Big Thanksgiving travel week begins: How Bend people, businesses are spending their time for the holiday

(Update: Adding video, comments from visitors, residents and businesses)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Businesses in Bend's Old Mill District are seeing an influx of customers this holiday. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, stores are already offering holiday shopping deals. 

"The whole store is 30% off, right now," J. Jill's Store Manager Kat Meza said Monday. "We have a great selection of winter clothes, lots of fun styles and colors to choose from. It's going really good."

At Confluence Fly Shop, retail associate Kaden Leeper said they are ready for the big crowds.

"Busiest day is always Black Friday," Leeper said. "So that hasn't come up yet, so we don't really know. We definitely, like - last Black Friday was one of our busiest days of the year, and we're kind of expecting the same thing this year. "

AAA Oregon-Idaho says Bend is once again the region's top Thanksgiving holiday travel destination.

A mother and son, visiting from California, said they are excited to be visiting Central Oregon.

Archer Will said, "This Thanksgiving, I'm going to be with my grandparents and uncles and cousins, because I barely ever see them for Thanksgiving, because we live all the way in California."

Archer's mother, Sari Ogden, said, "Hopefully get a little bit of snow, maybe go sledding eat lots of good food and try to get in the last little bit of shopping today."

AAA projects nearly 80 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Bend resident Liz Barany said, "I'm from the coast, from Coos Bay. We go mushrooming, and we go to the beach, and all the cousins play together and, have lots of food with my siblings."

AAA also predicts car travel will reach a new record this Thanksgiving, with nearly 72 million Americans expected to hit the road.