REAGAN RANCH RENEWED; COUPLE HOPES RETREAT INSPIRES NEW GENERATION.

Byline: Jeff Wilson Associated Press 

It's as though the Gipper never left.

Ronald Reagan's sweat-stained ball cap is near the front door of the main house at Rancho del Cielo. And a luffa sponge, glycerin soap and Head & Shoulders shampoo are still in the shower the ex-president and his wife, Nancy, shared.

But three years have passed since Reagan visited his beloved mountaintop hideaway, known to a generation of Americans as the Western White House. Reagan, who at 87 is suffering the effects of Alzheimer's disease, drew strength and inspiration from the 688-acre ranch.

``We relax at the ranch, which if not heaven itself, probably has the same ZIP code,'' he wrote in a 40th wedding anniversary letter in 1992. It was a sanctuary he rarely shared with outsiders, although he played host to such world leaders as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Earlier this year, the Reagans sold the property and its 100-year-old adobe ranch house to a group now preserving it as a monument to conservatism, an inspiration for a new generation of leaders.

``When you sit in this house you really feel his presence. It's magical,'' said Marc Short, the chief keeper of the shrine, during a recent tour.

Pointing to a leather patio table, he noted it's where the 1981 Economic Recovery Act was signed. ``It's where we think the Reagan Revolution started,'' he said.

The Young America's Foundation, which promotes conservative values among high school and college students, purchased Rancho del Cielo. Reagan spokeswoman Joanne Drake said the sale price was close to the $5.95 million asking price.

``We hope that our ranch will be a spark for many bright, young Americans in the years ahead,'' Nancy Reagan said after the sale.

Short, the 28-year-old executive director of the Young America's Foundation, moved from its Virginia headquarters to California in June with his 24-year-old bride, Kristen. They refer to the ranch as ``hallowed ground'' and say they are honored to tend it.

``We feel we are the luckiest people in the world,'' Short said, gazing across the Reagan-built patio with a metal ``1600 Penna. Ave.'' sign overhead and a view of Lake Lucky, where the Reagans often canoed.

``Nothing draws a couple closer together than to find a pretty spot, maybe a ukulele and a canoe - Nancy's idea of the perfect romantic setting - and share happy thoughts of the past,'' Reagan wrote in his anniversary letter.

The 1,200-square-foot ranch is modest in its size and furnishings. There are aluminum-frame, motel-style windows (the bulletproof glass was removed after Reagan left office); a faux red brick linoleum floor throughout; a Harvest Gold refrigerator. There's even a Liberty Bell shower head in the bathroom.

It's a far cry from the Blue Room and certainly lacks the elegance of other presidential retreats such as George Bush's at Kennebunkport, Maine; Richard Nixon's at San Clemente; or John F. Kennedy's at Hyannis Port, Mass. But it's cozy, and it's easy to understand why the Reagans cherished it for 25 years.

``He lived just like we did. That's why he was the Great Communicator,'' Short said.

The Young America's Foundation plans to use the ranch for leadership seminars to steep young people in Reagan philosophies. A conference center will be built nearby, and students will likely make day and weekend trips to the ranch, riding the seven miles of horse trails.

``The majority of our programs will be focused on the Reagan era and how he changed the world,'' Short said. A $10 million to $15 million capital drive to build the conference center and house the students is in the planning stages.

Nancy Reagan hauled many items out of the basement of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, some 80 miles from the ranch, and spent about three hours with Kristen Short making sure each item was placed exactly as it had been.

``If something was out of place, she moved it back to its original spot,'' Kristen Short said.

Added her husband: ``She came up here about a week after settlement. She hopped out in her jeans and tennis shoes and quickly went right to work with Kristen. It was emotional. She was emotional when she left. I think in a lot of ways it was a sense of closure for her.''

The effect is poignant.

A weathered copy of ``Lonesome Dove'' sits on a bookshelf, rugged Western paintings hang on the walls, a shotgun rests on antlers over a doorway, the kitchen spice rack is stocked with paprika, oregano and cinnamon, undoubtedly used for the Thanksgiving family feasts held at the ranch.

Reagan's boots are lined up in a walk-in closet in the bright yellow bedroom. There are cowboy hats and a collection of belt buckles; a spur once carried into space, and Nancy and Ron monogrammed bathrobes.

Reagan's saddles, including the well-worn English model he preferred, are in the tack room. His blue-and-gold U.S. Cavalry horse blanket hangs on a wall.

Reagan enjoyed trimming the hundreds of oak trees on the property, explaining in a 1990 interview, ``I love the dappled look on the ground when the sun comes through.''

One spot he made sure to trim back is a hilltop grove of oaks just above the house. It's the family pet graveyard. Nancy Reagan's beloved quarter horse No Strings is there, along with a bull named Duke, horses Kelly and Duke, and several dogs: Victory, Freebo, Millie, Taca, Lucky, Kodiak, Sasha, Fang, Fuzzy and Rhino.

Each grave has a stone marker with a name carved by Reagan. More recently, dog Rex was buried.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color in Simi Edition only) Marc and Kristen Short, caretakers of Rancho del Cielo for the Young America's Foundation, stroll around the old Reagan retreat.

Reed Saxon/Associated Press

(2--Color in Simi Edition only) Ronald Reagan, right, entertains Mikhail Gorbachev at Rancho del Cielo in May 1992.

Gus Ruelas/Daily News