Let the Holiday Craziness Begin!

Giving Thanks

We are thankful for each and every one of you and wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! As you reflect on what you’re grateful for this year, enjoy some fun facts about the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving meal from History.com:

Much of it likely consisted of seafood, such as mussels, lobster, bass, clams, and oysters.
It did not include potatoes — white or sweet. These hadn’t been introduced to North America yet.
There was no pumpkin pie, either, as the colony was short on sugar and didn’t have butter, wheat flour, or even ovens for baking. The Pilgrims might, however, have made custard out of pumpkin, milk, honey, and spices.

It’s Not All About the Turkey!

These days, the turkey is the star of Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s not actually what we most look forward to. The Campbell’s Second Annual State of the Sides Report found that:

Travel Insanity

Next week sparks the beginning of the busiest travel season. The busiest travel day is always the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with the day before Thanksgiving coming in as the second busiest. NerdWallet’s “The Busiest Days to Fly During the Winter Holidays” offers some great advice on how to avoid these days and save some money at the same time.

Which airport is the busiest in the world? According to OAG Aviation, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport tops the list with nearly 5.4 million seats in October 2023. Dubai comes in second and Tokyo third.

Have a long layover in Atlanta? Check out our From Downtown to Midtown Atlanta tour to pass the time and learn more about this bustling southern city.

Tour While You Travel

The best way to ease holiday travel stress is by listening to a TravelStorys™ audio tour along the way. We have over 250 tours to keep you entertained on a road trip or for a fun and insightful family activity. (You can also enjoy our tours from the comfort of your own home!) For example, we have tours in or near all of the top five most popular Thanksgiving destinations, which StudyFinds says are:

New York City, New York
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Lake Placid, New York
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Chicago, Illinois

Traveling to one of these destinations? Check out these tours!

New York City's West Village (NY)

Explore the picturesque cobblestone streets, history, and some of the most expensive U.S. properties in New York City’s West Village while you’re in town.

Smoky Mountains by KOA (TN)

Enjoy fascinating stories about unique salamanders, synchronous fireflies, wild boars, bears, 500-million-year-old fossils, and our human ancestors who hunted mastodons during the last Ice Age.

Cycling the Erie Canal (NY)

This tour brings to life little-known stories about slavery and abolitionists along the Underground Railroad, plus Native American history, geology, nature and more.

Jackson to Teton Pass (WY)

Follow the historic route over the Teton Mountain Range, taking in the inimitable Jackson Hole scenery, history, and wildlife. This tour offers three separate channels, including a fun-filled one just for kids!

Chicago, Illinois (IL)

Walk through the most notable landmarks in the Midwest's largest city and learn how it became one of the country’s greatest meeting places.

Explore all our tours (255 and counting!) at travelstorys.com.

And make sure you like, follow and share on socials.