Anniversary Weekend in Fredericksburg

On the morning of Friday, June 14, we headed south to the quaint town of Fredericksburg, settled in 1846 by German immigrants, shortly after they also settled nearby New Braunfels. The entire area is still populated by descendants of those first German settlers, and the "old country" influence is strong in the local shops and restaurants. Both Fredericksburg and New Braunfels are now tourist destinations.

Fredericksburg is in the Hill Country of Texas, and this time of year it is beautiful.

Saturday we spent two to three hours in the National Museum of the Pacific War, which also includes the Admiral Nimitz Museum. Admiral Nimitz, who was Commander in Chief of the Pacific Ocean areas during World War II, was born and raised in Fredericksburg, to German Texan parents. A beautiful outdoor courtyard with walls of plaques honoring veterans of the Pacific is just outside the museum. Another outdoor feature is the small, but beautiful, Japanese garden,  Our advice: do NOT miss seeing this amazing museum complex if you are in the area.

The museum is huge, and one could take two full days to see and read everything. Displays like this one (below) are abundant. Please read the explanation below the picture of the flag.

Below you will see a portion of the memorial to the veterans of the Pacific war. Dan and I are planning to make a contribution to this amazing museum and have both of our fathers (both veterans of WWII in the Pacific) memorialized in this courtyard.

The plaque below reads: "The Garden of Peace is a gift to the people of the United States from the people of Japan with prayers for everlasting world peace through the goodwill of our two nations, symbolized by the friendship and respect that existed between Admiral Togo and Admiral Nimitz." 

 On Saturday afternoon we drove out to the Lyndon B Johnson Ranch. It is open to the public, at no cost, for self-guided driving tours. The setting is really beautiful, with lush grassland, rolling hills and trees. Cattle, from LBJ's original stock, are still pastured there. The "Texas White House" is on the property, as is the landing strip and the small jet known as "Air Force 1/2." While LBJ was president, his habit, when coming back to Texas for stays, was to fly into San Antonio via Air Force 1, and then take the small Air Force 1/2 home to his ranch.

 There is so much more to see and do in Fredericksburg. We hope to go back sometime soon for another visit.