About Camp David

President Obama at Camp David

2012-01-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

President Obama in his office at Laurel Lodge - August 6, 2011

President Obama and his family spent their first weekend at Camp David in February 2009. He described his visit to reporters: "It was beautiful. The girls just had a great time. They had a lot of fun. You can see during the summer it's going to be a nice place to spend a lot of time." He hit some golf balls and played basketball there that weekend.

In June 2009, Time Magazine reported that President Obama was going to make the Evergreen Chapel at Camp David his primary place of worship because his presence at local church services was often disruptive due to the security requirements. President Obama confirmed this in an NBC interview in 2010: "We love the chapel at Camp David."

President Obama plays basketball at Camp David with senior staff and their family during a retreat on July 18, 2009

According to the recently published book The Obamas, the First Lady planned a surprise birthday party for the President in 2009. On the first weekend in August, the first family headed to Camp David for a supposedly quiet weekend. Upon arrival, the President was called to Laurel Lodge for an important phone call. When he walked in, his closest friends from Hawaii and Chicago, some college friends, and David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs shouted "Surprise!". They had all arrived the night before. They spent the weekend playing basketball, pool, golf, shuffleboard, bowling and Scrabble. Gibbs reported to the press upon returning to the White House that the President bowled a 144 that weekend.

Later in August, Boston University basketball player Sherrod Smith got the chance to play basketball with President Obama at Camp David. The story, photo and video about this opportunity is on the BU website. Politico reported that Oprah Winfrey joined the Obama family at Camp David for a "quiet weekend" also some time in 2009.

The President and First Lady celebrated Valentine's Day at Camp David in 2010. Later in April, Michelle took Malia and Sasha skiing for the day at Ski Liberty in Pennsylvania. The President met them at Camp David that evening for an overnight stay. President Obama invited the Cabinet secretaries and their families to Camp David later that year in October.

President Obama, VP Joe Biden, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan's daughter Claire watch a tennis match at Camp David during a Cabinet retreat held in October 2010

After an eight month absence from Camp David, the Obama family celebrated Sasha's tenth birthday at the retreat this past June. They returned again a few weeks later for the Fourth of July weekend; also the weekend after that; and again in August after President Obama's 50th birthday; and over Labor Day weekend in September and Columbus Day weekend in October.

As of December 2011, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, President Obama has made a total of 22 visits to Camp David spanning 54 days.

President Obama playing with daughter Sasha on her birthday weekend in June 2011

Sources: Huffington Post; CBS News; The Swamp; Politico; Washington Post; Time; New York Times; Obama Foodorama; The Obamas by Jodi Kantor; White House

Winter at Camp David

2011-12-13T15:12:00.001-05:00

Camp David in the winter - 1961

Located at an altitude of 1800 feet up in the Catoctin Mountains, Camp David is always cold and often snowy in the winter. The Aspen Lodge has a large stone fireplace in the living room along with a fireplace in each of the four bedrooms. Winter activities include sledding, skiing, and snowmobiling. President Ford used to enjoy going swimming in the middle of winter in the outdoor super-heated pool.

President Eisenhower watching grandchildren - March 1960

David Eisenhower, grandson of President Eisenhower, recalls Camp David in the winter:

"In winter, before helicopters, access up the winding Catoctin roads was difficult, so wintertime visits were less frequent. But I do remember making my first ski run ever on the hill behind Aspen."

1961 photo of the former Laurel Lodge - now called Holly Cabin

Witch Hazel cabin in 1961

Aspen pool in February 1971

President Carter sledding at Camp David

President Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat - February 1978

President Reagan writing the State of the Union Address at Camp David - 1985

President Bush sledding with daughter Doro - January 1991

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; Ronald Reagan Presidential Library; Jimmy Carter Library; George Bush Library; The President is at Camp David; Time

Camp David Marines Reunion

2011-11-16T14:50:00.001-05:00

President Eisenhower and his wife Mamie in front of Aspen Lodge - 1960

Camp David has been guarded by a marine company from Marine Barracks Washington 8th & I ever since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt, when it was known as Shangri-La. There is an active reunion group for marines who served at the 8th & I Marine Barracks. The marines share their photos and memories on the 8th & I Reunion Association website and have a section dedicated to those who served at Camp David.

The reunion website contains an interesting collection of first-hand accounts of duty at Camp David by marines who served there. One account describes the underground Command Center back in 1956:

"Under the President's lodge there was a Command Center, which he could enter by elevator from several locations within the lodge, including his bedroom. From the command Center, his image could be televised to any location in the world to assure people that he was alive and the government was functioning. There was a War Room from which a global war could be directed. There was a heavy security door leading into this area from the side of the President's lodge. A Marine, armed with a loaded M-l rifle, was always stationed at this door during a presidential visit."

The reunion website also includes many old photos of Camp David from back in the 1950s along with some more recent photos of marines serving there.

One of many images uploaded by former Camp David marines to their reunion website

Sources: 8th & I Reunion Association; Marine Barracks Washington

Video - Home Movies of LBJ and others at Camp David

2011-10-18T20:27:00.001-04:00

The LBJ Library uploaded some of Lady Bird Johnson's home movies to You Tube. Two of the movies contain some interesting scenes shot at Camp David.

The first movie was shot in the summer of 1965. It opens with various scenes at Camp David including the golf hole, the area around the Aspen Lodge, the helicopter landing zone and the swimming pool. David Brinkley, Eugene McCarthy, Billy Graham and Jack Valenti appear in this film along with President Johnson and his family and friends. At approximately 3 minutes into the film, the scene switches to Joseph Hirshhorn's house in Greenwich, Connecticut. The movie returns to Camp David at the 7 minute mark.

The second home movie was shot by Lady Bird Johnson around 1967. It features President Johnson and his family and friends enjoying Camp David. Scenes from the movie include the following locations/activities at Camp David: swimming pool, trampoline, shuffleboard, and bowling alley.

Source: Lyndon Baines Johnson Library (via YouTube)

Golf Carts

2011-09-12T18:16:00.000-04:00

President Bush and South Korean President Lee ride Golf Cart One at Camp David - April 2008

At a ceremony honoring NASCAR drivers, President Obama said "I'm not allowed to drive much these days. Basically just my golf cart at Camp David -- which is called Golf Cart One." President George W. Bush was the first president to name the presidential electric golf cart "Golf Cart One".

The golf carts at Camp David provide a fun and convenient way of getting around the sprawling presidential retreat. There are usually golf carts nearby the helicopter landing area for dignitaries to use to get to their cabins upon arrival. President Nixon had the gravel paths around the camp paved over so he could use the golf carts to get around.

Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Begin ride around Camp David during the Middle East summit there in 1978

President Carter and President Sadat at Camp David in 1978

Walter Mondale and Cyrus Vance Zbigniew Brzezinski and Cyrus Vance - September 1978

In his memoir, Zbigniew Brzezinski wrote that his daughter Mika, and Amy Carter "narrowily escaped ramming into Prime Minister Begin while out driving. Only the quick action of Amy's Secret Service guard saved the Prime Minister from injury and the Carter and Brzezinski families from embarrassment."

Although Newsmax describes the Mika incident: "As a kid tooling around Camp David in a golf cart, she once drove smack into Menachem Begin’s shins."

President Reagan and Nancy Reagan in their golf cart at Camp David in 1981

President Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher riding golf carts at Camp David in 1984

The photo above shows President Reagan picking up Prime Minister Thatcher after her arrival at Camp David. Check out the video of him described as "President Reagan erratically drives golf buggy" shot in 1986 for her return visit.

President Bush prepares to jog with George Strait - January 1993

President Bush reacts to Mikhail Gorbachev's driving skills in 1990

Sources: The White House; USA Today; New York Magazine; The Reagans: Portrait of a Marriage; Jimmy Carter Library; ibiblio.org; Newsmax; AP; Ronald Reagan Presidential Library; George Bush Presidential Library; UPI

Raven Rock Mountain Complex

2011-08-23T00:37:00.018-04:00

If you search for Camp David on the internet, you are bound to stumble across information about the Raven Rock Mountain Complex, also known as Site R. A popular theory floating around is that there is a secret tunnel between Camp David and Site R. I had never heard of the RRMC, so I decided to look into it.

Site R is a deep underground relocation facility for the Department of Defense located in Pennsylvania about six miles from Camp David. It serves as the Alternate National Military Command Center (ANMCC) and is known as the underground Pentagon.

FOIA DOCUMENTS

The best source of information I found about Site R came from the Department of Defense in response to a 1999 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted to the Joint Staff for information about the "Site R Civil Defense Site". FOIA documents released included the following history of Site R:

1950-1953 Construction of first 3 buildings: President Truman approved the project in 1950 and one half million cubic yards of superhard greenstone granite rock was secretly blasted out and hauled away in ten months. Underground buildings A, B, and C (each 3-stories tall) were completed in 1953.

1963-1965 Construction of 2 additional buildings: Buildings D and E were constructed and the ANMCC (alternate national military command center) was expanded and moved from Building C to the new Building D.

1989-1992 Cooling tower / reservoir: A $13.5 million dollar project installed structural bracing, a fire detection/sprinkling system, a new tunnel, an underground reservoir, and additional cooling towers at the underground site. A 1990 article in the Gettysburg Times provides additional information about the project.

1994 Site R Security Building: A security building was built outside the A Portal.

RRMC Security building

Site R Tenants
The following list of Site R tenants were included in the 1999 FOIA documents: Naval Operations Support Activity, Joint Staff Support Center, Air Force Manpower Readiness Flight, National Military Command Center, Air Force Operations Group, Air Force Emergency Operations Center, Defense Intelligence Agency, 1111th Signal Battalion (now the 114th), Department of the Navy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and 17 other tenants.

Raven Rock Mountain Complex Layout
The 1999 FOIA request also resulted in the release of the following documents:

Illustration released by the Department of Defense in response to a 1999 FOIA request

EARLY NEWS COVERAGE OF SITE R

If you have spent any time on this blog, you will know that I like to reference old newspaper articles. The Raven Rock Mountain Complex was built during the cold war and I find it interesting to read articles about it that were written during that time period. Some of my favorites:

Click here to read the entire article

RAVEN ROCK MOUNTAIN COMPLEX AERIAL PHOTOS

Bing Maps has a feature called Birds-eye that displays aerial images of a location that were shot from low-flying airplanes overhead. Here are some screenshots from the Birds-eye view of the Raven Rock Mountain Complex map:

Site R: A Portal (on right) and B Portal. The Security Building is to the right of A Portal (Bing Maps)

Site R: C Portal and D Portal (Bing Maps)

Site RT - antenna site located on top of the Raven Rock Mountain Complex (Bing Maps)

Site R : A, B, C, and D Portals and Site RT (Google Maps)

Raven Rock Mountain Complex helipad and fire station (Bing Maps)

RRMC satellite communications facility at Site C (21st Signal Brigade netcom.army.mil - full-size photo)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF SITE R

The 2010 DOD Base Structure Report lists the "Raven Rock Site" in Pennsylvania as having 61 buildings totaling over 630,000 square feet on 716 acres. In 2001, there were 59 buildings with a total of 452,000 square feet on the same number of acres.

There are several different areas that make up Site R. The glossary page in the unclassified 1994 Army Regulation 190-15 Physical Security of the Alternate Joint Communications Center (AJCC) defines these three locations:

Site R - the Alternate Joint Communications Center
Site RT - the limited area at Site R where antennas are located
Site Creed - the limited area on the west side of the AJCC with an underground building complex

In addition, there is also Site C, which is a satellite communications facility located atop Quirauk Mountain in Washington County in Maryland supported by the 302nd Signal Battalion. Someone living nearby captured the nighttime glow from Site C in this Flickr photo.

A website about America's Cold War Infrastructure describes Site Creed as a microwave radio tower that was part of a Presidential emergency communication network built in the late 1950s - early 1960s. The tower consisted of nine floors below ground and two floors above ground that housed the microwave/antennas equipment. The Creed tower is located a short distance away from the main complex and access is via a separate entrance tunnel. According to that same website, the tower is no longer in use. Read more about the Creed Tower and view the diagram at full-resolution.

Site Creed (tower at lower right) on Bing Maps Cross Section view of the Creed Tower

In 1991, the "mayor of Raven Rock", Lt. Col Art Maxwell, described the underground facility in an unclassified briefing. Site R has four portals going 650 feet below the 1,529 foot summit of the Raven Rock Mountain. It has living quarters, a fitness center, a medical facility, the Granite Cove dining facility, a barbershop, a chapel, legal services, and a convenience store. The underground reservoirs hold millions of gallons of water. There are 35 miles of cables on 180 telephone poles. The inside of Site R looks like a typical office building except that there are no windows. Site R also has a wastewater treatment plant.

There are two underground power plants - East and West plants. A fully redundant system is required to power the HVAC and emergency generators in the event of an extended lockdown. The "Recent Changes to Site R" section below describes some major upgrades to the West power plant. In January 1990, an explosion occurred at RRMC. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines made a recommendation related to some antiquated equipment in the power plants to prevent this from recurring.

A declassified document from the Nuclear Vault of the National Security Archive described the underground buildings at Site R:

"The ANMCC and Presidential quarters were in Building D. Buildings A, B, and C provided quarters, administrative space, and the operational facilities that the services planned to use as primary emergency centers. The ANMCC was designed to accommodate 3,000 persons in an emergency and could operate at least 30 days in a "buttoned up" position."

A Baltimore Sun article describes Site R's five 3-story underground buildings: "The five buildings at the site are separated by thick rock walls because each was erected inside its own mountain cavern."

A 2011 employment ad included this description: "One of the nation's premier deep underground facilities providing a safe location for the command and control of the government in a comprehensive all-threat hazards environment. Installation is comprised of a large nationally critical underground communications facility and three satellite sites with substantial quantities and varieties of combustible and valuable equipment and supplies."

A 2010 Fort Detrick Defense Technology & Intelligence Career Fair ad described the composition of the workforce at Ft. Detrick: "Approximately 6,979 military members, civilians and contractors work at Fort Detrick, with support services being provided to an additional 739 at Raven Rock Mountain Complex." A Linked-in profile of a Supervisory Police Officer at Raven Rock put the military police force there at around 120 as of 2005.

RECENT CHANGES TO SITE R

RRMC Fire Station

The RRMC Fire Station was built in 2005. The E-One website has a photo of a commercial pumper truck delivered there.

The underground cavern was expanded in the last few years to accommodate the installation of larger fuel storage tanks and the complete replacement of the West Power plant including new generators, fuel tanks, chillers, pumps, air handling units, direct digital controls, a heat exchanger, boiler, sprinkler suppression system, and miscellaneous infrastructure support. This work was done to support the mission based on the future projected facility loads.

The 2012 budget provides for the reconfiguration and consolidation of the Emergency Operations Center.

MISSION OF THE RAVEN ROCK MOUNTAIN COMPLEX

According to the 2012 Department of Defense Budget documents, "The RRMC" provides the DOD Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff and Senior DOD Leadership".

DoD Directive 5105.53 dated February 26, 2008 defined the RRMC responsibility of the DA&M (Director of Administration and Management reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense) as follows:

"Provide for the ongoing transformation and improvement of RRMC into a fully-integrated, unified DoD enterprise that affords dedicated support to the DoD continuity and command and control missions."

The DOD Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) website describes RRMC as: "The Nation's Premier Secure Strategic Battle Command Platform – assuring senior leader's ability to execute their mission essential functions. RRMC's elite workforce provides a unique capability to meet requirements of a nation at war."

A WHS 2011 employment ad also has this description: "RRMC includes Site C and encompasses at least 25 tenant activities with varied mission peculiar requirements and representing OSD, JS, and all branches of the military services." In addition, a DOD directive defines RRMC tenant units as including both the above DOD components and "other Executive Departments and Agencies located at the AJCC by agreement." The financing of Site R operations is shared by tenants via the Defense Working Capital Fund.

The Army's 114th Signal Battalion runs the communication and computer systems at Site R. Their 2011 employment ad states: "The 114th Signal Battalion assists our nation by planning, installing, operating, maintaining and defending Information Services to enable Command and Control for the National Military Command Center (NMCC) Raven Rock Mountain Complex (RRMC), Combatant Commanders, DoD, other Federal agencies and the RRMC during daily and COOP operations."

The mission statement also proclaims "114th Signal Battalion members are proud to be 'Signal Masters of the Rock'" and according to their Facebook page, "Rock Steady Hooah!" (11/21/2011 update: their Facebook page has recently been taken down, but here is a screenshot).

114th Signal Battalion mission statement from www.netcom.army.mil

Prior to the 114th Signal Battalion, the 1111th Signal Battalion was responsible for the communication support at Site R. The 1111th Signal Battalion's old website provides a detailed history of the unit at Site R. Their mission statement also proclaimed them proud to be "Signal Masters of the Rock".

1111th Signal Battalion mission statement from asc.army.mil

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) supports the computer operations at Site R for the Joint Staff Support Center (JSSC), which has a primary location at the Pentagon and an alternate one at Site R. Employees of the DISA JC6 division of the JSSC were called the "Guardians of the Rock". An excerpt from their rather lengthy 2003 JC6 mission statement:

Provides operation, administration, maintenance, and direct customer support of Information Systems to satisfy the C3 and analytical requirements of the Joint Staff at the Alternate Joint Communications Center - Site R.

Installs, maintains, and supports hardware and software for Global Command and Control System (GCCS), GCCS-Top Secret (GCCS-T), Global Management Center (GMC), National Command and Control System (NCCS), Nuclear Planning and Execution System (NPES), Communications Support Processor (CSP), and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Network systems at Site R.

Manages JSSC Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) to include COOP facility management and relocation reception. Serves as on-site liaison to Headquarters DISA and the Global Network Operations Support Center for their COOP plans.

RAVEN ROCK MOUNTAIN COMPLEX ORGANIZATION CHART

The Washington Headquarters Services Organization Chart shows the management structure at Site R:

From the Washington Headquarters Services Organization Chart as of May 2011

PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES AT SITE R

The FedBizOpps.gov website displays federal procurement opportunities over $25,000. Users can search by agency, location, and keyword. No login is required; the information on this website is unclassified and is open to vendors and citizens. Here are some recent solicitations related to operations and projects at the Raven Rock Mountain Complex:

The Department of Defense uses a 4-digit Program Project Activity (PPA) code to track approved funding for programs and activities within various departments. The partial list below of 2011 RRMC PPA codes listed as active for WHS also shows some of the current activities at RRMC:

WORKING AT SITE R

A former soldier gave this description of Site R in an interview with a local PA television station:

"You just drove into a tunnel and then eventually you come into a point that's hollowed out. And there's a couple of buildings in there. I was awed. I couldn't believe it. It was something -- the engineering."
He went on to say that Site R looked like the inside of a giant igloo with office buildings inside. The hollowed out area inside the mountain was big enough that buses and even big rigs could be driven in and parked.

In 2004, a former soldier stationed at Fort Ritchie in the early days of Site R published a detailed description of his experience in an essay in a Canadian literary magazine. An excerpt from the essay was published on the Sadly, No! blog. Several others who were stationed at Site R over the years also described their Raven Rock experience in the comment section that followed the blog post:

"My tour consisted of 4 days in, 7 days off, 3 days in, 7 days off. My watch was 12 hours on, 12 hours off. Handkerchiefs were almost pitch black after 4 days of breathing dirty air."

"A readiness posture was ALWAYS expected, and I was there for a few “Slam Door” and “Button Up” events, Three Mile Island, the Chinese invasion of Vietnam, and two Norad computer errors indicating a Soviet missile attack."

"The presidential suite was located above our computer room. Lots of stories about each president, Nixon supposedly had the suite done for his daughter completely in pink."

"I liked the faux windows in the mess hall, it did my heart good to see “outside” whilst Happy Jack dished up food…"

" Does anyone recall the “submarine drills” conducted at the reservoir for the newbies?"

"Boy what memories of things like the dome area, nine and three shifts, submarine watch and blowing the valves."

On another message board, a guy who worked "in the crypto section" described Site R as having a complete war room, a room for the President, bunk rooms for several hundred, enough food to last six months, and complete medical units.

A blogger recently overheard a conversation between two guys where one of them described his "interesting" experience gaining access into Site R as a civilian contractor:

"That meant a long elevator ride with an armed escort in an elevator car with only two buttons, and he's the only one allowed to push them. I keep thinking we're almost there but it keeps going and going! When it finally does stop... read more"

Site R challenge coin

Another person who visited Site R while stationed at Fort Detrick wrote an interesting article about the inside of the facility:

"As we walked into the tunnel I felt like I was passinginto another world. The tunnel walls and ceiling were rough-hewn rock. Therewas a pedestrian sidewalk on both sides of the roadway that sloped gentlydownward. The roadway angled to the left before making a sharp turn back to theright and another sharp left turn back to our original direction."

He went on to describe passing through steel blast doors and an airlock into an office building with low ceilings and narrow hallways. He passed by fire trucks and an ambulance and got to see one of the generators. His tour also included one of the underground reservoirs:

"We climbed a steel ladder to a catwalk over anenormous, deep, greenish-blue pool of water that stretched back into a blackdistance. Underwater lights showed the same rough-hewn rock walls as the restof the cavern. It was one of the most unusual sights I have ever seen."

Job notices for RRMC are frequently posted online. They often come with warnings such as:

"Work is performed in an office in a deep underground hardened command and control facility with no daylight and with breathing air subject to the successful operation of mechanical air intake devices. Daily ingress and egress from office requires walking through industrial and storage areas via concrete roadways and hallways up to a mile in length."

"Going to and from work on a daily basis requires exposure to exhaust fumes created by diesel engines as well as other industrial irritants such as loud noises and dust. Because of the great likelihood of a major smoke event and total darkness during a fire, selectee must maintain a flashlight and also be issued and trained to use an emergency escape breathing apparatus."

"May be required to stay for longer than duration of workday and multiple days due to emergency lockdowns."

EMERGENCY RELOCATION TO SITE R ON 9/11

Helipad at Site R - Bing Maps

Shortly before 10AM on September 11, 2001, counter-terrorism czar Richard Clarke activated the Continuity of Government (COG) plan and told the Pentagon: "We are initiating COG. Please activate your alternate command centers and move staff to them immediately".

The Raven Rock Mountain Complex has specific helicopter evacuation procedures, code-named Blue Light and Iron Gate, that they follow during COG events. Although the plan called for the Secretary of Defense to relocate, Donald Rumsfeld sent his deputy Paul Wolfowitz citing concerns about being out of touch during the time it would take to fly to Site R.

The Office of Army Reserve History wrote about the role of Site R on 9/11:

"Despite the attack, command and control of the nation’s armed forces never lapsed. The Chief of the Army Reserve, Lieutenant General Thomas J. Plewes, was working in his office in the Pentagon when the attack occurred. Key defense leaders, including General Plewes, participated in the building’s evacuation before they were whisked away to Site R, also known as the Alternate Joint Communications Center, a secure location on the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. For a time, General Plewes was the ranking military official at the site, considered to be the “back up” command and control center for the Pentagon."

According to this story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, local residents spotted helicopters and convoys of SUVs along with a "truck hauling furniture to accommodate the influx of bureaucrats". In 2004, Time Magazine reviewed a book by James Bamford that revealed Site R as the "undisclosed location" of Dick Cheney following the events of 9/11. Shortly thereafter, The Drudge Report reported that a White House official fumed: "TIME magazine would have revealed the secret location of Anne Frank, if they knew it." However, in his recent memoir "In My Time", Cheney says his undisclosed location was at the VP Residence, his home in Wyoming, and "most often, Camp David".

The Relocation Procedures and Support Handbook provides advice on what to pack for a relocation stint at Site R: two complete changes of clothes, laundry detergent, combination lock, two towels and a flashlight. The handbook advises that the Granite Cove Dining Facility there closes at 5PM and the sleeping accommodations consist of three-tier bunk beds assigned in 12-hour shifts. And leave your radio, alcohol and knives at home.

PUBLIC TOURS OF THE RAVEN ROCK MOUNTAIN COMPLEX

Parody photo of Raven Rock entrance sign

There are no public tours of RRMC except for the fictional Raven Rock Mountain Complex Site R Tour offered up on a parody website.

According to the Brookings Institution, Colonel Mark Scuerman, a former Site R commandant, proposed opening the facility in 1992 for public tours. That idea was rejected by officials at the Department of Defense.

However, tours are available if you happen to be a White House Fellow.

The lack of an official tour does not stop the curious from driving through the area and taking photos and posting them on Flickr. Here's a guy who even shot a video (although it was of Site C, not Site R as he stated). Sometimes people who live near Site R discuss strange events they see on internet message boards or what they hear on local radio forums. One person wrote about the "alarming" amount of military trucks going into Site R and coming out empty in 2008 but was reassured by someone with a friend who worked for the government and said they were "in the process of linking all branches of the military and pentagon into one communication system". This same friend also claimed she had to go down in an elevator for almost 10 minutes and then had get into another one and go sideways for 5...

Wired Magazine's blog "Danger Room" wrote the post "How to Visit a Secret Nuclear Bunker", which was about an announcement they saw on the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) website about the Raven Rock Hardened Facilities Managers Conference that DTRA was sponsoring at Site R. The Wired bloggers sent an email to DTRA asking for information about the conference.

Some of the items on the agenda included:

RRMC mission briefing by the Installation Commander
How RRMC works - Life Support Division
Logistics - clothing, rations, supply, and berthing
Security / Blast door designs
Tour of the RRMC health facility
Engineering terrain walk

Agenda items that might make you glad you missed this particular conference included: "Emergency Escape Mask Demonstration" and "Tunnel Collapse Briefing". The Danger Room blog noted that the Raven Rock Mountain Complex location is unclassified and posted the address and the driving directions to Site R along with other conference information.

CONCLUSION: IS THERE A TUNNEL FROM CAMP DAVID TO SITE R?

I wrote this blog post because I wanted to see if I could find any information on the internet that supports the theory of a tunnel running between Camp David and Site R. As you can see from the length of this post, the Department of Defense has published a lot of public information over the years about the Raven Rock Mountain Complex including the construction history, tenants, facility layout, photos, mission, budget, organization chart, job information, procurement solicitations and activities.

However, nowhere in this wealth of information did I come across anything about a tunnel to Camp David. In fact, in a newspaper article cited above, the "mayor of Raven Rock" officially denied the existence of the tunnel. As I wrote in my "About" page, I do not have any connection to Camp David. The same goes for Site R. I have never been there and don't know anyone who has.

12/22/2011 UPDATE: Like most bloggers, I periodically review the visitor log stats for my blog. Today I received a visit from the Army Operations Center at the Pentagon via a Google search: "tunnel between camp david site r". So the mystery continues...

Sources: The Black Vault; FY 2009 Defense Budget - Military Construction; FY 2012 Defense Budget - Justification; 2008 Pentagon Renovation Report; WHS PPA Codes; 114th Signal Battalion; 1111th Signal Battalion; whs.mil; Bing Maps; Google Maps; Danger Room - wired.com; Brookings Institution; Federation of American Scientists; coldwar-c4i.net; Gettysburg Times; Pittsburgh Press; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; coldwarcomms; Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan; Federal Register; wikimapia; fbo.gov; 21st Signal Brigade; Urban Exploration Resource; Godlike Productions; Radio Reference; WGAL; Sadly, No!; 572nd Military Police - Site R; National Security Archive; 2012 Joint Staff Budget Estimates; Daily Mail; Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror; The Pentagon; Time Magazine; Code Names; The Role of the Army Reserve in the 11 September Attacks; Baltimore Sun; LATimes; Marshall Independent; Adventures of Roberta X

Camp David Sign

2011-08-07T18:21:00.000-04:00

Probably the most well-known photo of Camp David is the one below with young David Eisenhower standing in front of the Camp David sign. His grandfather, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, renamed the Shangri-La presidential retreat to "Camp David" in honor of him.

David Eisenhower standing in front of the Camp David sign

The Camp David sign has become a symbol of the Presidential Retreat and appears in various locations around the camp.

Camp David hosts many visitors throughout the year. For security purposes, guests are not allowed to take photos. However, official photos taken next to the famous sign are permitted.

In 2008, First Lady Laura Bush led a tour of Camp David for the presidential library directors, the Archivist of the United States, and staff from the Office of Presidential Libraries. One of the tour participants wrote about this experience on her blog.

Laura Bush poses with directors of the Presidential Libraries Wednesday, June 4, 2008, during their visit to Camp David

President Bush and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in April 2008

The Camp David sign was originally located at the entrance to Camp David, but is now inside the retreat. There are multiple signs located throughout the camp. The sign above with Bush and Lee is located near the helicopter landing area. There is also a sign near the Hickory Lodge. The sign has lights installed under the roof and is illuminated at night.

Lights installed on the Camp David sign illuminate it at night

The original entrance sign read Shangri-La, which was the name of the retreat prior to the Eisenhower Administration. The sign on the right is from 1972. This 2003 blog post has a more recent photo of the entrance to Camp David where the sign there reads simply "Camp #3".

Camp David entrance signs

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; Gerald R. Ford Foundation; whitehouse.gov; Watch this, Mom!;
Sea Scout Ship 25; UPI

Ike's First Helicopter Ride to Camp David

2011-07-16T18:14:00.000-04:00

President Eisenhower departs the White House on July 12, 1957 on a 2-passenger Bell H-13J helicopter

President Eisenhower was the first president to travel to Camp David via helicopter. With the dawn of the nuclear age, it became necessary for the President to have a faster means of evacuation in the event the Soviets decided to bomb the White House. In July of 1957, Ike rode a Bell H-13J helicopter to Camp David for part of the "Operation Alert" civil defense exercise. The helicopter reduced the two-hour travel time from Washington to only thirty minutes. Watch the video newsreel of President Eisenhower in his helicopter during "Operation Alert".

According to this 1957 newspaper article, President Eisenhower rode with James Rowley, head of the Secret Service to a "mountaintop secret relocation center". The Smithsonian AirSpace blog identifies this secret relocation center as the command post at Camp David.

I previously wrote another post about the underground bomb shelter that serves as the Camp David command post.

President Eisenhower preparing to depart the White House and his arrival at Camp David

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum; Herald-Journal; AP (via Cryptome)

Camp David Security Breach

2011-06-15T15:23:00.000-04:00

President Nixon at Camp David White House badge from the 1960s

It was 1969. The U.S. was fighting a war in Vietnam and was involved in a Cold War with the Soviet Union. The military wanted to test Presidential security to see if improvements were needed. The Air Force Chief of Staff gave the order to a team of forty men from the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) to plot a simulated assassination of the President.

The Air Force hit team chose Camp David as one of their targets. Security was tight whenever President Nixon was at the camp, so they planned their entry when they knew he wasn't going to be there. They created a fake White House ID based on one they saw left hanging on a coat hook by a careless White House staffer at a restaurant in DC.

They called the Camp David security office and told them to expect a White House aide who needed a tour of the retreat. The fake aide arrived in a limo; showed his pass and was let inside the gates. He was given a tour of the Aspen Lodge, the President's cabin at Camp David. When no one was looking, he made his move. He replaced a toilet paper roll in the Aspen bathroom with one that would release faux-poisonous gas when pulled.

In a second attack scenario at Camp David, the Air Force team drove to the public area of Catoctin Mountain Park and hiked through the woods armed with grenade launchers and duct tape. They climbed a 40-foot tree and positioned the grenade launchers toward the Presidential helipad.

The Air Force reviewed the results of this assignment and made the necessary security recommendations.

For more information about this mission, read the full article in the Orange County Register.

Sources: Orange County Register; Life

Camp David on Google Maps and Google Earth

2011-05-17T17:50:00.004-04:00

All of the major search providers - Google, Bing, and Yahoo - have map applications that allow you to view satellite images of any location in the world. Google Maps has an additional program that you can install called Google Earth, which allows you to view maps in 3D. My favorite feature of Google Earth is the Historical Imagery, which allows you to travel back in time to see how places have changed over the years.

I viewed all of the available historical maps of Camp David and found two areas within the Presidential Retreat that have undergone changes that are visible from Google Earth. The most obvious change I discovered is in the general area of the Skeet Range. This area also contains the landing zone for the Presidential helicopter Marine-One.

Here is the first map from 1988. The skeet range, field house and helicopter pad is in the lower left corner.

Camp David map - April 4, 1988 (Click on photo to enlarge)

Here is the same view almost 20 years later. Notice the additional buildings and parking lot to the right of the field house. You can also see where an additional sand trap was added to the Aspen Lodge golf practice area on the far right of the map. This 2007 version is the one that is currently live on Google Maps.

Camp David map - February 28, 2007

Here is the same view only two years later. The field house has disappeared and a new structure has been built in the field area. I found a recent solicitation on a federal procurement website for equipment to be installed in a "new hangar" with a 38 foot ceiling at Camp David . So, maybe they built a new hangar there. Or maybe not.

Camp David map - May 29, 2009

The other area where I noticed a change is where the staff pool and rec center is located.

Outdoor pool in the staff area of the camp - February 28, 2007

Here is the same area two year later in 2009. The resolution of the map is lower but you can make out what appears to be a new structure to the right of the pool. Of course, it could also just be a shadow. Hence the problem with comparing hi-res images with low-res ones!

Outdoor pool - May 29, 2009

Full view of Camp David from Google Maps - February 2007

View the high-resolution version of the Camp David map

Additional historical maps of Camp David can be viewed on the Camp David Maps page of this blog.

Source: Google Maps

Camp David Museum

2011-04-27T01:28:00.002-04:00

You may not be able to visit Camp David, but if you happen to be in the Thurmont Maryland area, you can visit the next best thing: The Camp David museum at the Cozy Restaurant and Country Inn. The museum contains Camp David photos and artifacts from the Hoover administration on up given to them by members of the media, White House staff, and Camp David visitors. There is even a gift shop that features Camp David clothing items and accessories.

Here are some photos from the 2005 Camp David museum opening.

Click on the above photo to access the Camp David museum video page

The Frederick News-Post published a story in 2009 reporting that the museum was being updated to include numerous photos from the time when President George W. Bush was in office.

Source: The Cozy Restaurant and Country Inn; Frederick News-Post; Picasaweb

Easter at Camp David

2011-03-28T22:24:00.002-04:00

President and Mrs. Ford attend an Easter Service in Thurmont, MD in 1976

A quick search of the Google News Archive found a number of Camp David Easter visits over the years. President Johnson went to Camp David over Easter weekend in 1967 with the First Lady and daughter Lynda . They attended a church service at a nearby Episcopal church. The White House reported that Mrs. Johnson wore a mimosa yellow silken wool coat with a yellow dress.

Former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower joined the Nixons for an Easter celebration at Camp David in 1971. They attended a service at the nearby Thurmont United Methodist Church. It was reported that Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Eisenhower wore lavender outfits and Nixon daughters Julie and Tricia wore blue. After the service, the group returned to Camp David for an Easter dinner. The Nixons also returned to Camp David for Easter the following year. The weekend included a party on Saturday night in the Aspen Lodge to celebrate David Eisenhower's 24th birthday. In 1973, President Nixon gave his aides John Ehrlichman and Bob Haldeman the use of Camp David over Easter Weekend while he went to Florida instead.

The Clintons attend the Easter Service - April 16, 1995

President Ford and First Lady Betty attended an Easter service in 1976 at the Episcopal Harriet Chapel in Thurmont. The weekend's Camp David activities also included swimming in the outdoor pool, tennis, and watching the new Hitchcock movie "The Family Plot".

In 1978, an ice storm forced President Carter to cancel his plans to attend a sunrise service at nearby Fort Ritchie. The army chaplain there braved the icy roads to perform the Easter service at Camp David instead under lights powered by an emergency generator.

President Bush and First Lady Barbara celebrated Easter at Camp David with some of their children and grandchildren in 1989. They attended an Easter service on Sunday morning followed by an Easter Egg Hunt for the grandchildren. The menu for their Easter dinner included roast turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green beans, cranberry sauce and blueberry and pecan pies. First Dog Millie and her six newborn puppies also came along for the weekend.

The Clintons spent their first Easter at Camp David in 1993. They attended mass at the Evergreen Chapel and then shared an Easter dinner with family and friends. They also went to Camp David at Easter in 1995 and 1998.

President George W. Bush usually spent Easter at his ranch in Texas except in 2006 and 2008 when he celebrated Easter at Camp David. Below are photos from the 2006 Easter service at the Evergreen Chapel and the Easter lunch menu.

Sources: GPO Access; St. Petersburg Times; Lodi News-Sentinel; Herald-Journal; The Windsor Star; The Victoria Advocate; Milwaukee Sentinel; Philly.com; Living History; The White House

Fishing

2011-02-28T17:10:00.001-05:00

Fishing at Shangri-La - May 1943

President Roosevelt took Winston Churchill fishing during a weekend at Shangri-La in 1943. Churchill described the outing with President Roosevelt in his War Memoirs:

"On Sunday the President wanted to fish in a stream which flowed through lovely woods. He was placed with great care by the side of a pool, and sought to entice the nimble and wily fish. I tried for some time myself at other spots. No fish were caught, but he seemed to enjoy it very much, and was in great spirits for the rest of the day."

Although the FDR Library indicated in their caption that the photo at left was taken at Shangri-La, it was actually taken at nearby Hunting Creek.

The President is at Camp David describes the Hunting Creek area where the two of them went fishing:

"a mountain stream that crossed the road to Shangi-La about two miles west of the camp entrance. The six-mile stretch of the stream between its source near Foxville and the Thurmont municipal dam had been heavily stocked with brook trout and set aside for fly fishing."

Heading off to go fishing - 1960

President Eisenhower went fishing on several occasions while he was at Camp David. This 1953 newspaper article describes a Fourth of July weekend at Camp David where he caught four trout when he went fishing "near his cabin headquarters".

This 1958 article reported on a weekend Camp David trip where he got in two hours of fishing and caught five trout.

President Carter - August 12, 1980

The UPI caption for this photo of President Carter states that President Carter is fishing in a stream near Camp David on August 12, 1980. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library website has a comprehensive list of every trip that President Carter took that included fishing. On August 12, 1980, it listed Camp Peniel as the location. The Maryland DNR site references a parking lot near the Camp Peniel bridge which provides access to fishing in Big Hunting Creek.

In his autobiography Sharing Good Times, President Carter wrote about his attempts to get his wife Rosalynn interested in fly fishing:

"Rosalynn later practiced for hours, casting into the swimming pool at Camp David. She had a natural talent and soon developed precise control and proper placement of the fly."

President Carter practicing his technique outside Aspen Lodge - November 1980

Despite the fact that there is no fishing available inside Camp David, the close proximity to nearby Hunting Creek allows our First Anglers to pursue their favorite pastime while visiting the Presidential Retreat.

Google Earth view of Hunting Creek and nearby Camp David

Sources: Life; Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum; Eisenhower Presidential Library; Jimmy Carter Library; The President is at Camp David; Sarasota Herald-Tribune; The Times-News; UPI; Ocala Star-Banner; Sharing Good Times

A Camp David Wedding

2011-01-29T16:53:00.000-05:00

On June 27 1992, Dorothy Bush LeBlond and Bobby Koch exchanged wedding vows during a ceremony held at the Evergreen Chapel at Camp David. It was the first wedding ever performed at the chapel.

The wedding festivities began at 4PM when arriving guests gathered at Laurel Lodge for refreshments while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The Evergreen Chapel was decorated with peach roses. Music played above in the balcony and the bride came down the aisle escorted by her father President George H.W. Bush. The bride wore a wedding dress designed by Arnold Scaasi with salmon chiffon and lace.

The reception was held behind the Aspen Lodge. Tables were set up for 130 guests on the terraces and around the pool. The White House chefs made a cake and cooked a buffet dinner which included fresh salmon that Senator Ted Stevens sent from Alaska. The Marine Band played country music.

Some White House staff members volunteered on the day of the event. Off-duty White House butlers helped with serving the guests and some staff from the florist shop decorated the chapel and the reception tables.

Sources: My Father, My President: A Personal Account of the Life of George H.W. Bush; Barbara Bush: A Memoir; The Baltimore Sun; The New York Times; White House

Sledding

2011-01-10T17:01:00.001-05:00

President Bush goes sledding at Camp David with his daughter Doro in January 1991

Because of the hilly terrain, sledding is a popular winter activity at Camp David.

In 1991, President Bush went tobogganing with Arnold Schwarzenegger at Camp David. Barbara Bush joined in the fun by riding down the hill in a saucer.

When it became clear that the First Lady was headed for a tree, the President's urgent call to "Bail out! Bail out!" went unheeded. Unfortunately, she hit the tree and broke her leg.

This 1991 New York Times story describes the incident.

President Eisenhower watches his grandchildren sledding down the Aspen Lodge hill - March 1960

President Carter sledding with daughter Amy and a friend at Camp David in February 1978

Sources: George Bush Library; Jimmy Carter Library; Eisenhower Presidential Library; White House; Barbara Bush: Matriarch of a Dynasty; New York Times

New Year's Eve letter from Pres George H.W. Bush to his Children

2010-12-30T20:54:00.001-05:00

The following letter was typewritten by President George H.W. Bush on New Year's Eve in 1990 and addressed to his five children - George, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Doro.

In the letter, he writes about the family time spent at Camp David over Christmas and his feelings about going to war with Iraq.

Click on letter for full-size

Source: National Archives; George Bush Presidential Library

Christmas at Camp David

2010-12-19T13:27:00.000-05:00

President George W. Bush and his family at Camp David on Christmas Day in 2008

President George W. Bush celebrated Christmas at Camp David a total of twelve times - eight while he was in office and four while his father was in office. In 2003, First Lady Laura Bush was asked in the whitehouse.gov online forum "Ask the White House" about why they like to go to Camp David for Christmas. Her reply:

"We choose to spend Christmas at Camp David because it is such a beautiful snow-covered spot for Christmas. And also it is our sentimental favorite place to be at Christmas because we spent the years 1989 - 1992 there with all of the Bush family. And once again this year we will be joined by President Bush, Barbara Bush, our girls, my mother, the President's sister and her family and one of his brothers. "

President Bush reading Christmas stories to his grandchildren at Camp David in 1991

Bush family Christmas tree at Camp David - 1990

President Bush calling troops overseas to wish them a Merry Christmas

Laura Bush described plans for Christmas at Camp David in an interview with CBS in 2005 as follows:

"We'll spend Christmas there with all of our family -- President Bush and Barbara Bush; my mother; our girls, of course; George's brothers and sister and their families; their children. I think there will be about 30 of us. It's a very big family. And because Camp David has these little cabins, each family can have their own little cabin; they can have their own Christmas tree when they wake up in the morning. And then, of course, we'll meet for Christmas dinner on Christmas day. We'll go to church together on Christmas morning. They'll be with us for the famous Christmas pageant on one night, and then we'll have Christmas Eve services, as well."

2008 Camp David Christmas menu from whitehouse.gov

A selection of Camp David Christmas cards from over the years

Camp David Christmas Ornaments

2011 Camp David Christmas card

Sources: whitehouse.gov; George Bush Presidential Library; CBS

Camp David Underground Bomb Shelter

2010-12-13T02:23:00.004-05:00

According the the Eisenhower Presidential Library, President Eisenhower had a bomb shelter built at Camp David. President Eisenhower met with British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1959 and showed him the new bomb shelter. The book The President is at Camp David contains an excerpt from the Prime Minister's diary describing the underground shelter:

"a sort of Presidential Command Post in the event of atomic war. It holds fifty of the President's staff in one place and one hundred and fifty Defence staff in another. The fortress is underneath the innocent looking huts in which we lived, hewn out of the rock. It cost 10 million dollars."

This 1959 Owasso Argus-Press article describes the Macmillan visit to Camp David.

The 8th & I Reunion Association website, which contains items of interest for those who served at the Marine Barracks at 8th & I St SE in Washington DC (including marines formerly stationed at Camp David), has a section where members contribute stories from their duty at Camp David.

Some former marines who served under President Eisenhower describe an incident in 1957 when President Eisenhower relocated to the secure bunker at Camp David during a war rehearsal. They describe a Command Center that was accessible via elevator from different locations within the Aspen Lodge, including the President's bedroom. The Command Center was equipped to allow his image to be televised to various locations around the world. There was also a War Room, which allowed him to communicate with the military in the event of a war.

When President Nixon decided to add a swimming pool outside the Aspen Lodge, the location he selected was directly over the bomb shelter. "Orange One", as it was called, had to be reinforced for a cost of $261,000.

According to the book "President Nixon: Alone in the White House", the money for this came from secret military funds. The interior of the underground shelter was also redone with new beds, bedspreads, pictures, paint, and office furnishings.

This 1980 newspaper article reviews a book written by the former Director of the White House Military Office Bill Gulley. When President Carter expressed concerns to him about the cost of Camp David and considered shutting it down, he asked the President if he knew what was there. President Carter replied "cabins". Then Gulley "explained to him about the bomb shelter, the emergency communications center, and other facilities."

A 1994 article in Mother Jones Magazine describes the preparations required to conceal the work on the underground command center when Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev was scheduled to visit Camp David:

"Laborers worked night and day to haul truckloads of dirt and stone, making sure to hide every trace of their excavations before Khrushchev's arrival. A large deck was constructed to conceal the cavernous hole. Little did Khrushchev know, as he stood smiling on the deck posing for photographers, that he was atop a presidential relocation site."

The above article describes one of the entrances to the underground facility as being "concealed within a phony water tower". This water tower is described on a blog about Presidential emergency facility sites. The code name for the emergency relocation site at Camp David is "Cactus". Some of the other sites were Crown (White House), Crystal (Mt. Weather), and Creed (Raven Rock Mountain Complex). A related "Cartwheel" site in northwest Washington, DC is still in use by the FAA.

Each of these sites had a communication tower equipped with antennas, transmitters, and receivers. They were 100 feet tall and had multiple floors underground to house supplies and living quarters for the staff.

To disguise the existence of the communication tower, an observation deck and signs were added for the Khrushchev visit to make it appear like an ordinary water tower. The tower has since been torn down, but the underground command center remains in place.

Aerial view of Camp David in December 1961. Note the green "water tower " in the background

Underground bunker location near Aspen Lodge - President Kennedy and President Eisenhower - April 1961

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; President Nixon: Alone in the White House; The President is at Camp David; The 8th & I Reunion Association; Life.com; Owasso Argus-Press; The Daily Reporter; Mother Jones Magazine; Historian for Hire; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; coldwarcomms; Early Presidential Emergency Facilities

Camp David Jackets

2010-11-30T03:46:00.000-05:00

One of the customs at Camp David is to present guests with an official Camp David jacket. The most common type is the windbreaker; although some Presidents prefer the leather bomber jacket. Below are some photos of Presidents and their guests wearing the official Camp David jacket.

President Nixon with Soviet President Brezhnev

President Nixon wearing his Camp David leather jacket in December 1971

President Carter with close friend and advisor Charles Kirbo at Camp David in April 1978

Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan at Camp David in September 1978

President Reagan and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone at Camp David in April 1986

The Reagans at Camp David in July 1988

President and Mrs. Bush - March 1990

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Camp David

Gift from President George W. Bush to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown

President Obama and VP Joe Biden at Camp David in October 2010

And, for just five bucks you can buy an official-looking Camp David patch on eBay and sew it on your own jacket.

Sources: Richard Nixon Library; Jimmy Carter Library; Ronald Reagan Library; George Bush Presidential Library; AP; Daily Mail; White House; eBay

Thanksgiving at Camp David

2010-11-16T18:54:00.001-05:00

The Clintons celebrate Thanksgiving at Camp David in 1994

Camp David - Thanksgiving 2000

According to this story in the Washington Examiner:

"The Thanksgiving holiday week at the White House traditionally follows a familiar trajectory: pardon the turkey in the Rose Garden, receive bizarre, carriage-driven delivery of the White House Christmas tree, then off to Camp David to give staff and Secret Service time off with their families."

This 1998 newspaper article describes President Clinton's Thanksgiving Day round of golf at nearby Maple Run Golf Course prior to sitting down for a traditional dinner at Camp David with his family and friends.

Hillary Clinton describes that 1998 Thanksgiving in her book Living History:

"The men played golf despite the freezing weather, competing for what they called the Camp David trophy. We ate our meals and spent our time in Laurel, where I had a big-screen television brought in so that every play in every football game could be seen from every corner of the room. At dinner we voted on which movie to watch that night in the camp's theater."

The Clintons celebrated their first Camp David Thanksgiving in 1995. The menu included President Clinton's mother Virginia Kelley's cornbread stuffing. The complete menu can be found on this foodie blog.

President George W. Bush had an annual Camp David tradition of calling troops stationed overseas to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving. President Obama celebrated Thanksgiving in 2009 and 2010 at the White House instead of Camp David.

President Bush talks to troops on Thanksgiving in 2006

2007 Thanksgiving phone call to the troops

Here is what was served for Thanksgiving at Camp David in 2008:

Sources: White House; National Archives; William J. Clinton Presidential Library; Washington Examiner; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Living History; Gherkins & Tomatoes

Truman Shangri-La Photos

2010-11-11T04:22:00.000-05:00

The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum website has these interesting old photos of Camp David back when it was called Shangri-La:

Bess Truman and her Independence (MO) bridge club at Shangri-La - 1946

Aspen Lodge at Shangri-La - 1948

Laurel Lodge at Shangri-La - 1948

Aspen Lodge at Shangri-La - 1948

View from Shangri-La - 1950

Outdoors at Shangri-La - 1950

Source: Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Aspen Fish Pond

2010-11-05T16:25:00.002-04:00

President Nixon with Soviet President Brezhnev

There is a fish pond located in front of the Aspen Lodge that, according to the Camp David Tour site, was originally built there to use as a water supply in the event of a fire. The site describes how the water is "pumped from the pond to the top of a concrete-lined spillway where it cascades over the rocks and returns to the pond". The pond was first stocked with rainbow trout at the request of President Eisenhower.

I came across an anecdote about the Aspen Lodge fish pond written by someone who once lived at Camp David:

In front of Aspen Cabin, the President’s abode at Camp David,
is a man-made rock pond, filled with imported, exotic fish.
A call was placed to the Camp’s CO,
“Sir, the President is on the line,” said military aide.
“Yes, Sir, Mr. President,” my husband said, “What can I do
for you, Mr. Reagan?”
“Well…..,” came the slow, steady voice, “You need to get over
here right away, the poor fellas are floating belly up!”

Below are some more photos of the pond.

President Johnson and Ambassadors Ellsworth Bunker and W. Averell Harriman in April 1968;
CyrusVance, Jody Powell, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Hamilton Jordan in September 1978

President Ford in front of the Aspen pond in 1974

September 1978

Google Maps view of the pond in front of the Aspen Lodge

Sources: Richard Nixon Library; Lyndon Baines Johnson Library; Jimmy Carter Library; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; Camp David Tour; The New York Times; What A Party; Florida Sportsman Magazine; UPI; Google Maps

Camp David on Whitehouse.gov

2010-10-28T20:13:00.006-04:00

The first whitehouse.gov website was launched in October 1994. The official White House website was redesigned multiple times during the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. Below are the Camp David pages from each administration. You can visit each original website page by clicking on the screenshot image.

Clinton Administration:

Bush Administration:

Obama Administration:

Basketball

2010-10-21T17:21:00.001-04:00

President Obama playing basketball at Camp David in July 2009

The photo above shows President Obama playing basketball with senior staff and their family members during a retreat at Camp David on July 18, 2009. President Obama was reported to have played basketball on his first trip to Camp David in February 2009 and on subsequent trips.

In January 2009, Black America Web reported that President Obama would "become the first president in history to build a basketball court at Camp David". They reported they received information from an unnamed source that Resilite was working on a project at Camp David taking measurements for wall padding for a basketball court.

I could not find any follow-up stories confirming this and a quick search on FedBizOpps found no basketball court-related materials for Camp David (a long shot, I admit...). So, did President Obama build the basketball court pictured above at Camp David? The question remains unanswered.

In August 2009, Boston University basketball player Sherrod Smith got the chance to play basketball with President Obama at Camp David. The story, photo and video about this opportunity is on the BU website.

Sources: The White House; Black America Web; Baller-in-Chief; The Swamp; ESPN

Video - History of Camp David

2010-10-13T16:11:00.000-04:00

1959 Guidebook to Camp David

2010-10-08T14:47:00.000-04:00

1959 Guidebook to Camp David

The Eisenhower Presidential Library has a Camp David page containing photos and interesting links to documents related to Camp David.

The above guidebook describes a 1959 Camp David with four guest cabins in the White House Staff area: Sycamore, Hawthorn, Walnut, and Laurel. It also includes a description of recreational facilities available and some photos of the guest cabins.

Source: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Movies

2010-10-06T20:41:00.003-04:00

Movies are shown in several locations around Camp David. President Eisenhower enjoyed watching movies in the Aspen Lodge and had a projection booth installed along with a motorized screen that retracted into the living room ceiling. Eventually, the use of VCRs and DVD players replaced the need for the projector. However, when President Reagan was in office, he still preferred using the film projector at Aspen over the VCR and enjoyed watching old movies from the 1930s and 1940s. The Ronald Reagan Presidential library has a list of all of the films he viewed while in office including 344 movies at Camp David!

Movies are also shown at a small theater inside the Hickory Lodge. The 2007 book What A Party! describes a 1998 "Good Will Hunting" screening weekend at Camp David attended by a group including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, and Gwyneth Paltrow. After having dinner at Laurel Lodge, the group headed off in golf carts to the theater in Hickory where "everyone sits on couches or overstuffed chairs and in the front row are two love seats."

Hillary Clinton writes in her memoir that her daughter Chelsea and a "busload of friends" celebrated her 16th birthday at Camp David. Following a birthday dinner at Laurel Lodge, they headed over to Hickory to watch movies and go bowling.

During the 1978 Camp David peace negotiations, a movie projector was set up in Holly and 58 films were shown there over the 13-day summit. Laurel Lodge also has a big-screen TV.

When Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev met with President Eisenhower at Camp David in 1959, the two leaders watched a U.S. Navy movie about the nuclear submarine Nautilus; they also watched a Western. The following is a list of movies that were available for viewing during that visit:

From the "Camp David Operation Plan 2-59"

Presidential diaries also give us a glimpse into the movie-watching activities at Camp David. Here are some entries from Richard Nixon's diary over two weekends in September 1970 and Jimmy Carter's diary from 1977.

Excerpts from President Richard Nixon's Daily Diary - September 1970

Excerpt from the Daily Diary of President Jimmy Carter

Sources: The President is at Camp David; What A Party!; Living History; Time; Eisenhower Presidential Library; Nixon Presidential Libary; Jimmy Carter Library; Ronald Reagan Library

Horseback Riding

2010-10-01T17:47:00.002-04:00

President Kennedy, son John Jr., and daughter Caroline - March 1963

President Kennedy began using Camp David regularly in the Spring of 1963. He had a bridle path cleared along the inside of the camp perimeter fence and a pony ring built for his daughter Caroline's pony, Macaroni. A stable was also built for the horses that First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had arranged to be transported to the camp.

This 1963 newspaper article about a Presidential visit to Camp David reports that President Kennedy's helicopter "landed on a recreation field which had been temporarily converted into a riding ring for Mrs. Kennedy and five-year-old Caroline".

Susan and Steve Ford and friends rode horses at Camp David over Labor Day Weekend in 1974

The Reagans also enjoyed riding horses at Camp David. However, President Reagan was reportedly "appalled" to find that Richard Nixon had paved over many of the old riding trails so that he could ride around in a golf cart instead. Reagan had the trails restored and the National Park Service rangers brought in horses from nearby stables. Over time, the Reagans extended their rides to include some trails outside the camp perimeter fence.

President Reagan in 1983 Riding with Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo in 1981

President Reagan and Vice President Bush ride horses at Camp David in July 1981

President and Mrs. Reagan, son Ron Reagan and wife Doria - October 1983

July 1984

Sources: John F. Kennedy Library; Ronald Reagan Library; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; The President is at Camp David; From Mount Vernon to Crawford; Camp David Tour; Sarasota Herald-Tribune; The Modesto Bee; The Reagans: Portrait of a Marriage; The White House

Chestnut, Red Oak, and Eucalyptus Cabins

2010-09-29T18:17:00.001-04:00

Chestnut Cabin in 1956

Chestnut

Chestnut cabin is located near the Hickory Lodge. According to the Camp David Tour site, the Chestnut cabin originally housed the 24-hour telephone switchboard. The staff who operated the switchboard also lived in the cabin. The only other reference I found to Chestnut cabin was in The President is at Camp David. The book describes Chestnut during the Ford Administration as a place you could obtain cribs, strollers, and high chairs.

Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan in 1978

Red Oak
The Red Oak cabin is one of the "VIP guest cabins" along with Birch, Dogwood, and Maple. It was one of the original cabins and was rebuilt in 1973.

During the 1978 Camp David peace negotiations, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan shared the two-bedroom cabin with three other Israeli officials.

Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is the medical cabin / infirmary at Camp David and was built during the Carter administration. It replaced the original camp dispensary which had to be torn down because of structural problems caused by years of moisture damage and termites.

In 1991, President Bush experienced shortness of breath while jogging at Camp David. He was taken to Eucalyptus for an examination where it was discovered he had suffered an atrial fibrillation, which is a rapid irregular heartbeat. He was later flown to the Bethesda Naval Hospital for additional tests. First Lady Barbara Bush describes this incident in her book Barbara Bush: A Memoir.

Sources: New York Daily News; The President is at Camp David; Camp David Tour; Barbara Bush: A Memoir; The New York Times; U.S. Navy; Jimmy Carter Library

Hiking and Biking

2010-09-29T02:22:00.000-04:00

Camp David has numerous winding paths that connect all of the guest cabins, lodges, and camp facilities. Many guests have enjoyed riding bikes or taking long strolls on these paths.

There is also a nature trail that starts near the entrance and winds its way around the camp as shown on this 1971 map. This newspaper article describes how President George H.W. Bush used to enjoy running on the nature trail with his dogs.

Laura Bush, in her book Spoken from the Heart, recalled walking a two-mile perimeter trail with a steep hill at the end that she nicknamed "Big Bertha".

During the Camp David peace negotiations, President Carter would often ride his bike around camp and President Sadat would go for a long hike every morning.

Bikes are a convenient way to get around the camp and are readily available to guests. This 1979 newspaper article describes an incident when Carter advisor Clark Clifford tried his hand at riding a bike for the first time in many years. Having never used modern-day hand brakes, he tried to stop on the way down a steep hill but only ended up pedaling backwards until he finally had to bail out in the dirt.

Here are some photos of hiking and biking at Camp David over the years.

President and Mrs. Ford, daughter Susan, and Liberty take a walk around Camp David in August 1976

President and Mrs. Carter go for a bike ride at Camp David

President Carter talks to members of the Israeli delegation; Presidents Carter and Sadat go for a walk.

The Carters take a stroll in April 1978; President Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in November 1986

President Bush and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark ride bikes; President Bush and Prime Minister Abe of Japan

President and Mrs. Bush take a four mile walk around Camp David with Marvin Bush, Andy and Kathleene Card - 2002

Sources: Spoken from the Heart; Eugene Register-Guard; Lakeland Ledger; The President is at Camp David; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; Jimmy Carter Library; Ronald Reagan Library; White House; National Archives

Walnut, Hawthorn, Sycamore, and Linden Cabins

2010-09-27T16:56:00.000-04:00

Linden Cabin in 1961

Walnut Cabin Hawthorn Cabin (on left)

Walnut, Hawthorn, Sycamore, and Linden cabins were original cabins that were rebuilt in 1956, with indoor plumbing installed. Walnut was the largest of the four cabins with two bedrooms, a lounge, and a bath. The other three were one-room cabins with a bath.

The four cabins are part of a group of guest cabins located near the Laurel Lodge. Below is the berthing assignment list from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's 1959 visit that includes the four cabins.

Page from the Camp David Operations Plan 2-59

Google Maps satellite view of Walnut, Hawthorn, Sycamore, and Linden cabins

Sources: Camp David Tour; U.S. Navy; Eisenhower Presidential Library; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; Google Maps

Horseshoes

2010-09-23T18:12:00.000-04:00

President Bush and Australian Prime Minister Hawke pitch horseshoes at Camp David - June 1989

President George H.W. Bush had a horseshoe pit built at Camp David in 1989 much to the delight of the horseshoe industry. However, pitching horseshoes has been an activity available at Camp David ever since the Eisenhower era as shown on page 3 of this Guidebook to Camp David from the Eisenhower Library.

Presidents Bush and Gorbachev - June 1990

In June 1990, President Bush hosted Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at Camp David. While touring the camp, they stopped and pitched some horseshoes. It was reported that Gorbachev's first toss was a ringer.

President Bush had the lucky horseshoe mounted on a plaque and presented it to President Gorbachev at dinner that Saturday evening. Later, it was discovered that a second horseshoe had gone missing after the Soviets had departed.

Mrs. Gorbachev and Mrs. Bush were also spotted playing horseshoes on that visit.

President Bush's pitching style has been described as "one that is recommended for picnic-level players".

A detailed description of his technique can be found in this 1996 newspaper article.

President Bush and British Prime Minister John Major - June 1992

The Camp David Tour website describes a clearing between the Presidential and staff areas of the camp where recreational activities such as volleyball, badminton, archery, and horseshoes have been located.
The two Google Maps below shows a clearing area and what could be the horseshoe pit.

Clearing between the Presidential and staff areas of the camp

Closer view of possible horseshoe pit

Sources: George Bush Presidential Library; Camp David Tour; Chicago Tribune; Los Angeles Times; The New York Times; Rome News-Tribune; Eisenhower Presidential Library; Google Maps

Rosebud Cabin

2010-09-22T16:23:00.000-04:00

Rosebud Cabin

Rosebud cabin was built in 1958. As you can see on this map, it is located near Cedar cabin, the Camp Commander's residence, away from all of the other guest cabins.

Cabin Assignments for 1959 Khrushchev visit

In 1959, when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev visited Camp David, the Rosebud cabin was used to house agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Soviet Security team.

The graphic to the right shows the Rosebud cabin being assigned to security personnel for the Khrushchev visit. The list came from the Camp David Operations Plan for that visit.

Likewise, for the 1973 Brezhnev visit, the "traveling heads of the U.S. Secret Service and Russian Secret police shared a cabin in the pines called Rosebud" according to this June 21, 1973 newspaper article.

Google Maps satellite view of Rosebud cabin. The larger Cedar cabin is on the left.

Sources: Camp David Tour; Eisenhower Presidential Library; The Free Lance-Star; Google Maps

Trampoline

2010-09-21T18:13:00.000-04:00

President Ford and daughter Susan on the trampoline over Labor Day weekend - 1974

There is not a lot of information available about the trampoline at Camp David. I don't know when it was first set up or whether one is still there. I did find a newspaper story from 1967 describing a visit to Camp David by Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt and his wife in June of that year.

Mrs. Holt described President Johnson's daughter Lynda Bird as a "fantastic girl" who spent the weekend in the swimming pool and on the trampoline.

The only other trampoline information I found was about President Ford and his daughter Susan. They were photographed playing on the trampoline during a Labor Day weekend trip to Camp David in 1974.

According to this article, President Ford showed up at a meeting with National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft with a bruise under his eye and told him he got it while jumping on the trampoline at Camp David.

Sources: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; The Age; History News Network

Poplar Cabin - The Camp Office

2010-09-20T18:23:00.001-04:00

Poplar Cabin

Of the two maps that I found of Camp David, one shows Poplar cabin near the Hickory Lodge. The other map labels the same cabin location as just the "Camp Office". The only reference I could find about Poplar cabin being the camp office came from the former website Camp David Tour.

According to that website, Poplar started out as a sickbay and supply office and was converted to the camp office when the officer-in-charge began residing full-time at the camp. An office for the commanding officer (CO) and executive officer (XO) was added to Poplar in 1970.

Google Maps satellite view of Poplar cabin (center). Hickory Lodge is on the left.

Sources: Camp David Tour; U.S. Navy; Google Maps

Bowling at Camp David

2010-09-16T17:59:00.002-04:00

David and Susan Eisenhower - 1960

President Eisenhower installed a two-lane bowling alley in the Hickory Lodge. I found a number of references on the internet related to presidential bowling at Camp David:

When Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev met with President Eisenhower at Camp David in 1959, he wanted to see the bowling alley. Khrushchev was more interested in the automatic pinsetter than in bowling a game.

President Johnson bowled his first game ever at the bowling alley at Camp David.

According to a newspaper account, President Nixon, who had a bowling average of 165, liked bowling at Camp David. He believed that bowling helped relieve backaches and improved his vision and muscle coordination.

However this book reports that with the exception of the pool, Nixon did not really use the recreational facilities very much. But, being "conscious of his stiff public image", Nixon wanted his press secretary Ron Ziegler to "slip word to the press" that he had taken up bowling at Camp David.

Chelsea Clinton and a "busload of friends" celebrated her 16th birthday at Camp David. After a birthday dinner in the Laurel Lodge, they went over to Hickory to watch movies and go bowling.

The book From Mount Vernon to Crawford states that the two-lane bowling alley was renovated while President George W. Bush was in office.

President Obama bowled at Camp David the weekend prior to his birthday in August, 2009. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reported that he bowled a 144 including three strikes and a nine in the last four frames.

Here is paragraph about the use of the bowling alley during the 1959 Khrushchev visit taken from the official Camp David Operation Plan that describes the weekend activities in detail:

Page 4 of the "Camp David Operation Plan 2-59"

Sources: Camp David Tour; Living History; Eugene Register-Guard; The President is at Camp David; Gadsen Times; The Swamp; From Mount Vernon to Crawford; Eisenhower Presidential Library

Maple Cabin

2010-09-15T17:08:00.000-04:00

Maple cabin - 1961

Maple started out as a one room cabin. A second room and bath were added in 1954. In 1969, the cabin caught on fire when someone was trying to thaw a frozen pipe. The interior was repaired, but the cabin ended up being torn down and completely replaced in 1972.

The President is at Camp David quotes a visitor's description of the new Maple cabin:

"larger, more elaborate, and more modern than the older ones, with a vaulted ceiling, a large living room with a high glass wall opening onto a patio in the woods, two bedrooms, a huge fieldstone fireplace with a large supply of extra logs, neatly cut, arranged by the door."

President Nixon used a room in the Maple cabin as an office until he had a small office built in Aspen. He delivered a Veteran's Day radio address from Maple in 1971. President George W. Bush chose Maple Cabin to meet with Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi to discuss the Japanese economy in July 2001.

Along with Birch, Dogwood, and Red Oak, the Maple cabin is one of the "VIP guest" cabins. The photo below shows the relative location of the Maple cabin to the Aspen Lodge.

Maple cabin is visible from the outdoor cooking area at the Aspen Lodge

President Kennedy and President Eisenhower in front of Dogwood cabin - Maple cabin is on the right - 1961

Google Maps satellite view of Maple Cabin (on the right). Dogwood Cabin is on the left.

Sources: The President is at Camp David; Camp David Tour; The Lewiston Daily Sun; New York Daily News; The New York Times; John F. Kennedy Presidential Libary; Eisenhower Presidential Library; Google Maps

Swimming Pools

2010-09-13T14:38:00.003-04:00

Swimming pool at Aspen Lodge

There are two swimming pools at Camp David. One is a figure-eight shaped pool located at the Aspen Lodge; the other one is a lap pool located on the far side of camp in the staff area near the gym. The lap pool in the staff area was constructed when the camp was first built. Because of its location, it was not used very often by the visiting presidents.

Original lap pool at Camp David located in the staff area of the camp; Former bath house near the pool

Aspen Lodge - before the pool

President Nixon wanted to have a new pool built near the Aspen Lodge. He wanted it located in front of the main terrace to the left of the steps leading down. Unfortunately, that also happened to be the location of the underground bomb shelter (which will be the subject of a future post).

The new pool cost $238,583, partly because they wanted to match the stone around Aspen Lodge and had to reopen the nearby quarry to get matching stone for the dressing room and the stone wall around the pool area. For convenience, they installed nearby telephones with extra long cords so the President could talk on the phone poolside. The underground bomb shelter also had to be reinforced for an additional cost of $261,417.

The 40ft x 20ft pool was superheated and was used by President Nixon on a snowy December trip to Camp David.

Steam rises from the heated pool in February 1971

President Ford goes swimming over Labor Day weekend in 1974

President and Mrs. Ford with their dog Liberty - October 1974

The next two photos show the furniture, deck, diving board, and the nearby surroundings of the Aspen pool during the Carter Administration. President Carter wrote in his autobiography Sharing Good Times that his wife Rosalynn used to practice fly-fishing for hours by casting into the swimming pool at Camp David.

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and President Carter chat next to the Aspen pool - Sept 1978

This photo taken from the opposite direction shows the side view from the pool deck

President Obama and daughter Sasha enjoying her birthday weekend at Camp David - June 2011

While searching for some more recent news about the Camp David pools, I came across a website for Hohne Pools which proudly states:

"The Hohne latest client list includes the Secretary of the Navy for President of the United States pool at Camp David, the US Secret Service indoor training tank, used for the Presidents water safety training, the US Embassy in Cameroon, West Africa and the US Naval Academy."

On another page of the Hohne website, they refer to "creating works of art for Camp David". However, their yellow pages ad says they were "Invited to specify all renovation and repairs to the Presidential pools at Camp David". So, it is hard to determine exactly what they have done to the pool there. Unfortunately (though not surprisingly), there were no photos of the Camp David pool on their website.

I also happened to notice in the Google Maps satellite view what appeared to be a hot tub nearby. A quick Google search confirmed it. The Hot Tub Oasis website has a "Master Spa at Camp David" page that tells us:

"The White House has chosen a Master Spa LSX1050 to be installed at Camp David, in Maryland." and also "Master Spas is proud to have world leaders soak in the "Ultimate Relaxation Machine™".

Again, no actual Camp David hot tub photo on their website. The Hot Tub Oasis website does not say when the new hot tub was installed at Camp David, but a comment on a discussion board in 2007 refers to the hot tub as "President Bush's".

Google Maps satellite view of the pool at the Aspen Lodge.

Google Maps satellite view of the staff pool.

Sources: LBJ Library; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; Richard Nixon Library; The White House; Camp David Tour; The President is at Camp David; The Milwaukee Journal; Sharing Good Times; U.S. Navy; Google Maps

Witch Hazel Cabin

2010-09-10T14:57:00.000-04:00

Witch Hazel cabin in 1961

Witch Hazel is the nearest cabin to the Aspen Lodge. It was one of the original cabins at the camp and had two rooms plus a bathroom. Back in FDR's time, it was known as the "Grace Tully Cottage" because FDR's secretary, Grace Tully, used to stay there.

President Kennedy turned the cabin into a nursery with rooms for young Caroline and John John, a nanny, and a playroom. President Johnson then modified the cabin to make it suitable for his two teenage daughters.

The cabin was renovated in the early 1970s. President Nixon's secretary, Rose Woods, used to stay in Witch Hazel when she was at Camp David.

The close proximity to the President's cabin has its advantages (or disadvantages, depending on which way you look at it...) Zbigniew Brzezinski, Assistant to President Carter for National Security Affairs, had this experience during the 1978 Camp David summit:

"One night the President phoned me at 4:15 a.m., and I went to his cabin. He'd been to bed, but he started thinking of something and wanted to discuss it. My cabin, named Witch Hazel, was next to his, Aspen, and I walked over."

The satellite image below shows the Witch Hazel cabin and its location near the Aspen Lodge.

Google Maps satellite view of Witch Hazel cabin

Sources: The President is at Camp David; Camp David Tour; People Magazine; Google Maps; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; The Reagans: Portrait of a Marriage

Holly Cabin - The Original Laurel Lodge

2010-09-08T19:00:00.001-04:00

1961 photo of the former Laurel Lodge - now called Holly Cabin

The modern-day Holly Cabin was the original Laurel Lodge. In 1970, a master plan was created for the renovation of Camp David. The conference and dining facilities at Laurel Lodge were no longer considered adequate and plans were made to build a new Laurel Lodge in 1972 for $700,000.

President Eisenhower leaving the Cabinet Meeting

President Eisenhower held his Cabinet meetings and National Security Council meetings at the original Laurel Lodge while he was recovering from a heart attack in 1955.

The Eisenhower Library has a formerly top-secret memo from an NSC meeting held at Camp David in 1955 in which they discuss the "dangerous situation in Afghanistan".

President Eisenhower meets with his National Security Council in 1955

Here you can see what the main rooms in the original Laurel Lodge looked like back in the 1960s.

Music room, reading room, and dining room in 1965

In 1978, President Carter chose Holly Cabin as the meeting place for the peace negotiations. He preferred the cozy atmosphere of the rooms in Holly to the formal conference facility at the new Laurel Lodge. For entertainment, a pool table and movie projector were set up in Holly and 58 movies were shown over the course of the thirteen days of the summit.

Members of the U.S., Egyptian, and Israeli delegations meet in Holly Cabin in September 1978

Guests playing pool at Holly and the Carter family posing for photo with a guest - Christmas 1979

A glass case of photographs from those meetings is now displayed in Holly and a hand-written note of appreciation from President Carter to Prime Minister Begin hangs on the wall there. Holly is currently used
for recreation.

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair walk in front of Holly

Google Maps satellite view of the Holly Cabin - at center. (Cabin on the upper right is Hawthorn)

Sources: The President is at Camp David; The New York Times; Camp David Tour; Life Magazine; Eisenhower Presidential Library; Jimmy Carter Library; Ronald Reagan Library; National Archives; US Navy; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

Tennis at Camp David

2010-09-07T02:10:00.008-04:00

President Ford and daughter Susan playing on the clay courts at Camp David in September 1974.

In the early 1970s, two regulation-size green clay tennis courts were built using funds donated by Donald Kendall, who was Chairman of Pepsi-Cola and a supporter of Richard Nixon.

Green clay (also known as Har-Tru) provides a softer and slower playing surface than a hard court. Green clay courts are built using a four inch base of compacted crushed stone topped off with a one inch layer of Har-Tru surfacing. Prior to each use, the courts have to be brushed using a drag-broom and the lines swept using a line-broom. The courts need to be periodically watered and rolled. The top Har-Tru layer must be reapplied annually.

Later photos of the tennis courts (see the 1990 Bush/Evert photo and the Google satellite map below) appear to show a hard court surface, rather than green clay. The only reference I found concerning subsequent renovations was on the Di Geronimo Associates, Ltd website which lists on the About Us page: "1989-1990 Consultant for Special Programs for Tennis Court Construction at Camp David". It is possible that the green clay court was replaced with a hard court surface during that time frame, however I have not been able to find anything on the internet that confirms it.

President Bush plays doubles tennis with Chris Evert at Camp David in August 1990

President George H.W. Bush enjoyed playing tennis at Camp David. Some of his guests included tennis pros Chris Evert, Pam Shriver, and Gigi Fernandez. At her 1995 Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Chris Evert spoke about playing tennis with President Bush in August 1990:

"We were at Camp David when the Gulf War broke out. He was working hard on the phone but he came out and said: 'I need a break. Let's play a set.' We started playing but every 10 minutes, he got a call from some president or prime minister. He'd stop and talk and then get back and ask me, 'What was the score?' "

President Bush's recollection of tennis with Chris Evert:

" 'Bend your knees, cover behind me, get up to the net,' " he mimicked her orders. "As President, people would give me long putts, or if I put up a lousy lob, people would give me a kinder, gentler return. Chris Evert never understood that."

The 2005 book From Mount Vernon to Crawford states that President George W. Bush had various new equipment installed at Camp David "without telling the news media" including new indoor tennis courts. That was the only reference I could find about indoor tennis courts at Camp David.

Many Presidents and their guests have enjoyed playing tennis at Camp David. Here are two more clay court photos from the Ford era and one of President Carter taken during the Camp David Summit.

President Ford and daughter Susan - September 1974

President Ford's daughter-in-law Gayle playing tennis at Camp David in June 1975

Menachem Begin meets with Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Cyrus Vance after a tennis match in Sept 1978

President Obama hosted cabinet members and their families for a Sunday gathering at Camp David in October 2010. Below is a photo of President Obama, Vice President Biden and Claire Duncan, daughter of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, watching a tennis match at Camp David.

President Obama and Vice President Biden watch a tennis match at Camp David in October 2010

Google Maps view of the tennis courts at Camp David

Sources: George Bush Presidential Library; The President is at Camp David; The New York Times; The Daytona Beach News-Journal; From Mount Vernon to Crawford; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; National Archives; The White House; Google Maps

Cedar Cabin - Home of the Camp David Commanding Officer

2010-08-31T17:23:00.000-04:00

Cedar Cabin - 1958

Cedar Cabin - 1961

The Commanding Officer of Camp David is required to live on-site in Cedar Cabin. The four bedroom one-story building was built in 1957. Lt. Thomas E. Wyncoop was the first commanding officer to live at Camp David. When the President is at Camp David, family members of the Commanding Officer are restricted to the immediate area around the home.

In 2003, $109,000 was budgeted to renovate the aging cabin. Here is a description of the renovation project as described in the FY 2003 Navy Budget Estimates for Military Construction:

"This project will provide improvements and repairs to one unit for the Commanding Officer at NSF Thurmont, Maryland. Improvement work includes enlarging the living room, dining room, bathroom,sunroom, front stoop and porch; relocating and modernizing the kitchen; relocating main entry door; reconfiguring a coat closet; converting the existing two car attached garage into a family room with fireplace; all mechanical and electrical work associated with architectural and structural changes; construction of a detached two car garage, trash and recycle bin, a patio and the addition of walkways and outdoor lighting. Improvement work will increase square footage within statutory levels. Repair work includes replacement of HVAC, windows, and downspouts; repair of wood siding."

Google Maps view of Cedar Cabin - The Commanding Officer's residence

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; US Navy; Camp David Tour; Google Maps

Skeet Range

2010-08-30T17:12:00.004-04:00

President Eisenhower President George H.W. Bush and son Jeb on the Camp David Skeet Range

President Eisenhower installed the skeet range at Camp David in the 1950s. According to the Trap and Skeet Shooting for Fun book, he spent much time trying to improve his shooting skills on the range. He noted that his best score was 20 out of 25 targets. This March 1960 Eisenhower diary references a couple trips to the skeet range.

As this March 1960 photo shows, sometimes President Eisenhower would practice shooting outside the Aspen Lodge

President Kennedy with David Niven and Ben Bradlee shooting skeet at Camp David in 1963

Many presidents and their guests have enjoyed practicing their skills shooting clay birds on the skeet range over the years. This 1970 newspaper article describes a visit to Camp David by an "exuberant" 21-year old Prince Charles who "easily bested" David Eisenhower at skeet shooting, one of his favorite sports.

Steve and Susan Ford at the Camp David Skeet Range on Labor Day Weekend in 1974

I came across a website with a message board that described an incident at the Camp David skeet range during the Reagan era:

"Reminds me of the story my buddy told me that happened while he was a Marine stationed at Camp David during the Reagan years. One day VP Bush and his sons showed up and wanted to go out to the range to shoot. My buddy was charged with assembling the presidential shotguns and ammo and they proceeded to shoot. Well, one of the sons (I can’t remember which one but IT WAS NOT our latest President), placed a different gauge shot shell into the 12 gauge and squeezed off. According to Mike, he could have been killed but apparently got dusted up a bit. Well, the CO wanted to throw the book at Mike for somehow getting different shells mixed with the guns but Old man Bush stepped in and said to forget the whole matter."

I tend to believe this account since I found a separate reference to Jeb Bush narrowly escaping injury at the Camp David skeet range when the barrel of a Remington shotgun exploded.

Google Maps view of the Camp David Skeet Range

I wrote a related post about how the satellite view of the skeet range has changed over the years.

Sources: Camp David Tour; US Navy; The White House; Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library; PBS; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; Trap and Skeet Shooting For Fun; Rome News-Tribune; Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission; Google Maps

Birch and Dogwood Cabins

2010-08-26T16:36:00.000-04:00

Much has been written about the President's cabin Aspen Lodge. I was curious about the other guest cabins at Camp David. The most prominent guest cabins (not including Aspen, Laurel, or Hickory) are the Birch and Dogwood cabins. These two cabins are located equal distance from the Aspen Lodge. In a 2007 book Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait, she refers to Birch and Dogwood as the "dignitary" cabins.

Original Birch Cabin (on the right) from the 1950s

Birch and Dogwood started out as single-room cabins when Camp David was first constructed.

In 1970, it became clear that many of the aging guest cabins would need to be rebuilt due to termite and fungus damage.

Birch and Dogwood were the first to be rebuilt at an estimated cost of $145,000 in 1970-1971.

The new Birch cabin has two bedrooms, two baths, a large living room that opens out to a patio, vaulted ceilings and a large stone fireplace.

During the 1978 peace negotiations held at Camp David, Prime Minister Begin stayed at Birch. Gerald Ford also stayed at Birch Cabin when he visited Camp David while serving as Vice-President.

Dogwood Cabin Israeli Prime Minister Begin

According to the current National Park Service website, "the President utilizes a three-room cottage, named Birch, as an office". Every source that I have come across lists Laurel and Aspen as having Presidential offices and the 2007 book quoted above has Laura Bush saying that Birch is one of the "dignitary cabins". Having never been there myself, I guess I can only hope a "dignitary" will email me some time to let me know if he or she noticed any Presidential Office stuff lying around while staying in the Birch cabin.

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat outside Dogwood cabin in 1978

Harold Brown and Cyrus Vance meet with Anwar Sadat and the Egyptian delegation on the deck of Dogwood cabin

In 1971, Tricia Nixon and Ed Cox stayed in newly-refurbished Dogwood cabin at Camp David for their honeymoon following a wedding ceremony held in the Rose Garden at the White House. In 1973, Soviet Leader Leonid Brezhnev stayed in Dogwood cabin as a guest of President Nixon.

Also in 1973, Rose Woods, who was President Nixon's secretary, spent a weekend in Dogwood Cabin transcribing the tapes of Nixon's White House conversations about Watergate. She later testified that the eighteen and a half minute gap in the tape could have accidentally occurred when she leaned over the tape machine to answer the phone.

In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat stayed at Dogwood during the peace summit.

President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin outside Dogwood cabin in September 2003

Below you can see how Birch and Dogwood cabins are diplomatically located approximately the same distance from the Aspen Lodge.

Google Maps view of Birch and Dogwood Cabins at Camp David

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; National Archives; Google Maps; Camp David Tour;
The President is at Camp David; Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait; Daytona Beach Morning Journal; White House

Evergreen Chapel at Camp David

2010-08-19T20:53:00.002-04:00

Evergreen Chapel

In 1991, the Evergreen Chapel was dedicated by President George H.W. Bush. It was built using funds raised by a nonprofit corporation formed by Kenneth Plummer, president of the National Lay Leaders Association of the United Methodist Church.

The Wagner Roofing website acknowledges the role that their founder's wife Evelyn Murray played in the construction of the Evergreen Chapel:

"Evelyn was instrumental in the fundraising for the beautiful non-denominational Chapel constructed at Camp David during the Reagan Administration. Evelyn delights in relating the history of the Chapel, discussing its design and recalling the marvelous dedication ceremony that she was able to attend. She even owns some of the stained glass used in the Chapel. "

President Reagan made the first contribution of $1,000 and selected the site location within Camp David. The rustic octagonal building made of wood and stained glass can seat up to 150 people.

The chapel bell is from the USS Endicott, a Navy destroyer launched around the same time that President Roosevelt established Camp David (which he originally named "Shangri-La").

The pipe organ has two keyboards and 827 pipes ranging in size from 6 inches to 20 feet tall. The organ was built by the Moller Pipe Organ Company of Hagerstown, MD.

President Bush at the dedication service of the new Camp David chapel - April 1991

The Evergreen Chapel holds nondenominational Christian services every weekend. The chapel is open to the 400 military personnel serving at Camp David along with their families. On average, around 50-70 people are in attendance. In 1992, the first wedding ceremony was performed at the chapel when Dorothy Bush LeBlond exchanged vows with Bobby Koch. President George W. Bush and his family attended the Christmas Eve candlelight service at Evergreen Chapel for all eight years of his administration.

The Bush family at an Easter service at the Evergreen Chapel in 2006

President Bush greets military personnel outside the Evergreen Chapel - April 2006

President Clinton wrote in his autobiography about his last trip to Camp David :

"Don Henley gave us a wonderful solo concert after dinner in the Camp David Chapel. The next morning was our family's last service in the beautiful chapel, where we had shared many services with the fine young sailors and marines who staffed the camp and their families. They had even let me sing with the choir, always leaving the sheet music in Aspen, our family cabin, on Friday or Saturday so that I could review it in advance."

According to press secretary Robert Gibbs at a White House briefing in December 2009, President Obama has attended church fairly regularly up at Camp David where "he's comfortable in and has enjoyed attending."

Google Maps Earth view of Evergreen Chapel at Camp David

Sources: The President is at Camp David; My Life: The Presidential Years; Camp David Tour; George Bush Presidential Library; The White House; US Navy; www.mongiello.org; Google Maps

Golf

2010-08-17T22:22:00.007-04:00

Camp David golf hole near the Aspen Lodge - 1961

There is no golf course at Camp David. There is a driving range near the helicopter landing zone and there is a single golf hole with multiple tees just outside the President's Aspen Lodge.

Wanting to enjoy his favorite game at Camp David, President Eisenhower asked golf architect Robert Trent Jones to design a golf hole modeled after greens at his favorites golf courses: Augusta National and Burning Tree.

This 1955 Sports Illustrated graphic shows four tees

Just about every source on the internet states that the golf hole has three tees. However, I came across a Sports Illustrated article written in 1955 that describes a hole with four tees. According to the article, Jones had about 140 yards to work with. He built a green and created four tees:

Tee #1: 100 yards distant and 15 feet above the level of the green
Tee #2: 140 yards distant, 20 feet above
Tee #3: 120 yards distant, 20 feet below
Tee #4: 80 yards distant and 15 feet below

White House photographers took approximately 290,000 photos while President Ford was in office. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is in the process of digitizing all of the photo contact sheets. So far, they have completed the year 1974. Lucky for us, President Ford spent Labor Day Weekend at Camp David in 1974. Here are some photos of him playing golf that weekend.

President Ford playing golf at Camp David on Labor Day Weekend - 1974

President Ford playing golf with Mike Ford at Camp David - June 1975

The McDonald Design Group of Jessup, MD lists the "Camp David Presidential Retreat" as one of their clients. According to their website, the "Renovation of the short game practice facility" was completed in 1996. That explains why the satellite image of the Camp David golf green shows a different layout than the one above pictured in Sports Illustrated.

Driving range is located in the helicopter landing zone

President Eisenhower had a driving range built near the helicopter landing zone. On the photo to the right, you can see the 250 yard marker in the left background.

The PEI Online Journal reports that New Jersey based Savage Associates were contracted to bury the above-ground fueling system near the Camp David helicopter landing zone because President Clinton kept hitting it with a golf ball.

Related post: I wrote about the tradition of driving golf carts around Camp David in another post.

Google Maps satellite view of the Camp David golf green

Google Maps satellite view of the driving range / helicopter landing area at Camp David

Sources: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; Eisenhower Presidential Library; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; Sports Illustrated; PEI Online Journal; McDonald Design Group; whitehouse.gov; Google Maps

Laurel Lodge at Camp David

2010-08-16T17:56:00.003-04:00

Laurel Lodge is located about a quarter mile down the hill from the Aspen Lodge. Most official meetings and meals at Camp David take place at the Laurel Lodge. Laurel has three conference rooms, a kitchen, a spacious dining area, and a small presidential office. The original Laurel Lodge was renamed Holly and a new Laurel Lodge was built in the 1970s. A separate blog post features information about the original Laurel Lodge.

President Bush was interviewed at Laurel Lodge in 2007

In the early seventies when the new Laurel Lodge was being designed, President Nixon requested that a small lounge be converted into an office for the President's use.

President Ford discusses campaign strategy at his Laurel office - Aug 1976 (Can you spot Dick Cheney?)

President Bush at work in his office - 1992

Laurel Lodge is a favorite location for presidents to deliver their weekly addresses to the nation. President Reagan delivered 150 weekly five-minute radio addresses from inside his Laurel office.

President Reagan gives a radio address to the nation - Oct 1982

President Clinton and President Bush also gave weekly radio addresses from Camp David

Laurel Lodge has been the site for many meetings over the years. There is a patio outside where tables and chairs can be set up so guests can have lunch outside.

President Ford hosts a luncheon for Indonesian President Suharto at Laurel Lodge - July 1975

President Carter gives a tour to Prime Minister and Mrs. Begin. (Laurel Lodge is in the background) - 1978

David Stockman helps President Reagan prepare for an upcoming Presidential debate - October 1984

President Clinton meets with Israeli Prime Minister Barak and Palestinian leader Arafat in July 2000

President Bush meets with National Security advisors from Laurel Lodge conference room on Sept 22, 2001

President Bush meets with CIA director George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice and Andy Card - Sept 29, 2001

President Bush meets with Republican Congressional leaders - Jan 2002


President Bush meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in March 2003

President Bush talks to members of the Armed Forces on Christmas Eve in 2001 and 2003

Hillary Clinton writes about the Laurel Lodge in her book Living History:

"The center of Camp activity is the largest lodge, Laurel, where we gathered to watch
football, play games, sit in front of the two-story brick fireplace and eat our meals together.
After spending time there, I thought that the central room in Laurel could be more
functional and take better advantage of the view. There were few windows on the long
back wall facing the woods, and a large pillar blocked the flow of traffic through the
room. I worked with the Navy and my friend Kaki Hockersmith, an interior decorator
from Arkansas, to develop plans for a renovation that got rid of the pillar and added windows
to bring in more light, opening the room to the changing seasons outside."

President Obama in his Laurel office - August 2011

Laurel Lodge and nearby cabins - Google Maps

Sources: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; Jimmy Carter Library; Ronald Reagan Presidential Library; George Bush Presidential Library; William J. Clinton Library; National Archives; The White House; CBS; Google Maps; The President is at Camp David

Hickory Lodge at Camp David

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Hickory Lodge - 1956

The Hickory Lodge once housed a mess hall, galley, and barracks. When new barracks were constructed on the other side of camp, Hickory began to be used for recreational purposes. A two-lane bowling alley was built where the porch used to be. The galley was converted to a bar and the mess deck was made into a movie theater. Pool tables and a library were also added.

In 1977, President Carter began using the theater in Hickory Lodge as a chapel on Sunday mornings by utilizing a military field alter and hymnals from nearby Ft. Ritchie. One newspaper article describes a 35-minute service held in Hickory cabin with an Army chaplain from Ft. Ritchie and attended by President Carter, his family and twenty local Marines.

President Carter's Daily Diary from the Jimmy Carter Library

David Eisenhower bowling in 1960 Bar and Lounge at Hickory in 1965

President Clinton and Chairman Arafat walk towards Hickory - July 2000

Hickory Lodge currently houses a bowling alley, movie theater, library, game room, restaurant/bar and the Shangri-La gift shop, where you can purchase Camp David souvenirs. The famous "Camp David" sign is also now located nearby.

A Navy Supply Corps newsletter from 2003 encouraging personnel to "join the Camp David Team" provides an insider's view into the activities at Hickory:

"Storekeepers serve as night club managers during presidential visits in Hickory, which serves as the president's all hands club, and supervise the movie theater and bowling alley ... Ship's servicemen are responsible for the management of Shangri-La all hands club and game room. They perform their same shipboard functions operating vending services and the ship's store located in Hickory, which average annual sales in excess of $400,000. Additionally, the ship's serviceman supervise the daily operations of the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Division, barber shop, mail order catalog business, and video arcade ... As a member of our Guest Operations staff, you will assist in providing world class services through operation of 13 guest cabins, 2 conference centers, 12 VIP suites and the Mountain Top Cafe. "

Below is a view of Hickory Lodge as displayed on Google Earth:

Hickory Lodge - Google Earth

Sources: Eisenhower Presidential Library; UPI; Google Maps; Jimmy Carter Library; The President is at Camp David; PBS American Experience; Camp David Tour; Lewiston Daily Sun

Aspen Lodge - The President's Cabin at Camp David

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Aspen Lodge in 1959

Since 1942, thirteen Presidents have occupied this cabin at Camp David. The Aspen Lodge was originally named "The Bear's Den" by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It had a kitchen, living room, dining room, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and five fireplaces. A screened-in porch was connected to the living room and led out to a flagstone patio. A pond was built so there would be water available in case of a fire.

The lodge sits on top of a hill on a three-acre clearing. The large living room windows provide a magnificent view of the surrounding forest and countryside.

A 1959 renovation added additional bathrooms, a new hallway entrance, and air conditioning. The sun porch was enlarged and a lower terrace was added along with picnic tables and an outdoor cooking area. The cabin was renamed "Aspen Lodge" in honor of Mrs. Eisenhower who was born in Colorado. The Eisenhower Library Camp David page has the original memo suggesting the name change. Separate blog posts describe the underground bomb shelter and the three-tee golf green that President Eisenhower added.

Aspen Lodge layout in 1959

Aspen Lodge in 1961

Aspen Lodge 1961: Lower terrace Upper terrace

Outdoor cooking area next to Aspen's upper terrace - 1961

Aspen Lodge - 1965 - Living Room and guest bedroom

President Nixon added a new swimming pool and an office to the Aspen Lodge during his presidency.

The new Aspen pool in February 1971

Apparently, Nancy Reagan made numerous enhancements to Camp David. In her memoirs she wrote "For me, one of the best parts about Camp David was that there wasn't a whisper of controversy about the renovations I made there and because the entire place is off-limits to the press, nobody ever knew what I did.". We do know she had the windows at Aspen lowered to improve the view; had some furniture slip-covered and painted; and made landscaping improvements.

Here are some Presidential photos that feature the Aspen Lodge over the years.

FDR and guests dining at Aspen Lodge in 1942 President Truman in his convertible outside Aspen in 1949

The Eisenhowers playing Scrabble at Aspen in 1954 President Eisenhower cooking outdoors at Aspen - 1960

President Kennedy with naval aides in April 1961

President Johnson meeting with advisers in April 1968

President Nixon with Bob Hope in 1972

President Ford and family in the Aspen Lodge

Aspen Lodge office, living room and dining room - 1974

The Fords outside the Aspen Lodge - 1974

Susan Ford and Gardner Britt; Steve Ford and Dee Dee Jarvis; Enjoying the view from the Aspen Lodge patio - 1974

Susan Ford in her bedroom in Aspen Lodge - March 1975

President Carter, Prime Minister Begin, and President Sadat outside the Aspen Lodge at the Summit in 1978

President Reagan working at Aspen Lodge in Feb 1981

President Reagan writing the State of the Union Address at Camp David - 1985

President Bush hosted President Gorbachev at Camp David in 1990.

President Clinton on terrace with Yasser Arafat in July 2000; Inside Aspen with Dennis Ross and Madeleine Albright

President and Mrs. Bush in a People Magazine interview in the Aspen Lodge

President Obama having a water gun fight with daughter Sasha on her birthday weekend at Camp David - June 2011

In his 2010 book, Decision Points, President George W. Bush describes Aspen Lodge:

"Its interior is simple but comfortable. The wooden structure has three bedrooms, a perfect size for our family; a sunlit living room where I watched football with my brother Marvin and friends; and a stone fireplace beside which Laura and I liked to read at night".

He also wrote that in the summer of 2007, Henry Hager met with him in the Aspen Lodge to ask for his permission to marry his daughter Jenna.

While trying to find some recent information about the Aspen Lodge, I came across a website for Blue Dolphin Pools and Spas that describes its Telescope Casual line of patio furniture as follows:

"Style, durability and weather resistance is what Telescope Casual is all about. Steeped in history, the company has been the manufacturer of choice for many revered political figures including President John F. Kennedy. Telescope Casual products are still favored by many first ladies adorning their homes as well as Camp David."


Aspen Lodge - Google Maps satellite view

Sources: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library; Harry S. Truman Library; Eisenhower Presidential Library; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library; Lyndon Baines Johnson Library; Richard Nixon Library; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library; Ronald Reagan Library; George Bush Presidential Library; The White House; The President is at Camp David; Lakeland Ledger; Decision Points; National Archives; Washington Institute for Near East Policy; People Magazine; Life; UPI; Google Maps