Country Vacations & Resorts

Time in Office: January 1981 to January 1989
Terms: Two
Birthday: February 6, 1911
Birth Place: Tampico, Illinois
Date of Death: June 5, 2004
Place of Death: At his home – Bel Air, California
Buried: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library – Rancho del Cielo, California

Notes:

~ Nicknamed “Dutch” for his haircut and round “Dutchboy” face
~ Lifelong nickname, “the Gipper” from the film “Knute Rockne, All-American”
~ Was nearsighted
~ Performed 77 rescues as a lifeguard
~ Oldest man elected to the Presidency
~ Only US President to have been divorced
~ Began his political life as a Democrat – swithcing to Republican
~ First sitting President to survive being shot in an assassination attempt

Reagan’s most famous statement: “Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem.”

Ronald Wilson Reagan, America’s 40th President, was born in Tampico, Illinois February 6, 1911. The family moved to nearby Dixon, where Reagan eventually attended the nearby Eureka College and where he was captain of the swim team, a member of the football team, and student body president.

After graduating from college in 1932, Ron drove to Iowa where he landed a job as a radio announcer. He continued this career path until 1937 when a screen test he took while in California landed him a Hollywood contract. At the same time, he was completing Army Extension (homestudy) courses and would, by the end of the Second World War in 1945, help to complete some 400 training films for the Army.

Having served on the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild since 1941, Reagan was nominated as its President in 1947. He continued his film (and now television) career – serving as host of the General Electric Theater which required he travel to GE plants 16 weeks of the year. His final acting role took place on the TV series, “Death Valley Days” in 1965.

Ronald Reagan’s first marriage was to actress Jane Wyman (1940) and his second to another actress, Nancy Davis in 1952.

Sworn in as Governor of California in 1967, Reagan served until 1974 – while also surviving a recall attempt in 1968. In 1976 Reagan ran an unsuccessful challenge against incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford who then lost to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

He was successful against Carter in the 1980 election and took office as President January 20, 1981. Just over two months into his Presidency Reagan survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley. Hinckley has been in the news again lately as he wants to spend more time out of the psychiatric hospital he has been residing in for over 30 years…

Sworn in again as President January 1985 on one of the coldest days on record in Washington, Reagan left office for the last time January 1989. He and his wife Nancy purchased a home in Bel Air, California (the home is on the market right now) – in addition to their ranch in Santa Barbara. Reagan continued to be politically active and in 1992 he established the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award. In November 1994 it was announced that Reagan had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. He died of complications from pneumonia, June 5, 2004.

After a State Funeral was conducted in the Washington National Cathedral, Reagan’s body was flown back to the Reagan Presidential Library in California. Opinions and discussions over Reagan’s popularity and effectiveness as President continue today.

Presidential Travel

From Wikipedia:

“Reagan’s presidency would be transitional in international travel. During his term in office, he ordered the two special mission Boeing 747s that would become the new presidential transport to replace the aging Boeing 707s. Heavy lift aircraft could bring security,limousines, and helicopters. After that time, the president had access to inflight bedrooms and showers, boardrooms, and communication equipment and with refueling virtually unlimited range. Summit meetings would proliferate, and international travel would become more of a constant expectation of the presidency.”

Below are the countries visited by Reagan during his Presidency. Over 661,000 miles in less than 8 full years while taking some 335 days total “vacation” – usually at his ranch in Santa Barbara. Though this is the (current) highest number of vacation days taken by any President except George W. Bush, remember – Presidents’ “on vacation” means they still meet with advisors on an almost daily basis, and are on call 24/7 in case of emergency. Just lucky for them they don’t have to make hotel reservations like the rest of us! And these aren’t the horse and carriage or slower train trips of past US Presidents.

1981
~Mexico (2x) ~Canada (2x) ~France (2x)

1982
~Jamaica ~Barbados ~France ~Italy ~Vatican City ~United Kingdom ~Germany
~Mexico ~Brazil ~Columbia ~Costa Rica ~Honduras

1983
~Mexico ~Japan ~Korea

1984
~People’s Republic of China ~Ireland ~United Kingdom
~France

1985
~Canada ~Germany ~Spain ~France ~Portugal ~Switzerland ~Belgium

1986
~Mexico ~Granada ~Indonesia ~Japan ~Iceland

1987
~Canada ~Italy ~Germany

1988
~Mexico ~Belgium ~Finland ~USSR ~United Kingdom ~Canada

Former: President Jimmy Carter
Next: George H. W. Bush