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Rainy Commute For Thanksgiving Holiday Travelers

BOSTON (CBS) - Much like Thanksgiving dinner, it takes some preparation for the travel just to get to it.

"I have two and a half hours ahead. I'm not looking forward to it and the rain is not helping either," said Cindy Daniel while gassing up at the rest stop on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Natick.

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Cars traveling the day before Thanksgiving. (WBZ-TV)

A good soaking on the roads for drivers bracing for the brake lights ahead, lines greeting rail travelers at South Station, and at Logan Airport the early birds were treated to long security lines, though by mid-morning it was a little less congested.

"I think it's worse thinking about it than doing it. We've had good luck so far," said Heidi Dix while heading to her flight at Logan Airport.

The word from TSA spokesman Michael McCarthy was "prepare, prepare, prepare."

Travelers, he said, should be mindful of prohibited items to keep security lines moving.

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Travelers at Logan International Airport in Boston the day before Thanksgiving. (WBZ-TV)

Traveling with two small children, Rebecca Pugatch had already strategically planed the travel back home.

"We're coming back on Saturday because Sunday is supposed to be worse," she said. "You have to do it at some point but I wouldn't want to do this every year."

The TSA says some 60,000 passengers will fly out of Logan each day during this busy travel period.

On the road to Washington D.C., Clarence Flemming was traveling with two dogs and was already up against it. "I was on 128 in Woburn, then Route 3 is all backed up. I made it to the Mass Pike and it was all backed up as well," he said.

It's estimated some 50 million people will travel more than 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving making it one of the busiest since 2005.

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