An energetic Portuguese water dog named Ruby greets all visitors as if they were longtime friends. In the vegetable garden, sugar snap peas are ripe and tasty. But owner Joanne Hubschman’s favorite part of her house is the outdoor shower. And she hopes the Obamas enjoy it.
From mussels for the president to lobster rolls for the press, from publicity to dollars, the economic impact — and the buzz — from President Obama’s Vineyard vacation spread far and wide across the Island.
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters left the Vineyard quietly last Sunday night, departing the Island on Marine One in a steady drizzle. The departure, like most of the president’s visit, was out of the public eye.
All things taken into account, we’re happy and proud that you chose to spend your week’s vacation on our small Island. Sure, it was disruptive to have South Road blocked off for a week. The gridlock that always grips Oak Bluffs on fireworks day was that much worse for your attendance. The occasional glimpse of armored vehicles and SWAT teams where we expected to see tourists in jeeps and on bikes was nothing short of chilling. And though we didn’t try, it probably was tough to get a tee time last week.
Chilmark, August 18. It’s almost midnight, and lights at the Snail Road house up the hill are still on. But the guests of honor are gone. The 24-hour Secret Service protection is gone.
President Obama and his family departed from the Vineyard under rainy skies this evening, concluding a quiet nine-day Vineyard vacation for the first family.
Marine One left Martha’s Vineyard Airport just after 9 p.m., and arrived at Cape Cod Coast Guard Air Station at 9:16 p.m. The president greeted well-wishers there before boarding Air Force One.
As their Vineyard vacation draws to a close, the Obamas finally hit the beach Saturday before heading out to dinner in Edgartown. The president also squeezed in another round of golf.
The president, first lady and daughters Malia and Sasha arrived at a private beach off Pohogonot Road at around 10 a.m. Saturday morning. The rural area, accessed down long dirt roads, offers access to Edgartown Great Pond and the Atlantic Ocean. The Obamas have visited the beach during other Vineyard visits.
President Obama addressed the nation from outside his Chilmark rental home Thursday morning about the ongoing violence in Egypt.
The briefing took place on the sixth day of President Obama’s Vineyard vacation, a week punctuated by security and press briefings and a familiar pattern of golf, dining out and quiet time with family and friends.
West Tisbury businesses, from a gas station to farm stand vendors, fear that the partial closure of South Road and prominent detour signs spurred by President Obama’s visit will hurt sales during one of the busiest weeks of the year.
President Obama arrived for a nine-day visit on Martha’s Vineyard last Saturday. The first family is staying at a private home off South Road in Chilmark. Because of security concerns, South Road is closed between Meeting House Road and Wooton Bassett Road until August 18.
In a statement issued Thursday morning from Chilmark, President Obama condemned the continuing violence in Egypt and announced that the United States will cancel joint military exercises with the Egyptian government.
“The Egyptian people deserve better than what we’ve seen over the last several days,” the president said, speaking at a morning briefing for the traveling press pool outside the vacation home he is renting off South Road.
