Los Feliz Slim
11-05-2005, 10:21 PM
So, I've been only vaguely aware of the fact that the Ronald Reagan Library is about an hour away from me in Simi Valley, CA. I am not aligned politically with the GOP, so it just wasn't something I was interested in. But recently I heard a report on NPR about the Air Force One from Reagan's (and five or so other president's) administrations being on display. Now, an opportunity to enter and tour Air Force One is not something I'm going to pass up. So, off we went.
A friend of mine is the archivist at the library so we got the "special" tour, which was key, because parking is a nightmare. Tip #1: you'll probably be parking about 1/4 mile away from the library, so wear good shoes. I'll break the rest of the report into separate areas.
THE MUSEUM
Really, really interesting and well put together. Reagan was actually pretty accomplished, and not the talking head I had imagined. As an example, when he gave monthly radio addresses when he was campaigning, he wrote them out longhand himself before editing. That takes at least 3/4 of a brain. I would've preferred more attention to the assasination attempt, which was only briefly covered, but so it goes.
AIR FORCE ONE
It's a 707, so really not very large, which was a bit of a surprise. Reagan had his own quarters, which were small, and Nancy had an even smaller room. Then, there's an area for senior staff with a conference table, etc. Next, essentially first-class seats for junior staffers. Finally, coach for the press. Again, everything was smaller than you picture (Presidents now fly on a 747, so much bigger obviously). I'm 6'4" and wasn't able to stand straight up in many places. Reagan was 6'1" so it would've been easier for him.
THE ARCHIVES
Like I mentioned, we were getting a tour by the archivist, so we were able to see the non-public areas of the library. It's something like 1.6 million documents in absolutely enormous, climate-controlled rooms. We saw where John Roberts' papers were kept, and papers from Ed Meese's pornography investigation (nothing good). The magnitude of the rooms in which this stuff is kept cannot be overstated. Massive.
REAGAN'S COUNTRY CAFE
Surprisingly, very good. I had a hot dog and fresh-made, hot potato chips. The wife had a garden burger. The archivist had a pulled-pork sandwich. All very tasty, and a 20% employee discount for us all.
All in all, I highly recommend a visit, if for Air Force One alone. Simi is in the middle of nowhere, but worth the trip.
A friend of mine is the archivist at the library so we got the "special" tour, which was key, because parking is a nightmare. Tip #1: you'll probably be parking about 1/4 mile away from the library, so wear good shoes. I'll break the rest of the report into separate areas.
THE MUSEUM
Really, really interesting and well put together. Reagan was actually pretty accomplished, and not the talking head I had imagined. As an example, when he gave monthly radio addresses when he was campaigning, he wrote them out longhand himself before editing. That takes at least 3/4 of a brain. I would've preferred more attention to the assasination attempt, which was only briefly covered, but so it goes.
AIR FORCE ONE
It's a 707, so really not very large, which was a bit of a surprise. Reagan had his own quarters, which were small, and Nancy had an even smaller room. Then, there's an area for senior staff with a conference table, etc. Next, essentially first-class seats for junior staffers. Finally, coach for the press. Again, everything was smaller than you picture (Presidents now fly on a 747, so much bigger obviously). I'm 6'4" and wasn't able to stand straight up in many places. Reagan was 6'1" so it would've been easier for him.
THE ARCHIVES
Like I mentioned, we were getting a tour by the archivist, so we were able to see the non-public areas of the library. It's something like 1.6 million documents in absolutely enormous, climate-controlled rooms. We saw where John Roberts' papers were kept, and papers from Ed Meese's pornography investigation (nothing good). The magnitude of the rooms in which this stuff is kept cannot be overstated. Massive.
REAGAN'S COUNTRY CAFE
Surprisingly, very good. I had a hot dog and fresh-made, hot potato chips. The wife had a garden burger. The archivist had a pulled-pork sandwich. All very tasty, and a 20% employee discount for us all.
All in all, I highly recommend a visit, if for Air Force One alone. Simi is in the middle of nowhere, but worth the trip.