Friendship Force Baton Rouge Journey to Austin, Texas
March 2022
Ambassador Coordinator - Lin Ashton, Baton Rouge; Host Coordinator - Carol Parsonage, Austin
Nine ambassadors left Baton Rouge to visit Friendship Force Austin. Our journey started with the evening free to get acquainted with our host. Early Wednesday morning everyone met at Central Market for choose your own breakfast, introductions, and an insulated bag with lots of Texas goodies along with our itinerary. We bought our lunch and drove over to the Lyndon Banes Johnson Library. It was an in-depth look at his politics and personal life. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the plaza next to the library. We had pleasant, windy weather. We then toured the new downtown Austin library. It was very modern and airy, with many floors open to the central atrium. A walk across the street to Lady Bird Lake brought us to the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge for photos with the skyline and lake for our backdrop. Our hosts then split up and took us to different sights. Our host, Lauren Barrett, took us to Whole Foods and a drive along 6th Street.
We proceeded to Barton Springs pool and park area. It is on the river and they have dammed it to create a very large “pool” and play area. It was windy and a little too cold to test the water! On to The Broken Spoke bar, museum, restaurant, and dance hall. We enjoyed all the memorabilia in the small museum, had a beer, and listened to a 3-piece country band for a while. For a true Texas BBQ experience we drove out to The Salt Lick. The food was really good and the whole ambiance was “Texas all the way!” Some of the other ambassadors went to the Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis for supper and a fantastic sunset.
Thursday we drove to the San Marcos Meadows Center at Texas State University. It consisted of a museum, the Wetlands Walk (boardwalks over the swampy areas), and a glass bottom boat ride over Spring Lake so we could see the springs feeding into the lake. This spring-fed lade is in between the hill country and the black land prairie. This helped us learn about the area’s plant and animal life above and below the water. We enjoyed lunch on the San Marcos rive at Ivar’s River Pub. That evening we enjoyed meeting more new friends at the small dinner parties.
Friday was the Texas State Capital tour. It is a very interesting building with lots of history, and gorgeous interiors. Our guide, Georgia, said she only spoke “Texan” and was very knowledgeable about the building and the underground addition. For our free afternoon we walked through downtown Austin stopping for lunch at The Velvet Taco. After lunch we continued our walk and stopped in at the Driscoll Hotel. It has very beautiful lobby and public rooms! That afternoon we toured Community First Village, a tiny home community for previously homeless people. It is now a community for about 300 residents.
On Saturday we used our full free day to drive to Fredericksburg to enjoy some German history and food in a quaint town. Of course, there was shopping! That evening we all enjoyed the show at Ester’s Follies in downtown. It was so funny and entertaining as they made fun of politics and current events.
Our Sunday started out leisurely with breakfast at home and lots of visiting. We all drove out to Rudy’s Restaurant for and outdoor BBQ picnic in the grove. The Baton Rouge FF club presented a traditional Mardi Gras Second Line parade complete with masks, beads and throws. We gifted Friendship Force Austin Club with a donation to the Rosedale School, which helps special needs children.
After many hugs we all said our good byes and departed. But then we went to see Chicken Shit Bingo at the Little Longhorn Saloon!
Article submitted by Lin Ashton and edited by Trudy Ivy
We proceeded to Barton Springs pool and park area. It is on the river and they have dammed it to create a very large “pool” and play area. It was windy and a little too cold to test the water! On to The Broken Spoke bar, museum, restaurant, and dance hall. We enjoyed all the memorabilia in the small museum, had a beer, and listened to a 3-piece country band for a while. For a true Texas BBQ experience we drove out to The Salt Lick. The food was really good and the whole ambiance was “Texas all the way!” Some of the other ambassadors went to the Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis for supper and a fantastic sunset.
Thursday we drove to the San Marcos Meadows Center at Texas State University. It consisted of a museum, the Wetlands Walk (boardwalks over the swampy areas), and a glass bottom boat ride over Spring Lake so we could see the springs feeding into the lake. This spring-fed lade is in between the hill country and the black land prairie. This helped us learn about the area’s plant and animal life above and below the water. We enjoyed lunch on the San Marcos rive at Ivar’s River Pub. That evening we enjoyed meeting more new friends at the small dinner parties.
Friday was the Texas State Capital tour. It is a very interesting building with lots of history, and gorgeous interiors. Our guide, Georgia, said she only spoke “Texan” and was very knowledgeable about the building and the underground addition. For our free afternoon we walked through downtown Austin stopping for lunch at The Velvet Taco. After lunch we continued our walk and stopped in at the Driscoll Hotel. It has very beautiful lobby and public rooms! That afternoon we toured Community First Village, a tiny home community for previously homeless people. It is now a community for about 300 residents.
On Saturday we used our full free day to drive to Fredericksburg to enjoy some German history and food in a quaint town. Of course, there was shopping! That evening we all enjoyed the show at Ester’s Follies in downtown. It was so funny and entertaining as they made fun of politics and current events.
Our Sunday started out leisurely with breakfast at home and lots of visiting. We all drove out to Rudy’s Restaurant for and outdoor BBQ picnic in the grove. The Baton Rouge FF club presented a traditional Mardi Gras Second Line parade complete with masks, beads and throws. We gifted Friendship Force Austin Club with a donation to the Rosedale School, which helps special needs children.
After many hugs we all said our good byes and departed. But then we went to see Chicken Shit Bingo at the Little Longhorn Saloon!
Article submitted by Lin Ashton and edited by Trudy Ivy
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FF Baton Rouge Journey to FF Western Kentucky
Journey Number 22622, April 24 – 30, 2022
Coordinators: Ambassador - Trudy Ivy, BR; Host - Marsha Mullins, Western Ky
Journey Number 22622, April 24 – 30, 2022
Coordinators: Ambassador - Trudy Ivy, BR; Host - Marsha Mullins, Western Ky
Eight members of FFBR and two ambassadors from the Houston Club traveled to Owensboro, Kentucky to enjoy some blue grass music. clogging, and barbecue.
Sunday, April 24 was the day for ambassadors to arrive and settle in with their hosts.
Monday, April 25 Judge Executive Al Mattingly (the head of the county) welcomed FFBR to Daviess County. At the Owensboro History & Science museum we learned about the George H. Rudy coal mine from the 1800’s. After lunch on our own, we saw the Western Kentucky Botanical Gardens and had tea on the porch of a recently acquired old home on the property. We ended our first day at the famous Moonlite Bar-B-Q with great entertainment by Barry Lanham’s Cloggers (the state dance of Kentucky). This welcome party did not disappoint!
Tuesday, April 26: We noticed a Louisiana connection at the John James Audubon Museum. Our picnic lunch at Audubon Mills Park on the Ohio River was a little breezy. Next it was on to Green River Distillery for a factory tour and a taste of Kentucky bourbon. That evening we had three small dinner parties.
Wednesday, April 27 began with a short ride to Rockport, Kentucky where we explored the different kinds of cabins at Lincoln Pioneer Village. The museum even has a chest that Abraham Lincoln built with his father. After lunch we started "picking" at the Hall of Fame Bluegrass Museum in Owensboro. We amazed ourselves at our musical talents as we developed a taste for bluegrass. We treated our hosts to dinner. Several of our group went to The Miller House for a great dinner.
Thursday, April 28 was our early day, meeting a 6:30 AM to drive two hours to Mammoth Cave National Park. The sites in the cave made waking up early worth it! After lunch at Melissa’s Country Kitchen we had the director of South Union Shaker Village tell us about one of only a few Shaker communities still standing. We were able to stop at Chaney’s Dairy Barn for ice cream on our way home.
Friday, April 29 was our morning to sleep late! We continued to learn about the roots of Bluegrass music at the home of Bill Monroe in Rosine, Kentucky. We had an early dinner at Slick Back Store and Restaurant. The farewell party included great desserts at the Bill Monroe Museum. Of course, FFBR treated our hosts to a Mardi Gras Second Line. Then it was a treat to see several true Bluegrass groups at the Rosine Barn Jamboree.
Saturday, April 30: All of the ambassadors left Kentucky with a Bluegrass song in their heart!
There were absolutely no complaints. Everyone seemed to have a great time. The weather cooperated for the most part – it was drizzling as we walked through the Botanical Gardens and very windy at the picnic on the Ohio River.
Article by Trudy Ivy
