The story begins with a field of Texas bluebonnet flowers. They so captivated the young Lady Bird Johnson, future First Lady of the United States, that in 1930, she decided to enroll at the University of Texas in Austin just to be near them. Fifty-two years later, now a former First Lady of the United States, Johnson and actress Helen Hayes returned to Austin and founded the National Wildflower Research Center to help preserve and protect the many diverse species of flowers in the United States. Now known as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, its many gardens display the native plants of central Texas hill country and south and west Texas, making it a wonderful place to escape the city for a few hours of natural serenity. Located at the University of Texas at Austin, its mission is to introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants through public gardens, woodlands, and sweeping meadows teeming with life. As such, visitors can expect to find beautiful winding trails ranging in length from 1/4 mile to one mile, theme gardens such as one dedicated to the botanists who first chronicled Texas's plants, the Ann and O.J. Weber butterfly garden - which shows the codependent relationship of plants and insects - and a variety of educational programs. Drop by for an afternoon and experience Texas as it would have looked to the frontiersmen of the 1800's. Starwood has one property in Austin, the Sheraton Austin Hotel, with three more opening over the next two years.

[image via Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center]