THANKSGIVING BUSY FOR DINERS, SHOPPERS, WORKERS

Area residents on Thanksgiving weren't only gobbling up turkey and the trimmings, but were snatching up bargains as a number of Cape Girardeau major retailers kicked off the holiday shopping season a day early.

Rather than waiting for today's "official" start of the holiday buying frenzy, some stores opened on Thanksgiving Day with sales and specials they hoped would lure shoppers away from feasts and football.

Joining in the holiday activities were area restaurants which offered their own specials, of turkey, roast beef, ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings.

People still like to eat out on holidays, said area restaurateurs."We were busy from mid-morning to mid-afternoon," said restaurant workers at Drury Lodge, Holiday Inn and others which annually cater to Thanksgiving diners. "We see a lot of the same familiar faces each year."For many people, turkey is the number one holiday menu maker for Thanksgiving, whether the big bird is baked, boiled, steamed, pan-fried, or grilled.

But for the person of other appetites, a boneless beef roast or baked ham with sauted mushrooms can offer a variety which can still go with the trimmings -- green salads, dressing, candied yams, and green beans.

Patrons had their choice of entries at a number of area restaurants, which may account for many of the dining crowd.

The cost of preparing Thursday's feast at home was up from a year ago and people were "going out" where prices remained about the same as a year ago.

Motorists had to pay more to get to the meal. In some areas, gasoline averaged about 15 to 25 cents a gallon more than a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association.

But, increased fuel prices did not put a damper on the moving public.

Parking lots were filled at restaurants and the few retail stores that were open.

Many diners went from the restaurants to the likes of Kmart, Wal-Mart, ShopKo and Walgreens.

Others paid a visit to downtown Cape Girardeau to view Hutson's Christmas window display, then made their way home for another activity traditional to many families, putting up the Christmas Tree on Thanksgiving.

But, still, there were no shortage of shoppers."We were swamped from the start Thursday morning," said a Kmart store representative. "We had a short slack period about noon, but by mid-afternoon entire families were in the store."ShopKo, which is looking at its first Christmas Holiday season in Cape Girardeau, had a busy day as well. Located in the former Venture Store space, ShopKo officials say business was "steady" throughout the day.

Parking lots at Wal-Mart Supercenters in Jackson and Cape Girardeau were crowded.

And, it all starts again this morning, as many retailers get off to a 6 a.m. start.

The Wal-Mart Supercenters never closed Thursday night.

Vying for the competition today with early-morning freebies and "door-buster" specials -- all with 6 a.m. starts are Goody's, Shoe Carnival, Toys R Us, Big K(mart), ShopKo, and K's Merchandise.

By 7 a.m., the majority of retailers will be open including all of the stores in West Park Mall, Target, Circuit City, Staples and others.

Free gifts will be presented in some instances. The first 1,000 people in Target will receive prizes. Early birds will receive gifts at K's Merchandise and ShopKo.

Today is traditional one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Merchants are hoping a good economy translates into record sales this Christmas.