Republic of Texas

We woke up to 42 degrees with a forecast high of 55 degrees and gusty winds.  The weather forecast sounded good for some exploring in the area that did not include surveying undulating terrain following small white balls hit down things called fairways.

We headed east on FM 1948 (Farm to Market) which was a designated detour for FM 360.  We saw the detour sign up yesterday, which warned of a low clearance of 9’-10”.  The Roadtrek brochure for our model of RV states that the height is 9’-9”, and the vent fan cover added about an inch.  When we got measured in February, they said we were about 9’-10”.  So the question was, would “about 9’-10” clear the low clearance of 9’-10”.  Darrell was thinking about it, Sprinty and Kris persuasively convinced him it was not worth trying.

Our first stop of the day was Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, birthplace of Texas, in Washington, Texas (www.wheretexasbecametexas.org).  This site is where the delegates met on March 2, 1836 to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico.   From 1836 to 1846, the Republic of Texas proudly but precariously existed as a separate and unique nation.  In other words, Washington on the Brazos is, indeed, “Where Texas Became Texas.”

Google maps indicated they opened at 8:30am, so we made it the first stop of the day, arriving about 9am, only to learn as we got to the locked Visitor Center doors that they did not open until 9:30am.  As we started back to the parking lot, Ranger Becky came to the door and asked if she could help.  She invited us in out of the cold.  We enjoyed an hour of learning about the grievances that led to the declaration of independence from Mexico - making Washington, TX, the Philadelphia of Texas.  Washington was a tiny town of only about 200 residents located on the Brazos River, which was a port for riverboats bringing things from New Orleans.

The State Historic Site also included Star of the Republic Museum (administered by Blinn College); Independence Hall; and Barrington Living History Farm.  We decided not to do there on this visit.  We did take advantage of the gift shop to purchase a Texas State Parks pass, which will provide free entrance to state parks, free access to some tours (like Independence Hall and Barrington Living History Farm), discounts at gift shops, and coupons for four reduced camping fees.

We then headed north to College Station, TX to visit the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum located on the campus of Texas A&M Universite, College Station, TX.  www.bush41.org  George H.W. Bush was not a graduate of Texas A&M, but he and Barbara Bush admired the spirit of the place, and it probably helped that Texas A&M donated the land.

As the sixth Presidential Library we have visited, we knew better than to try and allocate a specific amount of time to enjoy the museum.  One unique feature to this library/museum was that it did not have a cafe on-site.  After two hours of taking in the introductory film and exhibits of his early years, we had finally reached where he became the 41st President, which was just over halfway through the exhibits.  Being well past our normal lunchtime, we headed out to Sprinty for sandwiches, then continued our tour of the museum of his presidential years and his and Barbara Bush's many contributions after the White House.  We wound up spending about 4 hours at the museum.  Enhancing the tour were free audio devices where you would enter the exhibit number and get a short audio description, some of them in the actual voices of President and Barbara Bush.

Kris trying to look executively:  

Darrell's executive pose:

The museum also had the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit made up of 30 machines based on his visionary designs, an exhibit which is traveling and currently at the Bush Museum.  Each machine has been faithfully constructed from Leonardo's notebooks by a modern team of scientists and craftsman in the heart of the Renaissance, Florence, Italy.  Almost all were hands-on exhibits, meaning you could turn the cranks, touch, and actually see the device in operation.  Some examples include:  Auto Feed Hydraulic Saw; Rack and Pinion; Parachute; Hygrometer;  Anemometer; Oil Press; Bicycle; Ball Bearing; and an Armored Car.

Having filled the day, we headed back to the Rocky Creek Campground in Burton, TX, to stay another night.  When we checked in, we asked for the site across the street from the one we had last night.  While it was not on the water, being backed in, it gave us a nice view of the lake until it got dark.