How do the most powerful blow off steam?
Which US President spent a quarter of his presidency at a ranch in Texas?
Image: Robert LeRoy Knudsen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Running the White House is a highly demanding job, so throughout history, many presidents have found ways to relieve the pressure and stress of leading at the highest level of government. When not shaping the path of the nation, presidents have enjoyed a variety of hobbies and pastimes that provide them with leisure time to relax, unwind, and clear their minds. From golfing and swimming to reading and painting, here are 12 U.S. Presidents who found the perfect balance between pleasure and duty.
1
George Washington
Image: Alonzo Chappel, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Founding Father and first president of the United States, George Washington, enjoyed many recreational activities during his free time. He was a true outdoorsman—he loved hunting and fishing and was a devoted gardener and farmer .
It’s common knowledge that after deciding not to run for a third term, he retired to his Virginia farm and dedicated the rest of his life to farming. But one fact you may not know is that, in his youth, Washington was a frequent dancer —and rumor has it, he was even extremely good at it! He considered dancing an important social interaction, describing it as "so agreeable and innocent an amusement."
2
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Image: National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the only president to be elected to four consecutive terms, led the country through the critical years of the Great Depression and World War II. To maintain a clear mind while navigating such tumultuous times, Roosevelt embraced a number of pastimes. He collected books , stamps , and ship models , for example.
In addition, he was an avid swimmer . After losing the ability to walk due to polio, Roosevelt began swimming three times a week to strengthen his muscles. Following his election, the New York Daily News donated a swimming pool to the White House so he could continue his practice.
3
James A. Garfield
Image: Unknown; part of Brady-Handy Photograph Collection., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Before becoming the 20th president, James A. Garfield enjoyed fishing , hunting , and playing billiards . But he was also exceptionally intelligent and studious.
Though many people may know Garfield for serving just four months in office, he was also the first ambidextrous president of the United States . Not only could he write with both hands, but when asked a question, he could simultaneously write the answer in ancient Greek with one hand and Latin with the other. Pretty impressive, don’t you think?
4
Calvin Coolidge
Image: National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The 30th president of the United States liked riding horses so much that he had an electronic horse installed in the White House. The device had two speeds—trot and canter—and he rode it every day.
That said, Calvin Coolidge was a taciturn man of few words, who enjoyed taking afternoon naps, earning him the nickname "Silent Cal." He also had a very particular sense of humor . He reportedly enjoyed pressing the alarm buttons in the Oval Office or hiding in the garden shrubbery to startle his Secret Service agents.
5
Jimmy Carter
Image: Tuntematon, Valkoisen talon valokuvaajat (01/20/1977 - 01/20/1981), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter was a curious man who never stopped doing things. He studied nuclear physics in college, could read two thousand words a minute, wrote numerous books, and even won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
But what did this brilliant man like to do in his spare time? Carter had a variety of hobbies, including painting , poetry , tennis , cycling , fly fishing , and skiing . However, the one activity in which he perhaps excelled most was woodworking . After retiring, the 39th president of the United States set up a garage workshop on his Georgia ranch, where he built furniture that was later auctioned to benefit the Carter Center.
6
John Quincy Adams
Image: Pieter Van Huffel, 1769 - 1844, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
John Quincy Adams was notoriously meticulous and kept a diary detailing his daily routine. Thanks to this, we now know that the sixth president of the United States liked to relieve the stress of the presidency with an early morning swim .
After waking up around 4 or 5 a.m., Adams would walk two miles to the Potomac River and leave his clothes on the shore before taking a swim. According to lore, one morning, a reporter named Anne Royall snatched his clothes and demanded that the president give her an interview. Adams had no choice but to answer her questions while standing deep in the river, completely naked.
7
Harry S. Truman
Image: Abbie Rowe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Harry S. Truman governed the United States from 1945 to 1953, right after World War II—a difficult and stressful time, to be sure. To blow off some steam, the 33rd president liked to immerse himself in one of his two long-time passions: reading and music .
Truman had eye problems, which prevented him from participating in sports. As a result, he became an avid reader from an early age—in fact, he once boasted of having read every book in the library by the age of 14. He was also a very skilled piano player , having started lessons at the age of seven.
8
Lyndon B. Johnson
Image: Yoichi Okamoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Living up to the legacy of one of the most popular presidents in American history can't be easy. But it appears that the 36th president of the United States knew just how to maintain a good balance between responsibility and leisure. During his five-year administration, Lyndon B. Johnson spent 490 days —about a quarter of his presidency— at the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall , Texas, combining work and vacation so seamlessly that the place became known as "The Texas White House."
At this ranch, Johnson had an extensive collection of vehicles . Among them was the Amphicar, an amphibious passenger car built in the 1960s, which he used to play pranks on his visitors.
9
Richard Nixon
Image: White House Photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Not many people know this, but Richard Nixon was an artistic man. He enjoyed theater—he even met his future wife during a community theater audition—and he could play five musical instruments : piano, saxophone, violin, clarinet, and accordion.
But he was also into sports. In addition to being a huge football fan, he and First Lady Pat Nixon enjoyed bowling . In fact, the Nixons were responsible for moving the White House bowling alley back to the Executive Mansion after it had been relocated to a nearby building years earlier.
10
George W. Bush
Image: Series: Photographs Related to the George W. Bush Administration, 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009Collection: Records of the White House Photo Office (George W. Bush Administration), 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
During his free time, George W. Bush enjoyed golfing, biking, attending baseball games, and reading American history. He was also a very competitive runner .
However, when the 43rd president of the United States left office, he was only 62 years old—plenty of time to acquire a new pastime. In the years following his time in the White House, Bush surprised many by turning to painting . "I’m a painter," he told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show .
11
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Image: ddd
To relieve the stress of leadership, Dwight D. Eisenhower maintained a number of hobbies that he cultivated throughout his life. One of his main passions was golf , which he played during and after his presidency. He even kept a small putting green in the White House garden and had a four-hole practice course installed at Camp David.
But that’s not all. Ike enjoyed fishing, hunting, shooting, watching Western movies, and playing bridge. He was also an avid painter who often captured natural landscapes and gave them as gifts to friends. After leaving the White House, Ike settled on a farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he raised Black Angus show cows that won blue ribbons at state and county fairs.
12
John F. Kennedy
Image: Robert LeRoy Knudsen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
John F. Kennedy was an exercise enthusiast and something of a jock. He played many sports : golf, tennis, swimming, baseball, and football. Despite being an athletic man, he enjoyed smoking between four and five cigars a day—his favorite brands were Upmanns and Monticellos!
But perhaps the hobby that most helped him relax from the tensions of the presidency was boating. Like many members of his family, John F. Kennedy loved to sail and was often photographed at sea with his wife and young children.
