Page 19 of State of the Union (First Family 3)

“I’d enjoy that, sir. We have perfect conditions for our flight to Camp David.”

“That’s what the first lady wants to hear. She’s not a big fan of flying.”

“I promise you’ll be perfectly safe, ma’am.”

“That’s good to know. Thank you.”

“Please make yourselves comfortable, and we’ll have you there in no time. When we arrive, you’ll be greeted by Captain Martin, CO of Camp David, and the staff, all of whom will come out to the pad to welcome you, since it’s your first visit.”

“Got it,” Nick said. “We’re looking forward to meeting them.”

The kids were excited about the gifts the crew had left for them, including Marine One toys and T-shirts to commemorate their first ride.

Nick checked to make sure everyone was buckled in, then sat next to Sam and put on his seat belt. A low rumble of conversation came from a compartment in the back, where White House staff and pool reporters rode. Lilia and Harry were back there, along with Terry and several other West Wing staffers and Secret Service agents.

It was nice to have friends along for the ride.

“Scotty, hang on to Skippy,” Nick said. “She’s apt to be startled by the engines.”

“I’ve got her.”

Scotty and the twins were fascinated by every aspect of Marine One, from the plush leather seats to the beverage and snack service to the way the chopper lifted off the South Lawn with effortless grace.

“This is so cool,” Scotty said. They had to speak a little louder than usual to be heard over the engines. “We’re the only ones in the whole world who get this kind of service.”

“Don’t let it go to your head, champ,” Nick said. “It’s temporary.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Did you bring that report you wrote about Camp David for social studies like I asked you to?” Nick asked.

“I did, but I have no clue why I have to bring schoolwork on vacation.”

“Because I want you to tell us about the camp before we get there.”

“You already know about it.”

Sam gestured for Scotty to proceed. “The rest of us don’t know squat about it.”

“You’ve got the floor, son,” Nick said.

“If you insist, Mr. President,” Scotty said with a grin, knowing how Nick hated to be called that by close friends and family.

“I do insist, and I’m the boss of the whole country.”

“Talk about not letting it go to your head.” Scotty rolled his eyes and cleared his throat dramatically as he held up the typed pages of his report. “I’ll give you the highlights. Located in Catoctin Mountain Park, Camp David is eighteen hundred feet above Thurmont, Maryland, and it’s actually a Navy base called Naval Support Facility Thurmont.”

“Wait, there’s a mountain in Maryland called Catoctin?” Sam asked. “How have I lived here all my life and never heard of it?”

“You also didn’t know that the Naval Observatory is the keeper of the Master Clock.”

“I still want to know whose idea it was to send him to school,” Sam said as Shelby cackled with laughter.

“As I always say, it certainly wasn’t my idea,” Scotty replied. “Anyway, the first president to have a retreat located outside of Washington was Hoover, who founded Rapidan Camp in 1929 in an area that became the Shenandoah National Park after the Hoovers deeded it to the National Park Service. FDR didn’t like that place, and besides, he spent most of his off time at his home in Hyde Park, New York, or on his presidential yacht, the USS Potomac. During World War II, it was decided that it was too dangerous to use the yacht because of the possibility of being attacked by bombers or U-boats, so they went looking for another location and ended up at the place that’s now Camp David. Roosevelt called it Shangri-La. President Eisenhower thought that name was too fancy, so he renamed it Camp David, after his grandson, who later married one of the Nixon daughters.

“Roosevelt hosted Winston Churchill at the camp, and Presidents Carter and Clinton hosted the Middle East peace summits in 1978 and 2000, and many other world leaders have come to Camp David. There’s all sorts of cool stuff there, like a gym, a bowling alley, a heated pool, a game room and a movie theater, but if you’re thinking it’s going to be fancy like the White House, it’s not. The word ‘rustic’ is most often used to describe the accommodations. The president’s cabin is called Aspen, and that’s where we’ll stay, and your office is located at Laurel, Dad, but I’m sure they’ll show you where that is as they drive you around on Golf Cart One.”

Sam recalled making a deal with Scotty to go to the gym together on vacation. She hoped he’d forgotten about that.