Travelers Will Be Gobbling Up More Miles in their Cars

NEEDHAM, Mass., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel community, today announced its Thanksgiving travel survey of more than 2,000 U.S. travelers and top ten Thanksgiving-themed towns. Thirty-seven percent of Americans plan to travel for Thanksgiving this year, about the same amount as one year ago. Fifty-nine percent expect to drive this Turkey Day, up from 56 percent last year, while air travel appears to be down slightly, as 37 percent intend to fly, compared to 41 percent last year.

Fifty percent of respondents will travel between 300 and 3,000 miles, 41 percent plan to travel under 300 miles, and 9 percent said they are going overseas for Thanksgiving. When asked if they are avoiding air travel specifically because of recent airline problems, 10 percent said "yes." The greatest percentage of those surveyed intend to travel on Thanksgiving Day (31 percent), while 29 percent plan to travel Wednesday, November 21.

  Top 5 Thanksgiving Towns in the U.S.

	

	  1. Turkey, Texas

Home to about 500 residents and approximately five hours northwest of Dallas, Turkey is the home town to the late "King of Western Swing," Bob Wills. Legend has it wild turkeys found along one of the town's creeks led to the town being named Turkey Creek, until the U.S. Post Office eventually shortened it to Turkey.

2. Cranberry, Pennsylvania

About 30 minutes northwest of Pittsburgh, Cranberry was so named for the wild cranberries then growing along the town's Brush Creek. After mysteriously disappearing around 1900, the town finally replanted cranberries almost one hundred years later. The cranberries continue to thrive there to this day.

3. Pie Town, New Mexico

Nearly 160 miles, or three hours southwest of Albuquerque, Pie Town is situated on the Continental Divide. Stories tell of Pie Town receiving its name in the 1920s because of a local Texan named Clyde Norman, who liked to bake tasty apple pies. Word soon spread that the best pies could be found in "Pie Town," and the rest is history.

4. Roll, Arizona

Founded by John Howard Roll in 1891, Roll, Arizona is situated about two and a half hours southwest of Phoenix. Many honor Roll for homesteading the land and for his charitable donations, and he also provided the right of way through the town to the Southern Pacific Railroad. What's more? Apparently, John Roll's father spent time mining and working in construction on "Turkey Creek" in Prescott, Arizona.

5. Corn, Oklahoma

Nearly an hour and a half due west of Oklahoma City, it is said that the town Corn originally received its name because the local post office was located in a corn field. Adding to its Thanksgiving status, Corn is known for its "Turkey Red" wheat, which the town has recognized with a milestone noting its historic first planting.

"Travelers earmark Thanksgiving as a time to be with their loved ones, as 76 percent of those surveyed intend to be with family this coming holiday," said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "Despite the holiday traffic, Americans are dedicated to getting their turkey, as half of those surveyed are making trips of 300 miles or more."

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