Appreciating Lady Bird Johnson and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Taco Pie at the Lady Bird Lane Café

On a sisters trip to Austin Texas in March, Jill, Carolyn and I visited the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum. The museum also celebrates Lady Bird Johnson’s role as first lady, and we were inspired to visit the Wildflower Center named in her honor.

People: Lady Bird Johnson. Lady Bird was fond of saying “Where flowers bloom, so does hope” and put her words into action as she set about to beautify America’s cities and highways. Her first beautification project was in Washington, DC where she planted flowers on National Park Service land and in parks around the Capitol. Soon thereafter, she advocated for the Highway Beautification Act which limited billboards along highways and planted roadside areas with flowers. We saw the outcomes of that legislation as we drove around the outlying areas of Austin where we enjoyed the Bluebonnets that filled the hill country around Austin with vibrant colors.

Places: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. https://www.wildflower.org/  In 1982, Lady Bird and actress Helen Hayes founded the National Wildflower Research Center west of Austin, Texas to reintroduce native plants, create sustainable and beautiful landscapes, improve wildlife habitat, and enhance human health and happiness. In 2006, the center was incorporated into the University of Texas at Austin. The docent-led tour gave us new appreciation of the powers of advocacy and philanthropy.

Pies: Taco Pie. On our way to visit the LBJ Ranch at the LBJ National Historical Park, we stopped for lunch at the Lady Bird Lane Café. We were welcomed by Al Pratt who has received awards from the National Park Service for his support of the LBJ National Historical Park. If the word “pie” is on the menu I will order it! The Taco Pie here is a “two-for-one” that offers the best of Texas: Taco Chips and Texas Barbeque. Here is the recipe: line a pie plate with taco chips, top with Texas Barbeque, sprinkle with cheese and red onions, and voila! a tasty lunch.