For those unaware, the nickname “Forty Acres” refers to the original size of the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. A 40-acre plot of land for the main campus was granted by the state of Texas. Though the university has since grown significantly into the present-day 437 acres, the term “Forty Acres” still represents that initial area and is often used to refer to the university as a whole.
We recently had the opportunity to celebrate the Forty Acres and spend time with Daughter during the Spring 2025 Family Weekend at The University of Texas at Austin. The schedule for the weekend event was divided into two sections – “Celebrating Campus,” which included family weekend events and additional activities on and around the Forty Acres, and “Celebrating the Arts & Nature,” which included UT galleries, museums, tours, student exhibits and wildflowers.
With her nearing the completion of her first year there, we’ve had the opportunity to see and do numerous things on campus, so for this trip, we decided to select the arts and nature track and venture a little further out. High on my priority list was a visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center just 20 minutes southwest of campus and much to my delight, Hubby and Daughter agreed. As we made our plans the night before, we agreed to hit the wildflower center early in the day in an attempt to beat the heat.
Between Family Weekend and the annual Longhorn Run, a 5K and 10K race through campus, the Forty Acres was a little more congested than usual so we opted to find a spot for brunch near the wildflower center.
We ended up at District Kitchen + Cocktails and chose to dine on the patio under the pergola. It was a beautiful day and a nice breeze wafted around us. Daughter chose the bison burger, Hubby selected green chili chicken tacos with black beans and I had a boudin omelette with maple cheddar grits. Every single bite was delicious and we enjoyed it immensely.
The state botanical garden and arboretum of Texas, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center features more than 900 species of native Texas plants in both garden and natural settings and is home to a vast array of educational programs and events. Dedicated to “inspiring the conservation of native plants” and promoting the environmental benefits of native plant landscapes, the 284-acre location straddles both Edwards Plateau and Texas Blackland Prairies ecosystems. It is home to the most comprehensive native plant database in the U.S. and features profiles of more than 9,000 North American native plants.
It was the perfect day to be there – blue skies, green fields, colorful wildflowers galore and absolutely zero humidity. Looking back, though we didn’t realize it at the time, I think we all benefited from slowing our pace, blocking out distractions, communing with nature and each other and just being present in the moment.
Probably the highlight of my day, however, was having a family picture made in a field of bluebonnets – something I had always wanted. When Daughter was a youngster at Livingston Montessori School, her teachers were always so good about taking the children to that nearby triangular patch of grass behind the stadium that fills with bluebonnets every spring and taking individual pictures of each child. I’ve always treasured those precious pictures. Not long ago, when I suggested taking a family picture in the bluebonnets, Daughter scoffed. I later joked with Hubby that we should have our picture taken in bluebonnets while holding a photo of Daughter and then send it to her.
Our weekends with her in Austin always seem to come to a close quickly before we’ve seen or done everything we intended. But that’s okay. Not ticking off all the boxes on my mental itinerary just kickstarts the anticipation for the next time. There will always be more trips, but best of all is the time we spend with each other wherever we are.
