President Obama's motorcade zoomed through the H-1 freeway with ease just after 8 a.m. as it made its way from Ko Olina to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. It set off quite a backlog of traffic though as Honolulu Police officers shut down the freeway and the onramps just before 7:30 a.m.
That jammed up the roadways from Pearl City out to Kapolei. And on the H-2 Freeway, traffic was backed up to the Waipio exit near Costco.
The motorcade arrived at Hickam just after 8:30 a.m., signalling the end of road closures from the APEC events.
Mr. Obama's arrival was also a treat for around 30 military personnel and family members, who got close enough for a presidential handshake.
"It was a great honor, it's something that you never ever expect to do in a lifetime, it was something else," said Lt. Michael Zelinsky, who shook president's hand.
"Just to be that close to him and even see him in person let alone shake his hand it was yeah I never imagined it, it was pretty awesome," said Airman Tabitha Hribar, who also shook the president's hand.
Airman First Class Tabitha Hribar says she was so star struck that when the president engaged her in a conversation, she was barely able to speak.
"He just asked me how I'm doing and I managed to say good and that was about it," she says.
The troops and family members waited two to three hours for a handshaking session that lasted less than five minutes. They say it was worth it, especially since they have the pictures to prove they were that close to the president.
"It was really nice, he got to talk to some families, talk to some of the children and I know that's an experience they're never gonna forget, just like it was an experience that all of us here at Hickam Air Force Base will never forget," Zelinsky says.
President Obama's next stop is Australia, and then Indonesia. He plans to be back in Hawaii with the First Lady and their two daughters during the holidays.
