Presidential vacations: How does Obama compare?

Following his three-day bus tour to promote his economic agenda -- and not to mention the debt limit rancor in Washington before that -- President Obama is finally getting some rest and relaxation.

On Thursday, he and his family are heading off to Martha's Vineyard, the island off of Massachusetts. They'll be staying at a 28-acre retreat called Blue Heron Farm for about 10 days.

Raw Video: Obama's Martha's Vinyard retreat

There has been criticism of the president's vacation at this time. But how does the number of vacation days the president has spent compare to his predecessors? CBS Radio's Mark Knoller has kept track of presidential vacations for years and supplied the data.

So far, President Obama has taken 61 vacation days after 31 months in office. At this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch where his staff often joined him for meetings. And Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch.

Among recent presidents, Bill Clinton took the least time off -- 28 days.

To be fair, a presidential vacation away from the White House is not the same as a vacation for the average person. The president is still in contact with his advisers and on call for any emergency.

Mark Knoller: When presidents go on "vacation," controversy follows

[codestud3]

Bush went to his house to vacation and work. Obama does not vacation at his house and his family takes separate vacations.

[geoh777]

If he doesn't like the vacation arrangement, he will pass a law against it.

[abadabadoooo]

Reagan held the total vacation day record of 436 until the younger Bush left office with a grand total of 977 days away from Washington, representing 1/3 of his presidency. At Obama's current pace, he'll finish with about 150 - 200 vacation days (about 3 weeks a year). What's all the hootin' and hollerin' about? With the demands of a presidency, I think 3 weeks away for mental health is worth it, and is likely a benefit to the country.

[geoh777]

"...3 weeks away for mental health..."

I think he could use a lot more.

[bwlewis1964]

Bush was on vacation for eight years!!!!!!!!

[eroteme2]

How about comparing the costs of their vacations (including the cost of their wife's vacations. I believe Obama would be far ahead of the others.

[Boozchzz]

Seriously, you should turn off Talk Radio & FOX "News" because you obviously think what you wrote is true & the ONLY source for such absurdities comes from Talk Radio & FOX "News".

I bet you also think ObamaCare was a Government take over of healthcare, Obama is a Muslim who sympathizes with terrorist, He is a Muslim, He was not born in America, climate change is a Liberal hoax, etc., All the lies & utterly absurd ideas that come from only two places Talk Radio & FOX "News". Even Romney embarrassed himself in the debate by repeating the LIE he heard ONLY on FOX "News & Talk Radio that Obama did not say the attacks in Libya were an act of terrorism...It is extremely SAD that so many like yourself allow others to tell you what to think & to vote against your own economic well being. VERY SAD!!

[Cessna182Q]

Mr. Bush did indeed go to his ranch in Texas on a regular basis costing the taxpayer little in the way of accommodation. However, the runway at Waco,Texas airport had to be substantially lengthened to accommodate Air Force One. This alone cost several millions of dollars more than all of the trips taken by the Obama family.

[eroteme2]

Was Obama's golfing excursions and his basketballing counted?

[Grantu8]

I'm quite sure they did!! Is he not entitled to have a few entertainment days for himself???

[mustng_sally]

Obama's Hawaiian vacation alone was estimated to be over 4 million dollars- go look it up for yourself!

[Boozchzz]

Give it up...Democrats take the job as President more serious than Republicans do. They clean up the messes made by Republicans & they care more about Veterans than Republicans do...Republicans only care about the military when they are using it like their toy so they will be looked at as a "war time POTUS" which is the dream of every Republican to be a war time POTUS. When most never served a day in uniform & the ones who did served in units that were never deployed to a war zone because they have such connections.

[BettyVA]

Those costs are bogus because they include costs like staff and security that are spent no matter where they are located.

[mustng_sally]

The difference is that Bush and Reagan had ranches in other states that served as a second White House and they worked from them. Obama sends his family to Europe, the Bahamas, Mexico, and the taxpayers get stuck with these way over the top family vacations.

[BettyVA]

They had to rebuild the landing strip on the small local airport so that Bush could land in Air Force One. Tax payer funded. Want to rethink that? And if you think Mexico is expensive as a vacation location, you really don't get out much.

[GimmeanF]

I'm not saying that it's not hard work being President, but a President's everyday grind is not the same as for the average person either. Very few of us have an army of aides, secretaries, security detail, valets, chefs, etc., etc., at our beck and call 24/7.

[JLinMN]

So true, and most of us do not have to live at our jobs and work from 4 or 5am until late at night and never get to go home.

[DaudM]

So have you seen what these guys look like after just 4 years on the job. Do you age that much in 4 years. The only one I know of who came out with a head of hair the same color as when they came in is RR and I'm fairly sure that at 78 his hair came out of a bottle.

[BettyVA]

His vacations aren't like ours, either. He's never actually off duty and his family is really never "away" from public scrutiny, either.

[Lowenklee]

"Very few of us have an army of aides, secretaries, security detail, valets, chefs, etc., etc., at our beck and call 24/7."

Very few of us make decisions that can shape world history and effect hundreds of millions of lives across the globe.

With the stress, and pressure, and stakes at risk...I'd wager a president's everyday grind is far far worse than the average person.