Brenham, Texas

We're taking our 40th Wedding anniversary trip to explore Brenham, Texas and the surrounding area.  Thursday we checked into our nice little room at the Brenham Bed & Breakfast and were greeted by our hosts, James and Susan.  We're in the Blue Bonnet Room, chosen because it had it's own private entrance, which I knew that John would like.  We got to Brenham before our check in time so we decided to go out to Washington on the Brazos park to see the place where Texas began as a Republic in 1836, declaring our independence from Mexico.  The old building that the delegation met in has been rebuilt over the years a few times, but they have a good depiction of what it might have looked like.  Our guide gave us a nice talk about how the events that took place there that helped shape our state.

We also toured the Barrington Farm and had a personal tour by one of the docents there who was dressed totally in period clothing.  It was H O T there.  The home was the original structure owned by the last president of Texas, Anson Jones.  They've actually moved it to this area, and reconstructed what his homestead might have been like, based on his diaries and writings, including the slave shacks. We got to tour the barns, met the chickens, turkies (Spanish black), the hogs, the cattle and the guinea hens.  They allow children's groups to help weed the garden, and help along with all the farm activities.  Hard work and a hard life.  I'll tell you, early settlers in Texas were a hardy bunch. 
More on our trip tomorrow!