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Tags: Literary Travel / President Bush / Presidential Libraries / → All Tags

W's Presidential Library To Feature Gun Once Owned by Saddam Hussein

Former President George W. Bush was never known as a man of letters. Even Karl Rove was hard pressed to lie about his reading competitions with W, who was memorably captured reading the picture book The Pet Goat on the morning of 9/11. As the George W. Bush Presidential Library takes shape at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, it shouldn't be a surprise that artifacts, not books, will take center stage.

The prize of the $200 million library, according to the Guardian, is a 9mm Glock once owned by Saddam Hussein, who had it in his possession when he was captured by U.S. forces in Tikrit. (Clearly, he was planning to attack the US with this gun.) The library will contain 25 special exhibits related to the Bush presidency within a design by Robert A. M. Stern, responsible for designing 15 Central Park West, Madonna's building, in New York.

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Tags: Adventures of Link / President Bush / → All Tags

"Who Throws A Shoe? Honestly!"

The day after an Iraqi journalist tossed not one but two shoes at President Bush, the internet's awash in stories about how anything foot related is supremely offensive in the Middle East. Funny, we thought cold-blooded shoe chucking was off-limits everywhere!

Footwear flinging TV correspondent Muntadhar al-Zaidi might have a decent time in Dubai--once he's out of custody--where he'll soon be able to, uh, cool his heels on some artificially chilled sand in front of the Palazzo Versace hotel. Maybe some Delta employees--who may soon be taking buyouts in droves--can join him.

Related Stories:
· Brother Explains Shoe-Tossing Iraqi Journalist’s Anger [NYT Baghdad Bureau Blog]
· Proper Shoe-Throwing Etiquette for the Enthusiast [BlackBook]
· Chill Out You Beautiful People [UK Times]
· Brewers, Bucks No Longer Fly Midwest Charters [WTMJ]
· Delta Outlines Voluntary Severance Packages [BizJournals]

[Photo: Wikimedia]

Tags: Travel Hell / Thanksgiving / President Bush / → All Tags

President Bush Ceremoniously Opens Airspace

President Bush made his now-annual announcement today that "military airspace" would be opened up to commercial traffic to ease Thanksgiving travel in the US this year.

Of course, as was pointed out last year, the move doesn't guarantee a trouble-free holiday travel season. Still, the announcement gave the outgoing president the chance to try out a joke:

The past eight years I have not seen a traffic jam, waited for an airplane or had my bags lost.

Hilarious.

Related Stories:
· President Bush Tells a Joke [Airline Biz Blog]
· Bush Opens Military Airspace [WaPo]
· Bush Opens Airspace for Thanksgiving Travelers [Peter Greenberg]
· Bush Moves to Open More Flight Lanes for Holiday [AP, via Google]

[Photo of JFK: Carl Puentes Photography]

Tags: National Parks / Biking / Mountain Biking / President Bush / → All Tags

Lame Ducks Travel: Bush Expanding Bike Trails in National Parks

With only a few months left in office, the economy in the toilet and all the attention focused on two new guys, President Bush must be feeling like a vacation. So he decided to get involved with expanding access for mountain bikers in the national parks.

As of now, suits in DC have the last say when it comes to what trails and areas are open for people to enjoy. Under the new process Bush is proposing, park managers would be allowed to make those decisions, speeding up the approval process for new bike routes.

The administration wants to insure that biking enthusiasts can explore the national parks and other public lands before the big guy leaves office. Parks officials say that something should be proposed by the middle of November--well before inauguration day on January 20.

Related Stories:
· Bush to Open National Parks to Mountain Bikes [AP, via Google]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Saint Urho]

Tags: President Bush / Presidential Travel / Middle America / → All Tags

Regime Change Travel: Sorry, Crawford

Whoever ends up taking the White House this fall, one thing's for sure: He won't be hosting meetings in Crawford, Texas. That has the dusty town a little teary-eyed after eight years in the spotlight.

Says the Washington Post:

Wednesday marks the final day of Bush's last Crawford summer vacation, a prospect [that] has left longtime residents marveling at the changes that have come to their dusty, 700-person town about 20 miles west of Waco--and wondering what comes next.

Tourist (and journalist) traffic is already drying up, and plenty of storefronts on the main drag are empty. And though the president's presence spurred a bit of development, plans for other projects have dissolved.

At least we'll always have the movie!

Related Stories:
· Ready or Not, Crawford May Soon Resume Normalcy [WaPo]
· Presidential Travel: W Loves Road Trips [Jaunted]

[Photo: mari.francille]

Tags: President Bush / Presidential Travel / → All Tags

Presidential Travel: W Loves Road Trips

CBS Radio correspondent Mark Knoller does more than just report on President Bush: The journalist keeps detailed records on where W is and what he's doing, sometimes down to the minute. And a new look at his data reveals that Bush is quite the travelin' man.

So far, the sitting president has stopped in 49 states--sorry, Vermont. He's visited 75 countries on 46 international trips, and he has another coming up later this week, as he heads to Beijing's opening ceremony. He's also logged 466 days at the Western White House in Crawford, accrued over 74 separate trips.

Knoller says the numbers offer a revealing picture of the commander in chief:

They tell what's important to him. They offer insight into his work ethic and personal habits.

Related Stories:
· Days of Bush's Life [Waco T-H, via]
· Pricey Euro Not Bothering President Bush [Jaunted]
· Western White House Travel: A Town Sees Itself in "Crawford" [Jaunted]

Tags: Museums / Cowboys / Political Travel / Barack Obama / President Bush / → All Tags

Summer Museum Travel: Cowboys and Presidents

With plenty of hip museums in and around LA, the Museum of the American West in Griffith Park is not usually high on the itinerary. Essentially a shrine to cowboy culture, the museum's drab permanent exhibits are far less interesting than the aging Will Rogers wannabes who show up dressed in full Western gear, right down to the boots and spurs.

But this year's election-themed special exhibit is worth a trip for both Wild West lovers and political junkies. The exhibit traces how the cowboy image has shaped US electoral politics, from Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders to George W. Bush and his brush clearing in Crawford. Visitors are left with the realization that you can't get to the White House without having at least a little John Wayne in you--hence Cowboy Obama, above).

Cowboys and Presidents is on display at the Museum of the American West through September 7, before heading off on a national tour.

Related Stories:
· Cowboys and Presidents [Official Site]
· National Cowboy Museum is a Hoot [Jaunted]

[Photo: throwthedamnthing]

Tags: Europe Travel / Summer Travel / President Bush / Nicolas Sarkozy / Pope Benedict XVI / Silvio Berlusconi / President-Bush-European-Vacation-Map / → All Tags

Pricey Euro Not Bothering President Bush

It may cost $1.55 to buy a euro, but President Bush is still enjoying high season in Europe. The commander in chief has been on a whirlwind tour of the Continent since June 9, making stops from Slovenia to the UK.

Bush started his tour in Slovenia, which he once confused with Slovakia. After hobnobbing with European Union officials, he left for Germany to chat with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Later he flew to Italy for a two-stop meeting: After talking with Silvio Berlusconi, Bush skipped over to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

Later, after breakfast in Paris, the president crossed the Channel to the UK. His last stop was in Belfast, where he presumably changed his pounds back into dollars--and started planning his next trip to a place where the greenback is stronger.

Check the route on our President Bush European Vacation Map.

Related Stories:
· Bush Soaks in Europe as Only a President Can [AP]
· President Bush coverage [Jaunted]
· Europe Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: The White House]

Tags: Presidential Travel / President Bush / Movie Travel / Videos / → All Tags

Western White House Travel: A Town Sees Itself in "Crawford"

When President Bush is your neighbor, local barbecues are never the same: A new documentary explores the relationship of Crawford, Texas to its most famous resident, currently he of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Nearly half of the town's 705 residents turned out for the film's outdoor premiere.

Bush moved to Crawford in 1999 and brought the eyes of the world with him. Opponents of the president also used the town to influence public opinion, like when soldier's mother Cindy Sheehan took her antiwar feelings public with a protest across from Bush's ranch.

Hilariously, the IMDb summary for "Crawford" is hidden because of "spoilers," just in case you've been under a rock for the past 8 years.

Related Stories:
· Hundreds Attend Documentary Screening in Bush Town [AP]
· Presidential Marriage Marked By Secrecy, Dorkiness [Jaunted]
· "Crawford" Synopsis, with Spoilers [IMDb]

Tags: Ski-Resorts-in-Summer / Adventure Travel / Summer Travel / Active Travel / Patrick Leahy / President Bush / → All Tags

Ski Areas in Summer: President Bush Not a Fan of Bromley Mountain

Bromley Mountain is having quite the political summer. Vermont's senior senator, Democrat Patrick Leahy, snuck a provision into a recent farm bill that would have had the federal government sell some national forest land to the ski resort in his state. But President Bush--or more likely one of his aides--caught the earmark; Bush specifically cited the proposed sale as one reason he vetoed the farm bill.

Congress didn't care for that, and they overrode the veto--only to find out that a paperwork mistake will force a re-vote on the entire thing. So Bush may have yet another chance to stick it to Leahy and Bromley Mountain.

In the meantime, the resort has plenty of summer activities on its current property. A three-track alpine slide is the main draw, but the zip line, "space bikes" and water slide also look pretty decent. If they ever get that extra land from the national forest, who knows what might be added... Maybe a statue of a senator?

Related Stories:
· Bromley Mountain [Official Site]
· Farm Bill Background [NC Mountain Times]
· President Bush's Message on Farm Bill Veto [Official Site]
· Ski Resorts in Summer coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Celeb Travel / Commencement Travel / Paul McCartney / The Beatles / JK Rowling / President Bush / Matthew Fox / → All Tags

Commencement Travel: That's Doctor Silver Hammer to You

Former Beatle and recent divorcé Paul McCartney just got an honorary degree from Yale University. Those robes just make everyone look better!

And there's no rest for the other weary stars working the commencement circuit. Harvard has invited Harry Potter author JK Rowling. After last year's backlash about "Lost" actor and alum Matthew Fox, Columbia University went the straight-and-narrow and picked New York City school superintendent Joel Klein--only to see sister school Barnard College nab Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

President Bush is doing double duty this weekend at the US Air Force Academy and Furman University in Georgia, and tiny Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois continued its tradition of getting high-wattage speakers by snagging Madeline Albright. (Both Bill Clinton and Stephen Colbert have spoken there in recent years.)

If you want to chase down your favorite star, USA Today has a great list. Stay tuned for our report from Planet Oprah in June!

Related Stories:
· Students Are Getting a Say in Commencement Speakers [USA Today]
· Putting the Hard Day's Night Hotel into Context [HC]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Celebitchy]

Tags: Celeb Travel / President Bush / Jenna Bush / Wedding Travel / → All Tags

Presidential Marriage Marked by Secrecy, Dorkiness

Mmmm, May in Texas: It's a great time to run for the nearest air-conditioned building and never leave it. But the heat didn't bother President George W. Bush as he celebrated daughter Jenna's wedding on the family ranch in Crawford, Texas. (Jenna's on the right above with twin Barbara, impolitely wearing a white dress, on the other side of their beaming parents.)

Jenna wore Oscar de la Renta for her first dance with her new husband Henry Hager, a former employee in the office of Karl Rove (who was at the wedding); the tune was Taj Mahal's "Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes." Jenna's the first child of a sitting president to wed in 16 years, but she opted not to marry at the White House. At least there she might not have seen her dad getting down to the Archies on the dance floor. Oh, uncoordinated dads, you know no politics!

Honeymoon plans have not been released, but Jenna has been traveling far and wide to promote her family-planning novel Ana's Story, even making a stop at our old high school. Now that the president's back in DC, maybe she and Henry can have a staycation on the ranch!

Related Stories:
· Presidential Wedding Hits Texas In '08 [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel: Leave Namibia Alone! [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Just Jared]