Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday, and one of the most food driven celebrations we have in the USA.

Thanksgiving conjures up the Puritans, and Native Americans at that first thanksgiving dinner near Plymouth, Massachusetts, before we were America.  Being grateful for our founding fathers and mothers, and for family, is truly part of what we celebrate today.

Those 53 pilgrims who initially celebrated the first successful fall harvest, along with the Wampanoag people, celebrated their survival too in 1621, as chronicled by historyofmassachusetts.org.

Naturally then, the most popular town to visit in America for what we now know as 'Thanksgiving' would be Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the pilgrims landed, according to thepioneerwoman.com.

What you might not know is the second ranked town to getaway to for Thanksgiving is another quintessential New England town on the Seacoast with vast history, and beautiful scenery, topped with a vibrant downtown.

Yes, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a favorite of so many New Englanders, ranks high nationally as a Thanksgiving getaway destination.

With fall colors abound, the waterfront coast, fabulous restaurants, and abundant historical museums and buildings, it's the perfect way to celebrate a national day of thanksgiving.

Three Lions/Getty Images
Three Lions/Getty Images
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If you're in Portsmouth after Thanksgiving, attend the annual holiday parade. This year the Portsmouth Illuminated Holiday Parade, which is luminous and loads of fun, begins at 6pm on Saturday, December 7th.

For more ideas of the many things to do in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, try ask Trip Advisor, or just ask any Granite Stater.  It's a favorite town year-round for many New Englanders.

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