Lyndon B. Johnson Country

Welcome to Johnson territory, where the forebears of the 36th president settled almost 150 years ago. Even before he attained the country's highest office, Lyndon Baines Johnson was a local hero whose successful fight for funding a series of dams provided the region with inexpensive water and power. Try to make a day out of a visit to LBJ's boyhood home and the sprawling ranch that became known as the Texas White House. Even if you're not usually drawn to the past, you're likely to find yourself fascinated by Johnson's frontier lineage.

LBJ Historical Parks

From Fredericksburg, take U.S. 290 East for 16 miles to the entrance of the Lyndon B. Johnson State and National Historical Parks at LBJ Ranch, near Stonewall, jointly operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (tel. 830/644-2252; www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/lbj) and the National Park Service (tel. 830/868-7128; www.nps.gov/lyjo). Tour buses depart regularly from the state park visitor center, which displays interesting memorabilia from Johnson's boyhood, to the still-operating Johnson Ranch. You probably won't spot Lady Bird Johnson, who spends about a third of her time here, but don't be surprised to see grazing longhorn cattle.

Crossing over the swiftly flowing Pedernales River and through fields of phlox, Indian paintbrush, and other wildflowers, you can easily see why Johnson used the ranch as a second White House, and why, discouraged from running for a second presidential term, he came back here to find solace and, eventually, to die. A reconstruction of the former president's modest birthplace lies close to his (also modest) final resting place, shared with five generations of Johnsons.

On the side of the river from where you started out, period-costumed "occupants" of the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm give visitors a look at typical Texas-German farm life at the turn of the century. Chickens, pigs, turkeys, and other farm animals roam freely or in large pens, while the farmers go about their chores, which might include churning butter, baking, or feeding the animals. The midwife who attended LBJ's birth grew up here. As interesting as Colonial Williamsburg, but much less known (and thus not as well funded), this is a terrific place to come with kids. Nearby are nature trails, a swimming pool (open only in summer), and lots of picnic spots. Bring your pole (or rent one in Austin) if you want to fish in the Pedernales River.

Bus tours -- the only way to see the ranch--cost $6 for ages 18 to 61, $3 for ages 7 to 17 and over 62; children 6 and under are free. All other areas are free. All state park buildings, including the visitor center, are open daily 8am to 5pm; the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm is open daily 8am to 4:30pm. The Nature Trail, grounds, and picnic areas are open until dark every day. National Park Service tours of the LBJ Ranch, lasting from 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depart from the state park visitor center daily 10am to 4pm (tours may be shortened or canceled due to excessive heat and humidity). All facilities in both sections of the park are closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

It's 14 miles farther east along U.S. 290 to Johnson City, a pleasant agricultural town named for founder James Polk Johnson, LBJ's first cousin once removed. The Boyhood Home -- the house on Elm Street where Lyndon was raised after age 5 -- is the centerpiece of this unit of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. The modest white clapboard structure the family occupied from 1913 on was a hub of intellectual and political activity: LBJ's father, Sam Ealy Johnson, Jr., was a state legislator, and his mother, Rebekah, was one of the few college-educated women in the country at the beginning of the 20th century. From here, be sure to walk over to the Johnson Settlement, where LBJ's grandfather, Sam Ealy Johnson, Sr., and his great-uncle, Jessie, engaged in successful cattle speculation in the 1860s. The rustic dogtrot cabin out of which they ran their business is still intact. Before exploring the two sites, stop at the visitor center (tel. 830/868-7128) -- from U.S. 290, which turns into Main Street, take F Street to Lady Bird Lane, and you'll see the signs -- where a number of excellent interactive displays and two half-hour-long films (one about Johnson's presidency, and the other about Lady Bird) provide background for the buildings you'll see.

The Boyhood Home, visitor center, and Johnson Settlement are all open 8:45am to 5pm daily except Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. The Boyhood Home can be visited only by tours, offered every half-hour from 9 to 11:30am, and 1 to 4:30pm.

Beyond LBJ: What to Do, Where to Eat & Stay

Johnson City has attractions that have little to do with the 36th president or history, although, perhaps with a little rationalization, you can claim that shopping for antiques is also a history-oriented activity. Several low-key antiques shops dot Main Street; perhaps the best is the Old Lumber Yard, 209 E. Main St. (tel. 830/868-2381), selling reasonably priced items from a variety of eras, including the present one. One of the highlights of the complex is the Silver K Café (tel. 830/868-2911), where soups, salads, and sandwiches are served at lunchtime from Monday to Saturday. From Thursday through Saturday evenings, you might dine on Gulf Coast cioppino, perhaps, or pan-grilled top sirloin with mustard sauce. Prices range from moderate to expensive. If you prefer your meats more portable, visit Whittington's, 602 Hwy. 281 S. (tel. 877/868-5501), renowned around Texas for its beef and turkey jerky (just drop in for a sample; fresh jerky bears little resemblance to the convenience store kind).

The area's top place to dine -- and to bed down -- isn't in Johnson City, however, but about 16 miles to the west. You'll drive down a rural back road to reach Rose Hill Manor, 2614 Upper Albert Rd., Stonewall, TX 78671 (tel. 877/ROSEHIL or 830/644-2247; www.rose-hill.com), a reconstructed southern manse. Light and airy accommodations -- four in the main house, and six in separate cottages -- are beautifully but comfortably furnished with antiques. All offer porches or patios and great Hill Country views. Rates run from $145 to $165. The inn's New American cuisine, served Wednesday through Sunday evenings in an ultraromantic dining room, is outstanding. Reservations are essential; prices are expensive.

The Johnson Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, 604 Hwy. 281 S., Johnson City, TX 78636 (tel. 830/868-7684; www.johnsoncity-texas.com), can provide information about other local dining, lodging, and shopping options.

If you're heading on to Austin, take a short detour from U.S. 290 to Pedernales Falls State Park, 8 miles east of Johnson City on F.R. 2766 (tel. 830/868-7304; www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/pedernal). When the flow of the Pedernales River is high, the stepped waterfalls that give the 4,860-acre park its name are quite impressive.