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This Georgia Restaurant Has Served Presidents, Activists, and Generations of Hungry Locals

That smell of fried chicken drifting across a parking lot in Georgia hit me long before I reached the little brick storefront. I had heard about this place for years, the way people...

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Alabama Quilters Drive To This Specialty Shop For Fabrics They Can’t Find Anywhere Else

My grandmother used to keep scraps of fabric in a tin because you never knew when one might come in handy. Walking into this shop makes that habit seem perfectly reasonable.

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9 Alabama Markets Where $20 Can Turn Into an Entire Afternoon of Browsing

The twenty-dollar bill is still in your pocket. That is the important part. Everything else gets complicated once you see the...

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10 Cozy Mountain Towns in Virginia Perfect for a Digital Detox

The phone buzzes. The emails pile up. The notifications never stop. Some days you just need to unplug, to find a place where...

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The Historic Virginia Mountain Theatre Where Actors Once Traded Shakespeare for Ham and Eggs

During the Great Depression, this Virginia mountain theatre found a way to survive. When audiences could not pay for tickets, they traded food instead.

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The South Carolina Ruins of an Abandoned Chapel with a Mysterious History

The car was cruising a quiet road toward the coast when a pair of roofless walls appeared through the Spanish moss like something out of a dream. I almost drove right past them,...

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This Free Minnesota Museum Is One of The Nation’s Oldest Geology Museum And Has An Egyptian Mummy

You know the best things in life are free - and that's certainly true here. Hiding in plain sight in Minnesota is one of the oldest and most intriguing museums you can visit without...

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I Walked Into a Modest Georgia Restaurant and Walked Out with a New Standard for Fried Chicken

That crackly fried chicken craving hit me hard on a free afternoon in Georgia. A friend pointed me toward a corner spot in Midtown, close enough to the city hum that you could...

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10 California Restaurants Where the Decor Is Just as Memorable as the Menu

That forgotten parlor inside a Victorian mansion, the booth shaped like a pirate ship, and the neon-lit counter where someone has been flipping burgers since the 1950s.

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This Indiana Restaurant Changes Its Comfort-Food Menu Every Day and Somehow Keeps Locals Guessing

My kids would ask what was for lunch, and I would always have an answer. This place ruined that habit pretty quickly. Nobody...

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This Tiny Indiana Town Has a 24-Foot Dog Guarding a Roadside Business

The dog has one job. Stand there and make people slam on the brakes. It is working. Drivers cruising past suddenly slow down.

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This Indiana Museum Is Packed With One of the World’s Largest Doctor Who Collections

My kids know exactly what happens when a blue police box appears. Someone starts yelling “TARDIS!” before anyone else has time to react.

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This Virginia Haunting Overgrown Field Protects 40 Crumbling 20-Foot-Tall Concrete Busts of American Presidents Left in Ruin

You walk through the tall grass, pushing aside weeds and brush, and then you see them. Massive concrete heads, twenty feet tall, staring blankly into the sky.

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10 Hidden Lake Towns in Virginia for the Ultimate Summer Escape

Summer in Virginia means heat, humidity, and the urge to be near water. But the crowded beaches and busy lakes are not for everyone. This list has ten hidden lake towns in Virginia...

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This Humble Texas Hole-In-The-Wall Serves Brisket So Tender Locals Beg You Not To Spread The Word

Great barbecue does not become more convincing just because the dining room is fancy, and this Texas joint seems perfectly comfortable proving that point.

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This Oregon BBQ Joint Serves Two-Pound Pork Steaks That Barely Fit On The Plate

You've had a big steak before. But a two-pound pork steak that barely fits on the plate? That's something else entirely. This Oregon BBQ joint serves portions that make you do...

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Texas Is Home To An Incredible Indoor Campground That’s Perfect For Any Season

Camping gets dramatically easier to support when the weather is outside and your bed is safely inside. This Texas glamping...

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In The Texas Hill Country Town, This Small-Town Diner Is Worth The Stop For A Down-Home Country Breakfast

Breakfast gets better when nobody is trying to reinvent eggs. This small Texas diner keeps the morning menu firmly in comfort-food...

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Skip The Crowds And Explore These 10 Hidden Texas Destinations Most Travelers Miss Entirely

Texas travel gets a lot more interesting once the famous stops stop running the itinerary. Beyond the packed main streets,...

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This Oklahoma Garden Center Becomes A Sea Of Colorful Mums Every Fall

Some garden centers fade into the background after summer ends. Not this one. When autumn arrives, it transforms into a sea of...

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This Charming West Virginia General Store Is The Perfect Stop Before Hitting The Trail

Before you even tie your laces, you should probably duck into this West Virginia shop. It sits right near the trail and it...

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This Indiana Museum Has a Free Sculpture Garden Hiding Behind a Historic Mansion

My first thought was that the mansion looked like the interesting part. Then I went around back. Three acres of trees opened...

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This Indiana Produce Auction Is a Wildly Unusual Place to Shop for Fresh Food

I have never seen anyone get this excited about a pallet of tomatoes. Then again, I had never been to a produce auction. The...

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This Texas Meat Market Makes More Than 30 Varieties Of Sausage From Scratch

A meat counter becomes a dangerous place for anyone who walks in saying, “I’m only here for one thing.” This Texas market...

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This Oklahoma Eatery Tops Its Farm-Raised Beef Burger With Bacon Jam And Barbecue Sauce

A burger made from cattle raised on grain is a rare thing. That is the kind of thoughtful sourcing you find at this Oklahoma eatery.

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This Oregon Horse Farm Offers The Kind Of Adventure That Changes Your Perspective

Forget everything you think a ranch vacation should be. This Oregon horse farm isn't a themed resort with staged hayrides. It's a place that hums with the rhythm of the land and...

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This Missouri Cafe Stacks Three Tempura-Fried Pork Cutlets Into One Famous Sandwich

The counter holds just enough space to order and step aside. No website, no phone number, and no advertising, just a steady stream of people who already know the address by heart.

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This Historic New Jersey Restaurant Is Said To Be Haunted By A Bride Who Never Left

A bride in white. A groom in despair. A tragic fall down the stairs on what should have been the happiest night of their lives....

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9 Areas In New Hampshire Where Black Bears Have Been Spotted This Summer

Forests, lakes, and salty coastline all sit within a couple of hours of each other in New Hampshire, and this summer, something extra showed up in places nobody expected.

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This Italian Market Is Basically A Little Slice Of Italy Hidden In New Jersey

Fresh pasta this good should be illegal. But here we are, standing in a New Jersey market that feels like a little slice of Italy. The...

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Tucked Along The Coast, This Charming Maryland Town Is The Kind Of Hidden Escape Locals Hope Remains Under the Radar

A Maryland waterfront getaway does not need amusement rides, giant hotels, and six blocks of souvenir shops to justify the drive.

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This Oregon Country Market Is Filled With Homemade Food Worth The Road Trip

Some road trips are about the destination. Others are about what you find along the way. This Oregon country market falls into both categories, a roadside stop that has people...

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This Oklahoma Restaurant Ends Dinner With Traditional Choctaw Grape Dumplings

A meal in Oklahoma can be more than just a plate of food. Some meals carry the taste of history. This restaurant serves a dessert...

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11 New Hampshire Cemeteries With Fascinating Epitaphs And Forgotten Stories

Slate stones, wet grass, and the sound of nothing but wind through old pines. That is how some of my favorite New Hampshire mornings have started.

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This Free West Virginia Festival Celebrates A Delicious Secret Fruit You’ve Probably Never Tried

The first time I heard someone say the word pawpaw out loud, I honestly thought they were talking about a papaya. Turns out...

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This Rural New Jersey General Store Serves Some Of The Best Hoagies In The State

You know a hoagie is good when people drive past half a dozen other spots just to get to this one. Hidden in rural New Jersey,...

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This Breathtaking Alabama Peak Features Elevated Trails With Endless Forest Views

I knew Alabama had mountains, but I did not expect to be standing above the treetops with the forest stretched out in every direction. The funniest part is how easy the walk is.

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10 California Restaurants That Have Been Serving Food Since Before the State Was a State

California became a state on September 9, 1850, and I love the idea that one restaurant here was already feeding hungry gold seekers before that paperwork was signed.

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This Cozy Oregon Joint Was Recently Opened By A Michelin-Starred Chef

You've heard of chefs with impressive resumes, but this is different. The person behind this cozy Oregon joint didn't just train at Michelin-starred kitchens - they earned two...

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This All-You-Can-Eat Seafood Spot In New Hampshire Is A Feast Worth Planning Around

That table covered in butcher paper, a plastic bib around my neck, and a steaming bag of snow crab that made me forget my phone existed for a solid hour. That is what I got when...

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This New Hampshire Diner Is Known For Enormous Omelets And All-Day Breakfast Plates

That small parking lot already filling up at 7 AM, the smell of bacon drifting out before I even reached the door, and a room that felt lived-in and cheerful. That is what greeted...

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What $100 Gets You in One of Maryland’s Most Popular Beach Towns

One hundred dollars at a Maryland beach can disappear frighteningly fast, but it can also stretch surprisingly well if the day is planned around what is actually free.

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This Minnesota Roadside Stop Is Packed With Giant Dinosaurs, UFOs and Superman

You know those places that make you pull over just to make sure your eyes aren't playing tricks on you? This Minnesota roadside stop is exactly that kind of spot. A shark looms...

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12 Iconic Pennsylvania Eateries That Haven’t Changed in Decades

Stepping into a restaurant where the floor sags under decades of footsteps is the kind of surprise I keep finding in Pennsylvania. Driving between the rolling farmland, the steep...

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This Oklahoma Weather Center Lets You Step Inside The Rooms Where America’s Most Dangerous Storms Are Tracked

The same building where forecasters track tornadoes across the country also holds the props from a classic storm-chasing film. An hour-long tour of this Oklahoma facility takes...

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This 80,000-Square-Foot Missouri Discount Store Restocks Thousands Of Name-Brand Bargains Every Day

A nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of Kansas City holds a secret. Budget conscious shoppers have been quietly protecting it for years.

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This Secret West Virginia Pizzeria Is So Good Customers Travel Hours To Eat Here

Listen, I am not saying you should drive hours for pizza. But I am also not saying you should not. This West Virginia spot...

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This Pennsylvania Buffet Was Just Named the #1 Buffet in the Entire Country

That enormous building with a packed lot full of out-of-state plates made me think I had taken a wrong turn and ended up at a casino. Instead, I had found a Pennsylvania buffet...

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Locals Swear by the Made-to-Order Sandwiches at This Hidden Alabama Country General Store Now

The sandwich was supposed to be a quick stop. Then someone started adding toppings, the bread hit the grill, and suddenly leaving seemed like a terrible idea.

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This Middle-Of-Nowhere Oregon Breakfast Buffet Is Worth The Summer Morning Drive

Some places are just worth the early alarm. This middle-of-nowhere Oregon breakfast buffet has travelers setting their alarms and planning their summer mornings around a single...

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This Virginia Shopping Village Offers Handcrafted Goods, Antiques, And Local Farm Produce All In One Place

You walk through the doors and the first thing you notice is the smell. Fresh bread, cinnamon, and something frying. Then you...

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The Crystal Blue Swimming Paradise You Need To Visit This Summer In Virginia

The water is so clear that you can see your toes on the bottom. The mountains rise up on all sides, green and quiet. This Virginia...

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This Cash-Only New Jersey Bakery Has Been Drawing Donut Lovers For More Than 50 Years

You know the place. The one where the donuts are still warm. The cash is mandatory. The prices will make you blink twice, but...

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Tucked Into A Small Western Maryland Town, This Beloved Old-School Diner Is Worth The Drive If You Love Old-Fashioned Breakfasts

Sometimes breakfast tastes better when the restaurant looks like it has never felt pressured to put avocado foam on anything. This...

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This Minnesota Restaurant Serves Indigenous Food Inside a Theater

Some restaurants serve food, this one tells a story of a continent. A James Beard Award-winning chef has brought his vision of Indigenous cuisine to a new stage inside a celebrated...

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This Arizona Farm Stay Has Vintage Trailers and U?Pick Dinners

That sweet, warm smell hit me first, like someone had been baking peaches all morning somewhere just out of sight. I had driven out to this Arizona farm expecting a quick stop...

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This Oklahoma Lake Lets You Spend The Day On A Sandy Beach And The Night In A Cozy Cabin

Some lake days end with a long drive home, but this one does not have to. A sandy beach stretches along the shore, with calm water that stays shallow enough for kids and cool enough...

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This Missouri Steakhouse Still Has Its Original 1940s Art Deco Bar And Wooden Booths

Some restaurants have history, but this one lets you sit inside it. A Missouri steakhouse has been serving the same community for nearly a century.

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One Of New Jersey’s Most Stunning Oceanfront Dining Decks Serves Homemade Pasta By The Water

Ocean views, homemade pasta, and a deck that makes you forget your phone exists. This New Jersey spot has it all. The river on...

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10 Classic North Carolina Steakhouses That Locals Can’t Get Enough Of

That smell of sizzling beef and the hum of a room full of people who know exactly what they came for is what I keep finding in North Carolina. The state gets a lot of credit for...

Read More    8 min read