Is your goose cooked on Turkey Day? Never fear, Google Maps is here!

Thanksgiving dinner is the meal we look forward to all year. And chances are...all of your family and friends agree! So if you’re hosting and not exactly a whiz in the kitchen, making the meal can be daunting. Good news: if you burn that Thanksgiving turkey, all is not lost. Here’s a go-to guide to keep your family festive (and fed).

Our friends over at Zagat.com have made it easy to find top-rated restaurants for Thanksgiving. With city spotlights in Austin, Denver, NYC and San Francisco (to name a few!), you can check out top-notch Thanksgiving dinner options -- whether you want a traditional Thanksgiving meal or would rather try tacos or sushi.

If your family is a fan of Italian, Zagat recommends Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria in NYC. You can make sure the ambiance is right with the Google Maps “See Inside” feature and check out the info card to see diners' ratings and reviews as well as the Zagat summary. Once you decide where you want to go, Google Maps’ turn-by-turn directions will get you there as quickly as possible.

Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, NYC, NY

If you’re up for a feast, EDGE Restaurant and Bar in Denver has what you need. Zagat recommends the three-course prix fixe Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, veal sausage-and-sage stuffing and an herb-rubbed beef tenderloin with sweet potato gratin and porcini mushrooms. Check out the gorgeous dining room to get you in the mood!

Edge Restaurant and Bar, Denver, CO

Or if you have a sweet tooth, skip straight to dessert in San Francisco. Just in time for Thanksgiving, one of Zagat’s top ice cream shops is creating sugary confections that are sure to please you and your family. Save yourself the time (and stress!) of baking and pick up some pies and sweet treats at Ice Cream Bar on Cole Street.

Ice Cream Bar, San Francisco, CA

Whatever--and wherever--you decide to feed yourself, Google Maps and Zagat wish you a Happy Turkey (or sushi or pasta) Day!

Posted by Susan Cadrecha, Google Maps Turkey Traveler

7 traffic tips to get you to the Thanksgiving table

Thanksgiving means gearing up for a turkey feast, Thanksgiving Day parades, local Turkey Trots and annual football showdowns. It also means braving some of the worst holiday traffic conditions of the year.

You’ve got enough on your plate this Thanksgiving without having to worry about traffic, too. So, Google Maps looked at Thanksgiving traffic conditions over the last two years for 21 cities across the U.S.¹ to find the most useful information to make your holiday trip a little easier.

Whether you’re traveling near or far, Google Maps’ traffic tips will help you navigate the roads like a pro, so you’ll be feasting on Turkey Day delights with friends and family in no time. Here are seven tips in pictures to guide you through the holiday:

1. Avoid traveling on Wednesday:

2. But if you must leave on Wednesday:

3. Good news for local travelers — Thanksgiving Day traffic is a breeze:

4. Travel back home on Sunday, not Saturday:

5. Expect to spend more time in traffic than average if you live in these three cities: Philadelphia, Austin and Washington, D.C. saw the three biggest increases in traffic during Thanksgiving week.

6. Get these three items ahead of time: Last-minute runs to the corner store can be unavoidable as you prep for the big day, but not all last minute trips are created equal.

7. Leave extra time for Christmas shopping:

Your biggest worry this Thanksgiving should be whether to go for the cranberry sauce or gravy. And with these traffic tips in hand, plus real-time traffic info provided by Google Maps on Android or iOS, you’ll be spending less time in traffic and more time with the people you care about this Thanksgiving. Now that’s something to be thankful for!

Posted by Aaron Nelson, Google Maps Product Manager

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1 Google Maps looked at 21 cities across the U.S. from the Monday before Thanksgiving through the Sunday after Thanksgiving for both 2012 & 2013: Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Washington, D.C.

Explore U.S. landmarks in honor of Veterans Day

In 1919, after the World War I armistice, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 a day dedicated to honor and remember the servicemen of the armed forces:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

Today, whether you recognize Veterans Day, Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, you can now celebrate servicemen and women by touring some significant U.S. historical places in Street View in Google Maps.

Visit West Point Cemetery and explore the historic burial ground of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Overlooking the Hudson River, some of the cemetery’s tombs date back to the American Revolutionary War. To walk further back in time, travel to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the site of the infamous 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.

West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY, USA

On the Gulf Coast of Texas, stand on the runway of the USS Lexington, nicknamed "The Blue Ghost," an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy, and the Battleship North Carolina, the most highly decorated American battleship of World War II.

USS Lexington, Corpus Christi, TX, USA

You can also explore historical collections of U.S. leaders and military personnel, like the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, the West Point Museum and the Museum of the Confederacy. Here explore photos, uniforms and tokens from past events throughout American history.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, New York, USA

This U.S. Highlights gallery is our small way of thanking veterans for their service. We hope you’ll take a few minutes today to honor and and recognize servicemen and women both past and present.

Posted by Deanna Yick, Street View Program Manager

Google Maps: Your best accessory this season

Bold colors and textures are in—and Google Maps is on trend, with a slick new style to make traveling with Maps even easier. Over the next few days, when you open up Google Maps on your Android or iPhone, you’ll be greeted by bright colors and a fresh new design. This new look is all about creating surfaces and shadows that echo the real world; with Google Maps’ new material feel, layers and buttons come to life so you know just where to touch to get directions, recommendations and imagery.

Getting around with Google Maps is even easier with the new design 

By tapping on a place’s info sheet at the bottom of your screen, you’ll send an info layer gliding up to the top, showing you photos, reviews, and more. And for the adventurous souls looking for a new place to dine or visit, you’ll see more to Explore at the bottom of your map.

Fluid transitions guide you through Google Maps

There’s more to this app than good looks—we also make it easier for you to get on with your day. Need to make a last-minute dinner reservation? You can now reserve a table right from the Google Maps app for restaurants found on OpenTable (U.S. only).

Make a restaurant reservation from Google Maps

On a cool winter day, a chilly walk or train ride may not always be the most appealing choice. Travelers deciding whether they should take an Uber or brave the frosty winds can now see estimates for Uber’s pickup time and price for their route in walking and transit directions in Google Maps. This option will appear if you have the Uber app installed, where available.

Wait time and price estimates for Google Maps’ Uber card

For Google Maps, giving you useful options and information is always in vogue. So as you’re traveling this holiday season, don’t forget to open up your Maps app for all the navigation help we have to offer—now with a fun new look.

Posted by Evelyn Kim, Google Maps UX Designer