William Wilson
Ambassador to the Vatican under President Reagan

Sitting down to write this article on Ronald Reagan here at my ranch in Mexico reminds me of many things. I am reminded that it was on this very front porch where then candidate Reagan wrote by his own hand the acceptance speech that he gave at the 1980 Republican Convention. I am also reminded of Ronald Reagan's own ranch, Rancho del Cielo.

It was during his second term as governor of California that Ronald Reagan decided that he wanted a ranch in Santa Barbara County. This resulted in his friends finding Rancho del Cielo, which he loved from the first moment he saw it.

Even when he was still governor of California, Ronald Reagan and his friends, the late retired State Highway Patrolman "Barney" Barnett and Pactel Department Manager Dennis LaBlanc, became experts in the use of chain saws, log splitters, and axes. They turned old power poles into fences and gates around the 100-year old adobe house. They re-roofed the house with ceramic tile and replaced an aluminum enclosure around part of the main house with a permanent L-shaped combination dining room-family room. They also created a lake, named "Lucky" for Nancy's mother, surrounded by willow trees and stocked with fish.

At the ranch, Ronald Reagan could escape by riding his horses. He often made the remark that "the best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse."

Rancho del Cielo turned out to be exactly the right place for Reagan to visit. During his years as governor and as president, the ranch allowed him to get away from the pressures of the office and to relax in the enjoyment of the company of his beloved Nancy, limited personal encounters, and the atmosphere of the great outdoors.

The ranch gave him the opportunity to see the problems of his office in a completely different light. From Rancho del Cielo he could view situations with a more worldly vision and make decisions from a much better perspective than in the confinement of the Oval Office.

How fortunate the country, and indeed the world, is that he had the opportunity (which he wisely took advantage of) to take serious looks at world problems from the vista of Rancho del Cielo! We will never know how different things might have been had he not had this opportunity. For him, Camp David was nice, but his own ranch was really in his soul.

Ronald Reagan frequently visited the ranch until, because of the problem with Alzheimer's, he had to restrict his activities. Because of this, the family decided that it was time to put the ranch up for sale.

To the great good fortune for all of his friends and the future of the Reagan legacy, Young America's Foundation saved the ranch. They have done a remarkable job of restoring it and making it available for visitors to see the beautiful place that held such an important position in the heart of the great statesman, Ronald Reagan.