Crowd gathers at Moffett Field to watch President Barack Obama depart Bay Area

MILPITAS, Calif. (KGO) -- President Barack Obama landed in Southern California after being in the Bay Area for two fundraisers to raise money for the Democratic Party.

READ MORE: President Obama wraps up two Bay Area fundraisers

Those who came to send the president off had to arrive three hours before departure to get through security, but many said it was worth the wait.

At Moffett Field near Mountain View, a crowd of well-wishers gathered to catch a glimpse of the president.

Carmen Vescia is a senior at Sequoia High School in Redwood City and she was the youngest member of Thursday's White House press pool.

It's an opportunity she said she'll never forget. "I don't feel like I have a lot of photography experience, to be practicing photography skills on a subject as famous as the president of the United States, it's not something that I would've ever imagined," Vescia said.

Just before 2:30 p.m., the motorcade came in along with a casual-looking Obama, opting to step out of the limo without a jacket.

The crowd melted when the president took three-month old Charlie into his arms. "We're starting off on the right foot, so hopefully this can be a positive influence for him when he's older, he can use it as motivation to stay on the right track, maybe when he's a teenager," San Ramon resident Christina Allsup said.

Allsup couldn't believe what was happening. "Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or it doesn't matter, I mean to meet the president of the United States is a pretty awesome experience," she said.

Two-month Callie also got in on the action with her grandmother, Sharlene Griffith appreciating the president's gesture. "I wasn't expecting it, I thought maybe he'd just walk by, but he took a hold of her. It was special, very special as a grandmother," she said.

Obama took what seemed like some extra time to say goodbye to the crowd as he wrapped up a very short fundraising-trip to the Bay Area.