Keeping it Real With a Sioux Falls Christmas This Year [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We learned Sunday Afternoon, November 29, 2020, that Riverview Christmas Tree Farm closed early this year due to dry weather this past summer and high demand for trees this Christmas season. Here is a flashback look at our trip to pick out and cut our first live Christmas tree in years!

We had a flashback Friday at our house this year. Actually, it was a look back and a look forward Friday at the same time. We went shopping for a real live Christmas Tree and we found one at Riverview Christmas Tree Farm just north of Canton, South Dakota.

My wife and I loaded up our Granddaughter Harper and headed south on Highway 11. We hadn't told her 'where we were going,' so she could search for clues along the way. As we turned off highway 11 the line of vehicles coming back with trees in the back of pickups was a dead giveaway for her.

When you pull into Riverview Christmas Tree Farm you can't help but feel a little jealous. Iowa just to the east and coupled with an awesome Big Sioux river bluff to wake up looking east every morning can't be all bad!  It's a gorgeous setting!

We pulled in and they were busy! Pickups and SUV's were pulling out left and right with Christmas Trees! We stopped by the main building, Harper met Santa, we picked up our weapon of choice, a saw, and headed out into the frozen tundra to pick out our tree.

OK, the tundra wasn't frozen. It was a no hat, no gloves perfect Friday afternoon for tree shopping. My wife and Harper both passed on Red and Blue Christmas Trees and eventually, we found an awesome tree.

Soon, the wagon came by and we loaded our tree on and rode back to the main building. We paid, and a nice guy carried the tree to the pickup and we were off and headed back to the house! Oh, and the goat and the ponies were the hit of the day with Harper!

It's been years since we've cut down a real tree. Years! And even though it brought back a flood of memories, mostly good, I'm pretty happy we did. I remembered how much work it is getting a tree situated and straight, watered and all. It's a lot of work, but I guess that's how Christmas works. Work, and anticipation.

How about you? Is your tree up this weekend? My wife is working on ours as I type this. We won't be traveling to a beach this Christmas because of the pandemic so we'll set up here at home.

We've enjoyed traveling the past 10 years at Christmas and I'm sure we'll get back to it next year, but for now, the tree is up, the lights are up and we are getting ready for Christmas, just like a lot of folks today! Merry Christmas!