Most governors couldn't get caught in a brouhaha like the one surrounding New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, because his state is one of only a handful with a state-owned vacation home for its chief executive.
A look at the home and others like it around the U.S.:
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NEW JERSEY
Christie was criticized for sunning himself with his family at Island Beach State Park, which was closed to the public because he initiated a government shutdown.
Christie, a Republican, defended his use of the beach, saying he had previously announced his vacation plans and the media had simply ”caught a politician keeping his word." He says he wasn't using any additional state services this weekend beyond the governor's Ocean House, a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home hidden behind greenery along the park's main road.
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ALABAMA
The state is finishing renovations to its beachfront governor's mansion, built on property donated to the state in 1962 for use as an executive mansion. Governors beginning with George C. Wallace used the six-bedroom, four-bath house on and off until it was badly damaged by Hurricane Danny in 1997. The house is being renovated with BP grant money left over from the 2010 Gulf oil spill, and the state has said it plans to use the mansion for economic development events once the work is done. It's on the Fort Morgan peninsula near Gulf Shores.
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MICHIGAN
The Michigan governor's summer residence on Mackinac Island is a three-story home on a bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. It was built as a summer cottage for a Chicago attorney and bought by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in 1944, according to the state. The 7,100-square-foot residence has 11 bedrooms. Thousands of people tour the first floor each summer, and the governor hosts events there with national and state leaders. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder visited the summer residence six times last year, his press office said Monday.
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NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina's governors wanting a getaway have one waiting about 250 miles west of the state capital in Raleigh, a 6,000-square-foot, contemporary split-level home on a mountain overlooking Asheville and other Appalachian peaks. The home and the 18-acre grounds complete with roaming bears and outdoor terraces were donated to the state in 1964 by Asheville's chamber of commerce.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his family are staying at the western mansion, through the Fourth of July, a spokesman said Monday. His wife visited with staff in March and June while attending official events.
