Minnesotans prepare for Thanksgiving 2017 here and out of state

(KMSP) - It’s the last minute Thanksgiving rush at Lunds & Byerlys, with some shoppers picking up an extra side or a missing ingredient. Others have a cart filled with the entire feast.

“We got a turkey, take the back bone out, flatten it in the hunt for the ever tender turkey,” shopper Fred Haynes said.

“The food is the only stress; everyone else is having a great time,” said Jack Weyrauch with the Lunds & Byerlys meat department.

Weyrauch has worked some 30 Thanksgiving eve’s for the grocer and insists he never tires of giving turkey prep advice.

“Don’t overcook: 160-165 degrees, make sure to let them rest. They can rest for a long time while getting other stuff done. Don’t worry about the turkey,” he said.

Meanwhile, over at the airport, the worry is the security lines.

“It doesn’t look too busy. I tried to get here three hours early to make sure we had plenty of time,” traveler Valerie Post said.

The TSA is rolling out some new, enhanced screening for personal electronic devices that the agency warned could slow down the screening process in the coming days.

But, through mid-afternoon at MSP, it was smooth sailing.

“Everybody dreads the Wednesday before Thanksgiving…wasn’t that bad. Denver was packed. Things were smooth, airports operating efficiently,” traveler Joel Thessing said.

“We’ve been flying on business for more than 50 years, always used to avoid this day. It’s been terrible; I’ve been trapped all over the country. It’s not a problem these days,” traveler Doug Tracey said.