Former U.S. President George W. Bush waves as he boards a helicopter after President Obama took the oath of office.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former President George W. Bush and his wife have left Washington for their Texas home, after eight years in the White House.
Following the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president, Bush and his wife Laura boarded a helicopter alongside the U.S. Capitol. The new president and his wife walked them to the chopper -- keeping with tradition -- to see them off.
The Bushes retraced a very familiar route -- flying to Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland before getting on a plane for the flight south.
The Bushes are first headed to Midland, Texas, for a homecoming celebration in the city that hosted a send-off for them eight years ago. Then they'll go to their ranch in Crawford for their first night as private citizens again.
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
