I went with Tom and some friends to Death Valley for Thanksgiving this year. A hundred or so people gather at the Saline Valley hot springs for a potluck dinner, and a warm soak. We covered some territory - through the Saline Valley, over to The Racetrack, camped on Hunter Mountain, down into the Panamint Valley, and hiked up Surprise Canyon. The weather was beautiful all weekend - although below freezing at night at higher elevations.