A Parade in Wheatland, a Jackalope in Douglas and a Wind Delay in Wheatland
posted on the official blog by the the tree team on the road.
Capitol Christmas Tree Parade in Wheatland
Winds at speeds of over 55 MPH sidelined the Capitol Christmas Tree outside of Wright today for more than three hours causing us to miss a stop at the FCA Country Store in Gillette as well as most of the community celebration at the local college. We were so disappointed to miss these celebrations, but the residents of Gillette continued on with their festivities and many stuck around until we arrived around 7:00 p.m. The community even created their own banners for Wyomingites to sign which we will take with us to Washington, DC. Thanks for your understanding Gillette!
Before the wind, we started our day out in Wheatland with a fantastic parade and event in front of the court house. Nearly 1,000 people showed up in Wheatland to see the Tree and sign the banner. Talking to one of the residents there, we were reminded of why so many people across the state have come to see the Tree - “We are just excited to be a part of this. This is historical and we get to be a part of history,” said a gentlemen in Wheatland.
Check out the photos of the parade and celebration in Wheatland.
After the celebration we headed to the Settle Inn for some rest and the Sky Line restaurant for some dinner. Thank you to owner Ray Lewis for taking such great care of the team!
A Special Thanks to Cloud Peak Energy
Cloud Peak Energy helped put together the wonderful celebration in Gillette! They have also been a tremendous sponsor of the Capitol Christmas Tree Project. Their support has been instrumental to the project and ensuring the delivery of Wyoming’s Tree to our nation’s capital. Thanks Cloud Peak!
The Capitol Christmas Tree is being trans ported by Jeff Underwood trucking. Thanks Jeff.
From the flatbed of a “Jeff Underwood Trucking” semi, Wyoming’s tree will travel throughout the state visiting nearly 30 cities and towns before it journeys to Washington, D.C. The Wyoming state tour will take about 7 days.
The Capitol Christmas Tree 2010 will make frequent stops across the nation on its way to Washington, D.C., escorted by federal officials. The national tour will take about another 10 days.
The tree will travel on a double flatbed truck. Placed on its side, it will rest in a custom cradle that supports the branches, preventing damage and maintaining the tree’s perfect shape.
A caravan of approximately 12 vehicles, including two semi-trucks, will escort the tree east. The Capitol Christmas Tree 2010 will travel more than 3,000 miles during its three-week tour.
The base of the tree will be fitted with a plastic bladder filled with fresh water nightly. The tree will absorb about 65 gallons of water each day throughout its trek to Washington, D.C.
One other semi will be used to transport the ornaments to Washington, D.C.
A History - In 1978 Jeff’s father, Ronald began this business hauling produce in the north
Georgia area.
Jeff has fond memories of going to work with his Dad when he was young. Jeff began working full time in the company in 1988. Jeff and his father worked together for 10 years as the business continued to grow. Throughout the years Jeff’s father taught him the importance of hard work and customer service.
Jeff continued the business and in 2004 made the move to take the business over the road and began hauling a wide variety of products. The company now hauls in the lower 48 states and Canada and is committed to partner with its customers to solve all of their transportation needs. http://jeffunderwoodtrucking.com/
Jeff Underwood Trucking Address: 4504 Highway 19 N, Dahlonega, GA 30533 - Phone (706) 864 - 7174