Gadling

The quintessential American bird is typically spotted on your dining room table, naked and headless, with a plastic thermometer thingy stuck in its butt--but, such was not the case with our early pilgrim ancestors who first laid eyes on these magnificent fowl in 17th-century Massachusetts. Real wild turkeys are truly a site to behold, so this Thanksgiving, why not step away from the TV and go find some actual live turkeys doing real turkey things? Honestly, it's not as hard as you think (New Jersey Turnpike, anyone?). Here are five destinations to get you started:

1. Long Island, New York Who would have thunk it? But yeah, New York state is home to around 300,000 turkeys, of which approximately one percent thrive in the backyards of Long Island. Do the locals embrace this living emblem of American heritage? No, all they do is complain about the mess. Sigh.

2. Edgefield, South Carolina Not only was the Palmetto State the first to secede from the Union, it's also the world headquarters for the National Wild Turkey Federation. Yes America, we have a theme park for everything, including a Wild Turkey Center dedicated to preserving turkeys so that hunters can keep shooting them. Activities include learning to stalk turkeys and classes in making turkey calls.

3. Western Oklahoma
There are A LOT of wild turkeys in Oklahoma, especially in the western counties along the Texas border. Forget making hand turkeys this year. Instead, print up this nifty, informative practice target and pretend you're a really hungry pilgrim.

4. Big Island, Hawaii Back in 1961, an intrepid farmer imported 400 wild turkeys from Texas to his ranch on the Big Island. He must have had a lousy fence, because an estimated 30,000 wild turkeys now roam the volcanic highlands of Hawaii, about half of them on the Big Island.

5. Pennsylvania After wild turkey populations dwindled nationwide, it was the good old birds of Pennsylvania that helped repopulate the rest of the country. Today, the state is home to nearly half a million wild turkeys who hang out in the back hills and hollows, eluding hunters and reproducing even more. The thing about Pennsylvania is that basically, if you go sit in the woods and wait long enough, you're pretty much gonna see a turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving then, and may all your turkey searching be as successful as the first time Americans went into the woods.

Costa Rica seems like a tropical paradise with stunning beaches, dense rain forests, and active volcanoes. In recent years, it has become a popular destination for those looking to lounge in luxury as well as adventure travelers looking for an adrenaline rush. But a shadow has fallen across this paradise, as a number of hikers have gone missing in recent months, all under strange circumstances, and that has left some wondering if there is a sinister plot at work.

In August of this year, American David Gimelfarb went to Costa Rica on a vacation, and disappeared while hiking in Parque National Rincon de la Vieja, a thick jungle that is popular amongst backpackers. Gimelfarb's rented vehicle was found at the trail head, but there has been no trace of the grad student.

One American disappearing in a dense Central American jungle seems tragic, but not necessarily unlikely. After all, this is a remote and rugged place, where one misstep could lead to disaster. But it seems that Gimelfarb isn't the only person to go missing in that area this year. A British journalist named Michael Dixon recently disappeared without a trace while vacationing in the Guanacaste province, and American Craig Snell went missing there back in February of this year as well. Australian Brendan Robbins also was also mssing in the same region several years back, but was eventually identified by forensic evidence.

Dixon's recent disappearance has turned a spotlight back on all the cases, and investigators now believe there may be a connection between each of these incidences. They're not saying exactly why they believe this yet, but they are proceeding as if each of the missing men are still alive.

So, what do you think? Are these disappearances some kind of conspiracy? Are they connected in some way? Or is just a strange coincidence? Are adventure travelers being kidnapped or just being careless while out hiking?

On Thanksgiving Day in 2006, Patrick Powers was at the beach in Orange County, California feeling thankful for the weather that allowed him to surf. The movement of the surfer embodies a surefooted pleasure and determination as the water arcs above his head. Very well done!

Here's hoping your Thanksgiving brings you a sure footed pleasure whether you're catching waves somewhere or sitting in a easy chair waiting for your food to digest.

If you have a shot to share, send it our way at Gadling's Flickr photo pool. It might be chosen for a Photo of the Day. Powers' photo is one of the four in our pool tagged "thankful." It also appeared under "thanks."

I hope we can all take some time out of our pre-Thanksgiving travel madness to enjoy some down time with some pre-Thanksgiving travel stories. On behalf of all the writers here at Gadling, we wish you all a day full of gratitude and filled with loved ones.

• It looks like fellow Gadling writer Mike Barish has been really busy lighting up the travel blogosphere lately! Check out his holiday guide to NYC at World Hum and his commentary on strange signage in Australia at Intelligent Travel.
• Here are some great American train trips for under $100. [via BootsNAll]
• I told my students I will be traveling to the Middle East for two months and the first thing they asked me was, "Isn't it dangerous there?" To which I replied, "Well, every place is dangerous." Of course, some places are safer than others. [via Journey Etc]
• I'll be traveling with a good girlfriend of mine, which has gotten me thinking about what makes a good travel partner. Here are a few good questions to ask if you're searching for the best travel mate. [via Tripbase]
• Turkeys may look mean, but as long as you're not a vegetarian they taste good -- all over the world. [via Vagabondish]

'Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks here.

Things You Never Knew Existed is selling a product we never knew existed: a remote-control talking Luggage Locator.

On the one hand, this is great, especially for people who have black bags that all look alike. You see one coming, press the button, and watch and listen ... is it lighting up? Did it repeat your pre-recorded message for 30 seconds continually? No? Then it's not yours. Keep waiting.

The Luggage Locator runs on three AAA batteries and two button batteries, has six flashing LED lights and can be heard from up to 45 feet away.

On the other hand, the obvious downside of this product: That audio clip is going to be really annoying, no matter what you record. People all around in a 45 foot radius will hear the sound of your voice (or your kid's voice, or whatever you decide to record) for 30 seconds on repeat. It's almost like you're forcing them to invade your privacy, which is kind of weird. Also, when they see who picks up the talking bag, that will stare at you, agog at the wonder of your outrageous dorkiness.

Still, there are uses for this that might make it worth it. For example, why not record "This is not your bag, you jerk!"? That way, if you see someone walking out with a bag and you think they've got yours, you can press it and freak them out. Another possibility: Record "Unload me first!" and press it while you're waiting at the carousel. If your bag is close by on the trolley, perhaps the airport employee unloading bags will oblige you. "Hey airport man, you sure are handsome," might also work. Unless it's a lady.

Frankly, there are a lot of uses for this thing outside of the airport, as well: messing with your cat, confusing your children, practical jokes on your spouse or significant other ... this may actually be totally worth the $14.98.

[via Switched]

Starting this afternoon and on into tonight the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade character balloons will be inflated at Central Park West and Columbus Avenue on 77th and 81st Streets. The public is able to watch the process between 3:00 and 10:00 p.m. From what I've read, arrive closer to the end to get the balloons' full effects.

The balloons, that take trained volunteers to safely maneuver them along the parade route without injuring parade goers or damaging buildings, have been a Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition since 1927. Here are 10 balloon history facts from the parade history page of the Macy's website and at the website of The Band of Blue.

Also, I found a detailed video of the balloons being inflated. The video gives a clear idea about just how big these balloons are and the hubbub that is involved in the process of making them parade worthy. My favorite spot is of the police officer getting another officer to take her picture in front of one of them.

Google is taking Iraq's national museum global. Company CEO, Eric Schmidt, said Tuesday that Google is going to document what's in the museum and will share photographs of the war-torn countries museum holdings with the world. The museum, which reopened this year, was torn apart after Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled in April 2003.

At a ceremony with Iraqi officials, Schmidt said, "The history of the beginning of - literally - civilization is made right here and is preserved here in this museum." He continued, "I can think of no better use of our time and our resources than to make the images and ideas from your civilization, from the very beginnings of time, available to billions of people worldwide."

Already, Google has shot around 14,000 photos of the museum and its contents. They'll be up on the web for all to see early next year. As artifacts from the museum's vaults and from others across Iraq become available, they will be brought into the program. Some of these items date back to the Stone Age, as well as the Babylonian, Assyrian and Islamic periods.

[Photo thanks to Brian Sayler]

If you're living in America, you know what's happening this Thursday. For those of you who aren't in New York to catch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, there are other awesome activities going on this weekend. If you're close and have time, then you have no excuse to get out and go!

• Charlotte - The Carolinas Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held this Thursday, November 26. This 62th annual parade is one of the largest get togethers of Carolinians that takes place during the year.
• Brunei - Brunei's annual Festival of Sacrifice will be held this Friday, November 27. This is also known as Hari Raya Korban or Hari Raya Aidiladha. Goats and cows are sacrificed to commemorate the actions of the Islamic Prophet Ibrahim. The meat is then distributed among relatives, friends and the less fortunate.
• England - The Draught for Drought Winter Beer Festival will be held at the New Inn in Witney from November 26-29. The festival will have an extensive selection of ales, traditional cuisine, and live entertainment. The event is a benefit for the African Children's Fund's "Draught for Drought" program. The proceeds help East African communities to find sustainable ways of capturing and storing water.

If you make it to one of these events, let us know how it was, or if you know of an event that's coming up, please let us know and we'll be sure to include it in the next "Get out and go" round-up.

Here are the hottest gear deals for today, Wednesday November 25th 2009. Remember, these deals are often valid for just one day, so act fast before they are gone.

Today's first deal comes from new deal-a-day site steals1.com. They are selling a 6 piece hiking survival kit. Now, before you order one of these and expect you'll be safe when hiking in the middle of nowhere, please remember that there is more to hiking than an $8 set of cheap stuff. The kit is probably better for a hike in your local forest preserve than a trip in the wilderness. Click here for this deal.

Sierra Trading Post is selling the Timbuk2 "Large Wiki Hemp Laptop Case" for just $22.95. Shipping is $5.95 and it is available in two colors. Click here for this deal.

Next up are noise canceling headphones from Able Planet. Their Sound Clarity headphones normally retail for $249, but are currently on sale through Beach Audio for just $79.99. Click here for this deal.

And finally in today's lineup, add a Bluetooth hands-free carkit and iPod connectivity to your car for just $34.95 with the Alpine EX-10. Includes a nice color display, wiring and a remote control. Click here for this deal.