Parks basis for White House holiday theme

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- "Holidays in the Parks," honoring the U.S. park system, is the holiday decoration theme at the White House, first lady Laura Bush said Thursday.

"(This) year we thought it'd be really fun to celebrate our national parks," Bush said in an interview on CBS' "Early Show." "I hike every year in a national park, one or more national parks a year if I can, and they're very important to me."

The official White House Christmas tree, a 18-foot Fraser fir, is festooned with 347 ornaments decorated by artists whose subject matter represent America's national parks, historic sites, memorials and monuments, she said.

The ornaments were sent to every national park with the request that park officials "get an artist to decorate them," Bush said.