We haven't always collected ornaments from our travels, but some where along the way it seemed like a good way to have memory souvenirs of the places we go. When these ornaments began to pile up, and our big tree was getting very full, we decided two years ago to have a separate, small tree, just for travel memories.
We found toothpick flags of the US states and foreign countries, and that first year we sorted through them to find the states and countries we had visited. We stick them on the branches of the tree, sometime beside the ornament from that place. Several years later we don't always remember what flag goes with what, but they are all there.
Here are just some of what's on this tree.
The Philadelphia skyline, and a Delft windmill from Amsterdam.
A streetcar named Desire, from New Orleans.
A bell from Santorini.
An ornament made of connecting airplanes from the Boeing tour of the largest building in the world in Everett, Washington, and a lighthouse from Maine.
A canon from the Vicksburg Battlefield in Mississippi, a recent wooden ornament from Whidbey Island, and a carved snowflake from the Black Forest in Germany.
A guitar from Memphis, Tennessee.
A little wooden covered bridge from Vermont.
A Murano glass angel from Venice, Italy.
Mozart from Vienna, Austria.
The Badlands National Park in South Dakota.
A pottery angel from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Rocky Mountain Sheep from Colorado, from one of our many trips there when Jill and the grands lived there.
A Washington State ferry, on which we are frequent passengers on our trips to Whidbey Island, and a crown from the royal palace in Stockholm, Sweden.
A gift shop find that seemed appropriate.
A Swedish girl actually from our own little Scandinavia in Ballard, a part of the city of Seattle, and a cruise ship from our Alaska cruise.
Our first Christmas trip to Colorado when Isaac was not quite a year old.
And the oldest, one of two collected on our trip to Disneyland in 1985.
The tree is draped in Norwegian and Swedish flags, because they are represented strongly in the DNA of both of us.
And the tree is dripping with memories of places near and far.
Belgium lace from Brussels.
Rocky Mountain Sheep from Colorado, from one of our many trips there when Jill and the grands lived there.
And the tree is dripping with memories of places near and far.
that tree looks so nordic-ish! beautiful one~
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of the separate travel tree. That way the ornaments do not get overwhelmed and the many places you have been can be easily remembered and enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteBefore yours, I never heard of a travel tree, but it's pretty darn wonderful to have all those trips memorialized! :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat an wonderful way to decorate! I tend to pick up postcards from my trips but have never thought to bring back ornaments.
ReplyDeleteLovely memories for you, and it makes a very pretty tree.
Take care, stay well!
ReplyDeleteThis is a neat idea for decorating a Christmas tree. There are times it must take a while to decorate as you sit and talk about the events related to the ornament.
That is a fantastic idea -- designed for evoking memories.
ReplyDeleteA Travel Tree is a great idea especially for a couple that has traveled as much as you and Tom have.
ReplyDeleteYou need an ornament from Hawaii when if come to visit. Would love to meet you when you do!
ReplyDeleteEnjoying your decorations very much. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletehow special, hope you print this out to go in the ornament box so your family will remember where things came of....
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous ornaments and so meaningful. What a wonderful tradition! I wish I had done this but feel like it's too late to start now.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty tree with ornaments that bring back memories for you!
ReplyDeleteLots of memories on that tree. If I buy ornaments on my travels and if I find something perfect, I usually give to a grandchild or friend. I rarely buy ornaments for myself. Your tree is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh darn! I've been to many of those places and now you've made me wish I'd bought some ornaments there too. Then again, our tree is very, very tiny now.
ReplyDelete