My wife and I traveled to Austin, TX to visit our daughter this last weekend. Adele, our daughter, is a new resident of this bastion of liberalism, right in the middle of one of the most conservative states in the country.

New to her job, she had to work a few hours while we were visiting, so my wife and I visited some of the sites. We visited the state capitol and grounds. The Texas state capitol building is a beautiful and grand old building http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/spb/capitol/texcap.htm . We looked at the Governor's mansion, which is one of only three ante-Bellum Governor's residences left http://www.txfgm.org/. But one place that really moved and interested both of us, was the Texas State Cemetery, "The Arlington of Texas" http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/ . If you've never visited this site it is a beautiful place with hills, streams, Live Oaks and loads of historical burials, monuments and a Confederate section that includes the remains and monument to Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston. The statue, in repose, of Sidney Johnston is an amazing sculpture done by the renowned sculptress Elisabet Ney. We also visited Elisabet Ney's studio/museum, http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/elisabetney/ , which was filled with the busts and figures of historical figures of the 18th and 19th centuries.

I've been to Austin many times on business, but I've never been there as a tourist. We really enjoyed the site-seeing and hope to return soon to do some of the walking and riding tours or old homes, buildings and historic sites.

I took a few photos, which I'll upload later.

Jim