HONOLULU — President Barack Obama eased into the first day of his Hawaiian vacation Thursday, opting for privacy over publicity after wrapping up a frenzied lame-duck legislative session.
He began with what has become a familiar routine during his trips to Hawaii — a morning workout at a gym at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. He returned to the base later in the morning to play a round of golf with two friends from his years growing up in Hawaii, as well as a family friend from Chicago.
Obama managed to avoid the cameras during both outings Thursday. He has no public events scheduled during his 11-day vacation, and aides said he planned to spend much of his time at the oceanfront home his family was renting in Kailua.
On the president’s reading vacation reading list: “President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime,” Lou Cannon’s biography of the Republican president.
The president’s vacation won’t be all rest and relaxation. He was to be briefed by advisers daily, and he also planned to spend time working on his State of the Union address, scheduled for January, and a staff review headed by interim Chief of Staff Pete Rouse.
