First Family Back In Washington After Weekend At Camp David
June 19--The first family spent a little more than 24 hours in Frederick County over the weekend and President Donald Trump said he found Camp David to be "incredible," "beautiful" and "very nice."
It was the first family's first visit to the presidential retreat on Catoctin Mountain, and it came one weekend after Melania Trump and the first couple's 11-year-old son, Barron, officially moved into the White House.
The 143-acre rustic retreat features a presidential cabin along with dozens of others and amenities including tennis courts, a bowling alley, heated swimming pool, hot tub and a single golf hole with multiple tees.
The first family left Washington on Marine One around 11 a.m. Saturday. Barron wore soccer shorts for the trip, according to White House press pool reports.
The White House press office did not elaborate on how the first family spent their weekend at Camp David, referring a News-Post reporter to Twitter.
First Lady Melania Trump shared a photo showing a portion of a building on Twitter, with the message: "Barron, @Potus and I enjoying beautiful Camp David! #family #sport #weekend."
It was a bit overcast and humid in Thurmont during the family's visit, but cooler than D.C.
The Trumps arrived back on the White House's South Lawn just after 4 p.m. on Sunday.
As the president walked away from the helicopter in a white "Make America Great Again" cap with Melania Trump by his side, Barron stopped to take a picture with his phone of Marine One, according to pool reports.
Camp David is a little more than a 30-minute helicopter ride from the White House.
Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird said he hadn't heard of any disruptions or protests around Camp David during the family's visit.
"There was not a peep out of anybody that I was aware of," he said. "...It should've been a nice weekend for them, I hope."
CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, who maintains statistics on presidential travel going back for several administrations, wrote on Twitter that it had been nearly a year since a presidential visit to the retreat. The Obama family visited on the weekend of July 30, 2016.
Parts of Catoctin Mountain Park were closed for increased security over the weekend.
Camp David, known formally as the Naval Support Facility Thurmont, was established as a presidential retreat in 1942 by Franklin Roosevelt, who renamed it Shangri-La. The current name was established under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who chose "David" to honor his father and grandson.
Follow Danielle E. Gaines on Twitter: @danielleegaines.
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