The Lee Family: California, Day 12: Reagan Library

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

California, Day 12: Reagan Library

John and Lynn had so much fun with the girls that they offered to take them today to the Children's Museum while CK and I headed to the Reagan Library, about 90 minutes away. We drove over to John and Lynn's house and helped Lynn collect eggs for the girls' scrambled egg and toast breakfast. What a life! We headed out after saying goodbye and drove to Simi Valley and to the very impressive museum.

The view from the museum is amazing and it was very well organized and never felt terribly busy, although the parking lot was full by the time we got there so we had to park on the main road some distance away. The museum started with a short video on what our country faced when Reagan was first elected as President in 1981. Having grown up in the 1980s, it was interesting to watch and remember how scary that time was and what a terrible situation we were in as a country. I don't really remember it from experience since I was only 8 in 1981, but looking back as an adult and remember how my parents talked about current affairs, it really was a scary time. After the video, the museum started with Reagan's early life and proceeded through all of his roles and positions as he moved up to become President. It was very well done and very interesting. The large atrium housed Air Force One as well as the Helicopter Reagan used and several armored vehicles he rode in while he was President. The airplane is huge and it was interesting to walk through, although we were not allowed to take pictures inside.

We had a light lunch before we headed back to Santa Barbara and met up at John and Lynn's house by mid-afternoon. They had enjoyed the Children's Museum and spent a lot of time playing in the outdoor stream that is set up for kids to splash in and walk through. Apparently they basically had it to themselves and made up elaborate stories and games (not a big surprise). After the museum, they returned to the house and ate grilled cheese sandwiches and watched the Lego Movie (Olivia played instead).

John promised to show CK how to use the pizza oven and they got cooking. They started off making a delicious appetizer of figs and smoked goats cheese in fig leaves and then moved on to pizzas which they made one at a time while we grazed on them and a salad. It was divine! We hung out and the beautiful Santa Barbara evening and fell in love with John and Lynn's pizza oven!

Our two horses running in the pasture before heading to John and Lynn's house