10. The Kennedy’s found Camp David to their liking due to its privacy
Like Hoover before him, John Kennedy came to the White House a wealthy man, and could easily have purchased his own presidential retreat. As a matter of fact, he did, though it was more of a retreat for Jackie, a house and farm in Virginia’s horse country near Middleburg. Jackie was an enthusiastic equestrian of renown, and loved the Middleburg property, but both she and the president came to enjoy Camp David too. The biggest attraction for the Kennedy’s was the privacy. John Kennedy allowed members of his cabinet and White House staff to use the facility even when he was not present, a first for the presidential retreat.
Jackie Kennedy was fiercely protective of her children’s privacy, as well as her own, and found in Camp David a place where they could indulge in recreation free from the pursuit of cameras and reporters. The Kennedys enjoyed horseback riding and hiking at the facility, and strange as it may seem both Jack and Jackie enjoyed relaxing on the skeet range, often taking turns while passing a shotgun back and forth between them. Other members of the extended Kennedy clan were frequently found at Camp David, where the trails offered extensive hiking, the press was kept away, and the family could relax free from the criticism which often followed them to Kennedy compounds in New England and Florida.
