PORTLAND, Ore. -- Giant balloons, floats, marching bands and clowns with confetti brought smiles to thousands of revelers Thursday eager to catch a glimpse of a parade as steeped in Thanksgiving Day tradition as turkey and pumpkin pie.
Whether driving across town or flying cross-country, thousands of Oregonians were traveling to meet with friends and loved ones - or to volunteer - this Thanksgiving.
Soldiers in war zones received phone calls of appreciation from President Barack Obama, while astronauts hovering above the Earth's surface feasted on turkey smuggled aboard the space shuttle Atlantis.
Dense fog delayed some flights Thursday for Thanksgiving travelers headed to the Washington and Baltimore areas, but traffic in and out of PDX remained steady.
Around Portland, highway travel was heavy on all interstates into and out of the metro area as families headed off for their destinations starting Wednesday night.
"There are a few ingredients we urge everyone to remember to include in their ‘traffic safety recipe'," said Oregon State Police Superintendent Timothy McLain. "Drive carefully, alert and sober are a few key ingredients and, of course, buckle up each and every trip, night or day."
Police started a special sting for people traveling without seatbelts during the peak of the holiday period; from 6 p.m., Wednesday, November 25th, through midnight Saturday.
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 389 people died in motor vehicle crashes across the nation during the 2008 Thanksgiving travel period. This included two people who were killed in Oregon.
In addition, OSP troopers reported 53 DUII arrests during the 2009 Thanksgiving travel period. People were encouraged to report any possible drunk drivers or dangerous drivers to the Oregon State Police by calling 1-800-24DRUNK (1-800-243-7865) or 9-1-1.
“Nighttime is the most dangerous time on the road because safety belt use is lower. Nearly two-thirds of the 2008 Thanksgiving holiday period traffic fatalities occurred during nighttime,” said Lieutenant Gregg Hastings. “67-percent of those deaths were people who did not have their safety belts fastened.”
Authorities wanted to remind Oregonians of seat-belt rules involving children:
* Child passengers must be restrained in approved child safety seats until they weigh forty pounds.
* Infants must ride in rear-facing seats until they reach both one year of age AND twenty pounds.
* Children over forty pounds must use boosters to 4'9" tall unless they have reached age eight.
