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We all dream of it while we work, play, dream, daydream, even drive...to work. We want to travel, get out on the road or hop into a plane or ship or canoe. To see the world, to experience the beauty and mystery and excitement all around us. But, at GeographicWest we hope you can take that trip with us. Through words and pictures, we would like you go on the road with us, to interesting, exciting, relaxing and even magical places. This series of Road Dispatches will be made available to you one per month, maybe sooner. We too want to get out on the road...let's go.

GeographicWest Road Dispatch Number 3

Spring Has Sprung At The LBJ Wildflower Center
June, 2008

AUSTIN, TEXAS – As dependable as sunrise and sunset, Spring flowers will bloom along the highways of Texas, deep into fields of green and on small patches of dirt in the grittiest parts of Dallas or Houston or Waco or Austin. The love of the Texas Hill Country and the palate of color displayed each season was the catalyst for President Lyndon Johnson’s and the country’s First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. With actress Helen Hayes she created The National Wildflower Research Center in 1982. It was renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in 1998 and in June,2000 was incorporated into The University of Texas, Austin.

Featured at this wonderful stop over in your visit to Austin are the native plants from Texas. This homegrown and sometimes ancient foliage is hardy, resists drought, can stand the occasional torrential rains and withstands disease as compared to introduced plant life.

The Center is open to the public. It is a botanical garden of native Texas plants. It comprises reconstructed and natural landscapes, walking paths, a visitor center, food service and restrooms/parking thank you. And whatever you do, bring your camera. Peak blooming is of course in the Spring but the Center is alive all year round.

There are 16 native gardens. Trails are named appropriatelly for the highlighted plants within and along each trail: Savanna Meadow Trail, The Woodland Trail, Restoration Research Trail. There are benches and cool shady spots to rest and reflect. The color is all around you and the smell of fresh blooms is delicious. If you wish, a guided tour provided by knowledgable docents will guide you for around one hour. If you plan to walk the paths and trails at your own direction, expect to spend about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Walking through the Center on a near perfect Spring day of warm sunshine, clear blue sky and cooling breeze, we were glad we could shoot pictures in a digital format. Hundreds of frames were exposed and we would like to take you now on a visual tour of what we saw. So, please enjoy and plan to make this a definite stop to Austin or the Hill Country in Texas.

Now in picture and word, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center…

Photolog:
Park your car, or motorcycle, take the path to the right and let’s go inside
Cobbled pathway approach to Entrance
Stone dedication to Lady Bird Johnson
Just inside the entrance, a beautiful and cooling pool set in a tranquil courtyard
Water paints an impressionistic image
Throoughout the center you will see small groups of visitors who chose to visit with docents
Angle view of the Main Entrance Courtyard. From here you can access the Visitor Center, The Shop, the Indoor/Outdoor Café and pathway to the first of many gardens, paths and palet of colorful flowers.
Sixteen gardens, so much to see. Hopefully your stamina will hold up so bring plenty of water and take advantage of the benches located in shade and by water throughout the Center.
Signage provides demarcation, direction and information so the experience is not only one of pleasure and peace but of learning as well.
Lawn Art
Bluebells
An “Explainer” Sign
Entrance to the Visitors Gallery. From this view you can see some of the displays.
Interior view of one corner of the Visitor Gallery
Observation Tower, a view of the forward most portions of the Center
Where babies are born at the LBJ Wildflower Center
Entrance to a trail not taken
Walkways, Lawnart, Arbors are scattered throughout the center with numerous plaques describing the surrounding flower beds
Inside the McDermott Learning Center, a display of paper art created by the artist Shou Ping, crowned and a nicely presented diffusion of light, a spectrum through beveled glass
And Now, Up Close
	End Dispatch