Will Rogers

After school, we take the Santa Monica Pier carousel, and then my sister Geraldine sits it out in a cop's car for a bit, playing with his handcuffs. You can't take an Essex girl anywhere.

Will Rogers State Park and historic house is one of the architectural gems and state parks that are always under threat, yet I feel the location, nestled as it is on the border of the Santa Monica Mountains and proximity to the lush estates of the rich and famous, will forever secure its future.

I've often wondered up the dusty hiking trails, past these stables to admire the quite spectacular view over LA, out to Catalina Island and back to the San Gabriel Mountains. I held Reuben's baby shower and first birthday parties here on the lawns which spill out onto the polo fields and are heavy with the scent of the grand eucalyptus in the air. We're fortunate that a cowboy turned actor and philanthropist should have bought up so much land with the intent of bequething these amazing gems for the City of Los Angeles to enjoy for generations.

It became one of the most memorable days for my sister during her stay, my eternal place of solace.

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