For a little more than an hour on Friday, President Biden was plain Joe again, walking the streets of Nantucket to slip into the shops, talk with locals and watch the town Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.
Except he was surrounded by Secret Service, White House staff, and members of the press. Agents cleared the sidewalks before him and The Beast rolled down the street next to him as he walked.
He was impossible to miss - a moving mass of people and vehicles surrounding him as he walked. It was uncontrolled chaos as Biden chose his path and everyone raced to catch up as locals gathered en mass to see what was going on.
Despite the entourage, the townspeople seemed thrilled to catch a glimpse of the president.
And Biden looked just as happy to be out, stopping to talk to people even as a yellow police line and a row a Secret Service agents seperated him from the crowd.
'You look younger in real life,' a man said to him.
One little girl in a pink coat, sitting on an adult's shoulders, was so excited she waved her stuffed toy dog and barked at the president.
Others cried out: 'We love you Joe,' 'Hey, Mr. President,' and, of course, 'Happy Thanksgiving.' Nearly everyone had a phone out, taking photos and video of the moment for posterity.
President Joe Biden, with two of his grandchildren, walked the streets of Nantucket on Friday to do some shopping
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden stand with members of their family during the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony
Baby Beau Biden on dad Hunter Biden's shoulders with mom Melissa at the side
The president broke free from the bubble of the presidential motorcade after a post-Thanksgiving lunch with his family.
As agents led him toward the presidential limo known as the Beast, Biden ducked to the side and up the street, walking toward some of the shops. The Biden clan has been coming to Nantucket most years since the mid-70s - including when he was vice president - so Biden knows the area well.
The agents moved quickly to clear the mass of locals who gathered to see the motorcade leave as staff and media raced to catch up.
The on-and-off again rain showers didn't deter the president - umbrella in hand, some Biden grandchildren at his side, the president walked the cobblestone sidewalks, baseball cap on head, face mask in place. At times Maisy Biden held onto his arm as they walked.
He stepped into Craftmasters of Nanucket, where he appeared to make a purchase, and then stepped out, moved to his left and down the block, pausing to stop for a selfie with a local who asked.
He waved to shopkeepers who came to their doors, cell phones in hand, to see what the fuss was about. He visited an array of shops - Gypsy, Sunken Ship, Island Cashmere, Centre Point and Freedman’s of Nantucket.
He made a circular route around the downtown shopping area, ending his loop where the town Christmas Tree stood dark, waiting to be lit.
The Biden clan gathered in mass for the tree lighting: baby Beau was passed around from family member to family member: Maisy brought him closer to see the tree after it was lit, dad Hunter held him on his shoulders and mom Melissa held him for photos.
Biden didn't light the tree but stood to the side next to wife Jill and the rest of his family, watching the ceremony take place.
The Biden grandkids took selfies, and danced and sang to the Christmas carols, sung by local high school students.
President Biden talks to the crowd gathered to see him
Biden appeared to make some purchases in some of the shops
The Bidens attended the ceremony for the lighting of the Nantucket Christmas Tree
President Biden shakes hands with the town crier, next to him Maisy Biden holds Baby Beau
A crowd gathers on the street of Nantucket to see the president
President Biden spent more than an hour walking the streets and visiting shops
President Biden also talked to the press about his decision to place a travel ban on some African countries after a new variant of COVID was detected
President Biden started his day taking his family to lunch at the Nantucket Tap Room, which serves traditional New England food and is located in a historic building from 1845 in downtown Nantucket.
The president was spotted shaking hands and taking selfies with patrons while inside. A local reporter noted he had a burger.
Afterward the Bidens stopped Nantucket Bookstore, where staff there said the family had been shopping for 35 years.
Jill Biden was there as was Hunter, Melissa, Ashley, Naomi, Finnegan, Maisy, Natalie, Hunter, and baby Beau Biden; and, Peter Neal, Naomi's fiancé.
Dining out the Friday after Thanksgiving is a longtime Biden family tradition.
The president headed to lunch after announcing his administration will restrict travel from South Africa and seven other countries starting on Monday, following the detection on a highly transmissible new variant of COVID discovered there.
Those countries are Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi, the White House said on Friday.
'We're going to be cautious, make sure there is no travel to and from South Africa and six other countries in that region. Except for American citizens who are able to come back. We don't know a lot about the variant except that it is of great concern. It seems to spread rapidly,' Biden told reporters after his luncheon.
He encouraged people to get vaccinated.
'Here's the deal. Every American that has not been vaccinated, should be responsible and be vaccinated from age five years and up, number one. Number two, everyone eligible for the booster shot, should get the booster shot immediately upon being eligible. That is a minimum that everyone should be doing. And you know, we always talk about whether this is about freedom and I think it's a patriotic responsibility,' he said.
The move follows similar
