Christmas shopping can be a hectic experience. The stores are crowded, the parking lots even more so and fellow shoppers less than merry.
But removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, there are places where those looking for an authentic holiday experience can get back to basics and nature simultaneously.
One of these places is Angel Valley Tree Farm, a 38-acre expanse on Beaverley Road where Cindy Barnes and her family have been working to help families continue their Christmas traditions.
"I've got people coming through who have been coming here for 20 years," Barnes said. That element of tradition and continuity made it an easy decision for the former home-care worker to continue the practice of opening the farm for eager tree hunters every December.
A landscaping tree business by trade, the farm opened its gates this weekend to begin its season as a Christmas tree repository.
Barnes, who took over the farm four years ago, began preparations on the trees for Christmas picking at the beginning of November. With 10,000 trees on site, it's not an easy task, and the farm's previous owners still come to help out.
Until Dec. 18, Angel Valley will be open on weekends between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. for residents to wander through the boughs and select and cut down their perfect evergreen ornament holder for $40.
"I try to promote back to basics," Barnes said. "You get to remember what Christmas is supposed to be about ... all making time and doing it together." The atmosphere at the farm is family-oriented and laid back, with a roaring fire out front and coffee, hot chocolate, candy canes and crafts available indoors. Dogs are welcome to romp with their owners and it's not uncommon for families to spend an entire afternoon at the farm, enjoying the fresh air and frolicking in the snow.
"I've had 20 people up on the ridge, just having a snowball fight," said Barnes.
Dominated by white spruce trees, the farm also boasts douglas, balsam and fraser firs. Barnes also travelled to Terrace last week to pick up 102 pre-cut grand and douglas firs for those who would rather not venture out with a saw or are looking for trees that can't actually grow in Prince George for $10 per foot.
After four years in the game, Barnes said it's still impossible to answer the question of which tree is the most popular.
"Everyone has a different belief in what Christmas is," she said, explaining the ideal tree could be fat, skinny, tall, short or bald in the back to facilitate pushing it into a corner.
"It's sort of like your own style; how you dress or do your make up or hair."
The Miller family made a nostalgic trip to Angel Valley on opening day, bringing their two girls to pick out a real tree for the first time.
"It reminded us of back when me and my wife were were kids, getting our own tree," said Michael Miller, who added the family was looking for something "nice and bushy," but that the real joy was just getting outside and having it call to them.
"When you see it, you know," he said.
Other area tree farms include Happy Pappy's Christmas Trees on Shellburn Road and Alpine Ranches Tree Farm on Horseshoe Drive.
