Presidential Side Trip..George HW Bush's Library

In the soundtrack of my life last week’s feature hit was…On the Road Again.  Apropos considering I was on the road again and heading to Texas…and who doesn’t like a little Willie Nelson every now and then running through their head.

So off to Houston I headed with 3 full days planned…but I knew that the George (HW) Bush Library was in the area so flew in a day early and drove 1 ½ hrs to College Station to spend the afternoon revisiting the politics of the 1980’s & early 90’s.

First off, when I was planning this little side trip I had no idea that the library was 1 ½ (each way) outside of Houston.  I’ve been in New England too long because I forget not everything is as geographically compact as New England.  Heck I could hit 3 states in 1 ½ hrs….

In 1 1/2 hrs I could be here...Walkers Point Kennebunkport ME

George H.W. Bush Library on Texas A&M Campus in College Station TX

Anyway, even if I was clear on the distance it would not have changed my plans.  I don’t get to Houston often and am definitely on a mission to visit as many of the presidential libraries as I can by adding on to already planned trips.

Love this pic....thank goodness he's not in a middle seat next to me :-)

So, after landing I headed off to College Station.  My flight landed at 11 am and the library was only open until 5pm so I was a little worried about the time and not having enough time to see everything I wanted to after factoring the travel time.

Very young and very good looking George & Barbara (Pierce) Bush

Don't they look happy?
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Wow was he handsome or what?  He was voted most handsome at Andover Academy...I never would have guessed
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Luckily the 4 hrs that I ended up having was just the perfect amount of time. I had plenty of time to stroll leisurely through and look at every exhibit I wanted to and even go back and re-look at the Reagan years twice.  There is a Genome/DNA exhibit that I decided to skip so I really just spend my time learning about the man, the family & the politician.

Can you believe this is where the new family lived in TX after Mr Bush graduated from Yale?

Bush I was the first president I voted for so he definitely holds a special place in my heart but since he was a single termer it’s sometimes hard to consider what a significant impact he had on our world.  I had forgotten that the Soviet Union broke apart during his presidency.  Also, the Berlin Wall came down and the beginning negotiations of NAFTA (although Clinton did sign it into law).

Part of the Berlin Wall...there is one in Reagan's library as well

We all remember his legacy of Desert Storm as the precursor to today’s Iraq war and there is a very moving exhibit honoring the Desert Storm experience in the library.  There is a tent set up to replicate those our soldiers lived in with a first-hand account of their experiences told by several of our soldiers including visual, oral and physical cues to their experience (the benches shake as bombs are going off & stories are being relayed on the monitor).  I will never really know what it was like for my friends and family to fight this war but it definitely reminded me how much impact Desert Storm had on my generation.  This was of course the first real war experience us Gen Y-ers had.

Amazing Desert Storm exhibit....doesn't look like much in these photo's but it certainly was touching

I think the thing I mostly came away with was really how impressive George (HW) Bush is as a man. He was well educated (he graduated in 2 ½ years from Yale with an Economics degree), deeply devoted to his family and driven to success.  Yes, he came from a life of privilege but the man really worked too.

The Vice President's official residence.

The Bush official china

And did you know that there are only 3 presidents that were taller than President Bush (Lincoln, LBJ and believe it or not Jefferson).  The library does a wonderful job of presenting who he is man, myth and politician.

You too can have your photo taken in the Oval Office at the Bush Library

Bush's Oval Office

If you are heading to Houston anytime soon I highly recommend taking a couple of hours and revisiting the 1980’s-90’s.

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Presidential Sites Part 4: Lincoln's Summer House

In honor of today being Presidents Day I thought I’d share my visit to President Lincoln’s Summer House.  This seems particularly timely given all the Oscar chatter about the film Lincoln.  Have you seen it?  What did you think?

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I went a few weeks ago with one of my good pals and both enjoyed it…mostly.  It was a bit long and did drag a bit in places but the acting & dialog was just magnificent!

Well, back in December I was in DC on a business trip and (check out my visit to Julia Child’s kitchen in the Smithsonian here) decided as I often do to stay a couple of extra days and site see.

My meetings were scheduled for all day Thursday & Friday morning so....Christmas in DC…of course I was going to do some site-seeing.  My Aunt happened to be there at the same time…she was on the committee to decorate the White House for Christmas…how exciting is that???  So, I was looking for something fun that she probably had not been to a million times already and I stumbled on the Lincoln Summer White House.

The Front Entrance

The Back...Lincoln spent much of his time socializing with Veterans here

It’s newly opened and just on the outskirts of most of the major museums so it hasn’t picked up the same traffic as most of the more known DC sites.  I had visited many of the president vacation white houses....Truman’s in Key West, FDR’s in Warm Springs & Campobello, LBJ’s in TX….and they often tell more about the men and their families than the libraries do so the Lincoln Cottage definitely caught my interest and my Aunt was definitely in.

Isn't this iron work just magnificent?  

The windows on the first floor opened into a door sized opening for access to the porch. 

The bottom wall/door opens inward and the window sash lifts up..
photo from National Historic Trust Booklet - Eric Uecke 2009

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The Lincoln cottage is a 34 room gothic revival style house on the grounds of an estate that was bought by the federal government in 1851 for the sole purpose of housing retired veterans.  The Soldier’s Home still houses veterans today.  In Lincoln’s time during the sweltering summer months of DC he shared the property with 300 veterans and commuted the roughly 3 miles to the capitol every day.

This site has been well used over the last 160+ years but was not made a National Historic Landmark until 2000.  It underwent an 8 year renovation and officially opened on Presidents Day in 2008.

Pre & Post Restoration Front Door 2004 vs 2009
photo from National Historic Trust Booklet

23 layers of paint were removed from the Library as part of the renovation...yes 23!  photo from National Historic Trust Booklet 

There are not a ton of furnishings in place and all of those on display are exact reproductions of the Lincoln's furnishings but the tour is a guided one so you get a story filled view of Lincoln’s time here.  The architecture is fully American and well-crafted if not entirely grandiose. Also on display is the original document of the Emancipation Declaration.

photo from National Historic Trust Booklet - Carol M Highsmith Photography

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Gorgeous floor from the Entryway
photo from National Historic Trust Booklet - Gaston Lacombe 2009

The Lincoln Cottage is a couple of miles out of the center of DC so it’s doable by cab (which is how we go there) but take my advice and arrange for your return transport ahead of time because finding a cab to return…not so much.  Luckily my DC savvy Aunt knew the public transport systems so we just hopped a bus to a train that would drop us back in the vicinity of our hotel.

PS:  Little trick for those not taxi savvy when travelling...if you are in a city and need a cab but can't seem to locate one head to the closest hotel. Cabs are generally fairly available ready to squire hotel patrons around so they are happy to pick you up.  This is particularly helpful to remember when you are "lost"...not that I have personally ever had to resort to this trick... :)

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Presidential Sites Part 3: James Buchanan's Wheatland

Do you know who our only bachelor president was?

How about who was president when South Carolina seceded from the US?

I’ll give you a hint…

Yup, it was our 15th president James Buchanan and if you’re wondering why on earth I would care to share this with you, well I’ll tell you.  

Last summer when I was in Lancaster PA for a few days off with some wonderful friends we decided to swing by James Buchanan’s home and take a tour.  There is no question I am the “house tour” junkie of the group but I somehow convinced my pals to go along with me on my tour….miracle in itself since my friend’s husband is not so much of a history buff (I think he’s secretly coming around though…).

James Buchanan moved to Wheatland in 1848 so you might expect a 19th century version of a bachelor pad for our bachelor president but you’d be very wrong…there were no beer light signs or pin up girl paintings anywhere in site.  

Wheatland from the front
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The back entrance of Wheatland...the tour starts from here.

Wheatland is a magnificent Federal style house on a country estate. It is presented in such a livable way you can almost imagine him welcoming his cronies in his library.  

James Buchanan wrote the story of his presidency from this desk.  All of the furnishings in this room are original
to Buchanan and the flooring is copied from documented etchings of the time 

One of the terms of Buchanan agreeing to run for president in 1856 was that Wheatland would be his campaign headquarters so he could remain on the estate he loved so much…as a result the home was well documented in newspapers of the time so the interiors today are decorated as they were in James Buchanan’s time.

Pictures of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert hang in the parlor...they were sent to Buchanan by the Queen
herself!

Since James Buchanan was never married he designated “first lady” duties to his niece Harriett…you can definitely feel her presence in the furnishing choices at Wheatland…can you imagine a President of the 19th century selecting this fabulous pink china pattern?

Wheatland changed ownership a couple of times after James Buchanan’s death but luckily it underwent no major renovations and in the 1930’s was bequeathed to the Lancaster Junior League for preservation and eventually opened to the public.  

James Buchanan's bedroom

One of the things I liked best about Wheatland was while this is a museum in the sense that today it’s open to the public and honors the life of an American President this home really is true to presenting Buchanan’s home life not his presidency.

Presidential Sites Part 2: A Day with LBJ

Last spring I was lucky enough to spend some time in Austin TX…vacation time not work travel time so it was even luckier than normal J.  I shared some of my visit here…

What I didn’t share yet was the real reason I wanted to go to Austin other than that I had heard it was a phenomenal city (which I have to agree it is) was that I had been wanting to go to the Lyndon Johnson library.  After my day at the Reagan Library (and a visit to the Carter Library many years ago when I lived in Atlanta) I was really anxious to spend some time learning about a “before my time” (sort of) president.

Lyndon Baines & Ladybird Johnson with Yuki (the dog)
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So, my first day in Austin I headed over to the University of Texas with hopes of a day filled with  fascinating facts and artifacts.  

The Johnson's White House china - they had 216 place settings!
It was designed by Tiffany and mfg’d by Castleton (in the USA). 
The design includes wildflower representing every state.

Well…in the vein of things often not turning out the way I expect, the LBJ library was mostly closed undergoing a renovation…BOO!  There were a few exhibits open so I did go through those but it was a very quick tour….

Lady Bird Johnson's White House office - don't you just love the color?  So dated yet so super cool!

LBJ's Oval Office

The other side of the Johnson Oval Office.  How cool is that James Bond like telephone drawer in the table?  And
a portrait of FDR over the fire place...how apropos 

Unlike the Reagan Library the LBJ Library is on the University of Texas campus in the middle of the city so not so picturesque.

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum on the University of Texas Austin campus

The information desk was kind enough to share that the Texas White House aka LBJ’s Ranch was just a short driving distance though so off I headed.  Short distance being relative and we’re talking Texas here, it was a bit farther than expected (well over an hour) but definitely worth the drive. 

Lyndon Baines Johnson's Ranch aka the Texas White House
100 Ladybird Ln  Johnson City, TX 78636
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The Ranch at night - I just thought this was really such a beautiful picture so I had to share
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Not only did I get to check out his boyhood home and the Ranch where he spent his adulthood but I also saw a bit of the Texas Hill Country…quite a sight for a native New Englander!

Much of the original decor is in place and it’s so easy to just imagine the family residing here.  The tour is a guided tour and we had a wonderful guide who was just full of true life stories of both President Johnson and Ladybird.

The living/family room - I'm pretty sure those green chairs look just like the one I had reupholstered for my bedroom that
I had bought for $25 at an estate sale a while back.  You can see my updated chair here
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The Johnson's dining room...very understated for a President don't you think.  How cool is that telephone
mounted on the edge of the table.  The tour guide said Ladybird was mortified LBJ insisted on using that office
chair at the table but she couldn't get him to use a regular dining chair.
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I think one of my favorite things was their closets.  Being a bit of a clothes horse and having an absolute love of vintage clothes it was so cool to see the clothes still hanging and to know that they were worn by the leader of the free world less than 50 years ago. 

Lady Bird's closet...I can only just imagine what they took out
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I got a kick out of the kitchen and how similar it is to what I consider my very outdated kitchen…same cabinets, same old school counter tops (except mine are beige not sunny yellow).  I’m sure it was highest of decor design in LBJ’s day…not so much now…

The Johnson Kitchen...I do have to say I'm drooling a little over that range
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LBJ's Texas office..how cute is that dog picture?
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The other side of LBJ's Texas office....at Christmas...quite understated holiday decorations but definitely pretty
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I will have to go back when the library is open for the real experience but it turned out great that instead I toured the Texas White House especially appreciated since I likely wouldn't have made the drive had the library been open.

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