President Obama, Daughters Malia And Sasha Stroll Central Park, Shock New Yorkers

President Barack Obama and his daughters Malia and Sasha had a father-daughter bonding at New York's Central Park on Saturday, July 18, much to the shock and surprise of New Yorkers strolling the park. The first family, minus the first lady, stopped at a hotdog stand and ate at a California-inspired cuisine restaurant in the city's center.

The president was in Manhattan for a fundraiser event on Friday and he took the opportunity to do the one thing he missed the most since becoming the commander-in-chief. According to Yahoo, the president had a long-time wish of strolling Central park again like average Americans. He shared this while speaking at another fundraiser event back in 2012. He said he wants to walk along Central Park again to remember what it feels like. He even jokingly said that he thought of disguising himself with a mustache but the Secret Service disapproved.

"When you are the president of the United States, always being trailed along by planes and security helicopters, "the thing that you miss most" is your "capacity to just wander and go into a bookstore, or go to a coffee shop or walk through Central park," the president said at the time. "I just desperately want to make a walk through Central Park again, and just remember what that feels like," the president was quoted by the Observer.

On Saturday, the president fulfilled this wish by taking his two beautiful daughters to the park for a stroll. He looked relaxed with his gray shirt and dark slacks. Malia and Sasha also apparently prepared for a fun day in the park, wearing their casual, breezy dresses. The stroll made many on the park that day surprised but happy.

At one point during their stroll, Mr Obama stopped at a hotdog stand and shook hand with the vendor. Kokan Debnath, who is originally from Bangladesh, was initially tongue-tied upon recognizing the president. He said shaking the hands of the president is once in a lifetime opportunity. "A lot of people see vendors, treat us like garbage. And we're not garbage. We're working to make money for our families," Debnath told the Daily News.

But the exchange with the president made Debnath very happy. "I'm proud. Because my life, in the next 40, 50 years, when will I meet another president? Because of my education, my job I'm never going to the White House. But this is my chance to meet the president."

Diners at Upland in Gramercy Park were equally overwhelmed when they realized that they were eating with the president and his daughters. One diner who has spoken with the TWC News 1 said he was surprised. The diner said Mr Obama "wasn't very disruptive to the meal." Another diner was shocked and described the president as amazing and very casual. As for the first daughters, they are beautiful, the diner said.

On Twitter, people are sharing their snapshots of the president as he strolled the park with Malia and Sasha.