The Go-To Vacation Spots Of Your Favorite Past Presidents
Can you imagine a more stressful job than being the president of the United States? We very much doubt it. But over the years, presidents have found ways to escape the immense responsibility that comes with the role – even if for just a little bit. A vacation haven has often been essential to keep a commander-in-chief sane. And this is where our American leaders loved to let their hair down.
Do presidents get vacations?
“Presidents don’t get vacations – they just get a change of scenery,” Nancy Reagan famously once said. At the time, she was sticking up for her husband after he received backlash for his regular visits to their vacation home in California. And there’s certainly a lot of truth in Mrs. Reagan’s words.
Always on duty
Just because a president and his family pack their bags and go on vacation, it doesn’t mean they get to temporarily shirk the responsibilities that come with being the leader of the Western world. Especially during the age of nuclear weapons, he may be called on to make crucial decisions at any time – day or night.
They can't just carpool
A modern presidential vacation is a mammoth affair. According to The Washington Post, the prez will take with him as many as 200 staffers. They’ll range from Secret Service guards to communications experts and military counsels. So it’s certainly not a question of simply chucking the kids in the back of the car and heading off into the blue yonder.
Who's in charge of the guy in charge?
But what exactly are the rules for presidential vacations? For most of us, it’s simply a matter of checking our entitlement and getting the time off approved by our bosses. Who makes the regulations about vacation time for the man in charge of everyone, though? The answer may surprise you.
