On November 17, a national icon visited Blue Skies of Texas. While on tour from its native New Mexico all the way to its eventual spot on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the Capitol Christmas Tree visited us, where it was greeted by members of the community along with their families and friends.

This year’s tree, a blue spruce from New Mexico’s Carson National Forest, became this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree under the direction of the U.S. Forest Service. With guidance from the Capitol Architect, the U.S. Forest Service selects the tree from a different national forest each year. The proximity of Blue Skies of Texas to the native home of this year’s tree made the visit feasible based on the route the tree took from New Mexico to Washington, D.C., so we made sure to take advantage of this special opportunity.

“Our goal was to make sure that members of our community got the chance to see this national icon, because the tree comes from a different national forest each year and goes through a limited part of the country each year,” Lt. Gen. Darrell D. Jones, USAF (Ret) and CEO of Blue Skies of Texas, remarked at the visit. “With the tree coming from our neighboring state, we couldn’t let this chance pass. We also invited the public, too, because this really is a special opportunity to kick off the holiday season and send the tree on its way to our nation’s capital.”

Before it embarked on the remainder of its journey, residents, their guests and the general public took pictures with the massive tree. Well-wishers could also make more memories by signing the banner on the side of the truck carrying the tree, thereby joining the story of “The People’s Tree” for this year. The Capitol Christmas Tree arrived in Washington, D.C., on November 25 and is now a fixture in the nation’s capital. If you’re interested in following in the Capitol Christmas Tree’s footsteps and visiting Blue Skies of Texas, click here to schedule a personalized tour.