ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WFRV) - Experts project record-breaking travel numbers for the Thanksgiving holiday. AAA projects that 79.9 million people in the U.S. will travel at least 50 miles away from home during the Thanksgiving holiday period (Nov. 26 until Dec. 2). This is more than 1 million more travelers than last year. Just under 72 million of those travelers will be hitting the roads. AAA officials said Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel each year. Local 5 News caught up with some of those travelers on Wednesday afternoon at a Kwik Trip in Ashwaubenon. The Byrd family told Local 5 News they made the trip to Green Bay from Garden, Mi. in the Upper Peninsula. They said they're meeting with other family members for Thanksgiving dinner at a home they rented in the area and then will attend the Packers big game against the Miami Dolphins. Salvation Army of Greater Green Bay holds Thanksgiving lunch for those in need "You can't beat a Thanksgiving dinner and then going to a Packers game," said Jon Byrd. The Byrd family hit the road in the morning and said they reached their destination in the noon hour. "Try to get out ahead of some of that rush hour traffic and not have to get any frustration with traffic concerns," Jon said. "It wasn't too bad, there were a few traffic spots here and there," his son Graham concurred. According to AAA officials, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon are the busiest times during the Thanksgiving travel period. Thanksgiving day itself is usually a lot less busy, although it's important to remember those traveling in the Green Bay area may need to battle some Packers game traffic. The best time to return home if you plan to leave the day after Thanksgiving is actually in the afternoon. "It's going to be busy in fact we're projecting that this is going to be the busiest Thanksgiving holiday that we have on record, going back almost 25 years," said AAA director of public affairs Nick Jarmusz. Sweetening the season: Oshkosh students bake 540 pies for a Thanksgiving cause Broden Bennin, who spoke with Local 5 News while filling up his car with gas at a Kwik Trip in Ashwaubenon, said he made his journey from Louisville up to Green Bay last weekend to avoid congested roads. "Yeah the traffic is way too crazy at that time, I definitely came early on purpose," he said. "The stores are crazy, the traffic is crazy, all of it is crazy.” AAA projects that about 5.84 million people will hop on an airplane to get to their Thanksgiving Day destinations which would also be a record.