Still in Texas in January 2018

We stayed in Texas over the holidays and started off January 2018 with a trip to my favorite Texas BBQ joint, Louie Mueller Barbeque in Taylor, TX. Taylor is a small town about an hour east of Austin. Taylor is home to about 17,000 people and has a traditional Texas downtown and interesting shops. But, nothing is quite like Louie Mueller. Louie Mueller Barbecue has been described as a "cathedral of smoke" due to producing BBQ in Texas since opening its doors in 1949. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives agrees. Guy visited and what is good enough for Guy is pretty good for me. The building is exactly the same as it was when they opened. Stand in line, place your order, get your tray and find a table. 

Walking around town, we met this fellow.

Our next day trip was to College Station, TX and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The Library is located on the grounds of Texas A&M University. They were both alive when we visited but have since passed away and are buried on the library grounds. We have been to most of the Presidential Libraries and each has its own flavor. This one was the most family oriented of them all. The relationship between George and Barbara is apparent throughout the museum. The part I enjoyed most was the early history of their lives. The obvious joy they experienced with their family as their children and grandchildren grew up was wonderful. Most of us know his history as President, but there was a whole that went on before he got there.

1941 — George meets Barbara at a dance shortly before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.

1942 — He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on his 18th birthday.

1943 — He was the youngest commissioned pilot in the naval air service.

1945 -   He marries Barbara in January and is later honorably discharged from the Navy.

1948 — He graduated from Yale and began working the oil industry and moved his family to Midland, TX.

1952 — He started his own company, Zapata Petroleum. His father Prescott Bush is elected to the U.S. Senate from Connecticut.

1962 — He became chairman of the Harris County Republican Committee.

1964 — He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate.

1966 — He was elected to the U.S. House and is the first freshman in 63 years offered a seat on the Ways and Means Committee.

1970 — He gave up his congressional seat to again run for the Senate but is defeated by Democrat Lloyd Bentsen.

1971 — He was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by President Richard Nixon.

1974 — He was appointed to be chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in China by President Gerald Ford.

1976 — Is named Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

1979 — Declares his candidacy for the presidency of the United States.

1980 — Fails to win the nomination of the Republican Party but is picked as Ronald Reagan’s vice president. Reagan-Bush beat Carter-Mondale in a landslide.

The rest is, as they say, history. It was a terrific experience. 

And, of course, knowing me, nothing would be complete without lunch at the Hullabaloo's Diner. It is one of very few registered diners in Texas and looks like it hasn't been touched both outside and inside since it opened. Hullabaloo Diner was built in New York and transferred to College Station in the 1940's . Built in the late 1930's, Hullabaloo Diner traveled 1,850 miles to serve homemade country style meals to the residents of the College Station area. And, comfort food it is. Huge portions of truly homemade food including chicken soup that had much more chicken than soup and a turkey sandwich with real sliced turkey. 

And, by the way, visited and featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives....

Started with food and ended with food.

Next time on to the capital of Louisiana.