"Ronald Reagan?! The Actor?!"

"Then who's vice president? Jerry Lewis?!" - Doctor Emmet Brown

We woke up today and were served lemon ricotta zucchini pancakes cooked by Uncle Marc, Every time we visit, he seems to create s new, delicious flavor of pancakes for us to enjoy. The pancakes were delicious and afterwards we headed to the Reagan Library. The Reagan Library is larger than the Nixon Library with several rooms to learn about the 40th president. We learned about Reagan's early life working for a radio station and later as an actor. He became governor of California in 1967 and later president in 1980. The exhibits showcased much of the president's policies and his involvement in the deconstruction of the Berlin Wall. The exhibit was well done, but perhaps a little overpraising of Reagan.

Reagan Library

Straighten that tie

My fellow Americans...

The Reagan Library also is home to Air Force One which we had the opportunity to board. The plane was decommissioned, disassembled, and reassembled in the museum, quite impressive. Though we had to take several pictures (which could be purchased for $36) before we could enter the plane, the quick tour through it was informative. We were able to see the different rooms where the president and staff worked while in the air. By the plane, there were some placards about the secret service which I thought were interesting. Did you know the secret service was originally formed by President Lincoln to combat counterfeit money the day before he was assassinated? Eventually, the Secret Service evolved to protect the president, but it still works to stop counterfeiting. The was also another exhibit on Genghis Khan, but I didn't read much about it. I bought a souvenir for my friend DeRon (a road trip tradition) and we ate a little lunch at the cafe.

Air Force One

I'd tell you the service they do, but it's a secret

Mr. President

We drove back to the my aunt and uncle's house and soon headed over to my cousin Alex and his wife Cata's apartment to help them move to a new apartment in the complex. We loaded different furniture into a truck and drove it 200 feet over to their new place. Afterwards we ate dinner at Mouthful and then have been relaxing at the house watching a movie. Tomorrow is our last day of the road trip and we'll spend it with family, then drive home. This my last post for the trip, so thanks for reading.

For a different perspective on today's events, read my mom's blog here.

Harry Potter and the Excruciatingly Hot Day

We left our hotel in Burbank and drove twenty minutes to Universal Studios Hollywood where we spent our day. We were allowed to enter the park an hour early and headed straight for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm a huge fan of Harry Potter (though not to the level of Disney) and enjoyed watching the films and reading the books. We had visited the land in its Orlando location back in 2013, but I enjoyed exploring it again. Since it was a short wait time, we went on the Forbidden Journey ride first. The line takes you through various sections of Hogwarts castle including talking portraits, Dumbledore's office, and the Gryffindor Common Room. The ride itself is well themed as you fly through different areas of the castle with Harry and friends. Afterwards, we walked over to Flight of the Hippogriff, a family-friendly roller coaster, and flew over Hagrid's hut on the proud creature. We looked through the different shops in Hogsmeade and listened to Moaning Myrtle speak to us in the bathrooms. The land is well designed and you really do feel as if you're in the magical world.

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

The password is "Lemon Drop"

Hagrid's Hut

The next attraction we visited was the Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem in which you are "transformed" into one of the cute, yellow workers for Gru and run through a training course to prove you can fill the role. The ride itself was essentially a giant simulator and was enjoyable, though we definitely waited longer than the twenty minutes displayed outside the attraction. The wait was realistically forty-five minutes to an hour and was in the scorching sun. Did I forget mention is was 112 degrees at the park today? The heat was intense and consistent from the start of our day until we left. We searched for rides which provided shelter from the sun and the Simpsons Ride fit the bill. Although, the wait time stated fifty minutes, we waited closer to twenty minutes, and indoors no less. The standby queue contained numerous references to the show and the ride itself was quite humorous. This section of the park included many recreations of famous landmarks from the show including, Moe's Tavern, the Comic Book Store, and Krusty Burger all of which were well themed.

Definitely only a 20 minute wait

This could be your life as a minion

The Simpsons...

The last attraction we went on was Jurassic Park, a thrilling water ride with a seventy-five minute wait (couldn't imagine why). The queue was entirely outside and even with fans blowing mist, it was still sweltering hot waiting to go on the refreshing ride. After closer to an hour and a half, we finally sat in our seats and rode down the river of the attraction. This was the only time I can recall hoping a ride would break down because there was a nice waterfall we passed that I would have been more than happy to cool off by for a few hours. After the ride, it was around 2:30 pm and we had done everything we wanted to do in the park, so we decided to see a movie in the nearby theater in the City Walk in order to receive a few hours of cherished air conditioning. We saw Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp, a funny and great film. Afterwards, we returned to Universal Studios so mom could purchase an ornament for Christmas and I could buy some Butterbeer. We left the park hot and sweaty, but satisfied with our time there.

Welcome to Jurassic Lines

For dinner, Zach suggested we eat at Saved by the Max, a restaurant which recreates the set of the 90s show Saved by the Bell. We arrived, but decided not to eat there since it was pretty pricey. We ate at Baja Fresh instead and afterwards drove an hour to my Uncle Marc and Aunt Jackie's house, arriving around 8:00 pm. We chatted for a bit but now most everyone has gone to sleep. Tomorrow we will visit the Reagan Library and spend time with the family.

$51 per person, I'm gonna go with a solid no

For a difference perspective on today's events, read my mom's blog here.

"I'd like to spend my vacation AT THE LIBRARY!"

Click here to fully understand my funny title for this post.

Today, we started our day at 10:00 am by visiting the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Built in 1990 and maintained by the National Archives, the library presents the life and service of our thirty-seventh president. Additionally, thousands of papers, pictures, and film related to Nixon and his political career are stored in the research library below the museum. The museum begins with a short film that chronicles the man's life with interviews with his white house staff. Afterwards, there are several rooms filled with placards and artifacts which detail Nixon's humble beginnings in Yorba Linda to the Watergate scandal to his death in 1994. We were also fortunate enough to see his childhood home and the helicopter he road off in after his resignation.

Good morning Mr. President

Wise Words from Nixon

It really is a shame Nixon is mostly remembered for his poor choices regarding Watergate because there was a vast amount of other positive actions he took to improve the U.S. during his presidential terms. Nixon said he was not a quitter and he meant it. He lost the 1960 presidential election to Kennedy and the 1962 governor election to Pat Brown, but finally achieved victory in the 1968 presidential election. Though he did not end the Vietnam War, he made great strides to help bring it to an end and bring home troops. He initiated the Environmental Protection Agency and preserved land for National Parks. Under his presidency, more women were placed in lead government positions than any previous administrations. Arguably, Nixon's most impressive feat was his foreign policy with China and the Soviet Union as he visited both countries and improved peaceful relations with both nations. In more obscure history, Richard Nixon created the Chowder & Marching Club which was an informal community gathering for U.S. representatives and senators. The museum carefully presented the image of president Nixon. His achievements were certainly celebrated, but his flaws and mistakes were not shied away from. Overall, the museum was well organized and balanced.
I think president Clinton summed Nixon up best when he spoke at his funeral: "may the day of judging President Nixon on anything less than his entire life and career come to a close."

The President's Grave

The President's birth house

The President and the First Lady

After visiting the library, we drove about an hour to the California Science Center in LA to see the Space Shuttle Endeavor. After a little confusion, we received our real tickets (the ones we printed out beforehand apparently didn't count) and entered the exhibit. It showcased mission control and different aspects of how the shuttle operated including a special oven and toilet. We also were able to see a portion of the external tank which held the fuel for the booster rockets and had to be made out of aluminum and lithium to remain light enough to launch. We watched a video showcasing the journey the the Endeavor and an external tank made through LA streets to end up in the Science Center. Afterwards, we walked into a larger hanger which held the Endeavor. The space shuttle was enormous and it is quite impressive it took several trips in to space. Outside the hanger was the external tank which dwarfed the Endeavor in sized. There was about an hour left until the Science Center would close, so we looked at other exhibits including wildlife, nature, other areas of science, but nothing beat seeing the Endeavor.

I had to use the wide angle lense on my camera just to fit the shuttle in the photo

It's even bigger in person

The external tank

Around 5:15 pm, we headed to our hotel in Burbank. After checking, we drove two miles down the road to see the Walt Disney Studios. As an avid Disney fan (or obsessive fan), I couldn't pass up the chance to see the buildings in which so many of my favorite and best films ever made were thought up and created. Although we couldn't enter studio property, we were able to see a few buildings and signs in the studio, including the animation building. After a few photos, we headed into downtown Burbank to eat dinner. Dinner was at Pizza Rev and then we retired back to the hotel to rest. Zach and I played a game of chess (he won) and watched some TV. Tomorrow, we will visit Universal Studios and hopefully, it will not be too hot.

There's always time for Disney

Best animation studio ever

Knight to H3

For a different perspective on today's events, read my mom's blog here.

Eight that Great, Another Road Trip!

Tonight began another road trip, the eighth one to be exact. On this four day adventure will be my mother, brother Zach, and myself. My other brother, Joe, has to work at his new job and unfortunately will not be joining us this time. We will be visiting two presidential libraries, a space shuttle, an amusement park, and family on this short road trip (I'm sure my mom will find more things for us to do).

You can never have enough Disney!

We left my brother's house around 8:30 pm and drove up to our hotel in Anaheim for the night. I did the driving and it was an easy drive since our hotel is one we've stayed in the past when going to DisneyLand. If some of you don't know by now, I'm a huge Disney fan and frequently visit the Happiest Place on Earth, so I can drive the route to Anaheim blindfolded (not that I would attempt it). We checked in to the hotel a little past 10:00 pm and will get some rest. Tomorrow, we will visit the Nixon Library and the California Science Center which features the space shuttle Endeavor.

For a different perspective, you can view my mom's blog here.

Review of Infinity War

I recently had the opportunity the see an early screening of Mathvengers: Infinity War and was asked by the studio to share my thoughts on the film. I promise this will be a spoiler-free review, but in case you’re unfamiliar with the series, let me sum it up. A team of mathematicians called the Mathvengers have to save the world from the evil Equanos by solving infinity using the six infinity equations. In the previous films, some of the infinity equations have been discovered by the Mathvengers, but they’ll need to discover all the equations and solve infinity before Equanos does to prevent mathematic anarchy. The infinity equations are as follows:

• The last digit of Pi
• Division by zero 
• Square root of -1
• Repeating decimal
• Uniformity conjecture
• Igusa zeta-function

It definitely felt like a calculated risk making this movie with so many different characters and plot lines intersecting, but luckily it’s even-paced. The complicated plot is actually brilliantly simplified so that audiences new to the franchise are able to follow the story. A high percentage of characters receive their moment in the spotlight. The main characters (listed below) all bring something to the chalkboard the others need even if disproves another character's theory. It was satisfying to see them solve the volume of problems they’re faced with. The villain may seem one-dimensional at first, but the movie takes its time to expand on his motivations and convert him into a true threat to our heroes. If I had one nitpick, it would be that there are some characters that have lines that parallel each other, but the two never interconnect. Perhaps I’m simply being irrational.

Descartes

Euler

Gauss

Hilbert

Lovelace

Newton

Turing

The film doesn’t just apply the same formula from the previous movies, but adds fresh angles and subtracts unnecessary drama. The method the Mathvengers use to add the infinity equations together is unexpected and doesn’t equal any of the proposed fan theories. I won’t say whether they foil Equanos’ plan, but I personally appreciated the direction they took with the plot. I know it might divide some of the fans, but I suppose you’ll have to view it for yourself to decide whether it’s positive or negative for the series.

To conclude, I think Mathvengers: Infinity War is a prime example of what great movies should be. It has thrilling math sequences, compelling characters, and a surprising amount of heart for such a logical movie. See it when it premieres in theaters on April 27^th.

P.S. You can receive 50% of your movie ticket if you use the code: √aprI ∟    f ∞ ∟ s ²