 Travel Wise / City Illustrated Presidential Libraries
Although even George Washington gave thought to how his papers should be preserved, the concept of a library is a relatively new one. Rutherford B. Hayes laid the framework for a library and museum to be built at Spiegel Grove, his Fremont, Ohio, estate. Franklin Roosevelt built the second one, which he actually used, and it is the prototype for subsequent libraries, most of which are run by the National Archives. The newest library, even newer than Bill Clinton’s, is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, which will be completed this spring. (The library portion is already open, but the museum is work in progress.) Libraries are dual purpose: a paean to the president and a repository for his papers. Exhibits tend to paint flattering portraits. For example, Watergate gets light coverage at the Nixon library, while his China policy looms large. Documents range from “Wow!” (a draft of the Gettysburg Address) to “Yawn” (330 linear feet of documents on Hoover’s stint at the Commerce Department). Most museums also display temporary exhibits, which may or may not be relevant to the president and his life. Currently, Eisenhower’s own paintings are showing at his museum, while Chinese embroidery is proffered at Carter’s. A trip to Southern California allows visits to two presidential libraries: At the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, the spectacular setting is reason enough to stop. The hacienda-like structure set high on a hill, offers a view that captures the sun setting in the west each evening. (800-410-8354; www.reaganlibrary.com) The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace, in Yorba Linda, includes everything except Nixon’s White House years. Records that were confiscated by Congress during Watergate investigations are housed at the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff in College Park, Maryland, although negotiations are paving the way to transfer the archival materials to Yorba Linda. (714-993-5075; www.nixonfoundation.org) Following are the other principal libraries:
—Helen W. O'Guinn Cape Crusade
Actually, the poncho ranks right up there with rope sandals as one of the most ancient garments. They date back to (at least) 15th-century Incans, and were adopted by the conquering Spaniards 500 years before Jessica Simpson bought hers. In some parts of the world, they’ve never dipped out of style. Travelers can still get their hands on traditional handcrafted ponchos at destinations:
Visitors to Guatemala’s Totonicapan or Chichicastenango marketplaces can purchase gorgeous geometric ponchos made on foot looms from handicraft communities such as Momostenango. The bustling Saturday market of Oaxaca is just one likely spot to nab Mexico’s version of the poncho, the serape. Similar styles, often adorned with indigenous motifs, hang from vendor stands across Central and South America. So take your pick, knowing that a poncho that doubles as an exotic souvenir will show the world that you are no fashion victim. —Julia Spalding Atlases for Details, Not Detours It may be a small world, but three new oversized atlases provide a big bonanza of information for armchair travelers and aficionados of geography.
How to Have a Happy Homecoming in Winter If you’re going out of town, you already know to set light timers and stop paper delivery. But what if there’s a winter storm at home when you’re on vacation somewhere warm? Think about these preparation tips before you leave—and you won’t have to worry while you’re away. Arrange a snow shoveler. Avoid an evening homecoming to a snowed-under driveway and icy steps. Pay a neighbor or relative to shovel and salt while you’re away, if necessary. Prevent frozen pipes. Leave under-sink cabinet doors open. This helps warm air reach the pipes. Then, if the temperature dips near or below zero in your absence, have someone at home turn on a thin stream of water from at least one faucet. Reduce heating costs. With natural gas rates even higher this year, you’ll want to turn your thermostat down—but not too low, or you risk freezing pipes and other hazards. Citizens Gas, a public utility in Indianapolis, says anywhere in the 60s is safe. If you have an Indianapolis zip code, you can calculate how much money you’ll save with each degree in your particular home by using the company’s new Energy Advisor tool, online at www.citizensgas.com. Avoid odor. During winter, you can’t open windows and air out the house. So it’s more important than ever to take out the trash, wash dishes, and change the kitty litter before leaving. Bundle up. Have whoever is picking you up at the airport bring your coat—and gloves, hat, and scarf, if it’s really cold. Five reasons to celebrate in 2005 Don’t recork the champagne bottle just yet. Long after the confetti has settled on the New Year, parties from Denmark to Vegas will still be in full swing, toasting historic events with special anniversaries in 2005. Here’s where you can join the fun: Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Las Vegas Centennial SeaBritain 2005 The National Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration Einstein Year —Julia Spalding New and Indoors in Broad Ripple
Let’s start with the food: You’ll still find Village favorites such as Bazbeaux Pizza and Mezzaluna. But those tried-and-trues have been joined by a host of newbies, including Naked Tchopstix (6255 N. College Ave, 317-252-5555), blending Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisine in a slick but comfortable environment, and Broad Ripple Seafood Shack (832 E. Westfield Blvd, 317-253-7898), bringing a much-needed ocean breeze to the district. There’s also Ripple Bagel and Deli (850 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-257-8326), offering a simple but addictive variation on the standard bagel sandwich—the counter staff takes each sandwich on a visit to a steamer. Pizza Express (715 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-257-7500) brings Indiana University’s favorite dorm food up from Bloomington. And La Piedad (6524 N. Cornell St., 317-475-0988) is a new family-owned Mexican eatery just steps away from the Monon Trail. Not that you’re out there walking or biking this month.
Although it occupies a relatively small space, Big Hat Books (922 E. Westfield Blvd., 317-202-0203), is an important new addition to the Broad Ripple landscape. The locally owned store has fast become home for book-group meetings, author signings, and other events. After finding the latest bestseller or recently discovered obscurity, head over to the new Just Pop In (6302 N. Guilford Ave., 317-257-9338) and pick up a bag of flavored popcorn for the ride home. That’s the thing about Broad Ripple—you never know what’s going to pop up. —Lou Harry
Meanwhile, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Pepsi Coliseum (1202 E. 38th St., 317-927-7622), you can show off your triple Lutz-triple toe loop-or just try to stay upright—all the while marveling at how curious and fun it is to skate at the same place where the Beatles sang, John F. Kennedy spoke, and Billy Graham preached. —Lou Harry New Smithsonian Museum Gives Voice to Native Americans
A stone’s throw from the U.S. Capitol, the 16th of the Smithsonian’s museums—and the last to be built on the National Mall—is a richly appointed sacred space that displays only a sample of the museum’s collection of approximately 800,000 objects representing more than 10,000 years of history from a thousand-plus cultures indigenous to the New World. The collection—the largest of its kind in the world—covers Indian cultures from the Arctic Circle to the tip of Tierra del Fuego in South America. The museum was created to display both the artifacts and the history of the Native cultures “in the Native voice.” Exhibitions and programs offer a new way of viewing and experiencing the artifacts and the cultures of the First Americans. Throughout, the museum gives voice to Native perspectives. For example, the building is situated within 4.25 acres of hardwood forest, wetlands, a meadow, and traditional cropland that evoke the native landscape of the capital before European settlement. Forty boulders called grandfather rocks, which represent Native ancestors, were blessed and brought from Canada to grace the landscape. The curvilinear exterior, clad in Kasota dolomitic limestone from Minnesota, suggests the effects of wind and water on the landscape. The 120-foor-high Potomac space at the heart of the building, named for the Piscataway word meaning “where the goods are brought,” is an open area for casual gatherings and presentations of contemporary Native crafts, storytelling, dances, and music. Even the cafeteria, called Mitsitam, from a Piscataway and Delaware word that means “let’s eat,” serves only foods native to the Western Hemisphere, such as the Three Sisters (corns, beans and squash) and buffalo burgers. Location and admission. The museum is located at Fourth Street and Independence Avenue, S.W., near the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. It is open 10 am-5:30 pm daily, closed December 25. Admission is free but requires timed passes, which can be reserved ahead of time. For passes and information about special events, performances and exhibitions, contact 202-633-1000; www.americanindian.si.edu. —Barbara Cohen Prelude to the Symphony at Paul K
The wine list—a virtual, delightfully whimsical sommelier—categorizes by personality from “Perfumed Whites You Could Dab behind Your Ears” to “Wallflowers That ‘Bust a Move’ With Our Food.” 199 Gough St. at Oak; Tuesday-Sunday. Re-serve online at www.paulkrestaurant.com. —Joyce Hadley Copeland Lions and tulips and crab (oh my!)
Sea Lion’s Arrival. If you’re near Pier 39 the weekend of January 22, come see what all the barking is about. For the 15th year running, hundreds of sea lions (more every year) will return to their popular roost alongside the pier. Is it the plentiful herring or the audiences that keeps them coming back? Ask a docent from the Marine Mammal Center between 11 am and 5 pm at K-Dock or by the Whale Bus exhibit in the West Park. Tulipmania. During February, 39,000 tulips burst into magnificent bloom filling both levels of Pier 39 with a rainbow of colors. A 25-year tradition, this year’s Tulipmania includes a variety of whimsical topiaries. Add to your gardening savvy on free “Tulip Tours,” led by Pier 39’s landscape team. Tours leave from the Entrance Plaza between 10 am and 1 pm, February 19 to 27. For more information on Pier 39 events, call 415-705-5500 or visit www.pier39.com. Crab Feast on the Bay. Before and after San Francisco’s celebrated Crab Festival (February 1-28), you can feast on cracked Dungeness crab, sourdough bread, and all the fixings aboard Crab Feed Cruises, scheduled once a month from January through March. Leaving at noon from Pier 43 ?, the cruise makes an hour-long loop of the Bay, sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Angel Island and Alcatraz. Reservations are recommended. Book January 15, February 19, and March 19 cruises ($45 per person) online at www.redandwhite.com/crabfeed.html. —Joyce Hadley Copeland
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With the election just over and the inauguration looming, it’s time to peek into the presidential past. And there is plenty of past to peek into, thanks to a 1978 law making all presidential documents property of the people. With another nod to Congress for its 1955 act providing for presidential libraries, there are places scattered around the country to explore the legacy of our commanders in chief.
With retro fashion trends, it is often argued that anyone old enough to remember sporting a style the first go-round is too old to wear it the second time around. Does that mean all those hippy chicks who donned wearable afghans in the 1970s are banned from the current swarm of cute, bohemian ponchos? Historically speaking, no.
Otavalo, Ecuador, one of the largest and most colorful markets in South America, draws throngs of shoppers each Saturday. Here, woven ponchos are sold alongside Panama hats and live chickens. 
The first edition of the Hammond World Travel Atlas aims to set the traveler in the right direction. Packed with maps and more than 2,000 color photos, the book boasts a comprehensive identification system—more than 120 symbols point the way to features of interest from caves, canyons, and coral reefs to fortresses, sacred places, gambling spots, and spas. More than 17,000 tourist sites are identified and some 2,000 articles elaborate on the world’s most prominent travel attractions. (Hammond Incorporated, Sep. 2004, $65, 14 X 11 ?)
The 12th edition of the Oxford Atlas of the World retains the components that have made it one of the definitive resources of geographic enlightenment, including 67 maps of cities worldwide, charts of key urban centers, and the unique Gazetteer of Countries. But several new features enhance the book: a glossary of geographic terms and the Introduction to World Geography, summarizing topics as timely as climate, global warming, plate tectonics, international conflicts, agriculture, trade, and population. (Oxford University Press, Oct. 2004, $80, 15 X 11)
It should come as no surprise that spectacular photography and dazzling maps are part and parcel of National Geographic’s Atlas of the World. But the eighth edition, the first update of the new millennium, exhibits more than 15,000 changes and additions—including some 60 update regional political maps, 243 maps of major cities, satellite images including some from the Hubble Space Telescope, and 17 thematic maps addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues: biodiversity, terrorism, and world economy. (National Geographic, Oct. 2004, $165, 19 X 13) 
Whether rafting the Nile, hiking through India, or planning a winter beach escape to
Mexico, concerns about safe drinking water may plague you even before Montezuma’s Revenge hits.
Pack a SteriPen in your carry-on and you can zap bacteria, microbes, and
intestine-unfriendly parasites with the ultra-violet power harnessed by this small
devic—not much larger than a latte-frother. Though pricey (the SteriPen retails for
$150), the portable water purifier works fast—turning a 16-ounce glass of water potable in
less than 60 seconds. The device, which requires four AA batteries, is available at
specialty outdoor and travel retail stores, as well as Web sites. Visit 
Giant outstretched hands hold a turtle over the canal in Broad Ripple Village, Indy’s hub for funky shopping and innovative eating. But you might not notice this recent sculptural addition, because it’s the middle of winter and you probably aren’t all that concerned with what’s outside. Instead, you’re thoughts are inside, where there are new restaurants to sample and stuff to buy. 
Exercise your meal off by running the blustery steps between new shops. In the market for an “I’m With Stupid” T-shirt? Need to tell the world that you’re a fan of Michael Bolton, Ronald Reagan, or The Dukes of Hazzard? At Teeki Hut (807 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-205-3589) you can find a favorite from among hundreds of kitschy shirts and bags—or have a shirt made with a message you choose for $19.95.
Indianapolis offers two great venues for skating away, whether you own your own blades or not. Downtown, there are the twin rinks at Pan Am Plaza’s Indiana/World Skating Academy (201 S. Capitol Ave., 317-237-5555), where you are likely to glide alongside would-be Olympic athletes in training. Don’t like company? You can rent all or half the rink for skating or broomball (that’s hockey but with brooms and, yes, a ball).
The National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall, which opened in September 2004, casts a fresh eye on the Native people and cultures of the Western Hemisphere.
Edgy Modern,” Paul K’s self-description doesn’t begin to do the restaurant justice. “Tangy,” “sensual”—even “perfumed”—are more telling of the mélange of Greek, North African, and Middle Eastern flavors on the menu at this intimate enclave in hip Hayes Valley, a stone’s throw from the Symphony and Opera House. Popular on the Tastes menu is the mezza platter: a sampling of lamb riblets, kofte, baba ghanoush, feta, olives, artichoke hearts, and a memorable pomegranate walnut dip. The duck breast with signature pomegranate molasses will pucker your lips. 
Winter brings some of the most colorful, tastiest—and noisiest—events to Fisherman’s Wharf.