US Capitol Christmas Tree Cut in Minnesota

CASS LAKE, Minn. (AP) - This year's U.S. Capitol Christmas tree is coming from north central Minnesota.

The 2,000-mile journey to Washington, D.C., begins Wednesday when the 88-foot tall white spruce is cut down in the Chippewa National Forest.

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe will hold a traditional blessing ceremony and the tree will be lowered onto a 100-foot trailer.

Organizers say it will take four to six hours to prepare the tree for the first leg of its journey to Bemidji State University where it will be wrapped for travel to Washington. The Capitol Christmas tree will make 30 stops in local communities before it arrives in Washington and is lit in early December.