Ah, Christmas. A nip in the air, lights strewn carefully around the perimeter of the house and lots of little doodads indicating that St. Nick is about to make his yearly trek to deposit presents in our living rooms. A fresh-cut, locally grown Christmas tree brings the whole scene together, and what's more memorable than finding and cutting it yourself?
While it's entirely possible that your backyard may have the perfect tree, your landlord (or HOA) would probably prefer that you go elsewhere.
The Northwest Adventure Center, NCO Beach Road on Joint Base Lewis-McChord North, is offering a trip Nov. 29 during which you can do just that. Even better - the fresh-from-the-forest trees will be better quality and much cheaper than anything you could find at a store.
This is a great trip for families to do together to start their holidays off right. Meet at the NAC at noon and you will be transported to a section of National Forest near Crystal Mountain (no worries - it's all on the up and up; permits are required and will be completed upon arrival). Find the perfect tree and cut it down - it will be taken back to the NAC for you. All necessary equipment, such as snowshoes and saws, will be provided. Dress for a day outdoors in December - you won't make it back to base until around 6 p.m. Think about how delicious that hot chocolate is going to taste when you get home and admire your fresh new tree.
Cost is $25 for adults, $15 for ages 6-15 and $10 for 5 and under. Tree cost is $10 for a tree less than 12 feet and $20 for a tree bigger than 12 feet. Registration is required. For more information, call 253.967.6263 or visit www.jblmmwr.com.
If you can't make the trip, no worries. A few days later, representatives of a program called Trees for Troops will be on hand in the parking lot of the Northwest Adventure Center to give away, yes - give away - Christmas trees to servicemembers E-5 and below. Starting at 9 a.m. Dec. 3, the trees will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so get there early and bring your ID card.
Trees for Troops works like this: nice people who support the military and know the hardships they face donate a live Christmas tree by either buying it at a participating location or donating $40 online to cover the cost. The trees are then packed and shipped via FedEx (which donates its shipping costs) to 60 military bases around the country. When they arrive, the trees are doled out to lower enlisted servicemembers as a way to help ease their financial holiday season hardships. This year, organizers hope to give away 17,000 trees.
Spearheaded by the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity, in 2005, Trees for Troops has provided nearly 140,000 trees for military families around the world. For more information, call 253.967.8282 or visit www.treesfortroops.org.