Mickey Mouse may be its most famous resident, but conservative
Orange County's favorite son is former president Richard Milhous Nixon ,
born in 1913 in what's now the freeway-caged Yorba Linda , about eight
miles northeast of Disneyland at 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd (Mon-Sat
10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm; $5.95; ). His birthplace - and final resting
place, as he's buried in the grounds - is a shrine to a man who forged a
career from lies and secrecy, and finally resigned from the world's most
powerful job in total disgrace. In the shadow of a 12ft high, 600lb
chunk of the Berlin Wall, oversized gifts from world leaders, amusing
campaign memorabilia and a laugh-a-line collection of obsequious letters
written by and to Nixon form the core of the exhibition, but the man's
distinctive persona is best enjoyed in the constantly running archive
radio and TV recordings.
Nixon's face leers down in Big Brother fashion from almost every wall,
but only inside the Presidential Auditorium do you get the chance to ask
him a question, although the choice is limited to a small pre-programmed
selection. Nixon's gaunt features fill the overlarge screen and provide
the stock replies - as oily as ever. |
