(NewsNation) — Thanksgiving travel is hitting pre-pandemic levels and the TSA is reminding people to be safe when packing for their trip.

Officials say the busiest travel period is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday.

This year, AAA is forecasting nearly 55 million Americans will leave home for the long weekend. Air travel is up 8 percent over 2021, with 4.5 million Americans flying to their destination.

As all this travel is going on, gas and hotel prices are still going up and so are prices for flights.

For travelers, the TSA says people should check the rules before packing their bags.

Food must be stored properly and depending on the type, may be restricted to checked bags.

If you’re hoping to pack your firearms, make sure those are properly secured too. That doesn’t include putting them inside a turkey.

After one agent discovered an unusual method of smuggling a gun, the TSA tweeted “We hate to break it to you, but stuffing a firearm in your holiday bird for travel is a baste of time.”

In Florida the TSA has confiscated 700 guns at security checkpoints, which is 14 percent of all firearms found at U.S. airports in 2022.