Travel for Pennies

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, more popularly and commonly known as Lady Bird Johnson, was born in December of 1912 in Karnack, Texas. She was an incredible woman who was devoted to the conservation of much of the nation’s natural resources and also a strong advocate for the beautification of the country’s cities and highways. She made major efforts to advance these causes and visited cities across the country to contribute to them. She was the First Lady of the United States from November of 1963 to January of 1969, during the period in which in husband Lyndon B. Johnson served as President.

Johnson’s conservational and beatification efforts took her across the country but also throughout her own home state of Texas. Austin, Texas is fortunate to be located at the junction of four significant ecological systems. This creates an extremely diverse ecological makeup for the city and accounts for some of its beautiful wildflowers. Lady Bird Johnson appreciated this and loved the bluebonnets, which blossomed every spring. Tourists who visit the city and stay in one of the Austin luxury hotels are fortunate to fly into such a vibrantly colored city. Johnson loved it so much herself that she contributed to the flower’s planting in and around the city of Austin. Interestingly, it was a small beetle that is responsible for her famous nickname. When she was just a child her nurse noticed that she seemed to be as innocent and pure as the ladybird, which was the local name for what is commonly known as the ladybug. This quickly became her nickname and it replaced her actual first name for the rest of her life. Most of the population then and now know her only as Ladybird Johnson, which serves as a beautiful testament to her nature conservation and protection efforts.

Johnson’s work and achievements continued long after her residence in the White house and the death of LBJ, which happened in 1973. In those later years she became an inventive businesswoman with a strong entrepreneurial streak. During her life she received the highest national honors a civilian is able to achieve. She was awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

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