THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM

       We arrived at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on a Saturday morning. This was our first visit to a Presidential Library. Fortunately, we allowed a lot of time for the visit. We didn't realize the magnitude of the place and the amount of information that was available. Exhibits combined fascinating artifacts, historical documents, photographs, films, and dozens of interactive displays that made for a pleasant day of history.

      The tradition of Presidential Libraries began with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was the first to raise private funds to build a library that opened in 1941. It was later given to the U.S. government for operation through the National Archives. Prior to this time, Presidential papers and records were often lost, destroyed, or sold for profit. There are currently 13 presidential libraries located throughout the U.S., each one offering a special place for all to learn about democracy and our nation—without regard to political considerations.

SCENIC DRIVE TO MOUNTAINTOP
PRESIDENTIAL BANNERS ALONG THE WAY

      The Reagan Library, located 45 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, in Simi Valley, CA, is perched on a mountaintop with sweeping views of surrounding mountains and valleys. We entered the grounds on a curving tree-lined mile-long drive with colorful banners with pictures honoring all U.S. Presidents along the way. The library is surrounded by a hundred-acre landscape that includes a full scale replica of the White House Rose Garden, President Reagan's grave site, and a 9 ½ foot-tall, piece of the Berlin Wall that weighs over 6,000 lbs. There are benches and picnic tables—all can be enjoyed without paying the entrance fee that is required for the the library and museum.

      The 100,000 square-foot Reagan Museum consists of 24 galleries including a full-scale reproduction of the Oval Office as it appeared during the Reagan Presidency—inclusive of a painting of his hero, President Andrew Jackson, bronze saddles, a jar of jelly beans and plaque, sitting on his desk, that reads: “It CAN by done.”

      On display throughout the museum are hundreds of gifts President and Mrs. Reagan received from world leaders, visiting dignitaries and others. There are lovely photos of these visits, and I especially enjoyed looking at the interesting clothing and styles of the time. There were displays of dresses worn by Nancy Reagan in one of the galleries that was devoted entirely to the First Lady.

AIR FORCE ONE

      Air Force One, that served seven U.S. Presidents and carried Ronald Reagan more than 660,000 miles, is on display and available for boarding. The press, who had to pay their own fare, rode in the rear of the aircraft—the President enjoyed comfortable seating and working arrangements in the front section. Also, located in the Pavilion is the Ronald Reagan Pub which contains original contents from a pub that was named in his honor in Ballyporeen, Ireland—his ancestral homeland. The President would often say “John Kennedy got an airport, Lyndon Johnson got a space center, but I got a pub named after me.” The pub also served as a good place for our much needed coffee break.

      Ronald Reagan wrote his thoughts and observations in his personal diary virtually every day during his eight years as president. The Reagan diaries are on display and they can be viewed digitally by date. Throughout all the galleries one can find his personal notes, including love notes to Nancy. He was referred to as the great communicator and famous for his many quotations.

       Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, IL in 1911. His family moved around the midwest until they finally settled in Dixon, IL when Ronald was seven years old. He served as the 40^th president of the from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease during his last years of life and died in 2004 at the age of 93.

      “I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”             Announcement of Alzheimer's Diagnosis

                                                                                                       November 5, 1994

ACTUAL PIECE OF BERLIN WALL

LANDSCAPED GROUNDS SURROUNDING LIBRARY

RONALD REAGAN PUB
LOCATED IN AIR FORCE ONE PAVILION

VIEW FROM THE REAGAN LIBRARY

THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY, ART COLLECTIONS, AND BOTANICAL GARDENS

THE DESERT GARDENS

HUNTINGTON'S MANSION
VERANDA

      The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens are located in a residential neighborhood of palatial homes in San Marino, CA, about twelve miles from downtown Los Angeles. The property was originally called the San Marino Ranch when it was purchased by Henry E. Huntington in 1903. He was a successful investor in the railroad industry and real estate. His special love and knowledge of books, art, plants, and trees resulted in his amassing one of the finest research libraries in the world, significant art collections, and gardens.

      When Henry first purchased the working ranch in 1903, it was covered with citrus groves, alfalfa crops, poultry, and small herds of cows. Working with his superintendent, William Hertrich, Henry developed over 120 acres into gardens of rare and exotic plants from all over the world. Among the most popular is the Japanese Garden, which includes a drum bridge, Japanese house, and walled Zen garden. The desert garden is one of the largest cacti and succulent gardens in the world with over five thousand species of plants. You couldn't miss the sweet scents when walking through the rose gardens.

      We arrived when it opened at 10:30 am on October 4, and with a weather forecast of over 100 degree F, it was not crowded. Due to the heat, we were the only ones to join the one and one-half hour garden tour. Fortunately, our informative guide made sure stops were in the shade.

      There are currently more than three thousand trees on the property, including hundreds of Huntington's favorite oak and palm trees. Our guide pointed out the Pinus coulter, which produces the largest cone of any pine tree species. Its nickname is the widow maker because the cones can weigh up to ten pounds (people are actually advised to wear hardhats when working in Coulter pine groves). I could easily spend many more hours perusing these twelve lovely gardens, especially in the spring when the roses and camellias are at their peak. There was a large shaded veranda at the front of Huntington's mansion with comfortable chairs—not a bad place to take it all in on such a warm October day.

      After our tour through the gardens, it was time to move into the three air-conditioned buildings that house the art collections and library. Our first stop, the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art, includes 18 rooms full of paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from the colonial period through the middle of the 20^th century. My favorite piece of work is by an American artist, Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), entitled Breakfast in Bed. I think I was partial to the painting because it reminded me of my daughter, Anna, and her baby, Mila.

Breakfast in Bed  by Mary Cassatt

      Next, we visited the Huntington Art Gallery which offers magnificent works of art, and an opportunity to see the original early Huntington residence. Although many of the rooms have been converted into art galleries, one still gets a glimpse of the opulent lifestyle of one of the richest families in America in the early 1900s. The focus in this gallery is European art from the 15^th to the early 20^th century. Among the famous paintings is the Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). This was purchased by Henry Huntington in 1921 at a price of $640,000 ($8.5 million in 2014), making it a record price for art at the time.

Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough

      At the entrance to the mansion is a life sized painting of a stern looking woman with thick black- rimmed glasses, dressed in widow's weeks. It is Arabella Huntington, the second wife of Henry, and before that, the second wife of Henry's uncle Collis Huntington. After the death of Collis in 1900, she always wore black when in public even after marrying Henry in 1913. They married in their 60s, and shared interests and expertise in collecting. The story of her life from modest beginnings to becoming one of the richest women in the world is fascinating. I am looking forward to reading the well researched 2013 book: The Art of Wealth:The Huntingtons in the Gilded Age by Shelly M. Bennett.

      Our visit would not have been complete without a stop at the Library where Henry E. Huntington collected millions of rare books and manuscripts. It's considered the largest library ever assembled by one person and currently holds about nine million items. Among them is a Gutenberg Bible on vellum and a world-class collection of the early editions of Shakespeare's work. For qualified scholars, it is one of the largest and most complete humanities research libraries in the US.

      We left about 4:30 when they closed—glad to have had a full day visit without rushing—the vintage way. By then we were hungry and thirsty so we stopped at Maria's Italian Kitchen, 3537 E. Foothill Blvd, Pasadena. It was a good choice. Ron had three rather large meat balls with melted cheese over them and I enjoyed a caprese salad and french fries. Later we walked around old Pasadena, enjoying all the activity and peering into the interesting restaurants and shops.

      We are fortunate for the generosity of Henry E. Huntington who left his entire estate in a public trust for all of us to enjoy.

Garden Door

The Long Leg by Edward Hopper 

The Gutenberg Bible

Desert Garden

Japanese Gardens

Chinese Gardens