Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
George W. Bush wasn’t the first president to establish a “Western White House.” For nearly one-quarter of Lyndon Baines Johnson’s presidency, matters of state were handled from the LBJ Ranch in Texas.
LBJ loved this ranch. He was born here in 1908, died here in 1973, and is buried here. Today, the LBJ Ranch is part of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. Here, you can get to know the president and the man in the environment he loved.
Start your tour at Johnson City, where you can explore LBJ’s roots. Hear the story of Johnson Settlement, the log cabin the president’s grandparents inhabited in the 1860s, and tour the president’s Boyhood Home.
Next, drive 14 miles to LBJ Ranch, the “Texas White House,” which opened to the public a year after Lady Bird Johnson’s death in 2007. Much of the home is still under renovation, but LBJ’s office now appears as it did during his presidency.
Take a drive or walk about the ranch. Cattle, descended from LBJ’s herd, still roam the fields. The Texas sky surrounds you. It’s easy to understand why the president loved this place. And perhaps this place makes it easier to understand the president.
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Liz
January 31, 2013