Posted on 06/19/2017 12:11:31 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
President Donald Trump spent the Father's Day weekend at Camp David, which has been a quiet getaway for presidents in the Maryland countryside. After spending weekends at his own luxury clubs, this was Trump's first weekend at the presidential retreat known for its rustic charm.
Trump also tweeted about the retreat, a 30-minute helicopter ride from White House, saying it was an honor to be there. The retreat is administered by the White House Military Office and includes a presidential office and living quarters, swimming pool, and meeting hall.
(TWEET-AT-LINK)
Trump usually spends weekends at the properties owned by him such as Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
During this trip, the president was also joined by first lady Melania Trump, their son Barron and Melania's parents. FLOTUS marked the occassion on Twitter and posted a picture of the cabins in the woods.
(TWEETS-AT-LINK)
While Trump's predecessors were fond of the retreat in the Maryland mountains, the 45th president had earlier expressed his unwillingness regarding staying at Camp David for a long period of time. Right before taking the president's office, when asked if he planned to visit the wooded getaway, Trump told a German journalist: “Camp David is very rustic, it’s nice, you’d like it. You know how long you’d like it? For about 30 minutes," the Washington Post reported.
Starting with Franklin D. Roosevelt, 13 presidents have stayed in the retreat. It has several bedrooms, a small office, several fireplaces, a kitchen, and a large outdoor flagstone patio. There is also a heated swimming pool, hot tub, and a single golf hole with multiple tees, according to the White House website .
Former President Richard Nixon contributed to the retreat by building a swiming pool outside the Aspen Lodge, the presidential cabin. Nixon wanted a new pool located in front of the Aspen terrace. The 40 feet by 20 feet pool was heated so it could be used during the winter.
Camp David has also been the venue of many high-level presidential conferences. In 1959, at the height of the Cold War, President Dwight Eisenhower hosted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev at Camp David. In Sept. 1978, through the intervention of President Jimmy Carter, the retreat was the site of a historic peace agreement (known as the Camp David Accords) reached between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. In May 2015, former President Barack Obama convened an international summit at Camp David with leaders from member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Yes, I was thinking along similar lines. The more I learn of this man the more I like him.
And I am one of those who was totally against him in the beginning of his campaign. But I came to have respect for him and admiration for his genuine love for our country, and I was jumping for joy when I learned he had won the election. Had a party at my house on Inauguration Day and danced the night away at my county’s Inaugural Ball.
:)
I have poison ivy right now from gardening. And we have lots of deer bringing their ticks, but I will not be kept from my beloved outdoors. (For the record, I hate gardening, but I love the results, so I will keep doing it. Had company recently that said my yard looks like something from a magazine. Hmmm... I hope they meant a gardening magazine.)
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