Obama sticks with his vacation at Martha's Vineyard

Oak Bluffs (Massachusetts, US), Aug.29 (ANI): President Barack Obama has tried to carry on with the vacation he set out to have here - strolling the beach, taking his daughters for a bike ride, playing golf.

More duties await - he's working on the eulogy he'll deliver for Senator Ted Kennedy on Saturday.

And there's a chance Tropical Storm Danny will bring him back to Washington a day early, Politico reported.

The White House is already saying Obama needs a "break from his vacation" - a way of explaining his third trip this month, on Wednesday, to Camp David, where he'll stay through the weekend.

It all contributed to a sense, expressed by some on Martha's Vineyard, that Obama was here but never really here - a visitor who ventured out, to be sure, but rarely plunged into public view.

The locals and tourists are still hoping for a glimpse, passing around tips about where Obama might show up next.

Yet, as Obama prepares to wrap up his vacation, there have been few sightings, and even fewer opportunities for locals and tourists to actually meet the president during his family vacation.

"I just sense a disappointment. Everyone was so excited to see him and there is all this space between him and the crowd," said Nancy Shai, who owns Vineyard Jewelry and has been on the island since 1997.

"But I don't know what people expect - he has kids with him, his wife, and to be part of the regular crowd, I don't know how safe that is," Shai added.

During his stay, Obama has spent about 10 hours at various golf courses, dined out with his wife, Michelle, and got takeout from Nancy's, a local restaurant, then went to senior adviser Valerie Jarrett's home to eat.

He also went to the private beach near his Chilmark rental, had a bike ride with Malia and Sasha and toured a historic lighthouse. (ANI)