Plains resident Larry Spiekermeier is driving the truck to Washingon, D.C. At stops along the route, he is a celebrity, with people wanting their picture taken with him and autographing trading cards with his picture.

"This is unbelievable," Spiekermeier said. "See the faces and people being so excited, it's awesome because we're representing out part of the world."

Spiekermeier called the chance to drive the Capitol Christmas Tree "the crown jewel." With Whitewood Transportation, Spiekermeir had driven 1.6 million miles accident free and delivered to every state except Hawaii. Throughout his career, he had driven 3.5 million accident-free miles.

Ed Moreth

MAKING HER MARK – Seventeen-year-old Haley Josephson of Plains High School signs her name with the help of fellow students Analisa Loberg (left) and Rachel Huenink while the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree makes a stop at the Plains school.

The Capitol Christmas Tree journey includes 20 stops across the country, with 12 of those in Montana. In Sanders County, that included events in Trout Creek, Thompson Falls and Plains.

In Thompson Falls, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event, which included a visit from Santa Claus and songs by the Thompson Falls Elementary students.

The spruce tree was harvested from the Kootenai National Forest in Lincoln County. The tree was cut down as a 79-footer, but Rob Malyevac, a Forest Service member from the Kootenai National Forest Supervisor's Office, said they had to cut it down to 68 feet.

More than 300 people showed up to see the tree at Plains and visit with Spiekermeier, who guessed that around 100 people posed for their picture with him. Donna Redmond of Hot Springs, Spiekermeier's cousin, handed out "I Found Larry" wristbands and Larry Spiekermeier trading cards. Students from Dixon Elementary School were also among the crowd in Plains.