Wednesday, 5/19/2010 Field Trip Day

This is the day that Pat and I have been waiting for all year. Since the first week of school when they told us that this would be the first annual Fourth Grade trip to the capital building in Austin. I have been really excited because everytime I drive through Austin on my way to San Antonio, and see the building, I think to myself, I'd love to go there someday. But I never have taken the time. It is especially gorgeous at night.

So, today we got to go. For $60 a piece, we took a chartered bus to the Bob Bullock museum, had lunch there, then walked down to the capital bldg and had a tour of the visitors center and the capital itself, then had ChikFilA on the bus on the way home.

So, we got to the museum. I did not know what to except, but it certainly exceeded all expectations. The building itself is GORGEOUS. It had a round staircase, was 3 (4?) stories tall, had a rotunda with a round mural on the 1st floor floor ...and a HUGE star out front. I'll post pictures. Oh, and the movie. Loved the movie. I won't spoil it for those that might someday make the trip, but make sure you see the movie!



We spent the morning at the museum. I did not get to see even half of what was there...will have to come back some day, but the entire thing was devoted to Texas History. One thing i liked was a wall of postcards, some of which had postmarks from the early 1900s. There were a couple that had 1 cent stamps on them...1912, I believe...and you could read what people wrote on them. Very interesting.

It covered it all...and I definitely want to go back! Photos were not allowed in the exhibit area. too bad.





so, then we walked 4 blocks to the capital. On the way, we passed an area that had police and ambulances and lots and lots of TV crews. We asked what was going on and they said they were fighting over the textbooks.

Here's the story about it. http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2010/jan/12/hijacking-history/





So, on to the capital. Our group went to the visitors center first...another interesting tour. It was actually the first Land Grant office and we also watched a film about the capital building - about places you don't see on the tour. I learned that there was a Susanna at the Alamo that survived. So, there was a Susanna and a Travis (Colonel William Travis) at the Alamo. Susanna's husband died at the Alamo, so she was granted the land that he had been promised...actually showed the copy of the original deed for the land. All interesting.







THEN on to the capital.

WOW. It was aMAZing. Stunning. I overhead one of the other parents say that they had been to the US capital and thought it looked "small" and "shabby" compared to this one. Ours is the largest in the US. and the tallest. and it's Beautiful!! You just have to see it.

(to be continued)