Join us for a guided tour of the always popular Painted Churches near Schulenburg! Hand-painted murals, frescoes and other art offer a glimpse of Old-World beauty. The fee for this trip includes the tour of four churches, the tour guide fee and gratuity, and the buffet lunch at Oakridge Smokehouse in Schulenburg.

Ages 60+
$55 Resident/$70 Nonresident
Wednesday, Sept. 18
7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

The Wittliff Collections include the Southwestern Writers Collection and the Southwestern & Mexican Photography Collection, as well as complete production archives for several popular films, including the television miniseries Lonesome Dove. The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, formerly Aquarena Springs and later the Aquarena Center, is an educational center in San Marcos, Texas. It seeks to preserve the unique archeological and biological resources of Spring Lake. This trip includes a 30 minute glass bottom boat tour of Spring Lake. We will eat lunch at Black’s Barbeque (not included in the price of the trip).

Ages 60+
$40 Resident/$50 Nonresident
Thursday, Oct. 17
8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Start the day with a guided tour of the Earle-Harrison House and Pape Gardens. Completed in 1858 for Dr. Baylis Wood Earle and family, this side-entry Greek Revival style home is Waco’s only restored antebellum building. With nine cypress columns and longleaf heart pine exterior sheathing, the 5,000 square foot structure  has fourteen foot first-floor ceilings, walk-through windows onto verandas, and spacious rooms. Its collection of fine Victorian furnishings and artifacts were gifts from Waco citizens, and Earle & Harrison descendants. The Earle-Harrison House is surrounded by Pape Gardens, a spacious 5.82 acre enclosed garden that includes a 60×90 tent and double gazebo.

After enjoying lunch at Union Hall (not included in the price of the trip), spend the afternoon touring Lake Waco Wetlands. Functions of a Wetland include: providing habitat for native animals and plants in the central Texas region, showing the environmental impact of how plants in a wetland help “clean” water, and to provide educational programs and science based activities for wetland visitors.

Ages 60+
$35 Resident/$45 Nonresident
Thursday, Nov. 21
8:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Enjoy an early supper at Dahlia Cafe in Liberty Hill before taking in Main Street Bethlehem at First Baptist Church in Burnet. Explore the narrow streets to faint strains of ancient music, savoring the sights and smells. Immerse yourself in the din of the marketplace; surrounded by the revelers in the tavern, shouted insults to and from the Roman oppressors, merchants, craftspeople, animals of all kinds, taxpayers, and beggars all seeking money, or position, or revenge.

Search for the inn, only to find it full (as others did long ago). Then follow the trail to the cave where a road-weary couple has moved in with the animals, their place in God’s plan and secular history to be made secure on this night. For the child in their arms was the incarnation of God Himself, come to the world that all who would place their faith in Him might enjoy eternal fellowship in His presence.

Ages 60+
$30 Resident/$40 Nonresident
Friday, Dec. 6
3:30-9 p.m.

Visit the Czech Heritage Museum in Temple which exhibits artifacts and produces programs which tell three categories of stories:

• The history and rich culture of the Czech lands from 500 c.e. to present.
• The story of Czech immigrants in Texas from 1850 to the early 1900s. The memories of the living children and grandchildren of those Czechs and the cultural legacies they preserve today.
• The story of Czech-Americans connecting with their identities and families during the Cold War and in today’s Czech Republic. We also strive to recognize the efforts of those who work for a future of continued strong connections between the two countries.

After the museum we’ll have supper at The Old Jody’s (not included in the price of the trip) before visiting Nature in Lights, a five mile drive through Christmas light display at Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area.

Ages 60+
$35 Resident/$45 Nonresident
Tuesday, Dec. 17
2-9 p.m.

The LBJ Library contains memorabilia of the 36th President of the United States including a 7/8ths scale replica of the Oval Office decorated as it was during Johnson’s presidency, including the Johnson desk. Another exhibit features an animatronic LBJ. The view of the Texas State Capitol from the library’s terrace became one of the Capitol View Corridors protected under state and local law from obstruction by tall buildings in 1983. Enjoy lunch at Hoover’s Cooking (not included in the price of the trip) before visiting the Harry Ransom Center. The Ransom Center preserves some of the world’s most important literary and artistic collections and makes them accessible to researchers from around the globe and includes a Gutenberg Bible, one of only 20 complete copies in the world that survive intact.

Ages 60+
$40 Resident/$50 Nonresident
Wednesday, Jan. 22
9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Historical Museum was originally Bruhl’s Drugstore, founded in 1900 by Louis H. Bruhl. It was given to the Historical Society in 1965 by the A.H. Bruhl family. During renovations, the facade was altered, but the interior, including the marble soda fountain and leather fountain stools, remains intact. An annex to the building was originally an early day grocery store.

Enjoy lunch at Cooper’s Barbeque (not included in the price of the trip) before heading to the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum in Brady. In this museum, over 100 artists are represented in the museum with stage costumes, musical instruments, autographs, posters and other memorabilia highlighting Country Music’s colorful past including Jim Reeves, Minnie Pearl, Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Dottie West, Roy Acuff, the Wilburn Brothers, Ernest Tubb, Speck Rhodes and Grandpa Jones among others.

Ages 60+
$40 Resident/$50 Nonresident
Thursday, Feb. 20
8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.