Part of moving, especially long distance moves, means putting old traditions behind you and making new ones. When my wife and I first moved to South Carolina we were eager to make new memories and start new traditions. In 2015, five years after moving here, we added a “Live Tree” to our Christmas tradition list.
Every year we have a lot of new families in Almond Glen. Many of them are still be trying to figure out what to do each Holiday Season. I thought I would share my family’s “Christmas Tree tradition” as inspiration.
First off.. if you are new to the south and you want a real tree… you are in luck. The mountains of North Carolina are home to some of the best Christmas tree farms in the United States. The Fraser fir is regarded as one of the most beautiful (and least pine needle shedding) trees in the world. Most of the farms in the NC mountains have the Fraser fir in abundance. There are plenty of lots in the area that sell Fraser fir trees… but if you would like to choose and either wait while someone with a saw cuts your tree down or bring a bow saw along and do it yourself… these farms are worth the drive. We have tried several over the years and highly recommended Mistletoe Meadows. The drive from Almond Glen is about 2hours (depending on traffic).
New to us this year is a side trip after we get our tree to a little Christmas Store/coffee house/bakery called “The Vintage Farmhouse”. We loaded up our tree and then headed up 20 minutes up the road to get a Blueberry Scone, coffee and hot chocolate. After eating the scone we wondered the three floors of the house which have been converted to a shop full of knickknacks, clothing, boots, decorations and toys.
If you are looking for a way to revive the “good old fashioned” Christmas… this is a good start.
Do you have your own traditions? Share them in the comments and help our new families find their way around the area.
– Rob Smith
The Vintage Farmhouse
424 E 2nd St, West Jefferson, NC 28694
https://g.co/kgs/q9j8BN
