Where the Obamas Are Heading to Get Away This Weekend

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama and family are planning to get out of town following the inauguration on Friday, leaving the political drama of Washington, D.C. for a stay at a secluded Palm Springs estate over the weekend, according to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

They’ll be making themselves at home at a villa in Rancho Mirage, just outside of the desert town, CNN reports. Owned by the ambassador to Spain James Costos and his husband Michael Smith (who has also been the White House’s interior decorator during Obama’s term), this is a favorite destination of the soon-to-be-former president and his family. The home is an 11,000-square-foot Mayan-inspired estate, complete with a pool and golf course views, and has served as the Obamas' home base during multiple prior trips to the area.

Palm Springs has recently resurfaced on the national radar as a sought-after destination for high profile names, and airlines like JetBlue have been opening routes and expanding service to keep pace with the uptick in interest for the inland vacation oasis, which some call “the Hamptons of L.A.” The popularity of the annual Coachella musical festival has only boosted its appeal.

But after getting his fill of California sun, Obama will be back east soon enough: The family has locked down a spacious rental home in D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood while daughter Sasha completes school in the nation’s capital. (Malia, meanwhile, is taking a gap year before starting at Harvard.)