Obama mixes business with pleasure during family weekend outing

Arizona (US), Aug.16 (ANI): US President Barack Obama mixed business with time out with his family while visiting Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona over the weekend.

A Fox News report said that he is also using his time away from Washington to drum up further public support for his healthcare reform plan.

Dressed casually, Obama and his family watched Old Faithful erupt in Yellowstone after they strolled up a path with park rangers.

Earlier, his entourage walked wooden boardwalks and bridges in the steamy Black Sand Basin, where hot springs and small geysers dot the picturesque landscape.

The president's weekend out West comes before he leaves for a summer break on Martha's Vineyard.

On Friday, the president took 2 1/2 hours after his health care town hall near Bozeman, Montana, on Friday to make good on a campaign promise to learn fly-fishing when he revisits the state.

No reporters or TV cameras were allowed on the trip. The president simply wanted to enjoy the learning experience rather than turn it into a media event. (ANI)