Snorkeling and shave ice filled the first family’s 13th day of their holiday vacation Thursday.
President Barack Obama and his family began the New Year under mostly sunny skies as they left their rental home in Kailua for a snorkeling excursion.
They went to Hanauma Bay, which is closed to the public on New Year’s Day, Christmas and Tuesdays. A worker at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve confirmed the Obamas were the only party there.
En route to the preserve, onlookers waved to the motorcade, took photographs and flashed shaka signs. The Obamas left the bay after about 41⁄2 hours.
Their motorcade then went to Island Snow in Kailua, where Obama and his daughters ordered shave ice.
"Happy New Year, everybody!" Obama told a crowd of a few dozen onlookers.
According to the White House, Obama ordered melon, lilikoi and cherry.
Carol Lee of the Wall Street Journal said Obama ate his shave ice under the Island Snow awning next to Malia, who was in a gray short-sleeve dress, eating her shave ice while leaning against a pillar. Sasha was sitting with other kids on a bench behind a tree.
Obama was wearing black athletic shorts, a white Nike zip-up jacket and slippers. He had on sunglasses and a black baseball cap with an orange logo that said "Lifeguard" and the City and County of Honolulu.
After finishing his treat, the president shook hands with some of the people in the crowd.
He also asked a toddler for "a little fist bump" and when he got one said, "Boom!"
Meanwhile, a small crowd had gathered on the edge of the parking lot.
One woman had a large parrot on her shoulder and told Lee that her husband said he’d give her $1,500 if she got the president to hold the parrot on his shoulder. That did not happen.
The family then returned to their vacation home.
Later Thursday, Obama called Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York to extend condolences on the death of his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo.
In the evening, the Obamas dined at Vintage Cave at Ala Moana Center.
Associated Press and Star-Advertiser staff
