5. Truman was not overly fond of the camp and preferred another presidential retreat
Since the advent of the automobile, several presidents have expressed that one of the activities they missed the most while in office was the ability to drive their own car. FDR was one such, and at Camp David, a specially modified automobile was kept which allowed the president to drive himself along the logging and fire control roads which crisscross the area. He allowed himself to “get lost” more than once. His successor as president, Harry Truman, was another driving enthusiast, and is known to have taken the wheel on at least two automobile trips as president, once to Washington from Charlottesville, Virginia, and once to Shangri La on an official visit to the site.
Truman was not particularly fond of the Catoctin camp, probably because his wife, Bess, found the camp boring. Truman also found the secluded feeling of the camp, enclosed by thick woods with limited views, to be unsettling. He had woods around the camp cut down to open the view somewhat, but he quickly came to prefer taking his rest at the Little White House in Key West, Florida, accompanied by the presidential yacht USS Williamsburg. Like Shangri La, the Little White House was operated by the US Navy, as was Williamsburg, which Truman used for deep sea fishing, poker, and sharing bourbon with cronies and friends, as well as conducting official business.
