Tons of places have Christmas tree displays, but there's only one dedicated to the fake aluminum substitutes, the Aluminum Tree & Aesthetically Challenged Seasonal Ornament Museum and Research Center, or ATOM.

As evidenced from the museum's cheeky name, this isn't some highbrow collection. The roving retro museum puts shining holiday gaudiness on display in North Carolina's Transylvania Heritage Museum. These fir alternatives have aluminum trunks and foil needles and many use an electric rotating color wheel that projects colored light up through the tree from the floor. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-12-17T11:29:45-05:00 35.2338994 -82.736838 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/15/8825/2291

Driving around the neighborhood checking out lights is one way to celebrate the season, but unless the guy down the street is Santa, it’s not going to be that exciting. That’s why we’re throwing out our picks for the best Christmas tress around the country for 2009. There’s no fakers here either. They were all pulled from the ground and will be sucking up gallons of water throughout the winter.

· The Coeur d'Alene Resort’s Holiday Light Show 2009 - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
We don’t have a tape measure handy, but we’ll take their word for it when the Coeur d'Alene Resort claims that they have the world’s largest living Christmas tree. It’s not just big either, as the fabulous fir is decorated with over 30,000 twinkling lights—they’re LED ones—how green. The tree’s total height is 161 feet which is more than twice as tall as that famous tree that everyone loves in New York City. The Coeur d'Alene Resort doesn’t stop with just the tree decoration. They have over 1.5 million lights dotting the landscape on the shores of the lake. Idaho might be famous for its potatoes, but Christmas cheer is a strong second.

More crazy Christmas trees after the break. ]]> kjb 2009-12-15T09:34:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/12/24/124743/20

In honor of the holiday spirit, NBC, it seems, has blocked off a great photo spot in Rockefeller Center, rendering your attempts at capturing a snapshot not featuring 87 other tourists utterly hopeless. If you really want a good photo, you'll be stuck buying one at the NBC Experience Store, reports NewYorkology.

But as Peter Greenberg, who happens to work in Rock Center, points out, the tree is up until January 9, when you'll be able to get all the photos you want after Christmas crowds have died down. It's hardly the same to go see the Norway spruce after the holidays, but if you have to have the perfect photo, 2009 is your chance.

If you'd rather skip the scrum entirely for something a bit more classy, HotelChatter has word on the fancy-pants Christmas decor over at The Plaza.

Related Stories:
· Rock Center Blocks off Primo Picture Spot [NewYorkology]
· Christmas in The Plaza's Lobby [HC]
· Rockefeller Center Tree Arrives In NYC [Jaunted]

[Photo: J Gutierrez]]]> pbb 2008-12-24T13:00:36-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/