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Tag: Thanksgiving Travel View All Tags

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Gourmet On A Train: Ditch Cooking For A Napa Wine Dinner

November 6, 2009 at 3:40 PM | by Heidi Atwal | 0 Comments

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.

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Go Balls-Out at Huntley's Turkey Testicle Festival

Where: 11721 Main St. [map], Huntley, IL, United States, 60142
October 21, 2009 at 12:12 PM | by Jennifer Kester | 0 Comments

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.

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Six Nights In Prague Over Thanksgiving For $669? See Ya, America!

October 20, 2009 at 9:34 AM | by JetSetCD | 0 Comments

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.

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How's Your Travel Day So Far?

November 26, 2008 at 10:36 AM | by egw | 9 Comments

For a holiday, it's pretty light trading at JFK International Airport right now. Heavier than a normal day, to be sure, but the twin threats of high prices and fewer than usual flights seems to have cleared the air a little bit on the national scene. From light traffic in Washington state to lower gas prices in New Jersey, it seems like more people than usual have opted to stay home, or hit the road if they want to go at all.

One thing that we noticed, at least in the terminals we visited: The promised "family lanes" have not yet been marked out, even after the TSA made such a big hurrah about adding them and how much faster it would make the boarding process. We give them credit for a good idea, and this is what they do? It didn't slow us down any, but it would have been nice to see that innovation in action.

One innovation we did see: No one challenged our "checkpoint friendly" laptop sleeve, which we were allowed to run through the X-ray without taking out the computer inside. We didn't buy one of the TSA branded ones either, which can easily be triple the cost of a usual sleeve (we're sporting one of the colorful designs from Built NY). Results may vary, but let us know.

The Wall Street Journal's Middle Seat Terminal blog predicted an easier Thanksgiving than years past because the weather forecast looks so good. We can't argue with that on our end; it's still sweater weather here in New York. But that doesn't mean we won't be on tenterhooks all weekend.

Let the world know your Thanksgiving travel story here. Or drop your snaps in our Jaunted Flickr Pool.

Related Stories:
· Thanksgiving Travel Forecast Looks Good (Knock Wood) [WSJ]
· Airport Survival round-up [Jaunted]

[Photo of adorable mini-frequent flyers at SFO: AP via Yahoo! UK]

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You're Welcome For This Left Coast Parade

November 10, 2008 at 1:50 PM | by egw | 0 Comments

New York City's gets all the glory, but if you can't get excited about standing around in the cold waiting for a Thanksgiving parade to start, set your sights on SoCal. The Mother Goose Parade in San Diego County may never inspire a Super Bowl ad, but it would make for a great game of "Hey! It's That Guy!"

Grand marshals for the 2008 parade, which begins at 10 am on Sunday, November 23 are Tori Spelling (Hey! It's that reality star who was on the original 90210!) and KayCee Stroh (Hey! It's the break-dancing nerd from "High School Musical"!) Other slots for your Celebrity Bingo card should go to Chris Knight (see Spelling, only substitute "The Brady Bunch" for 90210), Mason Vale Cotton (Hey! It's that kid from "Desperate Housewives"!) and Lou Ferrigno (Hey! It's that Hulk!)

Guess in this case the parade's proximity to Hollywood brings all these guys and girls out of the woodwork. Snoopy, that's your cue to move.

Related Stories:
· Morally Ambiguous Travel: Just Relax And Enjoy New York's Columbus Day Parade [Jaunted]
· Macy's Parade Hotels [HC]
· Thanksgiving coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo from the 2007 Mother Goose parade: Bisayan lady]