Let's start with Transportation Advice. You can reach the Nixon Library by public transportation! From Los Angeles Union Station, take the Southbound Amtrak Surfliner to Fullerton. Train 770 left LA at 10:10. Amtrak 572 left at 11:10. In Fullerton, the buses are just across the parking lot. Bus 26 goes about every 30 minutes Get off at Yorba Linda/Eureka and cross the street to the Library. Be sure to tell all ticket agents and bus drivers if you are a senior - we get a break.And, there is a difference between a museum and a library.
The library is where the presidents' archives are kept. Researchers can go in and learn just about everything about a president. The museum is where the fun stuff is on display: Nancy's red campaign dress, the diamond encrusted dagger from the sultan of Wherever. Eisenhower's two facilities are across the plaza. Johnson's archives are all around the perimeter of the big building. Often, the Library is part of a university.
Presidential Libraries store all of the president's papers, tapes, books, notes, etc. All of that stuff belongs to the National Archives, despite the opinion of a certain former president. Virtually all of President Obama's archives are digital, he will not have a physical library; researchers will log-in to a computer and search away. Prior to Mr Nixon, a president's papers, notes, etc, were his property. He could keep them, sell them or destroy them. The National Archives administers all libraries from Hoover to George W, but the president's "friends" are the ones who pay to build the building,
Title IX was also his.
There is a very fine exhibit on the ancient world, now known as the Middle East. There is a great quote of his: "We must not allow the cradle of civilization to become its grave. That is what is at stake in the Mideast." Think about that.
I saw a moon rock and some really cool models of the House, Senate, Supreme Court, and part of Washington DC.
The Senate (Isn't that cool! Never seen it that way before. Lego go nothing on the National Archives
Larry, a friend of mine in San Angelo had asked me to look for some bricks from the Hanoi Hilton. He had secured them from a friend several years ago, and after sharing some with former POWs, offered some of the actual bricks from the infamous Hanoi POE camp, to the Nixon Library. I saw a very fine exhibit on the POWs, but saw no bricks. I asked Marsha, a very helpful volunteer if she could help me. She took my information and promised to get back to me. She did before I got back on the bus! Yes, the bricks had been part of a 4 month special exhibit called "CAPTURED." There is a good chance they could become part of a traveling exhibit that goes to other museums.
I thought the museum did a good job discussing Watergate and all of the shenanigans. The firs note said that the National Archives had assembled a committee to build as objective an offering as possible. A note on Watergate: My father told me many years ago that James McCord, one of the "plumbers" had attended my first church, and actually held the little baby Dan. All Dad knew about Mr McCord was that he "worked for the government" so Dad suspected it was not the Navy. Before you archive that and put this in your doctoral thesis, know that some of what my Dad told was was "embellished!"
My practice for the past year is to buy a coffee mug and fridge magnet from each presidential library, museum, plantation, etc. "Nixon's the One" and other sayings did not float my boat, and I already have a magnet of Elvis meeting Nixon, and then I saw a picture at the end that I had never seen before, and the mug is new! Nixon Bowling! The caption in the museum was "The Big Lebowski!" Perfect!
It fortunate that I have this practice, as the presidential Christmas ornament can top $45.00! My granddaughter put her foot down! She says our tree is already too full! And She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed is right!
No comments:
Post a Comment