office. Roosevelt also recognized Johnson as a rising Congressional star destined for higher office.
I barely had time to swing through the Museum Store before everything closed down at 5:00pm. It was a busy day but I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the life and times of this very influential politician who was so violently thrust into the presidency. After a second night at the JW Marriott Austin Hotel, I flew home to Raleigh on American Airlines again, this time with a quick connection in their second-largest hub city of Charlotte. It was a seamless return trip back to North Carolina.
Until next time…stay safe.
Interesting commentary on which historical aspects overlapped the LBJ presidential term.
Good synopsis of your visit to LBJ’s library. Pretty fascinating place.