Bush wraps up one fundraiser, arrives in Marine One for event at Romney home in Park City

President George W. Bush landed in Park City in Marine One around 5 p.m. this evening, where a small crowd of both supporters and protestors greeted him.

The landing by Bush on ball fields adjacent to Park City Middle School drew the attention of local residents, who were gathering throughout the afternoon. What they saw was the landing of the iconic helicopter, as well as four other identical green U.S. Marine Corp. helicopters.

They also got a wave from Bush before he climbed into a waiting SUV. The motorcade then quickly left, bound for the second fundraiser at Mitt Romney's Deer Valley vacation home for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Earlier in the day, Bush went to a private fundraiser at a private home located on A Street and overlooking City Creek Canyon in the Avenues. He was joined at that fundraiser by Romney and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

The Avenues fundraiser was originally scheduled for the Grand America, but moved because of reportedly slow ticket sales. Prices at the Grand America were $10,000 for a luncheon and $500 for a reception, but the revamped fundraiser was only a reception, most likely with a lower price tag.

On their way to the Avenues fundraiser, the more than a dozen vehicles in the presidential motorcade sped along a freeway and streets cleared of traffic, past clusters of people gathered throughout downtown hoping to capture a glimpse of the Commander-in-Chief. A few held protest signs or offered hand gestures signaling their opinion of Bush. Others waved flags, including a man on State Street near 300 South dressed in Revolutionary War gear with a sign that read, "Terrorist Circa 1776."

The coming and going of the motorcade did cause some traffic headaches, especially when State St., 500 South, and I-80 westbound were closed for his trip back to the base around 4 p.m. The closures lasted approximately 20 minutes, enough to back-up traffic on downtown surface streets for multiple blocks and delay evening commuters even more than normal.

Across the street from the Avenues fundraiser, Sheyda Samie, 18, a West High School senior who cut her photo class to try to take a picture of Bush, had decorated her front yard for the occassion — with a giant Barack Obama campaign sign plus several others, including one with a peace sign captioned "Back By Popular Demand." She said her family "decided that would be a great thing for everyone to see" and that she hoped Bush noticed.