Thanksgiving Day menu: Turkey, parades, shopping deals

Turkey, stuffing and a helium-filled Thomas the Tank Engine are on the menu as friends and families gather across the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving.

A wintry mix of snow and rain Wednesday hampered some holiday travel plans, grounding hundreds of flights and making for treacherous driving conditions in much of the Northeast.

A slight chance of rain or snow Thursday won't deter the throngs of people who'll be in midtown Manhattan for the nationally televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It will include six new giant balloons including Thomas the Tank Engine and the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.

And to the delight of some and consternation of others, it's increasingly become commonplace to see stores open on Thanksgiving, as retailers try to entice shoppers and kick off the holiday shopping season.