Vaca - The Nixon Library

Our plan for California was simple: Go to Disneyland and visit the beach. A few years ago we were driving to DL and I saw a sign for the Nixon Presidential Library. I did not think much of it until after I visited the Carter Presidential Library when I was stuck in Atlanta last year. If I had a bucket list, visit all of the Presidential Libraries would be on it. So I asked the crew if we could visit the Nixon Library and Birthplace. Luckily for me it was raining Friday so it fit in well to go to the Library. Should I mention now that I am kind of a political junkie for those who may not know? I am kind of a political junkie!

When you walk in the Library you are greeted with a huge Seal of the President of the United States and off to the left is a replica of President Nixon's Oval Office Desk.

The hall leading to the Museum is lined with the Stars and Stripes. I did not get a picture of the other hall, it was lined with all 50 State flags.

My question is: How do the nice white space suits get so dirty in outer space? Sissy thought it was cool to stand by the space man.

I could not believe all of the pins they had on display. My favorite pin said "Pat for First Lady" it just made me laugh.

Some back story is required here. I was seriously obsessed with President John F. Kennedy when I was in elementary school. I read and reread all of the books on him in the school library. To this day I still am a fan and just get giddy when I see something that JFK has touched. This is a signed copy of Profiles in Courage. One thing I have to say about my friend JFK, his handwriting was not so legible.

Probably the only pic I have of me on this vaca. I was walking to the space section of the museum and saw myself in the helmet. I said to myself "What would Katie do?" So I snapped my pic and I love it. This museum is different than others, it did not have a replica of the Oval Office. Rather it had a replica of the Lincoln Sitting Room where President Nixon liked to spend most of his time and wrote his resignation speech.

Outside the Museum is a beautiful rose garden. The roses were not in bloom, but the plants were still really beautiful.

The museum also houses the birthplace and final resting place of President Nixon, the house he was born in still stands. Though on rainy days visitors cannot tour it. In the garden President and Mrs. Nixon are buried.

Debbie visiting the graves.

At the back of the property is the helicopter that served four different Presidents. This helicopter served Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford. When it rains the visitors cannot take tours of it, darn it. How cool would it be to breathe the same air as President Kennedy? Because do not even try to tell me that the air is not the same after all of these years. It is.

It was not until a few years ago that I learned why the flag is backwards when looking at the right side. When marching into battle the flag star field always faces forward looking and the rest of the flag appears as though it is blowing in the breeze when the person or vehicle moves forward.

Sissy walked up the stair with her M&M's. Can you guess what happened next?

After Brother cleaned up the spilled M&M's from the mat he helped the girls learn to do a military solute.

Dad was in the military when President Nixon was in office. It was interesting to watch him pause to remember his Commander In Chief.

When we got back into the building we found Sister playing the piano in the White House East Room replica. What an honor! To be able to play the piano in the East Room of the White House? Nice. I would totally put that on my resume.

This is a view of the Library from the garden across the reflecting pool.

Even if I were not a political junkie, I would have found this stop interesting. 2 Libraries down, 11 to go. The sad thing is, one of them is in Grand Rapids, MI where I lived for 4 months on my mission. I totally missed out on that opportunity.