“And here is where President Nixon himself was born,” said the tour guide as he led the group outside to a small house. “I can only take 10 people at a time so get in groups!” Students rushed as they were ushered into the small house just outside the main library. After the museum, the next stop was the birthplace of Richard Nixon.

Three of Nick Doom’s AP Government classes, which are regular Economics for the second semester, took a trip to the Richard Nixon’s Birthplace and Library on Jan. 21. For many of the seniors, it was their first field trip of the year, and many made sure to take the opportunity to attend.

“It was an entertaining experience because I think Nixon is a cool person, but at the same time our museum docent was boring,” said senior Christian Mendoza. “I would have preferred a louder and more fun tour guide.”

Besides visiting the library, students also had the opportunity to visit the famous birthplace, board Army One, and see the graves of Richard Nixon and his wife Pat Nixon. Army One, which is the helicopter used by many other presidents such as Kennedy, Johnson, Ford, and Nixon, had been restored and groups had the chance to walk inside and see the helicopter.

Some made sure to flash the famous Nixon peace signs as they posed for pictures alongside the helicopter. “My favorite parts were actually visiting the helicopter and the house,” said senior Sarah Balian. “Walking through the helicopter proved the stories to be so much more real than just reading about it in history books.”

The library displayed Richard Nixon’s career through many photos, videos and interactive displays. Some exhibits included gowns and jewelry worn by Pat Nixon in addition to the silverware the family had used. However, since one of the buses used to transport the students broke down multiple times, students who arrived much later were rushed and were not able to see many of the exhibits the library offered. “I walked past by many exhibits that looked really interesting but I was not able to see, and that was disappointing,” Balian said. “There truly needs to be better scheduling and they need to make sure the buses are perfectly functioning before they put kids in it.”

After the library, the buses transported the students where they could get their lunch. Choices included Mimi’s Café, Chili’s and Burger King. “We ate at Mimi’s and I had a burger with eggs,” Mendoza said. “After walking around and seeing the helicopter we went with a group of my friends.”

Even with all of the complications and the rush, many were able to enjoy the exhibits. Doom’s AP classes are also scheduled for another field trip Feb. 25 to another museum, the Ronald Reagan Library.