We all know the basics of Thanksgiving holiday travel survival:

• Avoid Wednesday and Sunday as travel days.
• Plan ahead for more travel choices and prices to pick from.
• Shop around. Use online services that compare prices.
• Earlier-in-the-day schedules are less likely to experience delays.
• Cabs and airport transportation are harder to get over the holidays.
• Everyone will get cranky eventually. Bring toys, snacks, and beverages to ease the pain.
• There will be long lines and traffic. Plan accordingly.

Now the good stuff—let’s talk about how to use the latest technology to help make Thanksgiving travel as enjoyable as possible:

Social media: Check to see if your mode of transport has a Twitter account and/or Facebook page. While their websites may not be updated with traffic delays or weather cancellations as quickly, their Twitter feed or Facebook page usually will be. Particularly if you use those avenues to get a response. For instance, you've heard snow is falling in your destination city, but you don’t see an announcement on their website about expected delays. If you post/tweet your question for all of their other customers to see, companies are often quick to reply.

Satellite Radio: Another way of accessing road traffic information is through satellite radio. On SiriusXM there are traffic channels for major metro areas including DC, NY, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Houston, LA, Vegas and 15 others. The traffic is current and provided at certain times throughout each hour (e.g. “on the sixes – 5:06, 5:16, etc.) and also includes local weather.

Apps: Now you can check traffic on trip planning, map, and travel mobile applications for your various devices and phones. Download and try out a few different ones before the holidays to see how accurate and user-friendly they are. Of course before you leave, make sure everything is charged up and ready to go, or that you have a non-electrical backup plan (car plug, solar battery, USB plug) in case an electrical outlet is not handy.

As the days of Fall quickly move into Winter, it’s that time of year when we start cooking up a few new soup ideas on the home front.  Maybe it’s a hearty stew for the family or a quick and easy recipe for a weekend with friends.  Whatever your preference, the recipes and options are out there to enjoy!

Say it’s a chilly evening and you want to warm up and use the final onions of the season. Try the decadent Roasted Onion and Gorgonzola soup from www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com.

“This soup is thick and velvety with a nice touch of blue cheese and a hint of garlic….and even better when it is topped with bacon. It’s best not to figure out how many calories are in this baby…I’m not sure there are enough hours in the day to work it off.”

Or how about a quick and easy end of the summer soup, fresh from the cupboard by Jacques Pépin (www.foodandwine.com):

"One unusual combination that I love is made in a food processor with a can of black beans that I puree with a little olive oil, Tabasco, a couple of tablespoons of onion, crushed clove of garlic, salt and enough chicken stock to make the mixture creamy. Serve in soup plates, topping each serving with a ribbon of sour cream diluted with a bit of water, and garnishing each with a few slices of banana and a couple of cilantro leaves.”

Lastly, try this heavenly Pumpkin Bisque, described as “liquid pumpkin pie":