. . . I'm homesick. It just hit me that I WILL be working on Thanksgiving. ='(

Every year newspaper articles like this one make the front page. Even though the news is always the same.

Weather, Traffic Snarl Thanksgiving Pilgrimage

By Fred Barbash
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 24, 2004; 8:31 AM

Miles of road spray, clouds of mist, warnings from the weather service, record gasoline prices and longer-than-usual airport lines greeted the first wave of travelers in the Washington area this morning as they joined their countrymen in what is expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving pilgrimage in years.

All local airports advised passengers to allow themselves at least 90 minutes for boarding from the time they arrive and to call ahead to find out about parking conditions and flight delays.

Some weather-related delays were likely at all major airports east of the Mississippi, aviation authorities said this morning, because of what the weather service called "unsettled conditions" in all directions.

Those ranged from rain and fog on the highways on the East Coast to snowstorms in the Midwest.

Those same conditions were already slowing highway traffic hours before the big rush, which the AAA said generally begins about noon and goes into the night with another wave setting out early Thursday morning.

Amtrak, meanwhile, said it was anticipating the busiest week of its year, with ridership about 80 percent higher today than on a typical Wednesday. Amtrak said about 125,000 people would ride its rails today alone.

Amtrak advised travelers to arrive at stations 45 minutes early if they hold tickets and 85 minutes early if they don't.

Reservations are required on the majority of trains operating in the Northeast, despite the fact that Amtrak will add nearly 60 trains to its national schedule.

The American Automobile Association estimated that some 37 million Americans would leave home today and tomorrow, largely to visit relatives. Among them, it said, will be about 676,000 Washington area residents.

The vast majority -- about 590,000 -- will be on the highways.

The organization said the increase would be the largest since the pre-9/11 era.