Obamas Will Visit Yellowstone, Grand Canyon

Yellowstone-bound first family will add to record number of visitors

(NEWSER) - The Obama family will visit Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon this weekend, doing their part to add to this year's already-booming national parks attendance figures, USA Today reports. Yellowstone hit a record high of 900,500 visitors in July—up 11% from last year, and 6% over the 1995 record—and other parks are reporting upticks as well. The parks service expects attendance to be up 3% over 2008, thanks possibly to its free weekends promotion. More»

(NEWSER) - After a wait that felt almost as long as the presidential campaign, the Obamas have decided to adopt a Portuguese water dog, People reports. Her daughters can hardly wait, Michelle Obama said. “So Sasha says, 'April 1st.' I said, 'April.' She says, 'April 1st.' It's, like, April!" the first lady said. “You can't get a new dog and then go away for a week.” More»

White House releases new family photo

(NEWSER) - The first family has a new portrait: President and Michelle Obama posed with daughters Sasha, 10, and Malia, 13, in the Oval Office for the new photo, snapped by White House photographer Pete Souza, notes People . Last time around, in 2009, Annie Leibovitz did the honors. Click here to see that one. The new one is now in the White House Flickr feed here . More»

(NEWSER) - Among the families around the world gathering tomorrow to celebrate the beginning of Passover with a dinner, or seder, will be a high-profile group: the Obamas. The White House seder tradition started on the campaign trail in 2008, when then-senator Barack Obama surprised three staffers by showing up for their makeshift celebration in a Pennsylvania hotel basement. Last year's seder was a bit more impressive, with close to two dozen friends, relatives, and staffers gathering at the White House. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama wrapped up the recreational side of his travel weekend by visiting the Grand Canyon and peppering park rangers with questions about it, the Arizona Republic reports. With Michelle, their daughters, and other members of the Obama clan, the president marveled at a view he last witnessed at age 11. Asked if it appeared the same to him, he said, "It does!" More»