Having concluded the Nato summit in Wales, President Obama visited the historical site of Stonehenge in Wiltshire on Friday, touring the prehistoric monument with English Heritage curator Heather Sebire.
Addressing reporters, Obama quipped, "How cool is this?... Knocked it off the bucket list." Having run against John McCain in 2008, this is not the first time Obama has encountered an ancient, rigid Neolithic structure. Still, the President was clearly impressed, telling Sebire, "It's spectacular, it's spectacular. It's a special place."
The ancient stones could even predate GOP attitudes towards women
After the visit the curator said: "Mr Obama was fascinated by the story of the stones, what we know about them and the mysteries that have yet to be solved. He asked lots of questions about how old the monument is, how long it took to build it, and what was its purpose.
"He described the atmosphere around the stones as ‘really special’ and his visit to Stonehenge as ‘a highlight of my tour’. He particularly loved seeing the colour and texture of the stones. It was a beautiful still evening and it was a privilege to show the US President around this unique monument which continues to inspire and intrigue people."
The visit also resulted in what is being hailed as the greatest piece of live-tweeting in the long history of Wiltshire. The poster was Janice Raffle, a mum of three who runs 10K races dressed as a bee to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
Upon hearing rumours that the US Commander-in-Chief was in the neighbourhood, the family hiked up to the site hoping to get a glance of the President... only for Obama to wave, walk over, shake hands and have the mandatory picture taken. "I squealed like a teenager. You’d think I would know better," Raffle told ITV.
As one respondent to the final post succinctly put it, "Noway!!!! Lol. OMG".