Camp David is a presidential retreat in Maryland
where the presidents and their families can vacation. It has also been the site of historic meetings between the
President and international leaders.
Part of the fun of writing WILDFIRE
RUN was the research, and trying to figure out how someone would escape from Camp David if they were trapped
there.. There aren't many photographs of Camp David for security reasons, but here are a few from the past.
Camp David was originally
called 'Shangri-La' by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but was renamed by President Dwight Eisenhower after his grandson,
David, shown here.
Many Presidential pets have been
to Camp David. Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, is shown here with her pony, Macaroni, and the
rest of her family.
The Presidential helicopter, Marine
One, is often used to fly Presidents and their families to Camp David. President George H. Bush's dog, Spot,
is shown waiting takeoff.
The name of Camp David is
misleading. It is not like a primitive summer camp. There are many buildings, including lodges, guest cabins and recreational
facilities. The entire area is guarded by an elite Marine Corps unit.
