Posted on 07/19/2010 9:34:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The First Family's weekend getaway in Bar Harbor ended on Sunday as Air Force One took off a little after 10:00 in the morning. For the folks around the Bar Harbor area things have started to return to normal.
Matthew Schneider, the General Manager at the Qarterdeck restaurant, says he's already looking ahead to the rest of the summer. "It's gonna be business as usual," he says. "We have a big cruise ship coming in tomorrow. 2200 people coming off that boat. Our normal everyday tourists are here, yeah it's back to business as usual."
But for some of the people around here the first family's visit has left a long lasting impression. Mark Currier had been waiting tables at Stewman's Lobster Pound in downtown Bar Harbor for less than a week when the Obama's were seated in his section on Saturday. "I had about 15 minutes notice he was coming in," he says, "I was like this is unreal right now. I can't believe the president is at my restaurant and that I'm gonna be waiting on him."
The president and first lady ordered lobster while their daughters Sasha and Malia had shrimp. "He ate the whole thing. He knew exactly how to crack it and everything," says Currier." And the big question how good of a tipper is the president? "He was pretty good says Currier with a chuckle.
The Obama's certainly made the most of their weekend, seeing just about all that MDI had to offer. "They were out in public," says Shneider, "a lot of people didn't think they were going to be. They were out having ice cream at the ice cream places, having dinner at the local restaurants, it was a fun weekend for them and I think for us in town."
While President Obama and his family are gone the impact they've had on this small community will hopefully reverberate for a long time to come. "We were on the cover of every newspaper in the world this weekend," Schneider says.
Beastly..
Lobster in Maine is not really a luxury food. It’s actually a sort of rustic item in Maine, eaten on paper plates on picnic tables, etc. Close to the coast it can retail for as low as $2.99 a pound in summer. Everyone eats it. You just have to avoid the restos with the tourist markup.
It’s the backbone of the local economy, as well. Regular folks catch it and regular folks eat it. I happen to prefer the haddock myself, but that’s me!
Lasting mark??
Bo do his business on somebody’s yard??
I hate Obama but must defend their vacation spot. Elite route? Acadia? It's one of the most beautiful natural places in this country. Maybe you're thinking of Kennebunkport?
OK maybe it’s a nice simple place, I’ll gladly defer to you.
My point was he could’ve/should’ve vacationed where people needed the help and the publicity. The $$$ wouldn’t much have mattered, but setting the example?
Just for fun, I googled OBAMA VACATIONS...you should see all the links!
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