Obama Extends Hawaii Vacation

President Barack Obama hit the town Wednesday night, taking his wife and friends to dinner at one of his favorite island restaurants.

A crowd of onlookers gathered as the president's party arrived at Alan Wong's Restaurant, an award-winning eatery in the neighborhood where Obama grew up. The president's motorcade passed the Honolulu apartment where his late grandmother once lived and the Baskin Robbins ice cream shop where Obama worked as a teenager.

Wong is a favorite of the Obamas. They dined at his flagship restaurant during their Hawaiian vacation last December, and also invited Wong to cater a luau at the White House.

The president's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her husband joined the Obamas at dinner, along with several friends from Hawaii and Chicago who are vacationing with the president.

Obama has made few public appearances since arriving on the island of Oahu last week. He's spent much of his time at his family's rented oceanfront home, and at a nearby Marine base where he works out, golfs and takes his family to the beach.

The president appears to be enjoying his downtime: The White House announced Wednesday that the first family is pushing their return to Washington back one day, and will now leave Hawaii late in the evening on Jan. 3. The Obamas are due back in Washington the following day.

It's the second time the Obamas have delayed their departure. They were originally slated to leave Hawaii on New Year's Day, but moved their return to Jan. 2 after the president delayed his arrival here to stay in Washington while Congress wrapped up the legislative year.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton says the president is trying to squeeze in more time with his family before returning to the U.S. capital.

The delayed departure means Obama's daughters will miss at least two days of school. Classes resume at Sidwell Friends, the private school they attend, on the 3rd.