11. Golf carts provide the primary means of transportation around the camp
One of the few charms Camp David (then still known as Shangri La) held for Harry Truman was its meandering trails through the woods, which allowed the president the opportunity to take long walks in peaceful solitude. Truman was renowned for his enjoyment of brisk walks – he usually moved along at a marching clip – and Camp David’s paths beckoned during his visits. Other presidents since him have enjoyed the trails for the same reason. But for more routine moving about the camp, between cabins and recreational facilities, the president and his guest are assigned golf carts.
The president’s cart is designated Golf Cart One, unsurprisingly. Nearly all of the presidents have preferred to drive their own golf cart, enjoying the temporary freedom of being behind the wheel themselves. The paths are, for the most part, wide enough for a single cart, with little room to pass on either side, except in the area immediately surrounding most of the cabins. The president’s residence in camp is a cabin called Aspen, behind which is an area for cart parking, the heated swimming pool installed by President Nixon, and the area where Truman had the trees removed to create a vista of the surrounding Catoctin Mountains.
