Jeanette Pometta had a front-row seat for the presidential motorcade. Her front yard faces Oakville Grade.

“I’m not exactly here to show support. We Democrats are in the minority,” she said Pometta, 72, with a chuckle. “I’m not here to protest. I might yell boo as he drives by.”

Inez Pometta, 74, was on the other side of the political fence and made no bones about it. “I’m here to support the Republicans.”

She staked out a spot in her front yard at about 1:30 p.m., making sure she had a great view when President George W. Bush sped past.

“The last time President Bush was here he flew over the house in a helicopter. I waved at him, but don’t think he waved back,” Inez Pometta said.

The Pometta family, with deep roots in Oakville, for years ran the Pometta Deli next door to their home at the corner of Highway 29 and Oakville Grade.

Julien Pometta, 7, said he will have something exciting to talk about he goes back to school in the fall. He said he has never seen a president before. “It’s pretty cool.”

The Shore family from Florida arrived in Napa the same day as President Bush. It was a coincidence. Brett Shore, 14, his sister Stephanie Shore, 16, and their parents were enjoying the first day of their vacation in the Napa Valley when they came upon the presidential motorcade.

Brett Shore said his parents were wine tasting up the hill at Diamond Oaks when they were told President Bush was on his way to Harlan Estate Winery for a GOP fundraiser. The Pomettas invited the vacationers to take a seat in their yard for the presidential visit.

“This is our first day here. We just got lucky,” said Stephanie Shore. “We picked the right day to come here.”

She was hoping to see President Bush’s face as the motorcade sped by.

Brett Shore said this isn’t the first time the family had an unexpected surprise on their family vacation.

Two years ago the family was vacationing in Canada when they walked out the backdoor of their vacation spot and stumbled upon a movie set. “Me and my sister got to be extras in the movie,” he added.

“Seeing the president is more exciting,” said Stephanie Shore.

Cheryl Phelps pulled her white mini-van onto the shoulder of Highway 29 to see what all the commotion was about.

Phelps, vacationing with her family from Birmingham, Ala., was  happy to cross paths with the president.

“I’m proud to be a Republican,” Phelps said. “I’m a hard-core Republican.”

After about 20 minutes and a quick family conference, the Phelps family decided to take off for Sacramento, the next leg of their vacation.

Suddenly, the chopping noise of several helicopters filled the air.

At about 5:20 p.m., officers stopped all traffic on Highway 29 between Oakville Cross Road and Oakville Grade. For the next half hour CHP officers and sightseers waited for President Bush’s motorcade.

Northbound traffic came to a stand still, stretching back to Brix Restaurant.

With the absence of traffic, the only noise came from a banner — advertising the corner deli — flapping in the wind.

In less than two minutes a flotilla of black SUVs with tinted windows came speeding by, and it was all over.