November 21, 2003 -- For those people who wait 'til the last minute to make travel plans, we offer you this Thanksgiving platter chock full o' domestic getaways for the upcoming holiday week all from Site59 (www.site59.com).
Roundtrip Airfare and Rental Cars
These fly and drive packages are available for 115 different US cities offering a variety of departure dates from today through December 6 out of almost any domestic gateway. Prices will vary depending on the day you choose to fly. Think of these combos as the perfect opportunity to explore America's second- and third-tier destinations. Read on for three sample trips.
Savannah, the home of the South's best pecan pie, can be visited for prices beginning as low as $269 per person for departures on November 22; $369 for departures on Thanksgiving day. Taxes are included in this price that gets you roundtrip airfare (out of NYC in this case) and your choice of rental car. From what people tell me, you should try to dine at least once at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room, especially if you want something other than the traditional turkey -- like Southern fried chicken and grits.
Out in the Midwest, where they know about big holiday dinners, you could get air and car from $339 per person, from New York City, if you leave November 27 and return December 1, giving you four nights in Indianapolis. If visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway isn't enough for you, there are art museums to conquer and lots of places to dine well. If you like jazz with your food, consider the Slippery Noodle Inn, on the National Register of Historic Places, where you can fill up on a tasty breaded pork tenderloin sandwich after you watch the lighting of the "World's Tallest Christmas Tree" on Thanksgiving night on the circle.
In laid-back Seattle you can get a four-night deal leaving New York on Thanksgiving Day. The cost is from $552 per person. You have to visit the home of the flying fish, Pike Place Market, of course, and the ART/Not Terminal Gallery, run by artists for themselves, whether professional or new on the block. If you can arrive in time, consider a traditional dinner at The Hunt Club in the Sorrento Hotel, which will be open on Thanksgiving from 11 to 7.
Flight & Hotel Deals
Ditch the car and add your hotel for a more traditional package. Site59 has nearly 250 separate such deals across the country. Again, we provide some examples for you.
Burlington, Vermont can put on a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner with its eyes closed. You can leave Boston on Wednesday, November 26, spend four nights at the Radisson Burlington, perhaps the city's best hotel. The price is from $745 per person. Read more on Burlington from our New England guide here, www.frommers.com/destinations/burlingtonvt.
In Miami you can ignore the Pilgrims altogether by concentrating on the influences Cuban-Americans in Little Havana with arroz con pollo, finishing up with a flan for dessert. You can leave NYC and arrive in Miami on Thanksgiving Day, returning Tuesday, December 2, 2003, from only $360 per person. That's a package giving you airfare and five nights in the Holiday Inn Miami-Indian Creek (North Miami Beach). If you fly in from Boston, the total cost is $370.89 per person. Prices include some, but not all, taxes.
Finally, consider New York City itself with prices as low as $728 per person for a five-night stay, out of Boston. That's for a sojourn at the very nice Radisson Lexington Hotel, right in the heart of Manhattan's midtown on the east side, in a standard room for two persons. You'll be in time for the country's best holiday celebration, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (pray for moderate weather), and can drop by Radio City, cruise the store windows and take a gander at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
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