Mount Rush... Less. Much Less.

I love presidential kitsch. It connects me to my country's culture of patriotism, but it also sets me outside of it, providing a healthy vantage point. Kat, sensing that somehow, wanted to take me to The Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont, FL. On an unusually drab and hazy, but pleasantly cool morning, we arrived to find the place closed. The exterior sights alone made the trip worthwhile though. Behold!

Ah, but what's behind Mount Rushmore? Ever wonder?

And how 'bout a look at the rest of the place?

We've got to drive out there again, as soon as we can. If this is the outside, what wonders could the inside possibly hold? Kat assures me I'll be amazed. Roadside America doesn't make it sound any less inviting:

Presidents Hall of Fame is packed full of kitschy, interesting memorabilia. It has a real folk art component, since many of the miniatures are hand-made and show the workman's handiwork. Real artifacts like Tom Thumb's carriage and Lincoln's death mask (replica) exist side-by-side with hand-carved Christmas and circus displays. Push a button and dioramas light up, figures move and music plays. A constant running video of Ronald Reagan's funniest jokes sets the scene in the background.

The lighting is dim, but there is just so much to see from dresses of the first ladies to White House china. Being Florida, of course they had a voting machine from the 2000 election. And ephemera from the 2008 election, including an Obama cut-out in the oval office!

We found out at the nearby Citrus Tower that they're closed on Wednesdays and Saturdays for some unfathomable reason. Poo. Oh, but we must return. Of course I won't be selfish; I'll share some pictures with you!