Welcome to Hill Country

Returning down into Myrtle Beach I was able to witness some of Bike Week, part deux. After the first week of Harleys, there is a pause and then Sport Bikes take over. Since it’s a predominantly African-American crowd some have referred to it as Black bike week.

Personally, I would have liked to spend more time with this week than the Harley’s. The sport bikes are not nearly as offensive, noise-wise. When they accelerate there is that high pitched wine, but it comes nowhere close to hurting you the way a Harley can.

Wrapping up my gear for travel in my cigarette infused room, I hit the sack around midnight. Intending to rise around 4 to get to the airport in time, I was instead brought to consciousness at 3 by the sounds of extreme regurgitation. Not a new sound to my ears, I was instead thinking about my car. It was situated strategically below the railing from whence our fellow regurgetator was spewing forth. I would hate to return it all messy. So, just in case, I got my gear together and hit the road. The contents of that lads stomach had accumulated very close, but not quite on, the car.

The flights were fine and whilst I had a few hitches this day, I kept reminding myself that the lack of sleep was detracting from my objectivity, and tried to pull it into shape!

Austin. Right away you can sense the liberal culture so pervasive here. The colleges, transplants and music scene must really push a progressive mindset. Heck, Whole Foods was born here! Could that happen in any conservative quarter? However, like New Orleans in LA, Austin is anomalous in this very conservative state.

It’s been fairly warm here. The last few days have been over 100 degrees and today was about 105. I had to enjoy it with the windows down. Air conditioning is standard. I was thinking, that down here, people might spend more time on average, in cooler, environmentally controlled quarters than we do in the north! Not sure, but something to think about.

My first stop was to Hut’s. The best burger’s in Austin, so I’ve heard, and soon discovered in must be a certain truth! The place was small and packed with happy youth and families. Old license plates, football banners and aged knick-knacks were pasted everywhere. But the import thing was, the food! The menu had over 20 different kind of burgers and they all looked fantastic. I asked the tender to point out the general favorites and his as well. I went with the Sink (grilled shaved ham, burger, lettuce, onions, tomato, mayo, jalepenos), peppered onion rings and a chocolate shake. Heaven. You must visit! And as I ate it up, I thought at how proud LBJ would be of me, as I was heading to his library next.

President Johnson’s library is the most visited of all Presidential libraries in the nation. It celebrates a man who suffered much criticism in his own time and whose great deeds are still overlooked.

Following the assassination of JFK and being handed the Vietnam war were two pieces that never left the social conciousness. But as far as social and liberal good, you could think of none better. His many programs for the poor and the under-educated, along with his civil rights legislation were ground-breaking then and now. Texans should be proud that their traits of bravado were so prevalent in this man. He wanted what he wanted, and would be damn sure that it got done! He pushed these bills through Congress. Few others could have done what he did. He was even responsible for the creation of the public television!

The museum is free to the public. You walk through a great historical time line of events that occurred during his lifespan. It did a good job of placing him the context of American politics. You see his associations with people like FDR, Humphrey and JFK. You also get an idea of the impact the Vietnam War and how much he did for Civil Rights.

Up the stairs you see the cavernous space above you and the story after story of his personal documents. In one room is an actor playing out LBJ as a Senator and in another is a robotic version, providing stories. In both cases is celebrated, the wit and warm humor of man. He quoted another American humorist who said, “I am affiliated with no organized parties, I am a Democrat!”

It really was one of the best museums I’ve seen. Perfect for the short attention span and does such a good job in delivering the essence of the man. You really feel like you know him now and will forever hold him in your heart.