Chapter 11
The main presidential cabin is called Aspen Lodge, and the largest structure is the dining cabin, Laurel Lodge.
In the winter, it did get cold, so we’d always have the fireplaces going.
In the summers, the family would gather around the pool in Aspen’s backyard.
The kids loved to go in the arcade and gift shop.
There’s even a bar on-site with lots of fun snacks and bar food.
Every trip, we stocked up on Camp David merch at the gift shop—wineglasses, T-shirts, pajamas.
We let the kids choose what movies to watch in the theater, and the staff would make sure there was plenty of popcorn and candy.
We’d snuggle in the big reclining armchairs, covered by blankets bearing the name of Joe’s administration.
At night, we could enjoy s’mores at the outdoor firepit or sit and look up at the stars.
It was so dark there that on a clear night you could see many more stars than back home.
Camp David included a chapel, where the military was invited to attend—and there would always be homemade cookies by the door.
They had several services, from Protestant to Catholic to nondenominational, and different pastors, ministers, and priests were invited to give sermons.
Music was part of every service, and the military members played the piano and sang.
The bell would be rung when the president entered.
But the best part—by far—was the military staff.
The staff seemed to recognize the enormity of the job of being president and to take great pride in giving Joe—and, by extension, his family—a place to decompress.
They would prepare for weeks for one of our visits, making everything special for us.
I’d send up menu suggestions, and they would shop, prepare, and serve us breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
They had all our favorite family meals down: chicken parmesan and pasta, blueberry pancakes, soup and sandwiches. Of course there was always ice cream.
We usually flew to Camp David by helicopter.
The military, along with the admiral, would be there to greet us on arrival and bid us farewell on departure.
We got to personally know so many of the military members.
We knew where they were from, if they were single or married, and their life ambitions.
We’d walk into Aspen Lodge to the sound of our favorite music playing softly in the background.
The fire would barely be dying down when the staff would appear with an armful of logs.
Would you like lemonade or sangria at the pool?
Need a birthday cake? No problem. (I never could get the TV to work, but that was entirely on me because I was too embarrassed to admit it had stumped me.) There’s a medical unit and also a fully manned fire station.
A barbershop is available if you need a haircut.
The tone of every interaction I had at Camp David: Relax. We’re here to take care of you. That’s what they did. They created a welcome space for the family to do as much or as little as we wanted.
I loved waking up early in the morning to watch the sun rise over the mountains as the mist dissipated.
I’d just sit and drink my coffee before Joe got up or the kids came down to get something from the fridge.
Aspen had everything you could want for a vacation house—though I went to do some laundry one day and was told that a prior resident had removed the washer and dryer. I asked that it be reinstalled.
Oh, and the flowers! Fresh bouquets were sent from the White House, so the rooms of our cabins were fragrant with blooms. The Camp David staff planted the sloping hill in the backyard with all the colors of the season.
I marveled at the hours and hours it must have taken to fill the window boxes and all those flower beds.
Outside of Aspen Lodge is a koi pond, and even in winter, you can see the fish.
There is fish food hanging in a container so you can feed them morning and night.
The pond was originally put in as a water source near the president’s cabin, as the cabins are wood and they wanted it to be protected in case of fire.
During the July 2024 NATO summit, I hosted an informal lunch at Camp David for the dozens of spouses of the leaders attending.
I encouraged everyone to dress casually.
Before each event, I received dossiers of material to read in preparation.
My NATO briefing book—which included bios of everyone attending, along with reminders of how to address them and where we’d met before—was 175 pages long.
I had a feeling my fellow spouses were as eager for a day off as I was.
Our day began with a helicopter ride from DC into Camp David.
There were cocktails and classical music in the gazebo.
We served lobster crepes on the patio. Then the visitors went on history tours of the complex, and I took it as a sign of enthusiasm that, before they left, just about everyone loaded up on Camp David–branded merch at the gift shop.
Spending Easter at Camp David was one of my favorite traditions.
I dyed the eggs the night before Easter (usually forgetting to add the vinegar), and Joe hid them.
We also filled some plastic eggs with money, to entice even the older kids to partake in the hunt.
Somewhere in the yard behind Aspen sits a plastic Easter egg with a ten-dollar bill inside.
I wonder if it will ever be found. We only spent one Christmas there as a family, in 2023, but it was a good one, with all the kids and grandkids piling into our cabin wearing their pajamas.
Camp David was a place to renew and reflect.
The air was so clean and pure. It always took a minute for Joe to unwind, but eventually he’d give in and put aside his briefing books for a moment.
I feel so much gratitude to our military for taking such good care of our nation every day and of my family on those too-rare trips.