For many families, vacations offer an opportunity to spend some quality time together — for better or for worse — and, of course, take tons of photos. For first families in particular, vacations are also a chance to get away from the politics of Washington, D.C. And if you take a closer look at the various Trump versus Obama family vacations, it's clear they each have their go-to places when they want to relax and unwind.
During the eight years that President Obama was in office, the family regularly traveled to the same places for winter and summer breaks, taking some time to reset while the Obama daughters were on a break from school. The Obamas also occasionally went on official government trips together, though these were limited due to the girls' school schedule and privacy concerns, the New York Times reported.
The Trumps haven't taken many official government trips together as a family, which is likely due to the fact that the Trump children are all adults — and many have kids of their own. However, Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric, and Tiffany Trump are joining their father for an upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom beginning on June 5, The Independent reported, and all four will attend the queen's state banquet, too. Beyond their upcoming UK trip, the president and his kids do seem to enjoy taking occasional family trips to a host of familiar places — especially Trump-owned properties.
The list below takes a closer look at the different ways the Trumps and Obamas spent their vacation time during their respective White House tenures. Clearly, both families seem to value the comfort and reliability of frequenting familiar vacation spots.
Hawaii — Obama Family
The Obama family visited Hawaii nearly every winter during the 44th president's eight years in office, according to Hawaii News Now. Obama has deep connections to the state, as he was born there and also spent many years living there as a child, the HuffPost noted.
Ghana — Obama Family
In 2009, the Obama family collectively marked the president's first sub-Saharan Africa trip by traveling together to Ghana. During the trip, the first family toured a Ghanian slave port, where slaves were imprisoned before being forcibly transported across the world. The tour was an emotional one for president, who said at the time that he hoped his daughters were further inspired to take a stand against oppression during their visit. As Obama said, per Politico :
And hopefully one of the things that was imparted to them [Sasha and Malia] during this trip is their sense of obligation to fight oppression and cruelty wherever it appears. And that any group of people who are degrading another group of people have to be fought against with whatever tools we have available to us.
New Jersey — Trump Family
The Trump family frequently spends time at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. For example, as the Daily Mail reported, the president and his wife, along with Ivanka, Jared, and their children, spent a long summer weekend there together in 2018. Moreover, Trump also likes to frequent the resort on his own, with NBC reporting in December 2017 that he had spent 71 days at his New Jersey club since the beginning of his presidency.
Massachusetts — Obama Family
The Obamas vacationed in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, during every summer of Obama's presidency, except during his 2012 reelection campaign. Patch.com noted that the family would stay at the Chilmark House during their trips, which was often referred to as the "Summer White House." Patch.com added that the Obama family frequently went on bike rides around the island together and noted that the former president also spent some time hitting the links.
France — Obama Family
In 2009, the Obama family toured France together, as they combined a presidential trip with a family vacation while Malia and Sasha were on a school break, The Telegraph reported. The outlet noted that the trip was Malia and Sasha's first journey abroad as daughters of the U.S. president. During their trip, the family visited a host of famous French locations, including the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame.
Florida — Trump Family
The Trump-owned Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, Florida, is a frequent travel destination for both the president and the entire Trump family. As a family, the Trumps tend to travel to Mar-a-Lago over the holidays, as they have done for Christmases and Thanksgivings during Trump's presidency, Fox News reported. Outside of family trips, the president frequently heads to his Florida resort for weekend golf trips, per NBC News.
Colorado — Obama Family
Michelle, Sasha, and Malia Obama took several trips to Aspen, Colorado, during Obama's time in office. Fox News reported that the trio liked to travel to Aspen to hit the ski slopes. During a February 2014 interview, Colorado's Pitkin County Sheriff Joe DiSalvo said the former first lady had developed an affinity for the city. “She [Michelle] likes it here," he told the Aspen Daily News.
Colorado — Trump Family
Like the Obamas, the Trump family also seems to have an affinity for skiing in Aspen. As Newsweek reported, an Aspen ski trip has been a long-held Trump family tradition since before the 45th president took office. The trip seems to be popular among many members of the Trump clan, as Newsweek noted that Ivanka and Eric Trump, along with their significant others, their children, and their pets, all traveled to the city to ski in 2017.
Cuba And Argentina — Obama Family
The Obama family traveled to both Cuba and Argentina in March 2016 as part of an official White House trip, though they made time for some fun along the way. The trip coincided with Malia and Sasha's school spring break, and they spent some time exploring the city of Havana as tourists, as the New York Times reported. The family also relaxed in a lakeside town in the Andes Mountains in Argentina.
National Parks — Obama Family
The Obama family has a strong tradition of visiting national parks around the United States. In 2009, the first family took a vacation to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the New York Times reported. In 2010, they headed to Acadia National Park in Maine during a weekend visit to the state, ABC News reported. And, in 2016, shortly after Malia's graduation from high school, the family visited Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and Yosemite National Park in California, according to the Times.
The Bahamas — Trump Family
While the Trumps haven't necessarily traveled to the Bahamas together all at once, the location seems to be a favorite vacation spot for multiple members of the Trump family. Donald Trump Jr. has taken several family trips to the country over the years and traveled there as recently as summer 2017 with his ex-wife and children, per AOL. Moreover, first daughter Tiffany Trump took a trip to the islands in spring 2016 to celebrate the completion of her law school midterms, her Instagram account revealed.
While the Trump and Obama families have taken different types of vacations over the years, their travel choices reveal that they both like to keep traditions alive and make memories at familiar places every year. It seems likely that this trend will remain in place.
