Roosevelt Presidential Library

Medora, North Dakota: The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is maybe the ultimate distance on our trip (you never know with us). Medora, North Dakota is really, really far from La Quinta, California. We had our timed-entrance tickets for today between noon and 1p. There is a free trolly that runs all around town from hotels/campgrounds to the library and to all the associated shows and dinner venues. We walked over to the nearby hotel trolly only to realize this free trolly does not operate on MONDAY. Today is Monday.

Plan B.

Back to the RV. Luckily I was on it this morning while DT was out on his Epic Bike Ride, and had cleaned all the breakfast/coffee dishes and had tidied everything. Within five minutes, we had stowed our things, brought in the slide room, retracted the leveling jacks and were on our two-mile track to the Library. There is plenty of RV parking at the Presidential Library, so we were able to make our time slot and entered the library with a scan of our QR code tickets on my phone.

The most impressive thing about the Theodore Roosevelt Library is the setting. The museum is built into the bluff above Medora in the Badlands - and the roof of the building is covered in native plains grasses.

So subtle, the building disappears into the hills. Visitors can actually walk on the roof of the the library!

After a visitor enters the library, they give you a wrist band with a wooden disk holding some-sort of chip that identifies you individually. At the registration kiosk, we entered our name and email address and then the kiosk snaps a photo of your head. We were not sure about this, but went along with the scheme. (You can opt out.)

Then visitors enter a massive hall that houses displays starting with TR's birth (he is always referred to as "TR" in his library) in Manhattan in 1858, and continues until his death at age 60. These sixty years cover what must be the most impressive 60 years ever spent by an American.

TR was born into a wealthy and influential family in New York. His parents were very loving, affectionate, and doted on the education and intellectual upbringing of their children. They took their children on trips throughout Europe and Northern Africa. TR was educated at Harvard.

After school, TR married Alice Hathaway Lee in 1880. Four years later they had a daughter Alice Lee. His wife died two days after giving birth, and Roosevelt's mother died the very same day (in the very same house) of typhoid fever.

Teddy was distraught and left for Medora, North Dakota (leaving his infant daughter with his sister) where we had found a love of ranching and roaming the range. A few years later he returned to the east coast and married Edith Kermit Carow in 1886. They had five children together and also raised his daughter Alice.

TR formed the Boone & Crockett Club in North Dakota to protect the large game animals, became Mayor of New York, was the Civil Service Commissioner, New York Police Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the US Navy, and Governor of New York. During the Spanish-American War TR led a group of soldiers - the Rough Riders - to victorious battles in Cuba.

He was VP under President McKinley and became President (at age 42) when McKinley was assassinated in 1901. During his Presidential years (1901-1909) TR used his Bully Pulpit personality to change the country with his forceful and charming personality to give the country hope with his Square Deal political promise. He was the first non-European to earn a Nobel Peace Prize by ending the Russian-Japanese War (?) in 1906. He started what we now know as the Food & Drug Administration, and started many government departments to safeguard American health, labor and welfare concerns. His most valued contributions are his founding of National Parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and National Monuments - so many we can all still visit today.

The Library has a virtual hologram Theodore:

At age 54 (1912), Roosevelt was shot in the chest while delivering a speech. The bullet was deterred by a metal eyeglass case in his breast pocket and a 50-page copy of the speech he was reciting. Roosevelt continued orating! 90 minutes! After the speech was finished, they took him to the hospital and it was determined the bullet had lodged in his chest muscle and it would be more dangerous to remove it than to just let it lie. TR carried that bullet in his chest until the day he died.

After he left the Presidency, TR went on many international trips - an African safari with the Smithsonian Institute to gather/study African animals, then a trip throughout the Amazon, and then a whirlwind visit through all the capitals of Europe to visit all the Presidents and Royals. This took the better part of five years.

His youngest son, Quentin, died at age 20 as a fighter pilot in WWI over Germany. This loss broke Theodore's heart and he died six months later at his family home, Sagamore Hill.

So, do you remember what I wrote above about having our photo taken when we checked-in and received a wrist band? There is a reason for this. Throughout the chronicle displays about TR's life, you can "pretend" to be part of his life.

During the early displays about his life in high-society New York, the (AI?) people can take the image of your head and transform you into a person in Teddy's world.

The photo kiosks (in every era of Roosevelt's life in the library) were a huge hit with every age group. Not our hands, not our jewelry. Just our face, magically transformed back to a different era. The little chip on our wrist bands operated the screens. After we left the library, an email was sent to us with these images!

When we exited the Library, it was a different world. The wind was howling so much, it was impossible for us to walk up to the roof of the library. Dave was nearly blown over! It felt FREEZING, though our temperature gauge quoted 71 degrees. We rushed back to the RV park, set-up camp again, just in time for the skies to open with thunder claps and a huge rain storm. At least the wildfire smoke is gone!

We have visited the Thomas Jefferson Library, the George Washington Library, Andrew Jackson's Library. These were only homes of Presidents. This was more like museum dedicated to the One and Only TR. He did more in 60 years than most could do in 300 years. The most important thing I took from our three-hour visit is what he did for the long-term ecological future of our country. There is no way to write about all his accomplishments (and shortcomings) on this humble blog. Roosevelt wrote so much about his love for his parents, siblings, children and grandchildren and was devoted to them all - especially his spouse(s). All he accomplished; these people came first.

Visit this Library!

I made (another) quesadilla for our evening meal. Both Giants AND Dodgers on the television. Another great day on the road and a lot of old-time photo memories of our days as Rough Riders, Amazon explorers and New York politicians!

Until my next update, I remain, your BULLY correspondent.

Campground Information: Red Trail Campground

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