Flowers fade. Time and age bring winter. Yet that’s precisely what makes the autumn holiday that much the warmer: Thanksgiving—that paean to pumpkin pie and grandmothers who live over the river and through the woods—means so much to all of us. And it's the theme of this issue of American Road.

We begin our gathering with “Pilgrims’ Progress”—a feature that finds its anchor at Plymouth Rock. Yes, there was a harvest meal that inspired our Thanksgiving. And we honor that, too: Our feature “Talking Turkey” visits ten meleagrine sites, from the Hotel Turkey in Texas to the Wild Turkey Distillery of Kentucky, where guests can sample the fire water.

“Hooray! For the Pumpkin Pie!” explores the country’s three self-proclaimed pumpkin capitals to discover how the orange fruits become dessert fillings and sculpted art. From there, our salute to America’s favorite meal visits the Cranberry Museum in Long Beach, Washington, and the Mashpee Wampanoag Museum of Massachusetts. We eventually finish with a nod to Miracle on 34th Street and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, whose balloons loom so large in our collective memories.

So pass the gravy boat and try not to spill anything on your clip-on tie: It's time to be thankful for what we have.