During Lyndon Baines Johnson’s time in the White House, his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, threw her energy into preserving the countryside and promoted the Highway Beautification Act, thereby planting wildflowers along highway hard shoulders and limiting the visual pollution of advertising hoardings.
Austin’s personality is unique, often quirky, and laced with a dose of Texas bravado. Over the past three decades, the small university town where Willie Nelson crafted his own unique musical style has grown into a big city with world-renowned festivals, top-notch attractions, a glittering skyline and 1.5 million people in the metropolitan area.
Although it’s the seat of state government and home to one of the largest universities in the nation, Austin’s soul really comes from its music. Laid-back and fun-loving, the city bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World and boasts nearly 200 venues, offering everything from rockabilly to Tejano year-round, from unknowns to Texas giants like Willie Nelson, the Dixie Chicks and Los Lonely Boys.
