Obamas arrive on Oahu for annual Hawaiian vacation
2014 December 19 CTY - Obama Arrival - President of the United States Barack Obama arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Air Force One with his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Malia and Sasha, for his annual holiday vacation in Hawaii. HSA photo by Bruce Asato
President Barack Obama walks out of the White House in Washington with his daughter Sasha towards Marine One helicopter, Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, as they travel to Hawaii for the Christmas holiday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais )
President Barack Obama and his family arrived on Oahu Thursday evening for their annual two-week Christmas vacation in Hawaii.
The president, first lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia and Sasha, boarded Air Force One at a chilly Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland just before 6 p.m. EST (1 p.m. in Hawaii) for the roughly 10-hour flight to Oahu. They arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam at about 11 p.m.
According to a media pool report, first dogs Bo and Sunny were boarded on the plane just before the Obamas arrived at the base.
Before leaving the White House for Air Force One, the president ended his traditional year-end press conference by telling reporters, "And now I’m going to go on vacation. Mele Kalikimaka, everybody. Mahalo."
The Obamas are expected to stay for two weeks in Kailua, with no public events planned.
Christmas in Hawaii has been a family tradition for the Obamas since before he took office. However, since being elected the visits now bring occasional road closures for the president’s motorcade and intensive security in the Kailua beachfront neighborhood where the Obamas stay.
The Coast Guard is again enforcing a temporary security zone in waters off Kailua Bay during this visit. The security zone is in effect from 6 a.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Jan. 5. It includes a portion of Kailua Bay, beginning at Kapoho Point and extending westward to the shoreline near Kailuana Loop. The zone also includes the adjacent canal beginning near Kapoho Point to a point extending the canal way to about 150 yards south of the North Kalaheo Avenue Road Bridge.
A marker will be placed on Kailua Beach, a yellow buoy will be placed on the water and an orange marker will be placed in the canal for visual references of the zone.
No person or vessel may enter the restricted zone without authorization. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $40,000 in fines and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The Coast Guard’s security efforts are being coordinating with the Honolulu Police Department, Marine Corps Base Hawaii and other federal, state, and county law enforcement agencies on patrols of the area under the direction of the Secret Service.
