My Family Travels | Best Family Vacation Ideas
Previous Next

LATEST ARTICLES:

Article
This Eerie West Virginia Asylum Is So Creepy You Wouldn’t Want To Wander It After Dark

Some places in West Virginia look ordinary from the road, then grab hold of you the second you step inside. Tucked away in a quiet mountain town sits a giant stone building that...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Quiet Texas State Park Has A Snake Problem So Bad Locals Know To Watch Their Step

A quiet park with beautiful trails and a hidden warning locals have learned to respect. The snakes here are no joke. They are...

Read More    7 min read

Article
Pack a picnic because these 7 Ohio gardens let kids roam among fountains and blooms

Somewhere between the buzz of everyday errands and the endless question of what to do this weekend, Ohio hides pockets of green so lovely you almost want to keep them a secret....

Read More    5 min read

Article
This Tiny West Virginia Town Fills Its Slow Streets With Mountain Views And Old-Fashioned Antiques

Some places in West Virginia don't shout for attention. They sit quietly beside a river, wrapped in green hills, waiting for you to slow down long enough to notice.

Read More    8 min read

Article
People Drive From All Over West Virginia To This No-Frills Spot For Its Shrimp And Grits

Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide behind the plainest front doors. Tucked into a historic little town where the rivers meet and trains slip through mountain tunnels,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
One Woman’s Land Donation Helped Start The Entire Texas State Park System

Texas state parks exist because of one woman's vision. She saw the land, loved it, and decided it should belong to everyone. That...

Read More    9 min read

Article
This West Virginia Thrift Store Lets $30 Fill Your Bags With Rare Treasures

Some of the best shopping trips in West Virginia start with almost no expectations at all. You walk into an ordinary-looking store, and an hour later you are carrying out beanie...

Read More    9 min read

Article
9 Under-The-Radar Texas Italian Restaurants Locals Keep Recommending

You can find Italian food just about anywhere in Texas. But the places locals keep recommending? Those are a different story....

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Middle-Of-Nowhere Oklahoma Diner Serves Cinnamon-Swirl French Toast All Day Long

What is better than a stack of cinnamon-swirl French toast? A stack served all day at a little diner in the middle of nowhere. This...

Read More    6 min read

Article
12 New Jersey Spots Where You Can Spend Less Than $20 And Still Have A Great Afternoon

Some afternoons I just want a change of scenery without the whole production of planning a trip. I keep a running mental list...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Smallest Church In West Virginia Has A Trust-Based Post Office Hiding Out Back

Sometimes the best stops in West Virginia are the ones you almost drive right past. Along a quiet stretch of country road sits a chapel so small you could nearly miss it behind...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Down A Quiet New Jersey Road Is A Family Farm With Hot Cider Donuts And Pick-Your-Own Apples

There is real confidence involved in saying, “I’m only here for apples,” while standing within smelling distance of hot cider donuts.

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Mind-Bending Indiana Landmark Looks Exactly Like a UFO Landed in the Middle of the Landscape

The first sketch must have sounded ridiculous. “Let's make the church six-sided.” “Keep it low.” “Now put a giant gold cross nearly 200 feet in the air.”

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Hidden Indiana Lakehouse Serves Massive Fried Catfish Dinners On A Deck Overlooking The Water

The driver says, “We are eating here.” Nobody knows why. There was no careful research. No reservation strategy. Just a...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Neighborhood Texas Buffet Built A Loyal Following With Huge Portions

A buffet is only as good as its loyal following. And this neighborhood Texas spot has built one on a very simple formula: huge portions and consistent quality.

Read More    7 min read

Article
A U.S. President Once Crowned This Small Oklahoma Town The Blackberry Capital Of The World

McLoud, Oklahoma, is the kind of small town story that sounds made up until you learn a president really did praise its blackberries in public. That sweet moment gave McLoud a...

Read More    8 min read

Article
12 Oregon Places That Look So Strange You’ll Think You Left the U.S.

Some landscapes just don't match their surroundings at all. A handful of spots across Oregon manage exactly that, looking like they belong somewhere else entirely.

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Missouri Restaurant Serves Fried Guacamole Inside One Of The City’s Oldest Buildings

The building has witnessed over a century of history, from its origins as a doctor's office and pharmacy to its current life as a vibrant Peruvian kitchen. The walls that once...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Hundreds Of Herbs Turn This Rural New Jersey Farm Into A Fragrant Garden Escape

Did you know there is a farm in New Jersey where the plants actually smell like coconut, pine, and even Parmesan cheese? No joke.

Read More    7 min read

Article
Everything At This New Hampshire Cafe Is 100% Gluten-Free And Dairy-Free

You know how hard it can be to find a place to eat when you have dietary restrictions. Most restaurants offer one or two options that are safe, and they are usually boring.

Read More    7 min read

Article
Ocean Views Steal The Show At This New Jersey Restaurant Just Across From The Beach

Hey, guess what? There is a rooftop deck in New Jersey that will actually make you forget to check your phone. No joke. Right...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Cozy Maryland German Joint Serves Up Crispy Schnitzel and Buttery Spatzle Diners Love

German food has a way of being both hearty and comforting. Schnitzel, spatzle, bratwurst, all the dishes that make you want to settle in for a long meal.

Read More    7 min read

Article
Oregon Has a Restaurant Where the Menu Changes With What the Forest Provides

Some restaurants follow the seasons, this Oregon restaurant follows what the forest actually offers. The menu is built around wild mushrooms that foragers bring to the back door,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Oklahoma Rooftop Sushi Restaurant Comes With A Front-Row View Of The Tulsa Skyline

You expect a certain kind of view when you sit down for sushi. Usually, it is a busy street or a strip mall parking lot. But...

Read More    7 min read

Article
9 Small Towns In New Hampshire With Rich History

You do not have to visit a big city to find fascinating history in New Hampshire. Some of the most interesting stories are tucked away in the small towns that most people drive...

Read More    8 min read

Article
11 Fascinating West Virginia Discoveries Every Local Should Make At Least Once

There's a special kind of thrill in finding out that a place you've driven past a hundred times holds a story you never knew. West Virginia is packed with corners like that, where...

Read More    8 min read

Article
10 New Jersey Cafés That Are Worth Visiting For The Pastry Case Alone

Some people walk into a café and look at the coffee menu. Other people immediately lock eyes with the pastry case and forget why they came in.

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Dreamy 35-Acre Alabama Bed & Breakfast Lets You Wake Up Surrounded by 100+ Rescued Animals

“Cock-a-doodle-doo.” There goes the alarm clock. Then comes a donkey. Then a goat. Then something large snorts somewhere...

Read More    6 min read

Article
A California Resort Town Was Abandoned When Its Lake Dried Up, Leaving Streets and Buildings Behind

A swing set sitting in shallow water on a salt-crusted shore was not what I expected to find at the end of a California desert drive. The first time I rounded that dirt berm, the...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Mennonite Country Store In Oregon Is Packed With Bulk Foods And Homemade Goods

Fresh bread and cured meats fill the air the moment you step inside. This unassuming country store in Oregon does not look like much from the road, but the shelves tell a different...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Buffet Was Just Voted The Most Mouthwatering All-You-Can-Eat Destination In New Hampshire

You know that feeling when you walk into a buffet and everything looks like it has been sitting out for hours? That is not the case here.

Read More    7 min read

Article
10 Maryland Restaurants So Remote They Turn the Drive Into Half the Fun

There is something appealing about a restaurant that requires a bit of effort to reach. The winding roads, the changing scenery, the anticipation of what is waiting at the end.

Read More    9 min read

Article
Silk, Locomotives And Industry Fill This Surprisingly Fascinating New Jersey City Museum

They say this city was built with an arm of iron in a sleeve of silk. This New Jersey museum proves it. Inside a restored 19th-century...

Read More    7 min read

Article
A California Gold Rush Town Lost Its Railroad, and a Whole Row of Brick Storefronts Was Left Behind

Roofless brick walls with rusted iron shutters and hinges line both sides of that old California main street, and I pulled off a highway expecting a quick leg stretch. I ended...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Dozens of Giant Whirligigs Spin Above This North Carolina Park, and One Man Built Nearly All of Them

Wheels turning, small metal figures pedaling bicycles in midair, and a soft clatter that followed me across the grass, that is what I found when I turned a corner in a North Carolina...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Portuguese Restaurant Is Known For Having The Best Rodizio In Minnesota

That moment when you're full but another skewer of meat arrives and you just can't say no: that's the experience at this Minnesota restaurant. The rodizio here is legendary, and...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Quiet Oklahoma Cabin Resort Lets Guests Fish Two Private Lakes For Free

Some fishing trips require a boat ramp, a fishing license, and a bit of luck. This one just requires a suitcase. Tucked away...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Missouri Steakhouse Has Been Serving Dinner In Kansas City’s Historic Stockyards Since 1949

That historic building in the Missouri's West Bottoms has been standing since the late 1800s, and the steakhouse inside it has been feeding people since 1949. Stepping through...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Massive West Virginia Vintage Store Takes Nearly An Entire Day To Explore

Some of the best afternoons in West Virginia start by wandering into a place you never planned to visit. A simple building along a busy road can turn into hours of poking through...

Read More    10 min read

Article
A 900-Degree Brick Oven Is The Secret Weapon At This New Jersey Italian Restaurant

A brick oven that cranks up to nine hundred degrees is the kind of weapon that makes you cancel your dinner plans. That is...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Beautifully Forgotten West Virginia Shop Is Packed With Antiques And Primitives You’ll Linger Over For Hours

Some places in West Virginia look small and quiet from the sidewalk, then swallow up your whole afternoon once you step inside. That is exactly the surprise waiting behind an unassuming...

Read More    10 min read

Article
Tens of Thousands of Giant Cranes Fill the Sky Over This Quiet Alabama Sanctuary at Sunset

The noise arrives before the birds do. At first, it sounds like something much bigger than a flock. Then the sky starts moving....

Read More    6 min read

Article
A South Carolina Canal Built to Bypass River Rapids Still Cuts Through the Woods Two Centuries Later

Warm South Carolina air came through the open windows as the road narrowed and pine and hardwood closed in on both sides, and a small brown sign pointed me toward a state park....

Read More    6 min read

Article
Oregon Has a Museum Where You Can Step Into the Story of Three Native Tribes

Most museums show you history from a distance. This Oregon museum invites you to step inside it. The story here belongs to the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes, told from...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Buffet Was Just Voted The Most Mouthwatering All-You-Can-Eat Destination In Virginia

The line starts forming before the doors open. Families, couples, and solo diners with empty stomachs and high expectations. This...

Read More    7 min read

Article
These 11 Virginia Sandwich Shops Are Local Favorites For A Reason

Here is a debate worth having over lunch. Which Virginia sandwich actually deserves the crown, the towering New York style corned beef stacked in a Falls Church deli case, or the...

Read More    10 min read

Article
A Former Landfill In New Jersey Is Now A 640-Acre Park With Boardwalks And Skyline Views

You would never guess this place used to be a dump. Seriously. This remarkable New Jersey park transformed former landfill...

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Charming Maryland Towns Packed With Rich Heritage And Old-World Vibes

There is something about a town that has held onto its history. The architecture, the pace, the stories that linger on quiet streets.

Read More    8 min read

Article
You can climb through a real submarine docked on Ohio’s Lake Erie shore

Some places surprise you by being far bigger than they look from the road, and this one sits right along the water in Ohio, waiting quietly for anyone curious enough to stop. Imagine...

Read More    9 min read

Article
The Last Residents Left This North Carolina Village in 1971, but 21 Buildings Still Stand

Stepping off the small boat at that North Carolina village, the silence hit me first, thick and warm and broken only by marsh birds. I had crossed the inlet expecting ruins, and...

Read More    6 min read

Article
One Of America’s Top Pastry Chefs Runs This Unassuming Minnesota Bakery

You've probably had a good croissant before. But have you had one that makes you close your eyes after the first bite? At this Minnesota bakery, that's the standard.

Read More    7 min read

Article
A Georgia Stagecoach Stop Survived Long After the Road Outside Stopped Carrying Coaches

That weathered house with a porch stretching on forever appeared after a small brown sign on a Georgia road, and I nearly drove past it.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Family-Owned Oklahoma Barbecue Stand Has Been Serving Its Signature Pig Sandwich Since 1930

Some barbecue joints come and go, but this one has been smoking meat since before the Great Depression ended. A family-run...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Missouri State Park Hides Sandstone Box Canyons And Shelter Caves Near St. Louis

Twisty roads leading out to a Missouri spot nearly made me turn back. My phone insisted I was going the right way, but the trees kept closing in and the pavement kept narrowing.

Read More    6 min read

Article
12 New Jersey Places That Make You Feel Like You’ve Gone Back 100 Years

A hundred years can disappear faster than you expect in New Jersey. One turn off a busy road can lead to a village of weathered...

Read More    8 min read

Article
Pizza Came to Augusta, Georgia Through a Greek Family Running an Italian Restaurant, and They’re Still Here Generations Later

A tin ceiling, a painted mural of old Venice, and booths with little jukeboxes bolted to the wall, that is what I found when I walked into a small dining room on a main street...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Creepy Alabama Cafe Turns a Simple Meal Into a Horror Lover’s Night Out

“Are you sure this is a coffee shop?” That question usually comes about three seconds after walking through the door. The answer is yes.

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Alabama Trails Under 2 Miles for People Who Want the Views Without the Tough Hike

Someone says, “It's only a mile.” That sentence usually requires clarification. Only a mile through what? Up a mountain?...

Read More    8 min read

Article
9 Places in Virginia With Rich History

Virginia wears its history differently than most states. It is not just something you read about in textbooks or watch in documentaries.

Read More    8 min read

Article
These 10 Kid Free Virginia Getaways Make A Quiet Weekend Feel Like A Luxury

Sometimes you just need a weekend without the noise. No cartoons in the background, no toys scattered across the floor, no negotiating over what to eat for dinner.

Read More    9 min read