Hi guys, it’s THE RIDE! I’m here to tell you a bit about the Rockefeller Tree, and inevitably my childhood, since I can’t find a shrink with a couch big enough. Ever since I was a little bus, just barely the size of a minivan, I always looked forward to the Rockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony. I know, not the typical thing you would think a growing tour bus might look forward to, but I was and always will be different from the other tour busses. The other busses would always talk about how awesome it was to roll down the street with new rims or have a new paint job for the holidays. As for me, I looked forward to the tree. Not only is it one of the only places you and your family can go to for free in New York City, other than a Starbucks bathroom, it also gives you an amazing feeling. It used to make me feel small and comforted next to all the other vehicles. Although it doesn’t make me feel small anymore, the comfort is still there.

They have put up a tree every year since 1933 without fail. Another little factoid you can impress your friends with: usually, they use the Norwegian Spruce variety. When the masterminds behind this project locate the right tree from places like Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Canada, or even that creepy place across the Hudson called New Jersey, they support it by a crane while they cut it, so it doesn’t get damaged. I’ll bet you can’t say a crane has ever supported you. As for me, let’s just say it takes a lot to support such an awesome tour bus like me.

My favorite part of the tree, the shining star, weighs in at 500 pounds. That’s quite a lot for something only ten feet in diameter. It’s hard not to stare at something ten feet in diameter, especially when that thing is beaming brightly into the sky. I weigh quite a bit more, but we don’t need to go into that. The best reason you should take your family to see this amazing and beautiful tree is that after the holiday season is over, they use the lumber to build homes for Habitat for Humanity! It’s as if the holiday spirit continues on forever. So stake out a spot at Rockefeller Center on December 3rd at 7pm. Bring your family and gather your friends to experience a wonderful New York City tradition. For something that started when everyone was down on their luck during the Great Depression, it sure brings a lot of cheer and wonder into everyone’s hearts even now. Excuse me, my wipers are going now, pay no attention to them. Happy Holidays everyone!