Staying in Town for Thanksgiving?

The Green Miles' family is based mostly in Massachusetts, and it didn't take very long into my time living in Arlington to realize that no matter if I drove, flew, or took the train, making the schlep north twice in a month - for both Thanksgiving and Christmas - made the holidays much less enjoyable.

This year I'm staying in town for Thanksgiving and heading to Massachusetts for Christmas. When I tell people I'm staying home for Thanksgiving, people usually look at me like I'm a lonely shut-in. A young professional recently wrote a Washington Post column portraying herself as some kind of pioneer for daring to spend her holiday in DC.

But the holidays in Arlington are among the most fun times of the year. Of course, Christmas brings lots of holiday lights and greatly reduced traffic. But a lesser-known fact is that the night before Thanksgiving is a huge party night -- anyone who's young, single, and staying in Arlington for Turkey Day will be found out in Clarendon, Shirlington, or Pentagon Row on Wednesday night.

My Wednesday night will end early this year as I'm waking up before dawn on Thanksgiving Day, volunteering to help with registration at the Arlington Turkey Trot. I'll then be running the 5K race through Lyon Park and Ashton Heights.

And of course, the 350 calories I burn while running the 5K will balance out the 3,000 calories I consume watching football ... right? OK, maybe not.

Staying in Arlington for Thanksgiving?

Your options are better than you might think. The night before Thanksgiving is actually one of the biggest going-out nights of the year, because really, if you're not heading out of town, tonight is the start of a four-day weekend (four-and-a-half if your boss is nice).

On Wednesday nights, Arlington's most happening neighborhood is Ballston, where Rock Bottom offers dollar drafts and Front Page serves half-price burgers and $2 Miller Lite bottles. Rock Bottom Wednesdays are typically too loud/crowded for The Green Miles' tastes, but if you get to Front Page before 8pm, you can usually have dinner and a couple of drinks for about $10 before things get too crazy.

Then on Thanksgiving morning, the Christ Church of Arlington is hosting its annual Turkey Trot, which apparently is more popular than ever this year. They already have 780 registered participants, up from 300 last year! It's run through Lyon Park/Ashton Heights.

As for Thanksgiving Day, Arlington County's website offers a tip -- don't cook your turkey in a turkey fryer. I didn't realize this, but Underwriters Laboratories, which rates product safety, doesn't certify any turkey fryers, considering them all dangerous. You can get more details and watch cool fire video on YouTube.

You can find more weekend events through WashingtonPost.com's Local Guide and get more details on what's open and what's not at Arlington's Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule.