More summer fun, Part 5

OK, I promise, this is the last installment in the summer vacation series. After our adventures in Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and Utah, we headed to Southern California for a few days. First we stopped in Santa Barbara for two nights to spend some time with my mom. One of the many things we did together was go to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. We had been there before, years ago, and since that time the library has added Air Force One to its collection. They built a special room to house this huge airplane, which served seven presidents, including Reagan, until a new Air Force One was built. It was so impressive to walk into this room and see this massive plane. We were able to go inside of it, too, and look all around, although pictures were prohibited in the interior of the plane.
This is the car President Reagan used when traveling from place to place during his term in office. Note the license plate!
Also on display was his presidential helicopter.
And here is his final resting place. He had not yet died the last time we were there, so this part was new to us.
Upon seeing this sign in the garden, Mark was inspired to show off his hat with the genuine rattle snake head band.
We had a great visit with Mom. At 80 years old, she is in the midst of building a brand new house, and we were able to go to the site and check out the site prep work that was going on. You go, Mom!
Next on our agenda was to stay two nights in San Francisco, the city of my birth. On the one full day we had to tour around, we went to several places that were important in my early life. The gray building below is where my parents lived when they were newly married. It was a series of rooms that were rented by various people, with a shared bathroom. I don't know what it is used for today, but we had to take the picture as we were driving down the road, as there was nowhere to stop and park, and it didn't look very safe to do so anyway.
Next is the house where I lived when I was born. Located at #3 Prospect Street, it hasn't changed much at all over the years. Take a good look at this house, and then at the next picture.
The picture below was taken when I lived in the house 57 years ago. Doesn't it just look almost exactly the same?
You will notice in the black and white picture above that there is a mail slot in the lower right-hand corner of the building. Yep, it's still that way today!
A close-up of the mail slot.

Next we set out to find the hospital where I was born on July 13, 1952. I was born at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Hospital, which of course still exists, but I was interested in finding the exact place. The "building of my birth" is below. Mark hailed down a maintenance guy (Mark said that those guys always know everything!), and sure enough, the guy was able to tell us which part of the hospital was there in the 1950s, and which portion was added later. We went up to the 15th floor, and lo and behold, it's still the maternity portion of the hospital.
The sign welcoming people to the labor and delivery area of the hospital:

Then we went to the gift shop, where I bought a teeny tiny t-shirt celebrating my birth:

My dear sister-in-law Laura was able to be with us on this journey of discovery.
Finally we went on a double-decker bus tour of the city, just to get a tour guide's perspective of the culture and architecture of the city of my birth. This guy was our tour guide, and he did a great job.





The clouds gave way for a brief time so we could see the Golden Gate Bridge in all its glory.
My brother Chuck and me.
Chuck and Laura. Love you guys!
This is Cookie, Chuck and Laura's dog. Many, many years ago, when their family was visiting us in Philomath, Chuck and Laura got Cookie as a tiny puppy from a family that lived near our home. She is getting very old and frail now, but is still such a sweet dog. Love you, Cookie - our Oregon cousin!
After our days in the Bay Area, we headed back home. All in all, it was for Mark and me a wonderful two weeks of beautiful scenery, special people, and time together with each other.