Celebrating Thanksgiving in Baltimore

With just a week left until Thanksgiving, it is all that has been on my mind.

Twenty minutes into class and I inevitably start daydreaming about home and seeing my family, about the glorious meal I have to look forward to (capped off, as always, with a thick slice of pumpkin cheesecake), and, of course, about the much-needed five days off from school.

Sometimes we skim over Thanksgiving, especially with Christmas around the corner.

But Thanksgiving is all about food and family, and I do not think you could ask for more from a holiday.

If, however, you find yourself staying at the Hop this Thanksgiving, not to worry.

Whatever you do, do not skimp just because you are still at school. There is plenty to do to make your November 24th a day to remember.

Cook a Thanksgiving meal from scratch

Now is the time to get creative with those McCoy and Charles Commons kitchenettes.

If you are a foodie and love to cook, great. There is no better time than Thanksgiving to go on a cooking binge. Go crazy — make sweet potatoes, homemade apple pie and, of course, a turkey. You will have a field day.

If, on the other hand, the only thing you have ever "cooked" is a slice of bread in the toaster, well, you will probably get a lot of great stories out of the whole thing.

Either way, why not make your own dinner? Then you can invite any friends still around the Baltimore area and celebrate together.

And just to make your dinner extra special, stop by the 32nd Street Farmers Market the Saturday before and pick up some fresh apples, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.

A good meal always starts with good ingredients.

Or, of course, you could just go out to dinner.

There is a shocking number of restaurants open in Baltimore on Thanksgiving.

But that would be the easy way out.

Head over to the Inner Harbor

There is always a lot going on in the Inner Harbor come holiday season.

For reasons I cannot quite understand, Baltimore's Thanksgiving Parade happens before Thanksgiving. This year, it will be on Saturday November 19.

If you do get a chance to go though, it is great. Pratt Street is buried in floats and balloons. Clowns, marching bands and even Santa are all thrown in the mix too.

Also, for the first time ever, Power Plant Live is running a holiday show starting that same day up until New Year's Eve. So if you get a chance to visit that area, stay a while and check it out.

Running three times a night on weekdays starting at 6 pm, it features a $400,000 light, laser and music show and sometimes even fireworks.

It is bound to be great, and it will put you right in the holiday spirit.

Watch the Ravens game

Admittedly, I am not the biggest sports fan.

But for those of you who are, or for those of you just looking for a chill Thanksgiving, this probably could not be more perfect.

The Baltimore Ravens are playing the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving Day.

So flip on the TV, full-out tailgate, or, if you can, get tickets for the game.

Really, nothing could be more American than football.

Post-Thanksgiving

After Thanksgiving is over, you are still going to have two more days until people start making their way back to school.

Take advantage of that time when (hopefully) you do not have any work and head over to 34th Street in Hampden.

Every holiday season, the residents on 34th Street go absolutely crazy with Christmas decorations.

They call the tradition the "Miracle on 34th Street," in reference, of course, to the classic Christmas movie. Decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving, and they are beyond over the top.

So before you get buried back into routine and schoolwork, make the trek to Hampden, walk off some of your Thanksgiving meal and start bracing yourself for the next round of holidays.