The Texas State Capitol

We arrived in Austin just before noon. It was a sunny, crisp, early spring day in Texas, and the grounds of the Capitol were full of Texans enjoying the perfect, cool weather.

capitol building

The State Capitol, built of pink Texas granite, stands taller than the Capitol in Washington DC. It's an impressive site! And best of all, visiting is absolutely free!

We joined one of the frequent free guided tours to take us around the capitol building. I've been just once before, many years ago.

We started in the central rotunda beneath the massive capitol dome. The star at the very top, which looks so tiny from the ground, actually measures eight feet across! Portraits of each of the state governors line the walls spiraling all the way down the rotunda, ending with Ann Richards, George W Bush, and Rick Perry, the three former governors who have been in office during my lifetime.

capitol dome

Texas Congress is in session, and were due to meet at 2pm that day. We were a little early, so we got to enter the Senate and House chambers.

The senate is quite small, just fifty members, so all voting is done traditionally by hand or voice.

Texas Senate

The House is a lot bigger. Nowadays, voting is done electronically. Behind the Speaker's desk hung the original flag from the Battle of San Jacinto. It's only on display when the House is in session, once every two years.

Texas House of Representatives

After the tour, we were free to explore the capitol building.

A while later, we headed down the road to the nearby Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. This is an excellent museum all about the history of our great state! We were heading down to San Antonio, and Pinky wanted to learn more about Texas before we got there.

Bob Bullock Museum

Growing up in Texas, of course, we have to take Texas State History class in school. We are so proud of our state, but most non-Texans don't know all about the Alamo, San Jacinto, the Republic of Texas, and why we are so proud of our Lone Star State. The museum is great and informative, and tells the story of Texas' beginnings through its present.

Star of Texas

One of the coolest displays though, was the recovered wreck of La Belle, the 1685 flagship of famed French nobleman and explorer Robert de La Salle.  

"For want of an anchor, the ship was lost. For want of the ship, the colony was lost." 

The wreck of La Belle in a storm in the Gulf of Mexico doomed the French colony, and ended French power in Texas, leaving a vacuum for the Spanish to sweep in, changing Texas history and culture forever.

It was a fascinating display, with tons of amazing historical artifacts; weapons, canons, and treasure. The most interesting part though, were the displays about how they discovered and raised the ruined hull of the ship!

La Belle

We spent the early afternoon at the museum and had a blast.

But it was nearly time to move on down the road.

Lady Liberty

We were soon on our way down 35, heading to San Antonio.