California Sights - Part Two

Hollywood.  That is what comes to mind when you hear California, right?  Well we are no different so off we go to check out Hollywood.  I visited once before back in the early ‘70s but my, oh my, it has changed since then.  It is very crowded on Hollywood Boulevard and looks more like Times Square in New York where there are street buskers and hustlers everywhere.  Of course, all the traditional landmarks are still intact such as the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, etc.  Bibi’s main purpose to our visit was to see the iconic Hollywood sign.  So off we went to Griffith Observatory to get the “best” viewing advantage in Hollywood.

View down Hollywood Boulevard

Fake Minnie Mouse waiting to take some tourist's money for a picture.

There it is as viewed from Griffith Observatory

View of downtown LA from the observatory

Having satisfied our itch to see and view both Hollywood proper and the Hollywood sign, we headed back to Hemet for some breakfast at the local IHOP.  This was our second time there but the people remembered us and even sat us at the same booth as the first time we ate there.  How in the world did they remember us and where we were seated before?  Are we that much different or unique?  I certainly hope not.

You must see the Pacific Ocean if you visit California.  We had already seen water in San Diego but that was in a bay and is not the same as the ocean proper.  So off we trek to Oceanside and to the Oceanside Pier.  The Pier is one of the longest (1,942 feet) wooden piers on the West Coast.  Bibi has to at least get her feet wet whenever near water, no matter the temperature or water temperature.  This day it was cool if you were not moving but if you walked it felt warmer.

It is always windy at the beach, pier in background

We are on the beach, Bibi is in the water taking our picture.

Looking down the beach from the pier.

This is a loooonng pier.

A local resident enjoying the day.

These pelicans are not afraid of people and hanging around for fish

Having now seen the ocean we were determined to check off some more items on the bucket list.  One of which is to visit the Presidential Libraries.  Both Nixon and Reagan have libraries in the area.  We found out the Nixon Library was undergoing renovation and the interior is temporarily closed and only the outside grounds are open to the public.  However, the Reagan Library is open and off we went to explore.

Before visiting the library we stopped to eat at one of our recently discovered sandwich shops, Firehouse Subs.  It has jumped to number one on our list of sandwich shops due to the fresh bread and quality of the hot sandwiches served.  After satisfying our appetites, we pressed on to the library for our tour of the library.

Elephant topiary at the entrance to library.

Actual piece of Berlin wall that came down during Reagan's presidency.

Here I am making my inaugural address.

Hey!!!  Who is this interloper?

This must be my office

....and my car

....and my plane

....and my office on the plane.

Words of Reagan exemplifying his optimistic worldview.
"I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually
triumph and there is purpose and worth to each and every life."

It is always interesting to me to explore the background and journey these people have on their road to the White House.  Including their time as the leader of the greatest nation on earth.  We always find such neat stuff about the person, their spouse and interactions with others.  For example, Ronald Reagan had a book of 3 x 5 index cards he developed over time (started back in his college days).  On these cards were quotes from historical figures, jokes and funny sayings as well as interesting anecdotes.  All were used in speeches and conversations throughout his life.

He actually wrote a lot of the speeches and letters while in the White House even though he had speechwriters and correspondence secretaries.  He was a stickler for how things should be worded to properly convey his feelings and message.  You could see that evidenced in the library by the marked out words and phrases, inserted words and phrases and emphasis marks when he edited his own writings.  We saw some very interesting and insightful information on this former actor turned President of the United States of America.

View of library grounds high above surrounding area

Some more beautiful California vistas from library grounds.

So ends our time in California.  One thing we learned about the Southern California area is to allow plenty of time to and from your destination.  It seems to us that no matter what time of day, the traffic is always heavy. The freeways are busy and slow down, not really stopping, but definitely moving slower than the posted speed limits when busy.  The areas in Southern California are very picturesque and we could not have wished for better weather.  We now return to Arizona to begin the next stage of this adventure.  More about that in the next post.