President Obama’s Hawaii Vacation

Barack Obama recently vacationed in Hawaii, just outside the island’s capital of Honolulu.  Obama was born on O’ahu and spent the first fourteen years of his life on the island.  It was also the home of his late grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who raised Obama through much of his youth. Dunham passed away only two days before her grandson’s historic election.

Obama and his family enjoyed the beauty of Oahu’s Kailua area, a place well-known for windsurfing and white sand beaches.  The small-town feeling of Kailua, with a population of about 50,000 residents, seems a fitting choice for a holiday reprieve for the Obama family after a long campaign in the public eye. With the majority of Hawaiians showing their support for Obama in the presidential election, it may have been difficult for locals to give the family the privacy and space they deserved. However, most residents of this mellow enclave are used to public figures and celebrities coming to Kailua for a little anonymity in paradise. Most likely the greatest attention Obama received from the locals were a few shakas in the aloha spirit.

Only a 20 minute flight from the island of Kauai, known as the ‘Garden Isle’.  Kauai, aka the ‘Island of Discovery’ boasts white sand beaches have been voted some of the most beautiful places in the world.

Obama mentions his own past connection with Kailua in his memoir, “Dreams From My Father”, in which he recalls a boyhood spearfishing trip there with his grandfather. Obama continues to foster his relationship to Kailua.  Every president has his place of choice for respite from the toughest job in the world. It looks as though this Hawaiian native may choose Kailua as his place to rejuvenate and rest throughout his presidency.  Understandably so. Kailua’s beauty is some of the most picturesque in all the islands and the land there holds the history of great chiefs.

Should the nation’s new President continue to return to the Hawaiian Islands for some R&R,  Hawaiians would welcome it with plenty of aloha.