What did you do on President's Day?

President's Day dawned in a drenching rain. I kept thinking I'd get up and run, but it was pouring buckets. Chris and I thought about what to do. We squandered our sunny day on Saturday by seeing a movie (well, squandered might be too strong. It was a fun movie. Coraline. But kind of scary for younger kids.) and were now faced with hiking in pouring rain or finding indoor entertainment. Bowling is more frustrating than fun for a family who expects to do well at something on the first try. So what to do on President's Day?

Presidential Library visit? Oh, yeah.

Now here in S. Cal. we have two to choose from: the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley and the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. Nixon Library? You can't be serious about that one. The interesting stuff about Nixon wouldn't be featured in the library he set up. So, off to Simi Valley. We saw three accidents along the freeway as we drove (and I think two on the way home.) We didn't tell the boys where we were headed. I just said we were going to explore someplace new. Nathaniel tried to guess, "Getty Villa? A park? A museum?"

If you want to visit the Reagan Library, go early because they didn't plan for much parking, but they do have convenient shuttles that will stop for you as you get out of your car and take you right back when you are done. I can't say it's a super exciting place to visit. With Reagan's history as a movie star and his involvement with the demise of the Iron Curtain and tearing down the Berlin Wall, I imagine it's more exciting than some of the other presidential libraries (again, Nixon Library?!?) Here are some photos:

Davis is checking out a map of all the places Reagan visited as the President of the United States.

Air Force One is actually pretty cool. There are different compartments for different ranking officials and the press sit in the back (did you know the press have to ante up the price of a first class ticket for each flight on Air Force One? Can't let the President curry favor with the media.)

Helicopter One... or something.

(Edit Note - Information provided by Chris' brother Matt, stationed in Iraq, who flew helicopters for the army. "The presidential helicopter is called Marine One, but only when the president is on board. When we were in Virginia my unit worked with the Marine unit that flies the pres and they took us for a tour. The paint is aobut 3mm thick and each helicopter is about $100,000 to paint and they get painted a lot.")

This is a replica of the oval office. Jelly beans are about the most exciting thing in here for the boys (no samples). But honestly, I think the story about the desk in the oval office is interesting. It was made from oak timbers from an English vessel, the Resolute. Check it out here - http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/furnishings/resolute-desk.htm.

And it wouldn't be President's Day without an impersonator. Didn't you think Abraham Lincoln would be taller.