According to Google, it checked through searches that were made last Thanksgiving week on Google Maps (now with offline navigation mode), and armed with the “feedback” of a billion active users each month, it would be pretty difficult for Google to veer off the path, that is what they have come up with
Google claims that everything they share is based on data alone, and this does away with any kind of theories on why cities move up or down in the ranking. Travel forecasts by AAA Colorado also support Google’s prediction, mentioning, “Several things are contributing to the seven-year high. Gas prices nationally and locally are the lowest they have been for Thanksgiving since 2008. Also, the economy is improving with steady wage growth, rising disposable income and a falling unemployment rate. Thanksgiving tends to be a holiday with strong emotional ties to spending time with family and friends even when people remain cautious about the economy and their finances.”