Behind the Scenes: The First Family on Vacation
The first family arrived here for a week or rest and relaxation. The island, off the coast of Massachusetts was already the vacation home of former President Bill Clinton, is home to actor Ted Danson, songwriter Carly Simon and was home to CBS's late great Walter Cronkite.
As a candidate, Mr. Obama was here for a fundraiser in 2007, but this is his first visit as president to Massachusetts. The president has no public schedule and had an aide deliver a message to the White House press corps here: relax and have a good time. The first family is saying "up-island" which is actually south on the island, at a private home. The house comes complete with private beach and water access so he may not been seen too much while here. He is expected to play golf though and the island's many ice cream shops are hoping he stops by with the kids.
Other than that, the vineyard will be a welcome respite for him. There are many signs welcoming him here and both his likeness and his campaign symbol can be found in many store windows. As the video shows, there's also a wide selection of Obama-related t-shirts and paraphernalia to buy. The island appears to be quite excited for his visit.
You can watch video below of the scene in Martha's Vineyard:
Robert Hendin is a CBS News White House producer. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.
