The first family touched down amid intense security in President Obama's hometown yesterday and settled in for what is expected to be a 10-day vacation in Kailua, with apparent plans to decorate an 8-foot Noble fir Christmas tree last night.

Coast Guard personnel in semi-rigid boats patrolled the nearby Kawainui Canal, and a pair of gunboats sat behind Kailuana Loop, where the Obamas will be staying in a five-bedroom, beachfront home that's up for sale for $8.9 million.

One of the Obamas' neighbors, Dr. Scott Miscovich, helped one of his patients deliver two truckloads of poinsettias to the vacation home on Tuesday and saw a bare Christmas tree that the first family planned to decorate last night, Miscovich said.

The Coast Guard yesterday declared much of Kailua Bay around the Obama vacation home a security zone. And neighbors said the security ring around Obama was much tighter than during his last Christmas visit as the president-elect.

"It was a little more local style last year," said Ron Sutherland, whose home sits just outside four concrete barriers Secret Service agents placed at the entrance of Kailuana Loop.

Other than a steady throng of Honolulu police, Coast Guardsmen and Secret Service agents, the only people who could pass the barriers yesterday were those with identification showing they live in the neighborhood — or were on an approved list of visitors.

As the curious were denied entrance, forcing them to turn around in his driveway, Sutherland said, "You can already tell it's a lot bigger deal."

Last Christmas, the Secret Service checkpoint was nearly a half-mile makai of North Kaläheo Avenue, giving people an opportunity to drive within yards of Obama's vacation home.

"Now they're turning around in our driveways," Sutherland said.

Directly across the street, Sharon and Scott Miscovich had an identical problem.

"It was a lot less of everything last year," Sharon said. "Now we get all the commotion."

Secret Service agents had visited their home before the first family's arrival and "apologized in advance for what was going to happen," Sharon Miscovich said.

Yesterday, all of the neighbors along Kailuana Place had to stay on their property and were barred from venturing on to city and county land as the presidential motorcade entered the neighborhood just after 3:30 p.m.

"We're not overly happy, but it's great for him (Obama), the state and for everybody involved," Miscovich said.

ARRIVAL AT HICKAM

The Obamas stepped off of Air Force One at Hickam Air Force Base shortly before 3 p.m.

The president was dressed in a blue-striped dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He walked down the stairs of the plane holding hands with his younger daughter Sasha, who was in a bright orange sundress.

They were followed by the first lady, who wore a sleeveless teal blue dress, bangle bracelets and metallic-colored flats. Michelle took the hand of older daughter Malia, who wore pink pants and a green floral top.

They were greeted on the tarmac by Gov. Linda Lingle, U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Adm. Robert F. Willard, Gen. Gary L. North and Col. Giovanni K. Tuck.

Among those who took the long flight to Honolulu with the Obamas was U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka.

A black SUV was parked directly in front of the stairs. But the first couple instead chose to hold hands and walk about 25 yards to shake hands and pose for pictures with about 50 Hawai'i -based military and Secret Service personnel and their families gathered behind a metal fence.

The president held a baby, 11-month-old Parker Makiya-Torco of Käne'ohe, and posed for photos with her. Lena Torco, the baby's grandmother, said the president called out " 'What a cutie! Come here!' " The baby's mother works for the local Secret Service office.

"He's from Hawai'i , so it's wonderful he can come home," Lena Torco said.

Parker Makiya-Torco, dressed in a pink floral dress, appeared bewildered by all the commotion.

Waikele resident Raquel Gonzalez, 18, said she was surprised at how tall the couple is. Gonzalez got to shake hands with both of them.

"He said 'hi' and 'Mele Kalikimaka,' " Gonzalez said. "She's really pretty."

Kailua resident Marla Sullivan, 32, lives down the street from the Obama's vacation home and greeted the Obamas at Hickam.

"I told them Kailua Beach is beautiful today — and that I love them," Sullivan said.

She was surprised that they did not appear jet-lagged despite the long flight from Andrews Air Force Base.

"They looked fresh, they looked hot," Sullivan said. While the couple are attractive on TV, "they look 10 times better in person."

Mänoa resident Elaine Chun, 66, was fortunate enough to get her copy of the Hawaii Inaugural Gala program signed by the president.

Chun, also a local Secret Service employee, and her husband, Rodney, traveled to Washington, D.C., last January to attend the ball.

Rodney Chun, also 66, said it's not surprising that the Obamas choose to vacation in Hawai'i each Christmas.

"He has to come home here," Chun said. "Where's he going to go, to Chicago in the snow?"

U.S. Air Force Sgt. Maj. Alexis Ayala, 40, spent the day off hoping to get a glimpse of the president.

"I really want to say 'thank you' for the great things he's done to support our soliders," said Ayala, who served two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.

'MELE KALIKIMAKA'

The first couple spent a little more than five minutes shaking hands, thanking people for their service and wishing them a Merry Christmas.

Lingle gave the president a lei while Abercrombie draped a lei over the first lady's neck. The two girls received lei from Hannemann.

Abercrombie said he was giving the president a T-shirt from the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic and an invitation via University of Hawai'i Athletic Director Jim Donovan to attend the basketball tournament in Mänoa.

Hannemann said the first words out of the president's mouth as he greeted the official entourage was "Mele Kalikimaka."

"So that was a great segue for me to say to him 'e komo mai, welcome back Mr. President,' " Hannemann said.

Shortly after their motorcade arrived in Kailua, dark clouds and light rain greeted the Obamas, who settled in for a private Christmas Eve celebration.

They have a low-key vacation planned on O'ahu, deputy press secretary Bill Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One.

"When I said that there were no scheduled public events, there also aren't a lot of scheduled private events," Burton said. "I think the president is going to wake up and see where the day takes him.

"I've checked out the forecast for the entire time we're there: Tomorrow it's 81 and sunny, Friday it's 81 and sunny, Saturday it's 81 and sunny. So I think that the weather ought to lend itself to some outdoor activity."

A QUIET CHRISTMAS

Last year, the president and first lady began most of their days working out at the nearby Marine Corps Base Hawaii's "Semper Fit" gym.

Obama also bodysurfed, played a few rounds of golf and joined a pickup basketball game at his alma mater, Punahou School, where he came off the bench for the 1979 state championship team.

Asked how the Obamas plan to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Burton said, "I don't know specifically what's on their agenda this year. They obviously have dinner together and there's exchanging of presents. They'll enjoy some of the same traditions that they've enjoyed over the past years when they go to Hawai'i . They see some of their friends. There will be some friends from Chicago who come, like the Nesbitts and the Whitakers. And I think he'll just try to enjoy Christmas the way his family has traditionally enjoyed it.

"This is an opportunity for the president to recharge his batteries, knowing that as president you never really get to power off all the way."

A reporter asked if Obama got anything for the first lady for a Christmas present and Burton replied, "If he did, I wouldn't be able to tell you."

During last year's Christmas vacation, Obama also took his daughters to Island Snow in Kailua for some shave ice.

"We're definitely excited he's here," Island Snow owner James Kodama said.

"The Kids" — as Kodama calls his employees — have named Obama's order of guava, cherry and lemon-lime a "Snowbama."

It's not on the menu, but "the kids know what to make if anyone asks," Kodama said. "People come in all the time and want to try the flavors he likes. We're getting so many people wanting to come by the store and take pictures of where he sat. ... We're just kind of waiting to see if he comes by again."