Former President Obama and his family are permanent homeowners on Martha’s Vineyard, after completing the purchase this week of a large home in the coastal perimeter of Edgartown.
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.
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.
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.
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.
