Thanksgiving Poll: Where Do You Go?

shishkab

I've always been curious about how many people stay home vs. travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as whether folks spend it with family or with friends. If you wouldn't mind, would you offer your two cents?

whyfi

It varies, but this year it's BK with friends, although we usually travel to be with family.

alafairnadia

this year a friend and I are cooking up some pork loin and turkey in my apartment. yum. and we'll have too much food -- let me know if you're bored and want to invade someone else's house for a bit.

pitu

I stopped traveling for Thanksgiving after my four hour drive to mamas took eight hours . . . and that was after I took a standing-room-only train the year before. Standing on a packed train from NYC to DC is so *not* festive!

I love T'day with friends. My assignment is bird-acquisition and cornbread.

Shall I look for your dog in the Park Thursday am, shishkab?

For Xmas, it's off to the in-laws in Minnesota. Got any tips for me, Whyfi?

laura

My boyfriend will be coming over and preparing one of his fish specialties.

whyfi

pitu wrote: For Xmas, it's off to the in-laws in Minnesota. Got any tips for me, Whyfi?

Absitively. Whatcha in the mood for?

shishkab

pitu wrote:
Shall I look for your dog in the Park Thursday am, shishkab?

prolly not. the hairy one will be spending thanksgiving in CT, and depending on how early we leave the chances are we won't be playing in the park

steve

I've been in Fl. since the weekend. I want to go home!!!

pitu

WhyFi wrote: [quote=pitu]For Xmas, it's off to the in-laws in Minnesota. Got any tips for me, Whyfi?

Absitively. Whatcha in the mood for?

whatever will keep me from fighting with the nice norwegians
whatcha got?

raw

Can we add a new selection to the Thanksgiving Poll? It's missing "spend it in hell with the family."

whyfi

pitu wrote: whatever will keep me from fighting with the nice norwegians
whatcha got?

Science Museum of Minnesota is always fun, and they have one of the best (and the very first) convertible dome omnitheaters around. If you're still around downtown St Paul at night, the Artist's Quarter is a great & cozy jazz club, and they mix a decent drink. See what's going on at the Ordway, too... oh, and MN is the home of hockey, and even if you're not a hockey fan, Wild games are a lot of fun.

The Walker and the Mineapolis Institute of Art are both worth the a visit. (Actually, I need to get over to the Walker the next time I'm in town - a new wing was added and featured in the WSJ about a year ago...) Also, The Children's Theater is attached to the MIA and it's fun even if you're not a kid (actually, a great fun date place).

If you want to get out on the town, head to downtown Minneapolis and be sure to stop off at Prince's club, First Avenue. For something more laid-back, try out St Paul's Grand Ave (just try to avoid the college kids on the weekends).

I was going to suggest seeing a taping of A Prairie Home Companion, but they're going to be taping in NY around Christmas

And if you're particularly masochistic, you can go check out the biggest mall in America. (I just found this out - did you know that 7 Yankee Stadiums could fit in MOA?!) It's one of the few places in MN that you're pretty much guaranteed not to see a Minnesotan... but even I'll admit that the place does have a... kitschy attraction.

I'm sure that some of the others can recommend a ton of individual places to visit, but these are some of the more Minnesota things to enjoy without actually being exposed to the elements in the freezin'-the-brass-balls-off-a-monkey-dead-of-the-winter. A lot of the beauty of the area is... outside, and there's not an easy way to enjoy it during that time of the year, unless you're a hardy soul.

doctorj

What option do I pick if we have both family and friends coming round? For Turducken. We are new to this Thanksgiving thing, but we hear that Turducken is the true American Way.

shishkab

doctorj wrote: What option do I pick if we have both family and friends coming round?

um... how about you play it by the numbers -- more family or more friends coming? guess you're a popular fellow, Doc!

doctorj wrote: For Turducken. We are new to this Thanksgiving thing, but we hear that Turducken is the true American Way.

oooh, turducken! haven't had the induglent pleasure, but i dream of of this poultry delight every year MMMM

alafairnadia

turducken is not as awesome as a cajun fried turkey.

pitu

is there such a thing as a cajun fried turducken?

doctorj, are you assembling the chimera yourself?

I salted a 9lb Bronze Heritage Zuni-style this morning...
google Judy Rodgers, turkey, and LA Times if you need to know more.

THX for the ideas/threats WhyFi!
I hate PHC, but the Walker is a go. I'm bummed the Guthrie will be in Christmas Carol mode.
Is there a winter equiv to state fair Butter Fete? Awesome-est bakery or hot dog stand or flea market? I'll be closer to Rochester, might be in Twin Cities one day only.
Of course the bracing outdoors is probably the way to go...and I've always wondered what -70 would feel like...

pitu

pitu wrote:
THX for the ideas/threats WhyFi!
I hate PHC, but the Walker is a go. I'm bummed the Guthrie will be in Christmas Carol mode.
Is there a winter equiv to state fair Butter Fete? Awesome-est bakery or hot dog stand or flea market? I'll be closer to Rochester, might be in Twin Cities one day only.
Of course the bracing outdoors is probably the way to go...and I've always wondered what -70 would feel like...

BTW, I have to ask all this stuff, because the relatives don't know and don't care. Everytime we've been, they get a new experience of their own backyard.

stacey

alafairnadia wrote: turducken is not as awesome as a cajun fried turkey.

Big High Five on that one!!! I have become addicted to the cajun fried turkey.

pitu

okay, where are you all having this cajun bird? Popeye's?

alafairnadia

pitu wrote: okay, where are you all having this cajun bird? Popeye's?

I haven't had any here - maybe stacey can clue us in?

I've only had it in Houston and other parts of East Texas/Western Louisiana.

stacey

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=pitu]okay, where are you all having this cajun bird? Popeye's?

I haven't had any here - maybe stacey can clue us in?

I've only had it in Houston and other parts of East Texas/Western Louisiana.

My sister would make one every year for Thanksgiving (I do have the recipie for it though). And to be quite honest the only place I know where to get one is from the Neiman Marcus Holiday Food Catalogue -

boygabriel

doctorj wrote: What option do I pick if we have both family and friends coming round? For Turducken. We are new to this Thanksgiving thing, but we hear that Turducken is the true American Way.

Yes! Turducken!

John Madden would be so proud

doctorj

pitu wrote: is there such a thing as a cajun fried turducken?

According to wikipedia, no. "The turducken is not suitable for deep frying Cajun style (to deep fry poultry, the body cavity must be hollow to cook evenly)."

Though maybe you could post-fabricate the separately deep fried components?

pitu wrote: doctorj, are you assembling the chimera yourself?

'fraid not. Maybe next year. We got it fedexed in dry ice from Turduckens'R'Us. We chose the one with the cajun cornbread, pork and rice stuffing... I guess it wouldn't be a complete meal without pork.

boygabriel wrote:
John Madden would be so proud

I'm guessing you're not talking about the former Victorian chief justice and vice-chancellor of Melbourne University.

whyfi

pitu wrote: Is there a winter equiv to state fair Butter Fete? Awesome-est bakery or hot dog stand or flea market?

Well, you're there a month too early for the Winter Carnival, so you're mostly going to be left with Holiday-ish stuff...

Hmmm... I'm not a good one to ask on the bakery front, but there is an AWESOME chocolatier on University, just between Minneapolis and St Paul. Their truffles are un-fuggin'-credible and available in flavors such as Champagne or Hot Chili Pepper. God, I hope she's still around... Edit - she is! Bring me back a 9er?! While you're there, stop off at The Egg & I for breakfast - I recommend the Kamikaze Buckwheat Pancakes and/or the Eggs Commodore.

Hot dogs... :? Howsabouta great walley sandwich at Tavern on Grand or Sweeney's in St Paul? Definitely more MN than hot dogs. If you stop at Sweeney's, tell the big, ugly, bald guy tending bar that I said "fuck off." He's a good friend. He'll understand.

My pops would know about flea markets, but I haven't a clue - wasn't at all in to that when I was still there...

pitu wrote: Of course the bracing outdoors is probably the way to go...and I've always wondered what -70 would feel like...

I've experienced -70 with windchill. Nose hairs freeze together on each inhale, throw a cup of water in the air and watch come down in frozen little droplets. Fun stuff.

doctorj

WhyFi wrote: I've experienced -70 with windchill.

Apparently the record (not counting windchill) for Minnesota is -60F (-51C) 2 Feb '96 (at 1450 ft). A small handful of states have had even lower temperatures. Looks like you can get to -70F with windchill at a balmy -30F if it's blowing a gale.

whyfi

doctorj wrote: [quote=WhyFi]I've experienced -70 with windchill.

Apparently the record (not counting windchill) for Minnesota is -60F (-51C) 2 Feb '96 (at 1450 ft). A small handful of states have had even lower temperatures. Looks like you can get to -70F with windchill at a balmy -30F if it's blowing a gale.

Yeah, that's about what the conditions were - it was one of the only times that I can remember the schools being shut down, not because of rapid snowfall, but because of the cold... that didn't stop us from puttin' on the moonboots and snow pants and playin' King of the Hill, though.

Lemme guess - the record was in Tower, MN? We passed through there every year on our way to the BWCA, and they had signs up... they were always 'fighting' with one other town for the record, though... :?

boygabriel

doctorj wrote: [quote=boygabriel]
John Madden would be so proud

I'm guessing you're not talking about the former Victorian chief justice and vice-chancellor of Melbourne University.

Nor the former captain of the world champion New Jersey Devils