Have you seen him?

The area surrounding Blue Heron Farm, where the leader of the free world is vacationing, boasts a village store, Alley’s General Store, where visitors can buy goods ranging from miniature disco balls and sidewalk chalk to Listerine, milk, and newspapers. There are a small public library, a building for the Council on Aging, and a driveway stand where lemonade is sold for 50 cents.

Chilmark (pop. 963) has few restaurants, no busy town center, and does not allow the sale of alcohol. As President Obama makes his bid for seclusion this week, he has picked a pretty good spot, one known more for run-of-the-mill professorial residents than celebrity ones, though there is a cemetery where John Belushi is said to be buried.

“If you want to go out to dinner, you stay at one of the down-island villages,’’ said Mike Smith, a 63-year-old sports consultant who lives in West Tisbury. “Up here, it’s all privacy.’’

The roads that Obama will pass most days he is here have signs that vary from greetings (“Welcome Obamas’’) to neighborly advice (“Watch out for tics’’) to invitations (“Sasha and Malia, come play minigolf with me.’’)

Within view of the driveway at the Obamas’ retreat is the Gossamer Gallery, featuring sculptures by artists from Zimbabwe that the owner is hoping will catch Obama’s eye. A group of women sat on the front steps there yesterday, trying to catch a glimpse of Obama as his motorcade left for an afternoon trip to Farm Neck Golf Club.

When more people got the same idea, owner Joni Merry took matters into her own hands.

“OK, this is getting to be a bit of a zoo,’’ she said, as she put out orange cones to block the drive and discourage parking. “This thing could snowball.’’

Vineyard residents are insistent that they are used to seeing celebrities, and they say Obama is no different. But they say that, even with cameras in their hands.

Bridgette Allen, a 49-year-old who has a home in East Chop, could not contain her glee when she spotted Obama on the golf course.

“President Obama!’’ she shouted as Obama was about to work his way out of a sand trap early into his game.

He halted, glanced her way through the trees, and slightly shook his hips.

“I am thrilled. What more could I ask for?’’ Allen, who volunteered for Obama’s campaign, said afterward. “I got a little booty shake.’’

Obama got in his cart and drove himself away.

“People are incredibly excited,’’ said Jessica Bornn, 30, a New Yorker who is spending the summer on the island. “They’re a social couple; they have kids. It’s kind of like the Kennedys. Everyone is excited, everyone. Young people, wealthy businessmen.’’

The president is taking it easy, deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton told reporters at Oak Bluffs School.

Obama had dinner Sunday night with friends, including adviser Valerie Jarrett. He remained largely out of public view, but kept up his exercise routine, working out yesterday morning and playing tennis with his wife, Michelle, before heading out to play golf with several friends.

A cheer went up from the crowd after he teed off, but the ball appeared to hook a little to the left and wound up in the trees.

“Thank you,’’ he said, waving to the crowd. “Good to see you, man.’’

The foursome for the golf game included Eric Whitaker, a close friend of the Obamas from Chicago; banker Robert Wolf, chief executive of UBS Americas and a major contributor to Obama’s presidential campaign; and White House aide Marvin Nicholson.

US Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina had been scheduled to golf with the president, Burton said, but Clyburn was not at the club.

Obama also has some vacation reading. He plans to read two serious books: “John Adams,’’ David McCullough’s acclaimed biography of the founding father, and “Hot, Flat, and Crowded,’’ New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman’s tome about the promise of clean energy and other green technology.

His reading list also includes three novels: “Lush Life,’’ Richard Price’s take on class and race in the Lower East Side of New York; “The Way Home,’’ a story by George Pelecanos of a juvenile delinquent’s journey to redemption in Washington; and “Plainsong,’’ Kent Haruf’s meditation on family, romance, and small-town life in Colorado.

Obama has been to Martha’s Vineyard a half-dozen times over the last decade. “He enjoys it,’’ Burton said. “It’s comfortable. The beaches are nice. The people are particularly nice. There’s really good food to eat. There’s a lot of great things about Martha’s Vineyard.’’

While Bill Clinton, during his presidential visits, met the public on numerous occasions while traipsing around the island, Obama plans, for now, to keep mostly to himself, ensconced at the Blue Heron Farm estate.

“His desire in Martha’s Vineyard is to get a little break,’’ Burton said. “He certainly appreciates the hospitality of the folks who are here. But his desire here is to relax and spend time with the family.’’

Burton said the Obamas did not have a public event to greet Vineyarders because the trip was delayed due to weather, making it hard to arrange an event. Obama may talk to congressmen about the troubled health care bill this week, but intends to enjoy the brief vacation with his family, Burton said.

Obama has no plans to visit Senator Edward M. Kennedy this week in Hyannis Port, Burton said. While there have been some reports of Secret Service agents scouting Kennedy’s home town, fueling speculation of a high-level visit, Burton waved them off. “I think that if Secret Service agents were there, they probably heard, like all of you already know, that they have great lobster rolls out there, and they’re probably just checking on it,’’ he said to laughter.

Obama has not talked to Kennedy about the Democratic lawmaker’s letter to legislative leaders, urging them to change state law to allow for a temporary appointment to replace him, if necessary, until a special election can be held. Supporters of the health care overhaul, a goal Kennedy has sought his entire senatorial career, are concerned that the Massachusetts lawmaker might not be able to travel to Washington for a critical vote on the matter.

“That’s something for folks in Massachusetts to decide, not for the president to decide,’’ Burton said.

Late yesterday afternoon, Obama returned to Chilmark after a five-hour, 18-hole game of golf, with people waving and holding up their dogs to make them wave, too.

“There were a lot of police officers here for coffee,’’ said Rhonda Backus, manager at Alley’s. “Most people are coming in because they think he’s going to stop by. Some people just want to be around because he’s here.’’

She wants to give the first family a basket of goodies from Alley’s, like honey, sea salt, T-shirts for the girls, and fresh produce from the farm stand.

“Island gossip about where they’re going to be and when is off the charts,’’ Pierce Kirby, a native of Martha’s Vineyard, said as he sipped coffee on the porch of Alley’s. “Everyone is tugging on his coattails, and where he will go is one big chess game.’’

Susan Milligan of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.

Correction: Because of a photographer's error, a caption with a picture taken outside Alley's General Store for a story in Tuesday's Metro section about President Obama's visit to Martha's Vineyard incorrectly stated the town where the store is located. It is in West Tisbury