With his mode of transportation Air Force One rather than a Class A motorhome, President Obama and his family will trek to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on Saturday, according to published reports.
The quick visit will come amid scheduled town hall meetings on health care reform.
The president’s trip will also include stops at other national parks and areas in the West, including Bozeman, Mont.; Grand Junction, Colo.; Phoenix; and the Grand Canyon.
The Associated Press reports that Air Force One will depart West Yellowstone Airport shortly after 2:30 p.m. Saturday and head to a health care town hall meeting in Grand Junction.
Obama’s visit to Yellowstone follows in the tradition of other presidents. President Teddy Roosevelt was the first to visit the park.
The first family’s visit also comes during the national park’s third fee-free weekend.
Yellowstone and other parks in the National Park Service system have been enjoying an increase in visitors, and White House officials told AP that the president’s national park visit is partly aimed at promoting the parks as vacation spots.
“A visit to Yellowstone or any national park is a good value,” Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash told the Washington Times. “You can do a hotel, a cabin or go camping. There’s a lot more flexibility that families have when they plan a visit to a place like Yellowstone than
with some other tourist destinations.”
