TRACKING SANTA: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is ready to track Santa Claus on his Christmas Eve journey for the 61st year.
Many technological advances have occurred since the agency first became involved with the program — by accident — in 1955, and children can now find a countdown to Christmas and games online at www.noradsanta.org.
Beginning at 2:01 a.m. Saturday, website visitors will be able to watch Santa preparing to deliver toys through the “Santa Cam” streaming videos, and, at 6 a.m., trackers can call toll free at 1-877-HI-NORAD or email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com to learn Santa’s whereabouts.
We love the story of how NORAD first started tracking the man in red.
According to NORAD, “It all started in 1955 when a local media advertisement directed children to call Santa direct — only the number was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the Crew Commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center. Thus began tradition, which NORAD carried on since it was created in 1958.”
SANTA’S HOUSE: Have you ever wondered what kind of house Santa Claus would live in? Wonder no more.
Real estate website Zillow has pictures from a log cabin said to be Santa’s house in the North Pole. The house is not for sale, but Zillow’s off-market estimate price is $656,957.
Zillow portrays a 2,500-square foot home with three bedrooms and two bathrooms “nestled on 25 idyllic acres at the North Pole.
The description of the house takes readers on a whimsical verbal tour, which includes “a floor-to-ceiling river rock fireplace for roasting chestnuts,” “boughs of holly” that “deck the hall leading to the master bedroom,” “a state-of-the-art toy-making facility with workstations for 50 diminutive craftsmen” and more.
We don’t know where the home is that was pictured in Zillow’s “Santa’s House” ads, but we did find an actual house in the North Pole — North Pole, Ala. — that is advertised as the Santa Claus House.
It is not the same house in the Zillow ad.
While both houses do have a certain Santa-Clausiness about them, they are quite different from each other.
While the Zillow ad portrays a tasteful, upscale, rustic wooden cabin — think Glendorn — the Alaskan home is definitely designed more with children in mind.
Santa’s House in the North Pole is more sprawling than the country cabin, white with red trim and cartoonish Christmas illustrations on its outside walls. The sign in front is written on a looming cutout of Santa Claus.
