Walk off the Feast

As much as we like our seafood feasts for Thanksgiving, fish doesn’t provide a dramatic centerpiece for the table.  Enter the inflatable turkey, the perfect solution for those who want a big bird on the table but don’t want to cook it or eat it.  Afterwards you can toss it in the pool for a festive float.

We’ve come up with a few of our own Thanksgiving traditions.  My favorite is going for a long walk after we eat.  It’s the best way to make room for dessert.

A few years ago I read this hilarious little story by Karen Russell called Thanksgiving is a Beast.  Her family ventured into the Everglades for their post-feast outing.  They rented bikes in Shark Valley, where they rode through the swamp and dodged alligators.  That’s an impressive feat on a full belly.  I think we’ll stick with a more dog-friendly stroll on the beach or in the woods.

Most Florida state parks are open.  Two of my favorite places to visit, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and Bok Tower Gardens, are both open on Thanksgiving Day.  And for the very ambitious, there’s the Tampa Bay Times Turkey Trot, which you can run or walk.

Any other suggestions for places to walk off Thanksgiving dinner?