President Obama made no public appearances yesterday, but his daughters did get a chance to once again taste some shave ice at the Kailua Island Snow store on Saturday.

Sasha and Malia came into the shop on Kailua Road with Secret Service agents at 1 p.m. Saturday. But there were no photographs to record the visit.

That's because media covering the Obamas' Christmas vacation in Hawai'i were asked not to photograph the 8- and 11-year-old first daughters without their parents around.

"We're trying to respect their privacy," said Free Arndt, Island Snow's store manager. "They (Secret Service agents) contacted us first and they want it business as usual and for us to keep it on the down low.

"And that's what we did."

It was the second time the president's daughters went to the shave ice store, following a trip with their father during last year's Christmas vacation when they were photographed sitting on a concrete bench enjoying their shave ice.

Yesterday — the third full day of the Obamas' annual Hawai'i Christmas vacation — was a long and full one, ending with a trip into town for dinner.

The presidential motorcade left the Obamas' beachfront vacation home in Kailua at 7:10 p.m. and roared up Pali Highway, shutting down town-bound traffic for security reasons.

Many drivers who were stuck in the traffic jam simply turned off their car engines and stood outside, taking photos of the motorcade. The larger than normal motorcade took the Obamas past the Baskin Robbins store on King Street where he worked as a teenager and past Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children where he was born, according to a media pool report by Anne E. Kornblut, a White House correspondent for The Washington Post.

All along the way, traffic was ground to a halt on the major thoroughfare as the motorcade passed.

At 7:40 p.m. the first family arrived at Alan Wong's restaurant on King Street — the same restaurant he visited in August 2008 and again on Dec. 29, 2008. He was joined at dinner last night by the Whitakers, the Nesbits and Greg Orme, a Hawai'i high school friend, and Orme's wife, Kornblut wrote in her pool report.

Earlier in the day, the first family got in some private beach time at Marine Corp Base Hawaii for a family picnic.

The beach outing came after Obama's usual morning workout at the Marines' "Semper Fit" gym, followed by a game of hoops with friends on the base.

Despite direct access to the ocean in front of their five-bedroom, beachfront vacation home, the first family chose to visit the beach on the adjacent military base.

But there were some sightings of the first family at their beach house.

Melissa Rosen, a University of Hawai'i graduate student, spent yesterday seeking out a glimpse of the Obamas — and her persistence paid off.

She saw first lady Michelle Obama standing near a canoe on the grassy portion of Kailua Beach near where the first family is staying.

"I was cruising around out there and right at the edge of the barricade, I saw the first lady," Rosen said. "I got lucky, I guess. There really wasn't a lot of people out there.

"It is exciting. I can't believe that I was able to take a picture of them."

The presidential motorcade returned from the beach outing at 2:15 p.m.

"No details on their activities, attire or menu while at the beach — though we do know they had a picnic," Kornblut wrote in her pool report.

Obama's first trip of the day to Marine Corps Base Hawaii began at 6:36 a.m. and he arrived at the gym at 6:43 a.m. for a morning workout.

According to Kornblut's pool report:

"We did not actually lay eyes on him as the motorcade circled through the military base and dropped him off. We are told that he'll have a longer excursion today — a workout and then some basketball with 'friends and staff.'

"It is strongly believed that some of his golf buddies from yesterday will play, as will Reggie Love and Ben Finkenbinder.

"The president did issue a statement on the death of Percy Sutton, a legendary civil rights lawyer and politician. And he wrapped up his gym excursion at 8:30 a.m."

Obama's motorcade then left Kailua again at 11 a.m., having to slow down on the way back to Marine Corps Base Hawaii "to avoid hitting a dog that was wandering between the cars."

"Apparently he and the family are going to the beach here on the base. But we won't see him/them. The beach is not open to the public today — apparently it is usually open to the public on Sundays but has been closed for POTUS (President Of The United States).

"Friends and family are assumed to be in attendance, along with some staff."