On Wednesday, September 5th, it was time to head home from our detour vacation in Fredericksburg and we still hadn’t gotten a State Park visit out of the trip. With no real rush to get home by a certain time, we jumped on the nearby day use park of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s historical site.

It was really an impressive and large set up! The area was split up into state park and national park sections. A small museum about Johnson and his family and a working farm representing the early 1900’s were on the state side. The National Park area across a Farm-to-market road held many in tact historical buildings for the Johnson Family on their cattle ranch that is still operational.

We started on the state side where we were already parked and walked to the Sauer/Beckman Farm along a “nature trail”. We encountered a memorial statue of Lyndon Johnson and stopped for a photo op while Sally barked at it, haha. Also on the way, there was a neat display on whitetail deer’s yearly antler cycle and a cute little footbridge.

The farm was FANTASTIC! Everything had been restored and preserved to replicate farm life in the early 1900’s. Complete with period costumed “residents” that took you along on their daily chores and let you participate where applicable. First we learned the ownership history starting with the German Immigrant Sauer Family building the 2 room stone house in 1869. By 1885, they had 10 kids and built the 2 story building beside the stone cabin to house the children/farm workers bunkhouse style. Boys slept upstairs and girls downstairs. In 1900, the Beckmann family “acquired” the farm and thanks to WWI took in substantial income with cotton farming and by 1915 built the posh house next door. They converted the bunkhouse into a kitchen and connected the 2 buildings with a dog run porch perfect for dining. The property stayed in the Beckmann family adding electricity in 1945 until sold to TPWD in 1966. Archeological survey took the house back to its prime in 1915 and froze it there.

When we arrived, the man and woman on staff that day were preparing their breakfast on the wood burning stove and the kids got a run down of the food on hand that day. Everything being harvested from the farm itself. We self toured the original stone house and fancy house when the woman caught up with us told us an interesting story about the 1 Sauer son that left Fredericksburg and travelled the world as a member of the American Embassy.

She then took us to the barn and introduced us to their 2 dairy cows, bull, new babies born to each dairy cow and pig. Strolling all over the farm were chickens, sheep and 1 old turkey that is now a fixture- not dinner. The cows were very friendly and the pig was fascinating! Apparently they only keep pigs for their annual butchering that they do onsite each January, but this particular one is “some pig” and gets to live her days as a pet.

The garden was envy worthy and the kids got to collect eggs before we headed out for lunch. We spent over an hour in that one area and I could come back again and again to just to see what they were up to that particular day!

We found a perfect picnic area by the longhorn pasture and when we were done with lunch, headed across to the national site for a drive thru tour of the ranch. After a quick look at the one room schoolhouse that Johnson attended as a boy, we drove past the home he was born in, grandparents’ house and the family graveyard.

Once across a cattle guard, we drove through the ranch around to an airport that was put in place so President Johnson could visit his ranch when he wanted. It was pouring rain at this point, so we made the quick run to the retired, small Air Force one jet on display for a few photos, but skipped the museum set up in the old hanger. Apparently you used to be able to drive by and tour LBJ’s post presidential ranch house coined “The Texas White House,” but not anymore. Oh well.

Finally, no ranch tour would be complete without waiting for a cow to cross the road 😉.

This park was the perfect end to our Labor Day Getaway. I’m grateful it is on the way to Rocksprings, I especially would like to pop back into the farm every other year at least!

-Lindsay