Obamas take a walk, holding hands in the evening

WASHINGTON — The first couple took full advantage of the cool spring night.

After a date night out on Saturday evening, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama decided to take a stroll when their motorcade arrived back at the White House.

So they began walking on the driveway of the White House South Lawn while holding hands. First they passed the West Wing, then their children’s swing set. They kept walking, swinging their hands together.

There were no Secret Service agents right behind them — the agents stood off, in one of the rare moments that the Obamas had private space outside the White House walls.

As the Obamas walked behind shrubbery and out of sight, the unscripted moment left reporters guessing where they were going. To the vegetable garden? The basketball court? No final word, but they eventually came back the same way from where they started, rounding out their 8-minute walk.

The walk wrapped up one of their first date nights in the District since they’ve lived at the White House. Before arriving home and taking the stroll, the president and first lady dined out for nearly two hours at a posh Georgetown restaurant.

The stroll was a quiet contrast to their dinner outing. The Obamas’ visit to Georgetown attracted thick crowds of onlookers who were held back by police tape, while sirens occasionally wailed and a protester chanted outside the restaurant.