Obama Spends Presidents Day in RivCo Golfing

US President Barack Obama waves to crowds gathered at Palm Springs International Airport as he departs for Washington, D. C. on Feb. 16, 2015. CREDIT: Renee Schiavone.

*Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to reflect the president’s departure.

Air Force 1 departed from 78 degree weather in Palm Springs Monday, as President Barack Obama returned to a frozen-over Washington following a golfing weekend with his Honolulu buddies.

It his fourth visit to the Coachella Valley in two years. The plane was scheduled to depart the warm weather at 2:30 p.m., but that was advanced 45 minutes.

Several groups of valley residents, some ion lawn chairs, waved to the Presidential motorcade as it made its way from Rancho Mirage to the Palm Springs Airport.

While in the desert, the president reportedly worked on preparations for a summit meeting on international terrorism. He also signed a memorandum codifying rules for all federal agencies regarding drones, and spoke with the leaders of Germany and the Ukraine over the latter nation’s war with Russia.

But mostly, this trip was about good weather, old friends and golf.

Obama on Sunday played a round or more in Rancho Mirage, at the Porcupine Creek golf course owned by billionaire Larry Ellison. His foursome included three friends from his youth in Hawaii -- Bobby Titcomb, Greg Orme and Michael Ramos.

A temporary no-fly zone was established in the skies above the desert during the president’s stay. It was briefly violated Sunday afternoon when a small plane flew too close to the area where the president was staying, the Desert Sun reported.

The aircraft was met by an F-15 fighter jet, then escorted to the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, where the pilot was met by law enforcement personnel, Major Ruth Casto, a spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said in remarks reported by the newspaper.

Obama had arrived in Palm Springs Saturday,.

The president stayed at a private residence in Thunderbird Heights in Rancho Mirage.

– By City News Service.