Southern Californians are as fortunate as any people on the planet when it comes to having choices for fascinating day trip destinations. From the Mexican border to the valleys, and from the desert to the Pacific, the opportunity to do and see incredible things is endless. This includes the chance to make a pilgrimage to not just one, but two presidential libraries.

Beginning with Herbert Hoover, every U.S. commander-in-chief has established a presidential library to serve as a permanent repository of documents and artifacts pertaining to their lives, careers and presidencies. These libraries have also become museums exhibiting family heirlooms, items collected by the president and his family, campaign memorabilia, awards, art, and gifts given to the president by organizations, foreign dignitaries and American citizens. When a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) establishes a presidential materials project to house and index the documents until their presidential library is built and transferred to the federal government.

Today, the presidential library system is made up of thirteen presidential libraries operated by the NARA. Presidential libraries and museums have also been established that are not a part of the NARA. These facilities, such as the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum that is owned by the State of Illinois, are operated by private foundations.

With the exception of Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Gerald Ford, and upon his own death, Jimmy Carter, every American president since Hoover is, or has chosen to be, buried at his presidential library.

While Massachusetts boasts three presidential libraries, California is tied with Ohio and Texas as the home of two presidential libraries – the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

As the nation gears up to celebrate President’s Day, we here at “Life After 50” thought it was the perfect time to encourage you to visit these two fascinating facilities and give you an idea of what to expect when you get there. From any point in Southern California the libraries of our 37th and 40th presidents are within a day trips driving distance. In fact, the libraries are only a little over 60 miles from one another so it would actually be feasible, but not advisable, to visit both on the same day. In order to appreciate the offerings of the libraries you should plan on spending at least three hours at each.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

With magnificent views of Ventura County, the Reagan Library is perched atop a Simi Valley hill. Housing over 55 million pages of gubernatorial, presidential and personal papers and over 40,000 gifts and artifacts chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, the library also serves as the final resting place of the Great Communicator.

One of the highlights of visiting the complex is the Air Force One Pavilion where you will have the opportunity to step aboard the U.S. Air Force jet that served as Air Force One from 1973 to 2001, serving Presidents Nixon, Carter, Ford, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush. The exhibit also gives you the chance to see one of Reagan’s presidential limousines, secret service and law enforcement vehicles, and a helicopter that served as Marine One.

The other highlight is a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, decorated as it was during Reagan’s presidency complete with his collection of Remington bronze saddles and a jar of jelly beans. To complete your day at this magnificent facility you will pass by a towering piece of the Berlin Wall on your way to the Memorial Site where Reagan was laid to rest on June 11, 2004.

The Museum is designed for self guided activities and the grounds are wheelchair accessible except for the interior of Air Force One. For those who are unable to walk through the aircraft, a wheelchair lift is provided to access the entry of the plane to view the flight deck and communication center. Additionally, elevator access is available at the rear entrance and a special photo album located next to the airplane is available for viewing. Special needs parking spaces are also available. Complimentary wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Melissa Giller, who serves as the library’s director of communications and programs, says this February and March are a great time to visit the facility. “We’re gearing up for a huge year in 2011 to mark the birthday of President Reagan (who) would have turned 100 on February 6, 2011,” said Giller. “One of the things we’re doing is completely renovating the museum galleries, so February is a great time to see the current exhibits before we change them.” Among the historical items currently on display are Reagan’s riding boots that were used during his funeral, two Olympic torches, the flag from the first moon walk, and the suit that President Reagan was wearing the day he was shot in 1981. Then, beginning on March 15, the facility will present a special exhibit featuring the White House in miniature – an authentic recreation of the executive mansion and office complex measuring 60-feet long and 20-feet wide at a one-foot-to-one-inch scale.

The facility also offers a gift shop offering various presidential and Reagan memorabilia and a snack shop – an actual Irish pub transported from Ballyporeen, Ireland that Reagan visited during a 1984 diplomatic trip. You will also find a selection of homemade sandwiches, salads, soups, side dishes, daily specials and desserts at the Reagan Country Cafe.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum 40 Presidential Drive Simi Valley, CA 93065 Phone: (805) 577-4066 Website: www.reaganfoundation.org . Hours: The Reagan Library is open 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. every day of the week, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission: Adults: $12.00, Seniors 62+: $9.00

The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace

A stately complex that sprawls over nine acres, the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace gives visitors an insider’s glimpse into the events, people and world that shaped, and were shaped by our country’s 37th president.

Since its opening on July 20, 1990, the museum has attracted nearly 2.6 million visitors and undertaken one of the most ambitious exhibition and event programming schedules of any presidential library. A recent 47,000 square-foot expansion saw the complex nearly doubled in size with the opening of the Katherine B. Loker Center and Annenberg Court. The Annenberg Court and reception center provide a stately new entry to the museum.

As visitors enter, they are greeted by a stunning reproduction of the presidential seal, 19-feet in diameter and rendered in full color. The highlight of this new addition is a full-size replica of the East Room. This elegant room is not only a museum attraction, but is also available for conferences, lectures, weddings and galas.

From the humble farmhouse built by his father in 1912 and priceless gifts from heads of state, to the peaceful gravesites of President and Mrs. Nixon, the museum and its beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens trace the long road from Nixon’s boyhood to the presidency and beyond. The museum’s 22 galleries include exhibits that highlight Nixon’s service as vice president, and his road to the presidency that includes artifacts from his 1960, 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns. Guests will also have the opportunity to see Nixon’s presidential limousine, dresses worn by First Lady Pat Nixon, and the wedding gowns of Nixon’s daughters, Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox whose 1971 Rose Garden nuptials was the last wedding to be held at the White House.

Other highlights include a recreation of the Lincoln Sitting Room that was Nixon’s favorite room in the White House, life-sized, realistic statues of 10 world leaders, and Nixon’s private study – transported from his Park Ridge, N.J., home and displayed exactly as it was the day of his fatal stroke. “It was (President Nixon’s) specific wish that the library complex not be a sleepy, stodgy museum, but rather a vibrant, ever-changing landscape against which visitors, particularly young people, could learn more about the presidency, our country and the world,” said John H. Taylor, executive director of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation.

The museum grounds also include the First Lady’s Rose Garden and the small frame house, built by Nixon’s father, in which Nixon was born on January 9, 1913. Just steps away from the house in which he was born, surrounded by a tranquil English-style garden, is the final resting place of Nixon and his wife. The complex also houses a gift shop that offers a wide variety of presidential, White House and Nixon inspired gifts and memorabilia. The store is especially noted for its collection of autographed books by prominent authors in public affairs, politics and government, plus books actually autographed by President Nixon himself.

The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd. Yorba Linda, CA 92886 Phone: (714) 993- 3393 Website: www.nixonfoundation.org Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission: Adults: $9.95, Seniors 62+: $6.95