“Do you know why birds sing just before dawn? Scientists believe it’s to tell their mates that they made it through the night, as a way of saying, ‘I’m still here.’ Maybe that’s why we sing, too, why we create art—as a way of saying, ‘I made it. I’m still here.'” ~ Jeff Goins
As we pulled up to the LBJ Ranch, our tour guide, author and Texas Hill Country architecture authority Ken Hafertepe, pointed out Air Force One-Half, to which the entire bus erupted in laughter. Turned out he wasn’t kidding… to everyone’s surprise. The Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch sits very near Luckenbach on the Pedernales River in the heart of what has today become Texas wine country. The Ranch became known as the Texas White House because LBJ conducted the majority of his work as president from there, and that was possible because of Air Force One-Half and the airstrip he built in the backyard. It’s a Lear jet with Air Force One make-up that now sits permanently in the hanger behind the house. The airstrip has been (mostly) removed. It was a scorching hot day when we were there, but it was a slice of history worth sweating for.
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