HONOLULU -- President Barack Obama returned to Washington on Sunday night after trying to have a quiet respite over the holidays in Hawaii. His moments of peace and quiet with family were interrupted a number of times by the business of running the country.

An attempted terrorist attack turned the getaway into a working vacation.

"A full investigation has been launched into this attempted act of terrorism and we will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable," Obama said of the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound jet on Christmas Day.

After arriving in the islands on Christmas Eve, Obama took a little time to greet those who gathered at Hickam Air Field and said a special thanks to the men and women in uniform.

"It's just an honor to have him come by here and appreciate what we do for him and the country," U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Hector Batista said.

The president and first family then largely stayed out of the public eye as their vacation began, although even his passing motorcade drew quite a crowd on the streets of Kailua.

While the first family mostly stayed out of sight on Christmas Day, Obama and his wife sent a holiday greeting to the rest of the country.

During his time in Hawaii, on trips in and out of Kailua, protests could be heard as demonstrators tried to get the president's attention. They rallied outside his vacation compound, calling on the president to stop the war in Afghanistan and reject the health care reform legislation being negotiated in Congress.

But the commander in chief also squeezed in some fun. Along with golfing with his friends and daily workouts, Obama played tourist and had a little time at the beach to check out the waves.

The president and first family also stopped to snorkel at Haunama Bay and chilled out on the warm winter days with shaved ice.