My camera has been on it's last legs since before Hawaii. I honestly didn't think it would make it through that trip, but it did. But, after our first full day in San Diego it just stopped working. It wouldn't turn on, and it wasn't the batteries. My front camera on my phone has been broken since like a week after I got my phone, so I didn't have that either. I had to borrow the boy's phones for pictures, and then eventually when they got sick of me asking to take pictures, I had to deal with my cracked camera lens. I tried to edit the pictures to make them a little better, but it is what it is. But, I guess of all the pictures I took on my camera, this wasn't a bad last one.
Anyway, when we talked about going to San Diego, Peyton immediately asked if we could go to the two presidential libraries out there. In case you've missed it, Peyton wants to go visit every presidential burial site. So far we've gone to 18 of them: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, and JFK. We've been on our quest since 2013, and this was our opportunity to knock two more off of our list: Nixon and Reagan.
But, I was there to help out with AMATYC, and I was needed back at 8:30pm. In order to get to all of our stops along the way, I figured we could swing it, but we'd have to get up at 5am and be on our way shortly there after. Calib toyed with the idea of staying at the hotel, but decided he would go and just sleep in the car. He slept most of the trip (he later claimed he didn't and Peyton was like 'um, I have photographic evidence')
Our first stop was nearly 4 hours away (thanks a lot L.A. traffic), at the Santa Monica Pier. It's supposed to be one of the best places in the country for Pokemon hunting, and it was sort of on the way to Reagan's library, so we were there around 9 am. Not much was open, but we got to walk around, hunt Pokemon and stretch our legs. Plus, being there so early meant we got a really great parking spot ON the pier. (Though we were slightly disappointed in the Pokemon, we did get some good ones!)
After our trip to the Santa Monica Pier we kept heading north to Simi Valley to go to Ronald Reagan's library. Traffic wasn't as bad heading north, and we got there in relatively good time. Reagan's library sits atop a mountain, and as you drive up the side, you pass banners for every single president. Up at the top, you find Reagan's banner. Reagan was president in 1981 when I was born (and until I was 7 and a half), so it's the first presidential library I've been to where I remember the presidency. We've been to Jimmy Carter's library, but I just missed that.
The complex is really pretty, you enter at a courtyard and are greeted by several statues.
And then, like most presidential libraries, you're taken through the life of the president in chronological order. You see things from their childhood, and school years.
Then, you're taken through the campaign, and on to the presidency.
Of course, there's lots to look at, read, and interact with along the way. Pet projects, notes, gifts from other dignitaries.
Reagan's library also features a room on the assassination attempt by John Hinkley. You walk through the Hilton Hotel door, the site of the shooting and shown a short video. Four men were shot that day- two Secret Service, the Press Secretary James Brady and President Reagan. Hinkley was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and spent years in a psychiatric facility as a result. He was discharged and went to live with his mother last year. Brady, who survived but was paralyzed as a result of the shooting became a supporter of gun control (see: the Brady Bill). He died in 2014, and his death was ruled a homicide as the result of the shooting 33 years earlier. Reagan, of course recovered. He wasn't hit directly, but was hit when a bullet ricocheted off the presidential motorcade. The suit he was wearing that day is on display.
Of course, a presidential libary isn't complete without a replica of that president's oval office. Peyton took notice of the jelly beans on the end table.
Then we were fed into a room with all kinds of gifts he had received along the way, and at a big round table there were touch screens to see state dinner menus and design your own White House China!
I LOVE presidential China, though I still just have Benjamin Harrison's plate (Nixon's library had all kinds of it at the gift shop, but the budget didn't allow me to spend $70 on a plate... no matter how much I want James Polks! For real people, I can identify whose china is whose. I'm that obsessed.)
Of course Nancy Reagan had her own section. Plenty of references to her 'Just Say No' Campaign, but nothing about her amazing Mac & Cheese recipe. (We still have it like at least once a month).
Then, you're fed out to the hanger where you get to see Air Force One! This Air Force One was used from 1973 to 2001 and shuttled six presidents around the world: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. You do get to walk through it, but you can't take any pictures. Our favorite features included jelly beans on every table and the nuclear football. Apparently it flew into LA but was then taken apart piece by piece to be brought up to the library. It is really, really cool to see in person. But, it is not easy to photograph it at all.
In the same hanger you can find Marine One and the presidential motorcade.
It's such a nice view, you can walk out and get a better look if you're so inclined.
Heading back into the main section of the library there's a couple rooms dedicated to the Berlin Wall, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Communism.
Of course Reagan loved his horses and his ranch, so there's a section on that as well. Included is various saddles he got from world leaders. There's even one he received from the Queen of England.
And then it gets sad. There's the letter that he wrote to the American people to announce that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.
Then you're taken into a room with the newscast from the day he died on June 5, 2004 playing on a loop, along with audio of his kids speaking at his funeral. On display is the flag that draped his coffin and the boots from the riderless horse.
We went through the gift shop- which I wanted EVERYTHING. Calib was like 'I don't mean to rush you, but you have to make a decision, we've got places to get to!' I finally settled on an official presidential jelly bean jar and some magnets for my collection.
We headed outside where a piece of the Berlin Wall is on display.
(Also, inside there's a piece of the World Trade Center)
Just past the piece of the Berlin Wall, you'll find the graves of Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan. That brings Peyton's (and my) total to 19 presidential graves visited. (In case you're wondering there are currently 38 of them).
The grave looks out to a stunning view of California.
After our visit to the library, the boys were ready for lunch so we stopped by the nearest In-N-Out.
Now, my next stop was going to be the Griffith Observatory to see the Hollywood sign, the boys aren't big on movie stars, or Hollywood or any of that- and they couldn't even think of someone's star they would want to visit on the Walk of Fame (beside's Trumps, but that was for other reasons). But, I thought it would be a fun stop. Peyton had a light bulb moment though, on our way to the Santa Monica Pier, when he asked me where the building that was used in the filming of 'The Office' was located. Some googling showed us it would be a real quick detour on our trek from Reagan's library to Nixon's if we just nixed our Griffith Observatory trip, we could surely make it.
See that green hedge behind us? That's where it is!
You guys, I went to Dunder Mifflin, and it was the coolest thing ever. Peyton was super excited about it. Calib wasn't as excited as he should have been. It was freakin Dunder Mifflin! I guess you guys should know at least three episodes of the Office get watched by some combination of people in this house daily. We LOVE it, and it's the sole reason we'll never, ever cancel our Netflix subscription.
It's down a very unassuming industrial street, where everything looks like it's a garage to fix your car. Dunder Mifflin sits at the end of Saticoy Street (like Saticoy Steel!) , which dead ends into a giant circle.
It's still used as a studio today. In fact, there were some guys moving props around on the side of the building (like they were warehouse guys or something!) and they must be used to people swinging by to take pictures, because they were like 'I'm going to photobomb this one!' and then preceded to pretend to moon us, before giving us a friendly wave and moving on.
Just past the building, before the dead end, you find trailers and a big building for props. It was such a fun stop, I'm glad Peyton thought of it. Since we've been home every time we watch the Office, I make sure to tell Asa I've been to Dunder Mifflin. He might, possibly be sick of it.
After that we were headed to Nixon's library. It should have been a quick trip, 45 minutes or so. But, It took about double that. We only had about 45 minutes until it closed when we got there, so we had to speed see the museum.
On the museum grounds you'll find the house Nixon was born in and grew up in.
And just next to that, you'll find his grave and Pat Nixon's grave. He has the distinction of being the president buried the closest to where he was born, it's just a few feet away!
When we celebrated Nixon's birthday we noted the engraving on his headstone (which was part of his inaugural address): "The greatest honor history can bestow is that of peacemaker." We got to see it in person, so that was cool.
So, that makes 20 president's graves that Peyton has his picture in front of. Unfortunately, Calib is not the greatest picture taker... so my one picture in front of Nixon's grave is super blurry.
The courtyard area for the library is nice, but we didn't have much time to see that, either. We had to take a speed trip through the museum.
Nixon's library is interesting though. It doesn't really go in a chronological order flow. It's a little disjointed, but it notes his various campaigns for President and Vice President, his accomplishments of opening up trade with China, and landing a man on the moon.
Of course, there's an oval office replica here too. Fun fact: everyone has to have at least one picture of George Washington in the oval- and Nixon and Reagan picked the same one. At Nixon's library you can actually sit at the desk and take a picture- that's new, usually you just see it from behind some rails.
Oh, and there's a fun display of ping pong paddles!
Then, you get to the Watergate section, with the re-election and then the scandal. It's mostly a lot of reading (and honestly, pretty small given the gravity of what it resulted in), the only 'items' they have are a lock pick and a walkie talkie that were used. You can listen to the famous 'gap' in the tape though.
Then you see video of the day he resigned and heading out on Marine One (which is also there). I think the reason it isn't so much in order is because they don't want to leave you with the resignation. After that you're spit back out to his 'early years', which seems a little weird. But we didn't have much time to look or read much, it was basically just a quick walk through for us.
After that we hightailed it back to the hotel. It should have taken about an hour and a half. It took us about two and a half hours. But, we made it in time for dinner at the Club Level.
That was our very, very long day. I got back to the room about 11 after helping Jane, and I was done. It was SO much driving, but we were all totally glad we did it.
Next Up: Seals, California Burritos & the Zoo!
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