We had been longing to visit Texas for some time.
Our niece and her family, who we used to enjoy regularly at family events, had relocated to the Dallas area a couple of years ago and we longed to see them again.
Top of the Texas list (after family, of course) was the Houston Space Center.
Husband’s Bucket List includes visiting ALL the Presidential Libraries. Texas has three. We could take our pick. We were limited on time, he chose the Johnson Presidential Library for this trip. The others will have to wait.
We enjoyed Texas barbecue when we visited San Antonio a decade ago and we hankered for more. Researching the best barbecues in Texas raised two establishments to the top of the list: Franklin’s in Austin and the Salt Lick in Driftwood, 45 minutes outside of Austin. I am sure Franklin’s is phenomenal, however, standing in line for hours to eat barbecue held no appeal. Polite pass. Salt Lick it is.
Dallas, Austin and Houston. This itinerary was steeped in 1960’s history, a decade of social upheaval and world-changing events: the murder of President Kennedy in the broad daylight of Dallas, Johnson taking up the presidential mantle and later signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the decade closing out with a moon landing tenuously tethered to Earth by transmissions from Houston. I remember sitting on the floor in my pajamas, excitedly watching Neil Armstrong take his first historic step on the moon on our black-and-white TV.
Part One: Dallas
Our main stop in Dallas was The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, housed in the former Texas School Book Depository building from where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the fatal shots on that tragic November day.
The museum, largely restored and maintained as it was in 1963, freezes time and we were transported back, the exhibits guiding us through the sequence of that pivotal day and the days that followed. It felt like a revisit, as we already knew the site and the events from the many television news reports, movies and documentaries we have seen.
November 22, 1963:
– 12:30 PM (CST): President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade enters Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.
Warren Commission archive photograph, showing the “sniper’s nest” in the Texas School Book Depository, where the Commission believes the shooter was positioned, hiding among the many boxes of textbooks.
Duplicate of Oswald’s gun displayed in the sniper’s nest.
We stood at the filmy window on the sixth floor, peering down at Dealey Plaza below. I searched for the “X” painted on Elm Street, marking the precise location Kennedy was struck.
Husband was startled at how close the Book Depository was to the point of impact. He had envisioned it farther away. “You get a direct line of sight from the shooter to the victim.” he said, surprised that the vantage point was so ideal.
It was eerie standing near the murderer’s roost and seeing almost the same view the assassin saw as he raised his rifle and took aim.
– Approximately 12:30 to 12:34 PM: Shots are fired. Kennedy is struck in the upper back and head, Texas Governor John Connally is wounded, and bystander James Tague is injured by bullet fragments.
– 12:36 PM: The presidential limousine rushes to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
– 1:00 PM: President Kennedy is pronounced dead by Dr. Malcolm Perry at Parkland Hospital.
The museum, enveloped us in a somber silence that belied its steady stream of visitors, punctuated only by the occasional whispered conversation or the soft shuffle of feet against a backdrop of crackling recordings of simultaneous news broadcasts and Kennedy’s historic speeches.
– 1:38 PM: CBS Anchorman Walter Cronkite, his voice uncharacteristically choked with emotion, reports live on national TV, official word that Kennedy is dead and Johnson will be sworn in as president, removing his glasses as he wipes away a tear.
– 1:40 PM: Oswald is stopped by Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, whom Oswald then fatally shoots.
– 1:50 PM: Oswald is arrested while hiding in the Texas Theatre, approximately 8 blocks from the scene of the Tippit shooting.
My heart went out to Jackie Kennedy, seen here ascending the steps onto Air Force One with her husband’s casket onboard, her pink Chanel suit stained with his blood and the remnants of their shattered dreams, her life irrevocably changed.
– 2:28 PM: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as the 36th President of the United States aboard Air Force One, marking the official transfer of power one hour and twenty-eight minutes after the pronouncement of Kennedy’s death.
Johnson taking Oath aboard Air Force One, Dallas Love Field.
– 2:38 PM: Oswald is formally charged with the murder of Officer Tippit.
– Throughout the afternoon and evening: Oswald is interrogated by Dallas police officers.
– 11:21 PM: Oswald is formally charged with the assassination of President Kennedy.
– November 24, 1963: Lee Harvey Oswald is shot and killed by Jack Ruby while in police custody, in the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters.
Jack Ruby shooting Oswald.
The museum captures more than the assassinations; it also delves into the broader context of the era, exploring the social and political climate of the early 1960s. Through photographs, artifacts, and immersive multimedia exhibits, visitors gain a deeper understanding of the turbulent times in which Kennedy’s presidency unfolded.
We left the Texas School Book Depository and walked across the driveway to Dealey Plaza.
The bustling city streets sharply contrasted with the quiet, contemplative atmosphere of Dealey Plaza, which felt like a tranquil oasis. Standing in the shade of the towering elm and oak trees, we felt a profound sense of history among the white colonnades of the pergola on the grassy knoll, where Abraham Zapruder filmed President Kennedy’s assassination, capturing the most famous 26 seconds in American film history.
The pergola at the top of the grassy knoll.
Peeking over the nearby fence, where many witnesses speculated another gunman might have been positioned, added an eerie dimension to the experience.
It was disheartening to see people lying in the middle of Elm Street, casually taking selfies including the X painted on the asphalt, our “look-at-me” culture spoiling a solemn historic site
Kennedy’s relevance endures through his presidency and tragic demise. As the youngest elected president and a symbol of hope and change, JFK’s legacy remains deeply ingrained in American consciousness.
The enduring mystery surrounding his assassination continues to captivate and intrigue. In some people’s minds, there are still open issues. Some of the official records are still sealed, a fact that invites speculation.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
411 Elm Street
Dallas, Texas 75252
Hours: 10am – 5pm – Wednesday through Sunday
Adult – $25.00
Senior (65+) – $23.00
Youth (6 – 18) – $21.00
Child (Under 6) FREE
Get your tickets and your entry time online, especially on weekends and school holidays.
Just as history transitioned from Kennedy to the Johnson presidency, the next phase of our journey led us next to the vibrant city of Austin, where the legacies of Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy converge.
But history is not all – Austin also tantalizes the taste buds with some of the most irresistible Texas BBQ you’ll ever sink your teeth into!
That post is up next.
