When I am fortunate enough to take a trip to my birthplace, Austin, Texas, I always make an effort to visit two very old cemeteries, Hornsby Bend and Jones Cemetery, where my ancestors are buried.
The road to Hornsby Cemetary was long and bumpy. We had to stop halfways to the cemetary because recent rains had made a big deep gulch right smack in the middle of the road, making it necessary for us walk the rest of the way in the sizzling, humid weather.
It might sound a little morbid, but I love to walk through these cemeteries, looking at grave stones that are so aged and sometimes broken.
I find myself wondering about the people that lived many years ago, and wishing that I had known my relatives.
At Hornsby Bend we found my grandfather, who died before I was born. His marker, a cross , was broken but the words were very legible.
Both cemeteries have an entrance sign stating that it is a Mexican Cemetery. On the other side of the fence is the cemetery for Anglos and down the road is where the African-Americans were buried.
So even in death they were segregated.
Fortunately a few things have changed , and people are not separated by race or color in the burying grounds.
Now they have a choice and some do choose the Mexican Cemetery because their families are buried there.
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When our cousins drove us through the University of Texas we passed by this beautiful mansion. We asked her to stop so we could take some pictures.
It belonged to a prominent citizen of Austin, George Littlefield who bequeathed it to the university.
Unfortunately it is not open to the public, but is used by the university for different functions.
As we continued to take our pictures two workers were passing by and mentioned that it is known to be a haunted mansion.
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What a wonderful time my oldest daughter and I had visiting our cousins in Austin, Texas, my birthplace.
We had lots of fun acting like tourists and taking many pictures at different locations.
Downtown Austin is filled with unique and interesting places. We came across the Bat Bar.
For those that have never been to Austin, there are thousands of bats that live under the Congress Bridge and come out in the evenings to amaze many tourists.
We also walked to the State Capitol. It’s such a beautiful building.
On my list of things to see was the old Briskill Hotel, it’s been around since 1886.
San Antonio was our next stop. The river walk was crowded with tourists like us. The water looked so refreshing on this hot, humid day. It’s beautiful with all the sidewalk cafes and the boats that cruise the river.
Before we went to the river walk we visited the San Antonio Mexican Market square, which I love because it reminds me of Mexico. While there, we had lunch at the famous and popular restaurant, Mi Tierra. This is the most colorful and vibrant restaurant I have ever been to. With Mariachis singing and the beautiful decorations hanging from the ceiling and walls you feel like its one big party, plus the food is delicious!
We also had the pleasure of visiting The Magnolia Market and Square in Waco. This was on my daughter’s and my bucket list. What a thrill to be there to see the huge silos and the gardens, plus the shops.
Here we are with our cousins that so graciously took us to visit these places. We are so appreciative of their kindness and Texas hospitality.
There was so much more, but I don’t like to write long blogs. But this is one vacation that I won’t forget!💜❤️💜❤️
P.S. If you ever get an opportunity you should visit Texas, there is so much to see and so much history.
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Yes, I am a Tejana (Texan). I was born in Austin, Texas, many years ago.
I have many cousins there, but I went to visit two in particular that I keep in touch with.
It’s been 33 years since we had been there, so this was a treat for us.
I loved my morning view from my cousin’s kitchen window.
No, the cows don’t belong to my cousin, they are owned by the neighbors.
We were fortunate enough to visit a few treasures of Austin. One of them being Mt. Bonnell overlooking Lake Austin.. The views are spectacular!
Then off we went to the quaint little town of Georgetown. The town has many restored original buildings from the 1800’s.
My pink for today is in a quilt that we saw in a little craft store where all items are made by senior citizens. They offered many different items for sale.
More about Texas at a later date.♥♥♥♥