President Joe Biden and his family have ended their five-day stay in Santa Barbara County.
When the president’s motorcade made its way along Santa Ynez Valley roads on Sunday, some residents gathered to wave as he wrapped up a low-key visit that kept him mostly out sight.
Marine One and other aircraft departed from the Santa Ynez Airport and transported the VIPs to Vandenberg Space Force Base late Sunday morning, with a Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit helicopter also participating.
White House pool reporters remarked on passing “some spectacular vineyard country and grazing lands.”
At approximately 11:45 a.m., Air Force One took off from the base, en route to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, with the Bidens’ final destination intended to be Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Early Sunday afternoon, at least three huge cargo aircraft arrived at Vandenberg likely to pick up support equipment.
The president’s departure also means an end to the temporary flight restrictions in place above the Santa Ynez Valley for the past five days.
Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and family members landed early Tuesday morning at the Santa Barbara Airport after the president and first lady spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
They stayed at the Santa Ynez ranch of family friend and political donor Joe Kiani, whose Kiani Preserve encompasses 8,000 acres and includes a winery.
During the week, the presidential visit prompted multiple military aircraft to fly above the Central Coast, including tankers to provide in-flight refueling.
Protesters, including those rallying for Palestine and others supporting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, also staged actions in the valley in conjunction with the visit.
The president remained at the ranch for most of the visit, but did leave with a law enforcement escort Saturday afternoon to attend Mass at Old Mission Santa Ines in Solvang.
The increased activity in the valley due to the visit and protests likely is the reason California Highway Patrol officers canceled a planned driver’s license and DUI checkpoint in the area.
CHP officers credited the cancellation “due to unforeseen circumstances” for the checkpoint set to be occur Saturday evening in an unincorporated area of the valley.
Those most ready for the departure may be administrators of Santa Ynez Valley-focused groups on social media, as even the most innocent posts devolved in the past week.
The political vitriol peaked on Saturday for what an administrator said should be a “neighborhood community gathering.”
“We don’t all think the same,” administrator Julie Everett said. “We don’t all believe the same things. We won’t all have the same religious beliefs and we don’t all care about the same things. But (the) reality is we all care about this valley. That’s why we live here.”