9 Places To Travel For Thanksgiving.

Not everyone wants to stay home or visit relatives at Thanksgiving.  Some families would prefer to head off somewhere for a nice holiday rather than worry about trying to fix everything by mid afternoon or the evening.  They'd rather have someone else do it.

There are some great places to spend the holiday where it's warm or they offer something special.

1.  Miami Florida has nice warm weather where one can enjoy the Art Deco architecture, boutiques, and spectacular shopping on Black Friday.  If you are a civic minded citizen, you could participate in the White Party, a fund raiser for a community organization that helps people with AIDS.  In addition, there is lots of great food in Little Havana, or any one of a number of food experiences.

2.  Las Vegas, Nevada also offers great weather to people who want to spend the weekend at shows or casinos because none of the casinos close.  If you want to something daring, hit the Ice Rink at the Boulevard Pool so you can skate, drink hot chocolate, or huddle around a fire.  Most places offer a traditional Thanksgiving meal and rather than go back to your room for a nap, enjoy a spa at one of the hotels. If you love to shop, check out one of the two outlet malls located in Las Vegas.


3 Washington, D.C. is a great place to spend Thanksgiving.  It's within a short driving distance to Mount Vernon where you can get a candle lit guided tour of Jefferson's home while learning more about camels and how they became associated with this holiday.  In addition, check out the Smithsonian Museum on Thanksgiving day when you can visit it for free and with few visitors.  Then on Black Friday, go downtown to visit a market where one can purchase artisan gifts for Christmas.

4.  Chicago, Illinois where the city offers a wonderful parade every Thanksgiving morning.  One can enjoy the parade from either the street or from hotel windows.  After the parade, head off to enjoy a meal at one of several places before enjoying an evening watching the lights at Millennium Park.  Check out the outdoor Christmas Market with stalls and lights  for gifts to give later on before heading home after a great weekend.

5. Kiawah Island, South Carolina, is one of the barrier islands off of Charleston.  This island is small but offers lots of luxurious experiences.  There are different options for a Thanksgiving meal along with a Turkey Trot and a yoga session scheduled right after the trot.  If you enjoy hockey, check out the pumpkin hockey match or if that isn't what you like, perhaps the tree lighting ceremony is more your style.  To make this really special, check out the oyster roast which only happens on major holidays.

6. Mountain View, Arkansas is located about two hours outside of Little Rock and offers a spectacular caroling in the Blanchard Caverns.  Take the tour and listen to carolers who provide Christmas music in the background.  Take a short drive to visit the Ozark Folk Center State Park where one can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal and take time to check out the craft village offering artisan crafts.  Don't forget to visit downtown to enjoy various shops and impromptu music concerts.

7.  Taos, New Mexico offers a fantastic southwestern style Thanksgiving with red chilis followed by a visit to an arts and crafts fair that supports a community organization focused on stopping violence and then working off the meal by skiing on the slopes.  Taos isn't that far north of Santa Fe or Albuquerque.

8.  New York, New York offers the annual Macy's Thanksgiving day parade complete with huge balloons.  One can watch the balloons being filled the night before over near the American Museum of Natural History.  In addition, one can enjoy the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, see the Radio City Rockettes, and enjoy Central Park.  Then on Friday, enjoy all the deals offered by stores on Black Friday after checking out Macy's the night before at 5 PM when they open with extra early deals.

9. New Orleans, Louisiana offers Thanksgiving cajun style.  In addition, it offers football lovers the traditional Bayou classic and a parade by the same name makes its way through the French Quarter the day after Thanksgiving.  If you prefer music, enjoy the Battle of the Bands but no matter what you attend, check out all the great food down there.  One of the more unique Thanksgiving items is the deep fried turkey.

So you can enjoy Thanksgiving at home or off in one of these places.  Have a great day and let me know what you think.