Vacations are Good

Hula dancers from the Japanese city of Obama known as the "Obama Girls" traveled to Hawai'i to show their support for the islands' native son.




Barack told a crowd of 4,000 in Honolulu he would be having a plate lunch, some shave ice and would be spending time on the beach with his family body-surfing and swimming. His main reason for visiting though is to visit his aged grandmother. He will also be visiting the family of his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng.

Here's some video from Honolulu's KGMB News:

Barack Obama to appear at Keehi Lagoon Beach Park

Barack Obama's vacation will not only be fun and relaxation.

In addition to a fundraiser, Obama is scheduled to appear at a free public rally at Keehi Lagoon Beach Park in Honolulu.

Obama has not been back to Hawai'i, where he spent most of his childhood, since 2006 when he was still pondering over whether to run for president.

"Im going to see my grandma who i've haven't seen in almost 18-19 months and who's getting to the age where i want to make sure i spend time with her on a consistent basis and so she can see her great-grandchildren," Obama said about his Hawaiian trip.

It's not looking much like he or his opponent John McCain will announce their VP picks before the Olympic Games being as many had once expected. Although it's still possible to hold a press conference sometime early tomorrow.

Check out this story on how island life in Hawai'i shaped the presumptive Democratic nominee.

"Hawaii's spirit of tolerance might not have been perfect or complete. But it was — and is — real," Obama wrote in a 1999 essay for the Punahou alumni magazine. "The opportunity that Hawaii offered — to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect — became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."

And here's a story on Obama's grandmother who broke many barriers of her own allowing the family to send Barack to the elite Punahou School.

Disco generation Barack "Barry" Obama, second row right, in a 1978 senior yearbook photo at the Punahou School, the prestigious private academy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Punahou Schools / AP