"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice." — Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving has been an official holiday in the United States since 1863, with ties to the Thanksgiving feast that occurred in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts. (Some say an earlier feast took place in 1565 at Saint Augustine, Florida.) But no matter where this holiday started, most people enjoy Thanksgiving as an opportunity to be grateful and thankful for something.

In keeping with that tradition, as TourGuy.com celebrates its first Thanksgiving, we would like to share ten things that we are thankful for as we roll into the holiday season. We hope wherever you are enjoying this special holiday, you might share some of the same interests. Thank you so much for your support so far this year. We have many great things ahead.

Ten Things To Be Thankful For This Thanksgiving.

10. Thanksgiving travel is up 11 percent from a year ago, which indicates that the economy is slowly recovering. Almost 40 million Americans will be spending time away from home during the holiday. Please be safe.

9. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade started in 1924. It was originally a Chirstmas parade, but it later became associated with the start of the holidays in the United States. It has become a time-honored American tradition. This year, the parade will start on 77th Street and Central Park West.

8. Americans and pies. Let's face it. Americans didn't event most holiday pies, but we did an excellent job of making them popular. The link will take you to a post that outlines the history of four favorites.

7. While many people aren't as excited by the match up between the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions (CBS) or the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys (Fox) or Cincinnati Bengals and. New York Jets (NFLN), NFL games always add some fun to Thanksgiving, especially after eating as much as possible.

6. Some people have mixed feelings about Black Friday and several stores will even open on Thanksgiving day, but there is something compelling about the spectacle. What you might not know is that some people say the day's name originated in Philadelphia. Nowadays, there is even a Black Friday website. Or maybe you could read a book.

5. With the four-day weekend ahead of us, Thanksgiving always makes for one of the best times to get outside and visit our national parks. The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is open and thriving during the long weekend. Staying overnight can be pricey right now, but TourGuy.com can get you to the Grand Canyon South Rim from Vegas.

4. Another beautiful treasure in and around Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which has been protected by only allowing a single horseback trail ride operation in the area. There are several tours to choose from, but one of the most popular is The Ol' Spanish Trail Horseback Lunch Ride.

3. Hollywood also deserves a nod this holiday season. Every year, some of the biggest blockbusters hit the silver screen. There are several good picks at the theaters this weekend. The one we're looking forward to is 127 Hours, even though the arm-cutting scene already makes us squeamish.

2. As we mentioned last week, we are especially thankful for Native Americans, who played an important (and sometimes overlooked) role in Thanksgiving. In the Las Vegas area, we are especially grateful to the Hualapai people.

1. The number one thing we are grateful for is all of our family and friends. And this year, TourGuy.com would like to include all of our customers and supporters too. Without your continued support, there is no way we could become the fastest-growing travel site in the area since our initial launch during National Tourism Week. Please have a fun and safe Thanksgiving!