'Routine' the byword during Obama's vacations
Source: Agencies |
January 1, 2011, Saturday
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THERE are those who crave adventure and spontaneity during their vacations. Then, there is US President Barack Obama.
More than a week into his Hawaiian holiday, Obama is proving to be a creature of habit, seeking refuge in the consistency of a familiar routine.
The president's itinerary during his annual trip to Oahu, the island where he was born and mostly raised, is downright predictable.
He is almost certain to spend his mornings working out at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. A leisurely dinner with friends and family at Alan Wong's Restaurant, an award-winning eatery in the neighborhood where he grew up, is a yearly tradition. And a guaranteed place to spot the president is at Island Snow, a shop near his rented oceanfront home, where he treats daughters, Malia and Sasha, to shave ice, the Hawaiian version of the snow cone.
So, doesn't the president ever want to mix things up a bit, maybe go somewhere new?
Not really, says White House spokesman Bill Burton, who is with the president in Hawaii.
"Like most Americans, the president knows what he likes in his own hometown," Burton said. "He's been going to a lot of these places since he was a very young child and they hold an important place in his life."
Of course, things have changed since the days when Obama lived here with his grandparents and scooped ice cream at a local shop. The logistics of any presidential movement make a truly spontaneous stop nearly impossible. Advance teams scope out all potential -destinations ahead of Obama's arrival, and Secret Service agents have to sign off on security.
"I know security and logistics can be a challenge, but I would love to see him visit a couple of neighborhoods," said Eve Proenca, who lives in Honolulu's Kaimuki area.
"Just because we're in Hawaii and it's paradise doesn't mean it's -paradise for everyone," said Mike Irvine, who has lived in Honolulu since 1985.
Obama's desire for -consistency and familiarity during his vacations is nothing new for occupants of the Oval Office. Ronald Reagan frequently retreated to his mountaintop ranch near Santa Barbara, California, during his presidency. George H. W. Bush sought sanctuary at his oceanfront home in Maine, and his son, George W. Bush, rarely left his sprawling ranch during trips to Crawford, Texas.
More than a week into his Hawaiian holiday, Obama is proving to be a creature of habit, seeking refuge in the consistency of a familiar routine.
The president's itinerary during his annual trip to Oahu, the island where he was born and mostly raised, is downright predictable.
He is almost certain to spend his mornings working out at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. A leisurely dinner with friends and family at Alan Wong's Restaurant, an award-winning eatery in the neighborhood where he grew up, is a yearly tradition. And a guaranteed place to spot the president is at Island Snow, a shop near his rented oceanfront home, where he treats daughters, Malia and Sasha, to shave ice, the Hawaiian version of the snow cone.
So, doesn't the president ever want to mix things up a bit, maybe go somewhere new?
Not really, says White House spokesman Bill Burton, who is with the president in Hawaii.
"Like most Americans, the president knows what he likes in his own hometown," Burton said. "He's been going to a lot of these places since he was a very young child and they hold an important place in his life."
Of course, things have changed since the days when Obama lived here with his grandparents and scooped ice cream at a local shop. The logistics of any presidential movement make a truly spontaneous stop nearly impossible. Advance teams scope out all potential -destinations ahead of Obama's arrival, and Secret Service agents have to sign off on security.
"I know security and logistics can be a challenge, but I would love to see him visit a couple of neighborhoods," said Eve Proenca, who lives in Honolulu's Kaimuki area.
"Just because we're in Hawaii and it's paradise doesn't mean it's -paradise for everyone," said Mike Irvine, who has lived in Honolulu since 1985.
Obama's desire for -consistency and familiarity during his vacations is nothing new for occupants of the Oval Office. Ronald Reagan frequently retreated to his mountaintop ranch near Santa Barbara, California, during his presidency. George H. W. Bush sought sanctuary at his oceanfront home in Maine, and his son, George W. Bush, rarely left his sprawling ranch during trips to Crawford, Texas.
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