The Chief's Day

Let me tell you a little factoid about yours truly, I - love - holidays. I love everything from Christmas to Veterans Day to Thanksgiving to Labor Day. I love them all. My experience is that if you want life to be more fun and festive, you maximize the celebration of any and all calendar holidays.

Now if you've followed my blog from its infancy, you know that I find the Nixon Library to be particularly beautiful. When searching for reception locations for our wedding, it was my first choice. It was also everyone else's first choice so my reception ended up being at Santa Ana Country Club instead.

But even though I've toured the library's replica of the White House's East Room, I had never gone through their exhibits and Cody had never been at all. And when we heard admission was F-R-E-E! on President's Day, we had to go. Because really, could there be a more appropriate activity on such a holiday?

Here are the beautiful grounds:





Nixon's childhood house his dad built from a kit in 1912. He was born in this home:


Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford's helicopter:





Inside the Library:








Some of my favorite girl next to my favorite flower:



As we were leaving we saw the presidents of Mount Rushmore taking photos with kids. I politely asked which president would like to hold Alivia and these two below were the quickest to answer. She did fine at first, but then totally lost it.




I learned a ton at the library, since I'm embarrassed to say that all I really knew of Nixon's political life and presidency was the Watergate scandal (which is well represented with an exhibit called "Watergate"). That is why I particularly like the following quote displayed at the exit of the library:

"May the day of judging President Nixon on anything less than his entire life and career come to a close." -President Bill Clinton