located just 60 miles north of washington, d.c., in the catoctin mountain park outside of Thurmont, Maryland, Camp David is a mysterious place to most of the country. It is like a small resort with the feel of a camp, but it is officially Naval Support Facility Thurmont, a military facility run by the navy. It has been used as a presidential getaway ever since the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who called it Shangri-La. It was later renamed Camp David by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his grandson. After many layers of security, the approach to Camp David is down a winding one-lane road through beautiful woods. Then cabins—some are more like small houses—come into view, all painted dark green so that they perfectly blend into the landscape. The cabins have names such as Hickory, Chestnut, and Aspen, which is the president’s well-appointed three-bedroom cabin with its own swimming pool and putting green. My one-room cabin was named Linden. Much like a studio apartment, it had everything I needed and was next to the kitchen in the main lodge, named Laurel. That was where everyone congregated to talk about their day before they sat down for meals together. Laurel was also where the president’s office was, as well as a large conference room. I spent much of my time in the kitchen at Laurel. Shangri-La is now the name of the cantina where I sat after a long day in the kitchen, drinking a cold beer and socializing with the staff stationed there or traveling with the president. There is also a small movie theater in Shangri-La—much like a home theater. Guests invited for the weekend often watch first-run movies sent to the president for his viewing after dinner, and I often joined them. The Bushes used Camp David as often as they could. It was close to Washington, D.C., and offered just about any recreational activity you would care to
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do—from tennis to swimming to horseshoes to horseback riding. Everyone got around at Camp David by walking or biking, or by using a golf cart. I was lucky to always have my own golf cart. It was a retreat for all of us. Even though I might work twenty to thirty hours on the weekend there, it was a chance to get away from the craziness of Washington. Initially I didn’t go to Camp David with the president and first lady, but after a couple of visits, Mrs. Bush asked me to start going with them and to teach the staff some of my recipes. Since Camp David is a naval facility, it is staffed by navy personnel who take care of all the white house history quarterly
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Cabins line the roadway at the presidential retreat at Camp David and the president is saluted as he arrives at the camp. opposite and above
Matthew Wendel, seen at work in the Camp David kitchen, often stayed in Linden Cabin (above) during his visits to cook for the president and his guests.