Prairie Chapel Ranch

Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1583 acre (6.4 km²) estate located seven miles (10 km) northwest of Crawford, Texas. It is the home of President George W. Bush. Then–Governor Bush bought the land, which was a former pig farm, in 1999 shortly after earning a $14.3-million profit from the sale of the Texas Rangers. Based on fair-market land prices at the time the deal was closed for an estimated $1.3 million. While Bush is there as President, the estate is known as the Western White House.

Related Topics:
Acre - Estate - Crawford, Texas - George W. Bush - 1999 - Texas Rangers - Western White House

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President Bush uses the compound for vacations, occasional meetings, and entertaining foreign dignitaries. In the less formal setting, dress code for meetings calls for an open collar and no tie. Guests are typically treated to meals of Southern cuisine. When not holding meetings or briefings, Bush spends his time mountain biking, jogging, fishing, bird hunting, and clearing brush.

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President Bush has made clear his preference for spending time away from his official residence at the White House in Washington, DC. In 2001, he said, "I think it is so important for a president to spend some time away from Washington, in the heartland of America." An August 7, 2001 article in the Washington Post noted that Bush spent all or part of 54 days, including many weekends, working and relaxing at the ranch between his inauguration (January 20) and Labor Day (September 3) 2001. A July 31, 2005, Associated Press story noted that Bush will have visited the estate 50 times during his presidency as of August 2005; the Washington Post reported in August 2005 that Bush had spent roughly 20 percent of his presidency in Crawford.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080201703.html

Related Topics:
White House - Washington, DC - Washington Post - Labor Day - Associated Press

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