Travel: Across the football field in College Station, Texas

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Forget Kyle Field.

More than 102,000 fans fill the Texas A&M University Aggies football stadium this time of year. Easier said than done.

People who visit College Station just for the games probably won’t visit Texas’ version of Philadelphia. Also credited to the 41st President of the United States, George HW Bush. This is often overlooked when searching for available parking or tailgating locations.

Just 48 miles away is Washington on the Brazos, a 293-acre state historic site.

Built around a strategic ferry across the Brazos River during the Texas Revolution of 1835 and 1836, this small community served as the Philadelphia of the American Revolution. It was here at Independence Hall that delegates adopted the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836.

As with the Founding Fathers in 1776, the Declaration severed ties with a distant government (in this case Mexico) and created a new nation, the Republic of Texas. The nation they created was short-lived, lasting only 10 years before Texas was annexed to the United States and admitted to the Union as the 28th state in 1846.

The Independence Hall that stands today is a faithful reproduction of the original. Unassuming and unassuming, the building could easily be mistaken for a one-room schoolhouse found anywhere on the American frontier in the 19th century.

Also on site is the Star of the Republic Museum, which explores the early days of the Texas nation through exhibits and period artifacts, including a copy of the signed Declaration. Both will reopen on November 8 following a complete $54 million renovation that promises a more immersive visitor experience, along with a newly rebuilt visitor center.

Back in College Station, a new chapter in American history awaits at the George HW Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

It opened on Texas A&M’s campus in 1997, but it receives surprisingly few visitors. Just 92,906 people will walk through its doors in 2024, fewer than one sold-out Saturday at Kyle Field. This is a shame, because as with Bush’s presidency, the museum remains understated and underappreciated.

The life of Bush, a World War II naval aviator and decorated war hero, Connecticut Yankee-turned-Texas oilman, congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, first special envoy to communist China, chief spook as CIA director, vice president under Ronald Reagan, and a trusted figure in Washington at the end of the Cold War, is unfolded in 81,706 square feet of exhibit space. Visitors can also step into recreations of the Oval Office, Camp David, and the White House Situation Room.

For me, walking through the museum felt like stepping into a time capsule. At 41 years old, I am old enough to only vaguely remember the Bush years from 1989 to 1993. President Bush was a steady figure who guided America through global changes, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and Desert Storm with the bombs over Baghdad.

Also on the museum grounds are the graves of Bush and his wife Barbara Bush. The environment is peaceful and suitable for a man who is committed to common sense and service.

If you go

With American Airlines, you can arrive at Easterwood Airport in College Station with one stopover in Dallas. By car, College Station is approximately 90 minutes from Houston and 3 hours from Dallas.

After reopening on Nov. 8, Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site will be open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The George HW Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. As of this writing, the museum remains open during the federal government shutdown.

There are seven other museums along the Brazos Valley Museum Trail.

The 250-room Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, rated 4 Diamond by AAA, is located on campus.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.