You Know You’re Home When You Hit the Traffic

Every year around this time, our house starts talking about the drive. For us, Thanksgiving means packing up the car and heading west to Illinois to be with family. There's always the debate over what time to leave, what snacks make the cut, and who gets control of the music.

Turns out we're in good company. A new survey from The Points Guy and YouGov found that driving to see family and friends is the most popular holiday travel plan this year, well ahead of flying. Nearly one in four Americans say they'll be behind the wheel between Thanksgiving and New Year's, headed toward someone they love.

That makes me happy. A road trip home gives you something a flight can't. You watch the landscape change mile by mile. You pass the water towers, the little main streets and the diners that have been there forever. By the time you pull into the driveway, the remembering has already started.

For our family, the moment comes when we hit the Dan Ryan Expressway, south of Chicago. The traffic slows to a crawl, and yes, there's usually a little grumbling from the driver's seat. But then the skyline shows up, somebody in the car says it out loud, and the annoyance melts right into happy: we're home.

That feeling is a big part of why I started Daisy Mae Designs. A hometown is more than a dot on a map. It's where your stories live. When you bring a little piece of it along as a gift, it says something a bottle of wine can't: I remember where we come from.

A few ideas for the trip home

A kitchen towel for the host. Everyone ends up in the kitchen on Thanksgiving anyway. A towel with a vintage map of their town is useful from the first dish, and it tucks into a gift bag without taking up trunk space.

A cutting board for the gathering. Show up with cheese and crackers already on it, and you've brought a hostess gift and an appetizer in one.

An ornament for the tree. It's easy to pack and easy to wrap, and it comes out year after year. Grandparents especially love these, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to give one so it's ready for decorating.

Find your town before you hit the road

Search for your hometown, the town you're driving to, or the place where your family's story started. If you're short on time, lots of visitor centers, museum stores and local gift shops carry our goods too, so keep an eye out at your stops along the way.

We'll be the ones inching along the Dan Ryan, a little annoyed and very happy to be home. Where are you driving this year? Leave a comment and tell me your town, and the moment you know you're home. I'd love to hear them.

Safe travels, friends.

Kristy

Source: The Points Guy/YouGov holiday travel survey, Oct. 5, 2026