JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — President Bush walked along snowy trails near the soaring Grand Teton range Saturday, relishing a wintry Western respite.
He was spending the weekend with his wife Laura at the Jackson Hole valley home of Roland Betts, a Democrat who was a major contributor to Bush's presidential campaign. Betts and Bush were classmates at Yale University and partners in the Texas Rangers major league baseball team.
Aides said the president strolled the snowpacked trails near Betts' home but had no plans to venture into this resort town, which was packed with skiers, snowmobilers and shoppers. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush received his daily national security briefing Saturday morning before taking the walk.
Residents and tourists alike said they would gladly leave Bush alone.
"It makes us proud that the president would pick a place like this to visit and we respect his privacy," said Bob Lallatin, 53, who works at Big O Tires. "For all the stress he's under, he deserves a couple days to himself."
Celebrities are nothing new to the town. Many Hollywood stars, including actor Harrison Ford, have homes near Jackson and several others visit frequently. Vice President Dick Cheney, who has a home nearby, is frequently spotted in grocery stores and other local haunts but was not in town this weekend.
Bush arrived late Friday night after a white-knuckle flight aboard Air Force One from Salt Lake City, where he had opened the Winter Olympics. Turbulence jostled the plane over the steep Grand Teton peaks.
Bush was seated in his cabin during the most unsettling moments of the flight, but White House chief of Staff Andrew Card was nearly knocked off his feet while trying to get a drink.
Bush planned to return to Washington on Sunday. He was flying to Wisconsin on Monday to discuss health care and attend a political fund-raiser. Late in the week, Bush heads to Asia for a weeklong trip.