Ran into The President while hiking!

[Pharaoh]

Unbelievable!





Photo of the Day: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have a chance encounter with other hikers while walking along a trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Asheville, N.C., April 23, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) See more official photos here http://whitehouse.gov/photogallery

[rug]

1. He's turning into Waldo.

[gristy]

17. lol

:D

[EFerrari]

18. LOL

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

46. Excellent

and I am so happy the President came to my home state.

I'm not very close to Asheville, but folks there deserve this.

[ejpoeta]

2. where are the secret service??? i would think they'd be all over the place.

but it sure would be cool to run across the president like that.

[NYC_SKP]

6. There are probably seven or eight just in that scene.

You just can't see them.

:patriot:

[zonkers]

42. Look close at tjat dog, he's wearing an earpiece.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

49. I'm certain they already told the other hikers what was about to happen.

(I'm jealous... I wish it were me to see the first family!)

I love hiking and have hiked all over TN in the Smokies... I wish I would have been in NC!

[Bluzmann57]

3. At the risk of sounding sexist

His wife is hot. Cool pic. Is that you in the picture? If so, that's cool! If not, that's cool!

[freeplessinseattle]

7. I'm a chick and think they're both hot

I don't think you understand what sexist means.

[Bluzmann57]

14. Whatever

I get called sexist by people because I compliment women's appearances. So if I don't understand what sexist means, I don't give a damn. I just know that I'm somewhat defensive.

[elleng]

23. Sorry that you're defensive about it, and I can understand why;

MANY people misuse the term.

'It means that you make a judgement about a person based on whether the person is male or female. For example, you assume that because someone is a girl, she will necessarily like pink. That is pretty harmless. It is serious when, for example, a man and a woman do the same job but the boss expects the woman to get him coffee just because she's female or worse, pays her less just because she's a woman. It can work in reverse. For example, a woman might think a man can't cook just because he's a man.'

from yahoo

[Kalyke]

39. It's harmful to me when someone assumes I like pink.

The color makes me puke.

:hi:

[BlooInBloo]

24. I called dibs on first chance to hook up with his wife next time he's outta town!

:P

[MindandSoul]

4. I hope this is not a trick picture! I think it's so cool that our President

is a REAL person, not a stuffed up shirt!

I just love our First Family!

[intheflow]

41. As opposed to Bush Jr.

Who I had the misfortune to meet while working Katrina recovery in Mississippi. Our camp was about 5 blocks from the AFB in Biloxi, so he was able to slither in with as little accidental contact with real people as possible. His one impromptu "get out and meet the people" locations was the gas station across the street, where he shook hands with three people and beat feet -- probably to go hang with his buddies Haley Barbour and Trent Lott to laugh about how slowly the recovery was going for poor people. :grr:

[zazen]

5. so that's why the Blue Ridge Parkway was blocked and we had to turn back

[fishwax]

8. that's pretty cool

:D

[bluestateguy]

9. Did he run into Mark Sanford on the Appalachian Trail?

nt

[madinmaryland]

11. At least he is not clearing brush that has been put in place to be cleared!

[MindandSoul]

13. At least Obama was WITH his wife!!!!

[Withywindle]

27. I've hiked various stretches of the Appalachian Trail a lot, as a kid with my folks

...and I can tell you with some confidence that if you find yourself in Buenos Aires, you've gone too far! :D

[Maru Kitteh]

10. I must feel great for them to get out and breathe.

Good for them, but I would totally lose the belt. And the watch.

[Shapton]

12. What did you say to him?

[Mira]

15. Damn - that's wonderful!

My son lives in Asheville. He hikes. He went on a hike that day on the other side, saying, maybe they mis-cued us and I'll run into him.
He tells that Asheville rocked with excitement. It's a liberal spot in NC.

He tells that a woman ran across the Obamas on the trail without having forewarning, and that she stared at them and said: Are you who I think you are.

He tells they really stood in line at the rib place (I have tasted those ribs and they are worth a flight from Washington if you have a tax payer provided huge jet)
and chatted and socialized and was real and cared.

God knows.
I love him and Michelle.

God knows.
I wish they would more grasp the power and re-settle the country where it needs to be to survive and proceed.

But I digress.

I love those woods, I'm in them often, I have painted pictures of them, I have photographed them, and I will all but consider them holy from now on.

Did I mention I love these two?

[MindandSoul]

16. I totally understand! I love them too!

[gristy]

19. +1

:thumbsup:

[uppityperson]

20. That is so cool. I am glad they get out to more than greasy food joints like previous pres

[kentuck]

21. Those are some wonderful photos...

especially those kids in the trees in Asheville and Michelle with Bo in front of the "Bring your child to work" class. It appears Bo stole the show. :-)

[asdjrocky]

22. Man those are some great pictures.

As much as I often disagree with President Obama and his policies, I have to say I love our first family and it's great to have a cool President.

[Withywindle]

25. I grew up on the Blue Ridge Parkway and I'm proud.

So a big part of me is saying, "Well, I hope now he understands how beautiful and ancient and ecologically important Appalachia is now that he's seen it for himself up close, and will work DAMN hard to make mountain-top-removal mining illegal forever and that companies that do old-school mining make sure conditions are safe and pay and benefits are fair for workers..." yeah, I know, pipe dream.

and another part of me is like, SQUEE! SO LUCKY to get to meet them on the trail!

(A lot of those trails are tough going, I know. Was Shrub EVER sober enough to risk those rocks without a million bodyguards alongside?)

[A HERETIC I AM]

29. You grew up ON the Parkway?

Wasn't that dangerous?

"We used to live in Shoe box in middle of road!
We used to have to get up out of the shoe box in the middle of the night and lick the road clean with our tongues!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

The slicing in two with a breadknife on a daily basis would be hard to take.

[Withywindle]

35. Heh.

:rofl:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

47. heh heh....best Monty Python evar!

or, my fave, anyway...

and the fish-slapping dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhJQp-q1Y1s :D

Oh wait, then there's Military Fairy.... whoops! I've got your number, ducky!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

26. Kewl. Looks like they need some decent...

hiking shoes, however!

I would hope Obama could get out and ride the bike path along the Potomac River all the way to Mt. Vernon, with a stop in Old Town Alexandria for lunch. Can't see it happening, but considering he bikes and has an appreciation for history, I think he'd enjoy it!

[CLANG]

28. K&R!!

[sellitman]

30. I bet he didn't run into Mark Sanford.

:evilgrin:

[ecstatic]

31. He isn't dressed right

LOL. Michelle is dressed right for hiking/walking... The President...not so much.

[muriel_volestrangler]

36. I can't see a problem with what he's wearing

The footwear looks like trail shoes; he's obviously not out for the whole day, since he's carrying nothing (or if he is, he's making the Secret Service carry it all :evilgrin:), so extra ankle support probably isn't that vital. If anything, I'd say her slightly faired trousers look a little more unsuitable, but not a problem if you're not walking through wet grass.

[lame54]

32. was Governor Sanford there too?

[CoffeeCat]

33. Obama will be in Iowa this week!

I guess I'll head for the trails! :)

[upi402]

34. God I hope he's careful!

Please please PUHLEEZ be careful Mr President. There are too many Teabagging Beckkksters in America now.

[chrisa]

37. Any sort of physical activity is a safezone from them.

[malaise]

38. Lovely

Thanks

[barbtries]

40. was this you?

i want to know everything!

[spooky3]

43. That doggie was disappointed Bo didn't come along.

[blaze]

44. Ohmygosh!!! How cool would that be????

And I love the shot (via the link) from April 21st with the Obama's greeting the US Olympic Women's Ice Hockey team. The hug that Michelle is giving the team member in the back ground. It's just such a real hug!!! Nothing to do with photo ops. I love that the Obamas are touchy feely people. :)

[deaniac21]

45. Amazing, no secret service and he is the best dressed hiker

I've ever seen!!! OMG, what a President!

[HipChick]

48. Michelle looks great...I'm glad both of them get to get out of the bubble

once in a while..