chloerosebaxter

Hi everyone,

My partner and I will be in the states over the course or November, and we've never experienced thanksgiving before, We are not 100% sure where we will be but I'm thinking it will likely be somewhere in Texas,

Any advice at all or anything I should know, I've seen a lot of advice about not travelling the day before or Sunday after as these are peak times, is this correct? We will definitely avoid airports whenever the busiest times are, any suggestions on a great city to spend this time in, or what/where to avoid that gets completely overcrowded?

Open to any suggestions!

Thanks a lot!
Chloe

sf7307

Well, the granddaddy of all parades is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan, so I'd have to say New York. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same everywhere - most important is whether you sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, stuffing, yams, etc.).

nytraveler

The Wed before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are the busiest flying days of the year since tens (hundreds) of thousands of college kids are going home for the holiday. (Other holidays differ school by school - esp intercession, spring break but for TH is just the few days - so many kids make plane reservations the day after they start classes in Sept and see their class scheds - to see the times of their classes on Tues and Wed.)

Other than that the restaurants that are open (by no means all) are mobbed - and then everyone spends the day with family/friends watching football - or often going to the movies for those of us not interested in the pigskin)

gailscout

If you plan on cooking a Thanksgiving dinner, make sure to do all your food/drink shopping several days in advance; if you plan to eat dinner out, make reservations as soon as you know where you will end up. Friday is pretty crazy too with the malls opening up super early and special sales everywhere. Many just stay home still in their food coma.

sludick

>>My First Thanksgiving! Any advice?

J62

Thanksgiving holiday tends to be more of a personal/family holiday versus a community celebration, so it's hard to recommend any travel destination period, especially given the increased travel noted above by everyone else who is trying to get somewhere then back home.

The bigger / higher visibility events on Thanksgiving include the aforementioned NYC Macy's Thanksgiving day parade (better viewed on TV), and Professional football games to watch on TV.

In many local communities all over the country there are countless "Turkey trots", eg 5-10k running races. These can be fun & festive to participate in or watch.

Other local activities often include community meals served at churches, homeless (or other shelters), or local volunteer based orgs. Participating in one of these either as a volunteer or participant is something to consider.

Many big resorts will also have a special thanksgiving celebration, which is a nice way to get a sense of community if you don't have friends or family to join. I've spent Thanksgiving at the Hill Country Hyatt in San Antonio and it was a nice change of pace. Enough tradition, without the fuss.

sludick

J62, we've spent the last 2 Thanksgivings at the Hill Country Hyatt in San Antonio (we live in Central Florida). I agree that it is a great place to spend the holiday. It's the kick-off to the holiday season as well, lots of decorations and activities. Just not the same here in Florida.

jayne1973

Wherever you are, watch the Macy's parade on TV in the morning, and then you just need to experience a typical Thanksgiving meal that includes turkey and "dressing" or "stuffing" (depending on where you are) and pumpkin and/or pecan pie.

Do a little research ahead of time to find out what restaurants will be offering Thanksgiving meals and pick what sounds good.

Many stores and restaurants will be closed or close early Thanksgiving Day, so keep that in mind.

Thanksgiving has been taken over by the Christmas commercialism, so expect to see mostly Christmas decorations everywhere.

sf7307

Many stores and restaurants will be closed or close early Thanksgiving Day, so keep that in mind

and then many (but not all, it's a new thing) will reopen that night, some around 8 p.m., some around midnight for Black Friday crazies.

seashell

If you will be in the Houston area, we also have a large Thanksgiving Day Parade. Not as big as New York (and as a Texan, that's hard for me to say ) but it's nice and our weather should be much better. As others have said, check restaurants in the area you are staying to see what they are offering. Just make sure you try turkey, sweet potatoes, broccoli and rice casserole and of course, pumpkin and pecan pie. Enjoy!!

sf7307

Hmmm - broccoli and rice casserole must be a Texas thing!

BigRuss

No, broccoli and rice casserole isn't a Texas thing. Could be a seashell thing, but it's not a staple of Thanksgiving.

NewbE

Well, here's a teachable moment: one of the best things about Thanksgiving dinner is that every family has its own staples for it.

seashell

Guess it is a Seashell thing but I've seen at many a family Thanksgiving dinner. As NewbE said, each family has it's special dishes. My point is to try it all!

sludick

Maybe a Southern thing?
http://www.southernliving.com/food/h...sserole-recipe

BigRuss

The Southern thing, and THE Southern thing, is frying the bird. And once you have the Thanksgiving turkey fried up, you won't want a roasted one ever again.

thx4helpingme

....Wanted to comment on the "busy? in terms of travel" yes!!! we have relatives from the south and the west who fly, and for as long as I can remember, our family actually relocated our thanksgiving to the Saturday prior to the real thanksgiving... to give our relatives a much better travel opportunity