Each time we travel, my wife and I look for a souvenir Christmas ornament. At the rate we’re going, we will eventually need a bigger tree to display them all. On this year’s trip, we found ornaments at gift shops in Yellowstone National Park, in St. Regis, Montana, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and at the base of the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.
The store in Coeur d’Alene was a Christmas specialty shop, like you’d find in any tourist town. We bought a simple sphere with a nice, hand-painted picture of Lake Coeur d’Alene. I was amused by representations of some of my other favorite things, but not amused enough to lay out the cash for them. They had ornaments representing cappuccino, bacon & eggs and even a Chinese food carton, which made me think of the famous scene from “A Christmas Story.” They can also satisfy those who want a hippopotamus for Christmas.
The gift shop at the St. Regis Travel Center claimed to be Montana’s largest. On my way to see the live trout aquarium in the back of the store, I saw a rack displaying ornaments for all 50 states. In my travels, it was the first time I had ever seen such a collection. Should I buy one of each so I have the complete set? I thought about it but decided that they wouldn’t be souvenirs of my travels if I did.
