Family Spring Outing: Wildflowers in TexasWritten by Susan Dunn, MA, Life and EQ Coach
Looking for a great weekend outing for family? Come see wildflowers in Texas in spring. The highway medians and hillsides are full of color – bright red, yellow and blue, pink and cream – but you better look out because cars are always pulling off side of highway to ogle and take photographs. It’s a tradition to get in your car in spring and go look at wildflowers. Nearly everyone in Texas has a photo of their kids in bluebonnets. BLUEBONNETS Typically, in my photo album there’s a photo of me in bluebonnets taken by my grandmother, a photo of my sons in bluebonnets, taken by me, and a photo of my granddaughter in bluebonnets taken by my daughter-in-law. Bluebonnets, state flower of Texas grow all over Texas Hill Country, from San Antonio up to Dallas and for two weekends in April people come from all around for what has become one of central Texas’ major events. “Don’t be surprised,” says an article in Austin Statesman “to see 30 to 40 cars pulled off road at some spots, with children squatting in neck-high fields of lupinus, better known as bluebonnets, smiling for family camera.” In fact it’s such an event, there are some hotlines you can call that track sightings of wildflowers that will tell you best places. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center ( http://www.wildflower.org ) is one – 512-832-4037, and another resource is Texas Department of Transportation – 1-800-452-9292 - which provides tourism information and also option to hear reports on wildflower sightings throughout state. WIDLSEED FARMS When you come, plan your trip to include WildSeed Farms (http://www.wildseedfarms.com ), largest working wildflower seed farm in U. S. I discovered farm as I was on my way to visit LYNDON B. JOHNSON STATE PARK and HISTORIC SITE, which is between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. I was driving along highway, and all of a sudden cars were swerving, stopping, pulling over, and heading back. There on my left were beautiful gardens full of brilliant color, and I joined in, pulling over and heading back. Equidistant from Junction, San Antonio and Austin, Texas, and seven miles east of Fredericksburg, WildSeed Farm is on highway 290 and open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For a map go here - http://www.wildseedfarms.com/farm_map.html . They will hold their Wildflower Celebration April 4th through April 17th, which should peak of season. While there, visit The Meadows, including a butterfly house, display gardens and education walking trails. The kids (and you) can learn more about a real working farm, and then visit market Center building complex with its retail center, BrewBonnet Biergarten (beer, wine or soft drinks, ice cream, German tacos and snacks), Garten Haus (houseplants) and Blumen Haus (fresh cut flowers). There’s plenty of room for kids to run around, and when else can they see a working wildflower seed farm? For more information call 1-800-848-0078 or visit them on web. Do be aware that I’m sorry to say their photographs do not do justice to what you will see in person if you hit Texas highways in April. This part of Texas is filled with quaint shops and historical places, excellent food, and a welcome attitude toward tourists. There are innumerable attractions to visit in area, but I’ll mention one if you’re especially interested in flowers.
| | Family History InformationWritten by Trevor Dumbleton
For those who are searching for family history information, there are a wealth of resources available. These resources can extend from living people, to documents, to government records, to letters, to photographs, to heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation. By utilizing these resources, you can find all manner of family history information that may just surprise you.The first place to look for family history information is with living family members. You family members will be more than happy to tell you their own stories, their own memories, and their own opinions about events and people who shaped who they are today. As well, there are family members who may have already done their own investigations of family history and they will be more than happy to give that information to someone, such as yourself, who is interested in learning more. Family history information is meant to be shared and anyone who has this information wants to share it. As well, family members can provide you with old photographs, letters, documents and heirlooms that will give whole new depth and direction to your quest for knowledge. Photographs are often useful for seeing people, where they were, and what they were doing. With a little bit of investigation, a photograph in a place you do not recognize will tell you where they were when that photograph was taken. As well, letters are very useful not only for information they provide, but addresses and return addresses. Heirlooms are often accompanied by stories and family lore that may not always be entirely true, but are family history information all their own. Not quite true stories are often somewhat true. And lies people tell are often as telling about those people as actual truths!
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