You have itchy feet and nowhere to be next Thursday (or you simply need a good excuse to get away from the day). We have a few packages that will be more cost-effective than buying a whole turkey. Let's check 'em out...

Option 1: Spend it with the First Family:
LastMinute.com has flight and hotel packages to Washington D.C. starting at just $246. When you get there, work up an appetite at the Eighth Annual Trot For Hunger 5K along the Potomac, then chow down at the Mandarin Oriental's new restaurant, Sou'wester. On Friday, hit Pentagon City mall at 5AM to get all your shopping done, then attend a tree lighting in Old Town Alexandria. ]]> egw 2009-11-19T11:24:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/16/132641/14

Lake views and no cooking; that's what we call Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can either make you feel elated or totally stressed out—usually some combination thereof. After that Pumpkin Pie high, your mind might turn to thoughts of dishes that need to be washed, relatives that need to be entertained, and horrific Black Friday shopping. The benefit of hightailing it out of town during this time is being able to push some of these worries away, while still enjoying the Thanksgiving spirit.

Lake Tahoe is always a favorite holiday destination, for its views of the water, skiing, and the fact that it's pretty much the opposite of a harried urban setting, however overrun with tourists it can get. We found some last minute event deals at the Hyatt Regency Resort that offer easy and relatively cheap remedies to some of the problems we mentioned above. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-16T15:24:28-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/12/15754/195

What better time to get the munchies than on the eve of America's favorite all-you-can-eat holiday? (Halloween is amateur hour!) High Times magazine wants you to help it pick the best kind of pot at their 22nd annual Cannabis Cup held in, where else, Amsterdam. Technically, this year's tourney ends on Thanksgiving Day (beginning the 22nd), but if you flew home that day you could probably catch a late-night turkey dinner.

Many coffee shops in Amsterdam submit their own blends for the judging, but each year's cup also features a "surprise weed" that may not be distributed widely for months (if at all). There are some free samples, but even judges at large (a $250 pass gets you in the door, plus a T-shirt) have to buy samples in order to make an educated decision. On the other hand, just like at beer festivals, you'd be hard pressed to find a more efficient way to become a connoisseur of the wares than at the Melkweg concert venue in southwest Amsterdam. ]]> egw 2009-11-12T15:24:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/10/143620/26

If it's good enough for Madonna and Jesus, then it's good enough for you. As we reported today, the transformative Queen of Pop recently landed in Rio de Janiero for "humanitarian" work and quite possibly to meet her boyfriend's parents. We're not sure if this contributes to Rio's international appeal or detracts from it, but we did happen to stumble across a four-night travel package, airfare included, for Thanksgiving travel to the Brazilian city.

Travelzoo recently posted a $699 (base price) all-inclusive deal which includes roundtrip travel from New York City, daily breakfast, four nights accommodations, and the option to tack tour extras onto your package. The catch is, as we mentioned, the date that you'll have to depart—either dangerously close to Thanksgiving on the 19th, or the day itself. So, you'll have to decide whether forgoing turkey, football, and that yearly screening of the MACY*S parade is worth the $700 pricetag. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-10T15:34:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/6/153743/599

There is a certain romantic allure to train travel—just ask fictional sweethearts Jesse and Céline of Before Sunrise. But Stateside, unfortunately, the mode of transport isn't as common as it is in other parts of the world. While you continue to dream about hopping aboard a Darjeeling Railway car, we're happy to report that a smaller-scale train trek can be had in California, even if it is less grand than journeying across exotic international ground.

The Napa Valley Wine Train is a refined alternative to unofficial "drunk buses" tourists often book to stay safe while sipping wine flights throughout the day. Equally drinker-friendly, and much more respectable, the train is holding a special Thanksgiving dinner aboard its Gourmet and Vista Dome cars for $104 and $139, respectively. Sadly, lunch tickets have already sold out. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-06T15:40:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/21/3450/6598

When November comes around, people's mouths water for turkey—be it the white meat, dark meat or wings. Then there are those who salivate for turkey balls. Seriously. In Huntley, a small suburb about 45 minutes west of downtown Chicago, turkey scrota are as much a Thanksgiving tradition as stuffing at the annual Turkey Testicle Festival, which will swing into town on November 25.

What began as a local tradition has become a draw for tourists. Last year, more than 3,900 people turned out to to the Parkside Pub, the festival's home base, to munch on 1,280 pounds of turkey testes. The small bits—no offense to male turkeys—are coated in breadcrumbs and then cooked crispy in a deep fryer. They taste gamey, like chicken, or so we're told. Some douse them in ketchup or Tabasco, but most people just eat them plain. The bar usually sells out of the treats by 9:30 p.m. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-10-21T12:12:22-05:00 42.1683468 -88.405794 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/20/0201/1864

Are you a last-minute planner when it comes to big holiday travel times like Thanksgiving in Christmas? Yes, we are too, especially because everything looks so darn expensive and plain booked up. This year, it's either another Thanksgiving of ordering Chinese takeout or booking it out of the country for some autumn appeal overseas...like in Prague.

Remember that it's not Thanksgiving over in the Czech Republic, so that means no dinner reservations or pressure to eat cranberry sauce. Virgin Vacations seems to have the best deal we've seen for this, with a 6-night hotel, airfare, and daily breakfast starting at $669 per person. Sure they have other deals for Thanksgiving to Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome, but the Prague trip sounds like the most fall foliage and old school charm for the lowest price.]]> JetSetCD 2009-10-20T09:34:06-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/