Cure December blues at an organic Christmas tree farm outside Chicago

Are you suffering from grinchitis? Are you hating December, with its wetness, coldness, manufactured nostalgia and hyperconsumerism?

Maybe you need to grab a friend or two, hop in your I-GO car, and head to Ben's Tree Farm in Harvard, Illinois for some corny old-time fun. You can take a horse-drawn carriage ride to pick out an organically-grown Christmas tree that is fun to decorate and will make your apartment smell better. While you wait for Ben's staff to bail your selection for free, you can hang out in the Warming Barn and enjoy free hot cho.

A road trip out to the country to escape the ads and icy sidewalks for a while and do some old-school holiday stuff might help bring you out of a Winter Funk - just be sure to drive safely.

Trees start at $19.95 and are totally Green as well as green - Ben's has some tips for keeping it nice. The farm is open Weekends from 9 am-4:30pm, and Thursdays & Fridays from 11:00am-4:30pm until Sunday, December 21st. Here are some directions.