Guest blogger Amanda McDanel – Four if by Sea
My mom was one of 6 children who grew up in the country in Alum Ridge, Virginia. Right after Thanksgiving, we would all bundle up and walk 3 miles into “the holler”, (woods) to cut fresh holly from a tree that had been there for as long as I remember. When it came to getting a Christmas tree, we would drive up the road to a farm where we were handed a saw and proceeded to walk through the field to cut down our own tree, drag it to the car and tie it on top ourselves with twine. I remember the 6 ft trees costing somewhere in the realm of $20.
Reflecting for inflation, it was probably 1 mile and could have been $40, but still, imagine my shock when moving to the Outer Banks as a single woman and not only having to walk into a parking lot to buy a tree but to shell out $$$ for it. My first tree was about 4 ft high and I could not afford ornaments so I strung popcorn and cranberries and cut out paper snowflakes to decorate it.
While times have changed, I still crave that Christmas experience of going to a field and selecting the perfect tree with my own family. Imagine my delight when I found that I could come pretty close to that experience right in Nags Head at Reynold’s Christmas Tree Lot. Located right next to OBBC, Reynolds Lockhart is a landscaper that travels to Western North Carolina to source the finest and freshest fir trees and bring them back for our holiday cheer.
From 3 ft perfect mini trees to 15 ft monsters and everything in between- including fresh wreaths- we look forward to coming to discover our perfect tree every year. The staff is top notch- helping you with “the spin” to check out all sides as well as putting on a fresh cut, bagging and tying it to your car. When it comes to tree shopping, leave your saw at home, shop local and let Reynolds and the guys help you find the perfect centerpiece for your holiday festivities.
Local tip: Ask the guys to leave a little extra string while tying it to your car and feed it through the window for your kiddos to “hold the tree” on the drive home! My girls delight in this every year.