First Family heads to Gulf Coast for 27-hour vacation

First Family heads to Gulf Coast for 27-hour vacation

President Obama is taking his family to Florida's Gulf Coast this weekend in what the White House is billing as a show of support for the region's struggling businesses after the BP oil spill.

The president, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia are scheduled to travel Saturday to Panama City, a popular tourist spot that has seen a huge drop in visitors this summer after tar balls from the oil spill washed ashore. Last month, the first lady traveled to the city in a bid to boost visitor traffic, calling the beaches there "pristine." "Everybody should come!" she urged.

But the First Family won't actually spend much time in the region. According to the White House, the Obamas will spend roughly 27 hours on the ground in Panama City -- far less than they have on other vacation jaunts this summer.

All told, this will be the seventh vacation that the first lady has taken this summer. Last week, Michelle Obama came under fire for a four-day trip she took to Spain with Sasha and several friends. The White House has said she took the trip to comfort a grieving friend.

read more of this here WITH PICTURES: [link to news.yahoo.com]