We’ve all been so wrapped up in politics, the election, and all the hooraw around it that we sometimes forget that the holidays are coming, too. And with it – the holiday decorations!
Which brings me to Alaska’s present to America – the national Christmas tree.
A 39-year-old Sitka spruce on Zarembo Island in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest was harvested over the weekend to become this year’s Capital Christmas Tree, a 54-year-old tradition in which a national forest is chosen to provide a tree for the U.S. Capitol’s West Lawn for the holiday season.
The selection process began over the summer with the Director of Capitol Grounds visiting the Tongass.
“It has to be a perfect Christmas tree, so just like in somebody’s living room,” Director Jim Kaufmann said.
The 80-foot tall spruce is scheduled to make 11 whistlestops as part of a
