The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically one of the busiest travel days of the year, and the COVID-19 pandemic leaves no exception.
Plenty of people were getting gas and preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday for road trips near and far, even though the Centers for Disease Control is pleading with people to stay home.
The pandemic is expected to have some impact on travel. AAA projects road travel to decrease this year by 4.3 percent to 47.8 million travelers, which still accounts for 95 percent of all Thanksgiving travel.
For many families, Thanksgiving isn't as simple this year, as the pandemic weighs heavily on their minds.
Jose Jimenez is taking his wife and kids to see his grandmother in Woodstock. Ill.
"We just got to be really careful and stay away from everybody," Jimenez said. "I took a test, we all took a test before we go see her. She’s on the older side, but we also don’t want her to be lonely. Family is family."
It's a similar situation for Jessica Leighton, as she, too is trying to balance seeing family with staying safe. She said she is going to wear a mask at her family's home in Chicago.
"Since my grandparents died, we really don’t do much at my house, so he’s kind of like my best friend, and having that opportunity to have that small get together with my family is most important for my kids," Leighton said.