My daughter and I were sitting with my mother and step-father, waiting for the ferry to take us back to Marin, when my step-father pointed out the U.S.S. Potomac.

As we watched the presidential yacht once used by FDR arrive at the San Francisco Ferry Building in May 2009, we caught a glimpse of Obama. Or at least we thought we did. Surrounded by a man dressed as FDR, a secret service man, and other important looking people, we watched Obama pose for the photographers, but after awhile, something just didn’t look right.

Obama was just a little too stiff.

Then we figured it out. This Obama was made of wax and was standing in the hot sun.

My daughter and I ran to get a closer look as Obama and his entourage hurriedly disembarked and walked down the dock toward the Ferry Building. Though we knew now that he was made of wax, we were almost as excited as if it really was the president.

Other tourists snapped cameras as we did, watching Obama float by and onto one of the Muni cars on his way to the San Francisco Wax Museum in Fisherman’s Wharf.

We haven’t visited him at the wax museum yet. Maybe we’ll see him this summer. To read an article about this event, click here.

Photos on this post by Erica Taft on trip taken in May 2009.