What's great about Thanksgiving is the family feast. Roast turkey, bourbon, pies, bourbon. What's usually not fun is the traveling part, so here are ten tips to make your voyage that much easier so you can get to the family. And bourbon.
10.) Pack light
You won't be leaving civilization. No need for supplies, nor your wardrobe. Just pack the essentials:
Pack only the bare minimum of what you need. The less you pack, the less stuff you can potentially lose or hassle with. Especially important when going through TSA or being paranoid about baggage handlers. If you can vacation without it, leave it at home. This also means going through screening, lines, and boarding quicker. In fact, if you can get away with it, don't even bother with carry-ons.
Suggested By: NotInDetroid, Photo Credit: V. H. Hammer
9.) Plan ahead
Accommodation and tickets. The less you wait, the easier it is:
Make an itinerary of every hotel stop. Especially if you are traveling by air within the U.S. and especially if you're road tripping. This means less of trying to find whatever seedy dive shows up on the side of the highway and more of better choices within your budget.
Research hotels before and after you reserve rooms. This is why #9 above is important. But why research hotels after you've already book them? Because you probably missed much of what they have to offer the first time around, so call ahead and find out about what Hotels.com or Expedia didn't tell you.
Suggested By: NotInDetroid, Photo Credit: Wolfgang Yung
8.) Drive Bigfoot
They'll give way.
Suggested By: Jayden, Photo Credit: daveparker
7.) Fly private
You still have to make it to the airport, but use an S 65 AMG, and things will be more than just fine.
Suggested By: BlakeDaffy, Photo Credit: Shine - 2010 World Cup good news
6.) Change the dates
Travel before or after everybody else. Your boss will love you, and empty airports will be your reward.
Suggested by: ADabOfOppo, Photo Credit: Grant Wickles
5.) Do as the Canadians do
Having Thanksgiving more than a month ahead of the United States is what makes Canada such a happy place. That, and clean air. And their healthcare system.
Suggested By: Shane Elliott, Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox
4.) Blame your baby
Play the baby card. Sorry, can't fly, can't drive, traveling is a no-mp this year. Send a cute picture and they will forgive you.
Suggested By: timateo81, Photo Credit: efleming
3.) Drive at night
Driving at night is the best:
When we lived in Tulsa we would get the 3 kids ready for bed, toss them in the back of the E34 5 Series and drive to Gary, IN. We would be through St. Louis and Chicago traffic in the middle of the night with the little ones up in time for breakfast which was ready at Grandma's.
Suggested By: 900turbo, Photo Credit: johntrainor
2.) Take the longer road
Especially if you like driving just as much as we do:
Take the long way wherever you are going (this assumes driving). There are many roads that lead to the same destination so take the road less traveled. Spend 2 hours on a country road instead of two hours staring at taillights...your eyeballs with thank you.
It's also a nicer excuse for a drive.
Suggested By: cazzyodo, Photo Credit: ActiveSteve
1.) Host the party
What sounds like a hustle at first is actually a great idea:
Make everyone come to you. I like the control over the holidays (because of the food...for some reason my family doesn't do food as big as I do). Because everyone else is making their way to your house, apartment, shack, what-have-you there's a little motivation for you to step your game up and make it worth it. When that happens, everyone is happy and you end up with delicious leftovers.
Suggested By: cazzyodo, Photo Credit: Dru Bloomfield - At Home in Scottsdale
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Ten Ways To Avoid The Holiday Travel Rush