Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas

Established in 1961 on nearly 1,700 acres southeast of downtown Houston as the Manned Spacecraft
Center, the bustling core of space activity was renamed in 1973 to honor the late president and
Texas native, Lyndon B. Johnson.

It is from here that NASA flight controllers monitor events occurring on space flights.  The space center also serves as a retirement center.  Flight hardware that has been retired and too large to store indoors is displayed at Rocket Park.

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital of Texas. In 1839 the site was chosen and incorporated under the name Waterloo.  Shortly afterward the name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F Austin the "Father of Texas" and the republic's first secretary of state.

An 1873 illustration of Edwin Waller's layout for Austin

Texas State Fact Card

The Alamo

The Alamo is an 18th century mission church located in San Antonio, Texas. The church was built by Spanish Franciscan friars in order to convert the local Indians to Christianity. 

The Alamo was the site of a pivotal battle for Texas independence from Mexico.  In 1836, Col. William B. Travis, James Bowie, Davy Crockett, and almost 200 other Texan volunteers occupied the Alamo. After unsuccessfully defending the Alamo for 13 days against an army of thousands of Mexican soldiers led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Texans died on March 6, 1836. 

 The Alamo was severely damaged in the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. The ruins were rebuilt by the U.S. Army in 1850. The building was bought by the state of Texas in 1905. The Alamo was later given to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who maintain the Alamo as a public monument and a shrine to the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo.

Texas Map Card

I absolutely love getting map cards. Not sure what it is about them but I love them. It's a great way to get an overview of the state or country. With major cities, tourist and historical sites, state flowers and birds all pictured.

Texas Armadillo

Immigrating from South America through Mexico to Texas, the Armadillo is now a permanent fixture in Texas' ecosystem.

Longhorn & Bluebonnets

Texas Icons

Texas Armadillo

Armadillo

One of the Armadillo's oddities is that all the young in each litter are of the same sex.  The scientific name of the nine banded armadillo is Dasypus novemcinctus.  Dasypus is from the Greek word for rabbit, novem is from the Latin word for nine and cinctus is from the Latin word for band.  Adult armadillos weigh about 12 pounds.  Armadillos are able to swim.  Armadillos are good jumpers and can jump about 3 feet straight up in the air.