Obama joins family in Hawaii

KAILUA, Hawaii, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama started his first day of vacation in Hawaii Thursday with a workout at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay.

Obama arrived for his workout at 8:23 a.m. and managed to avoid the media that accompanied him on the seven-minute drive from the winter White House in Kailua on the eastern shore of Oahu.

Obama later played his first full round of golf in two months at the base with Hawaii pals Bobby Titcomb and Mike Ramos, and Eric Whitaker from Chicago.

Obama joined his family after the lame-duck session of Congress adjourned.

Air Force One touched down at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam just before midnight Thursday. The ride to his vacation home was about 25 minutes.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, traveled to their home state with Obama.

Hirono said Obama asked her if she was returning home for the holiday and asked if she wanted a lift, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. She said it was her first first time aboard Air Force One.

"He said he's going to go swimming and I said, 'don't forget shave ice,'" she said. "He's just here to relax with his family."

Akaka said his conversation with the president was "mostly family talk," the newspaper said.

Obama is looking forward to spending time with family and friends, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

"I think the president is ... anxious to spend time where he grew up," visiting relatives and childhood friends, Gibbs said.

Obama also will be working, Gibbs said.

"I anticipate that he'll take a number of things with him and that he'll read a good amount of stuff," the spokesman said. "He'll have, obviously, his daily intelligence briefing, as well as probably (read) a novel or two."