First Family Departs For West, Michelle Obama Beats The Heat (PHOTOS)

The first family took off for their western adventure on Friday, looking ready to brave temperatures even hotter than Washington's.

First Lady Michelle Obama wore a white dress, with a printed blouse and pink cardigan layered over it. She wore silver flats. Mrs. Obama and Sasha wore their hair in matching buns. See pictures of the identical mother-daughter outfit the two wore back in June. President Obama was all-business in a tieless suit.

PHOTOS:

• • • • The first family departs the White House on Friday for their big trip out west.

Comments

[dragonfly2x]

the "bun" has to go... ewwww...

[JKPHILLY]

I love this family.

[kbkw54]

Obama has been on the job 8 months and has taken at least 4 vacations...

[LoveGuv]

Vacationist. Liar.

[thrugreeneyez]

Such an adorable family!

[cliffhammond]

Now if we can just get Catholic bishops to take the same attitude. They used to call it the "vow of poverty". Now they call it "et-cum-spiritu-kiss-my-ring".

[Chloe33]

So glad to know that Michelle beat the heat........

[Rt-Wy-4me]

I sure can sleep better tonight knowing that she beat the heat,.. i'm BO is happy also!!

[SpankMePlease]

the Obamas pay for things NO OTHER first family has paid for, such as decorating the residence with their own money. . . . and this:

"The costs of such lodgings are usually split between the White House and the Secret Service; the local Vineyard Gazette reported that the rent in this case will be split three ways -- among the Obamas, the Secret Service and the White House.

Obama's public vow to pay his family's portion of the rent on Martha's Vineyard is unusual, several historians said. "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/12/AR2009081203405_pf.html

they have also taken fewer solely personal trips than other first family.

[t iessa]

Saying it doesn't make it so as we all know.

Please post your link for the stats on the personal trips for first families.

[SpankMePlease]

presidential historians said it in the WP, not me.

obama has taken two solely personal trips--date night in nyc and chicago for valentine's day. by this time both bush had been to crawford 15-20 times and clinton had taken several personal jaunts.

you always so smart when it comes to posting some complaint about obama. google it, if you're interested. i know you're not because you're invested in begruding obama anything.

[cliffhammond]

Now if he'd just undo Bush's more ...meaningful extravagances, like the Patriot Act, torture, rendition, closing Guantanamo, ending the war, collusion in Latin America with Colombia, inter alia.

[kbkw54]

They pay for what? Taxpayers have to pay for Secret service to travel, the pilot and crew that travel with them. This people need hotel rooms , meals, wages. Not to mention the fuel for the jet. Cars when they get there. Obama doesn't pay for that we do.!!!

[LoveGuv]

Yep. Just like we paid for the other 43 presidents. Did you think that would change because this president is black?

[t iessa]

They pay for the actual rental of the property. Other first families owned their own vacation properties or had friends who did so they never had to pay rental. The Obamas don't so they have to pay the rental themselves.

Everything else, we pay.

[Adri8n8]

Adorable! The first family needs to get away from all the crazies for a day and enjoy family time! : )

[cliffhammond]

Does it matter? Rahm Emanuel is running the office anyway.

[4inline]

OMG!!!! The Obamas!!!!! No tie!!!! Cute hair!!!! Cute clothes!!! Going places!!!! They're just so.....oh gotta run, my Mom's coming down the basement steps.

[t iessa]

LOL!!!

[huffingt]

We don't want our country to be like Russia but we will follow Russian Or ly
We are informed citizens, thus follow Pa li n, to see Russia from her porch
We don't want socialism but social security, unemployment insurance and medicare
We want our country back - back from intellectual people
We don't want govt. bureaucrats; we can elect govt. Mo rans
We don't need to show my birth certificate, but demand others to show theirs
We want States right for governance & succession but could use some stimulus money
We don't want govt control but stand by me at every crises & Katrina in my life
We are Americans so we exercise our rights over others
We are unique in our stu pi dity, so, America is the only place for me
We are not angry mob, unamerican, nor militias, just boring left over teabagans
We ha te color people, but, presently on vacation in Puerto Rico to TAN my skin
We yell at meetings to say- hands off when my foot is in my mouth
We have values, good ones, but hard to practice in C. street when lights are off
We don't mind false sided F. news when delivered with a Tear
We are fearful of death panel as it prohibits us from pulling the plug on my rich relatives
We know amendments –to conceal drugs, alcohol, gu ns & soul mates
We understand constitution-"Our forefathers & Sotomayor wrote something.I know she did”

[cliffhammond]

So, like, you're running for office?

[SecretSister]

Couldn't have summed it up better. Thanks.

[rsprags]

LOL, ha, ha!

[lovingpolitics]

How much is this one going to cost us??? dinner in N.Y. and Paris!!!

[LoveGuv]

More griping please!

Every time a bitter Vacationist posts, another Obama angel gets his wings!

[InquiringMind1]

Right on! They are so envious and jealous of him, it cracks me up

[luvangelHussein330]

The post said they are going west not east.... besides this is official business as was the trip to Paris. I could careless if they took a date night every single night to each city on the US map. If it keeps him grounded and sane so be it. it is also important to note that what is not official they do pay for. The Obama's wern't some bums off the street they had money already.

[t iessa]

What official business has he conducted there? All I've seen are family pics enjoying the sites.

[Marrymeplease]

Maybe about as much as it cost to invaid Iraq, tear it down, then spent our taxes to help rebuild it. If you didn't give a dam about that, then stop complaining about a trip to the west coast, by the President and his family.By the way,how much did the prescription drug bill cost, or the tax cut for the rich, neither was paid for. If you're going to complain about one, complain about all. Or else it look alittle racists.!!!!!!!!

[Marrymeplease]

Lovingpolitics.......... ask how much is this going to cost us??? dinner in N.Y. and Paris!!!!! Okay lovingpolitics it could cost us about as much as invading Iraq, destroying it then using our taxes to help rebuild it. What about the prescription drug bill, and the tax cut for the rich, which neither was paid for, added to the debt. If you didn't care how much those things cost, stop complaining about a trip to the west coast by the President and his family.

[t iessa]

Who says lovingpolitics didn't care about those things? I complained about all of those things and am still attacked when I criticize Obama. Why does everything have to be all one way or all the other way with so many of you? Many of us criticized Bush and will criticize Obama. Wasting money is wasting money. Not doing what is right is not doing what is right. It doesn't matter what party the president belongs to or, gasp, what color he is. We just had 8 nightmarish years. We don't want 4 more.

[judiNJ]

Uh, NY is not in the same time zone as the Rockies and Yellow Stone Park. The president is doing Town Halls in MT and CO. Duh!

[ebanks84]

It never ceases to amaze me how freely our president will do business with locals in varying cities and towns that gives them a boost in their patronage. How greatly American is that!

[justobserve]

The two girls' skirt and blouse also matched! The hair suits Michelle better than the normal one.

[1088]

Video of the O family at the Ice cream store at the National Park!

http://necn.com/Boston/Nation/2009/08/15/Obama-orders-ice-cream-for/1250371836.html

Video of O family looking at Old Faithful!

http://necn.com/Boston/Nation/2009/08/15/Obamas-catch-beauty-of-Old/1250369048.html

[Lee Andrew]

Thanks for this... made my heart swell. :

[judiNJ]

He is so cool and natural. Thank you for those clips. I think our President is a very handsome man. Yowza!

[Meldy1]

HuffPost's Pick

My god we are so bless with our President Bam civilize governing,that's why health care reform is needed in our country TODAY.
Down with the palin bubbling lunacy fabricating rhetoric lies.
We are not a stupid country to have such pundits palin death panel words in our civilize country.
Stop palin commenting or we will stop her wassila mouth lashing tactics.
God bless our first family forever.