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Article
This Tiny Indiana River Town Hides A Free-Flowing Natural Spring That Locals Claim Has The Best Water In The State

There is a very specific sound people are willing to drive miles to hear. Water hitting a jug. That is basically the entire...

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Prohibition Bootleggers Once Ran Barrels Through The Tunnels Beneath This West Virginia Town

Some places in West Virginia hold secrets right under your feet, and you would never guess it walking down a quiet Main Street. Long ago, folks moved goods through hidden brick...

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11 Hole-In-The-Wall Bakeries In Indiana With Surprisingly Big Reputations

The donut has about six minutes to live. That is roughly how long it takes for a warm batch to disappear when the right bakery puts one on the counter.

Read More    10 min read

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This Massive Indiana Plant Center Is A Hidden Goldmine For Cheap Pots And Garden Finds

The plant costs $4. The pot costs $18. The decorative object costs $27. Somehow, this is still considered a bargain.

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This Historic Virginia Mill Restaurant Serves Trout With A Creekside View

Water runs beside this historic Virginia mill restaurant, and the sound of it follows you to the table. The building itself has been standing for generations, its old bones preserved...

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A Balkan Cafe Is Hiding Inside This Missouri Nursery That Has Been Growing Since 1959

Plants downstairs, Bosnian coffee upstairs. That is already a pretty good reason to stop. This Missouri nursery has been growing...

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Presidents and Old Hollywood Stars Ate at This California Cafe That Has Been Feeding Travelers Since the 1800s

California roadside history does not always come with velvet ropes or polished exhibits. Sometimes it arrives with a mug of coffee, a stack of pancakes, and a booth that might...

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Folks Cross The State For The Fried Catfish Platters At This Texas No-Frills Kitchen

A no-frills kitchen with a big reputation. That is what you find at this Texas spot. People cross the state for the fried catfish,...

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Oklahoma’s Oldest Tavern Has Fried Chicken For Over A Century And Still Fills Every Table

Some of the best meals in Oklahoma come from buildings that look like they would rather not be noticed. I drove past wheat fields and grain elevators expecting a quick stop, and...

Read More    9 min read

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Pizza Was Still a Novelty in Ohio When This Family Restaurant Says It Served Columbus Its First Pie in 1934

Ohio has plenty of restaurants where dinner comes with a side of nostalgia, but this one serves a story almost as old as the family recipes. I walked in thinking about pizza and...

Read More    6 min read

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Locals Still Fill Jugs At This West Virginia Cider Mill That’s Pressed Apples For Generations

Tucked into the rolling green hills of West Virginia sits a little family operation that has been turning local fruit into something special for years. Folks pass by the mountains...

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Watch Truffles Get Hand-Dipped And Caramel Stirred From Scratch At This Missouri Chocolate Shop

Chocolate is a lot more fun when you can watch it being made a few feet away. This Missouri shop keeps the process right out in the open, with truffles getting hand-dipped and...

Read More    7 min read

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Oregon Has a Place Where You Can Watch Wildflowers Spread Across a Hillside Above The Columbia River

Hillsides don't usually turn into a spectacle worth planning a trip around, yet wildflowers here manage exactly that once the right season arrives.

Read More    6 min read

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This Oklahoma Roadside Stand Hands You a Peach Fried Pie Still Too Hot to Hold

Some of the best food in Oklahoma hides behind a screen door and a gravel parking lot. I pulled off the highway expecting a quick snack from a glorified gas station counter, and...

Read More    8 min read

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Seven West Virginia Comfort-Food Suppers Where A Home-Cooked Plate Still Costs Less Than Fast Food

There's a special kind of joy in pulling open a screen door in West Virginia and smelling gravy simmering on the stove. Somewhere between the red vinyl booths and the second cup...

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Wait, This Is Texas? A Hidden Attraction Feels Like It Belongs Thousands Of Miles Away

You look around and wonder if you took a wrong turn somewhere. This does not feel like Texas. The architecture, the atmosphere,...

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5 Oklahoma Ghost Towns Where Empty Storefronts Still Line The Old Main Street

Some of my favorite Oklahoma afternoons have started with a wrong turn down a county road, the kind where the pavement gives up and a row of brick buildings appears out of nowhere....

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This Oklahoma Sanctuary Lets You Meet And Feed Its Rescued Farm Animals On A Private Tour

Some of the best afternoons in Oklahoma start on a gravel road you almost drove past. I expected a quiet pasture and a few friendly goats, and instead I found a place where every...

Read More    10 min read

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This Longtime Tulsa, Oklahoma Pizza Joint Serves Thin, Crispy Slices You Top However You Like

Some of the best food in Oklahoma hides behind doors you would drive past a hundred times without blinking. There is a little corner shop where the sign is small, the building...

Read More    7 min read

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The Oldest Continuously Running Movie Theater In America Still Shows Films In This West Virginia Town

Some places in West Virginia hold onto their magic quietly, tucked along a small-town Main Street where you might drive right past without knowing what you missed. Imagine walking...

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Deep in the New River Gorge, This Abandoned Coal Town Still Guards Henry Ford’s Forgotten Chapter

Tucked deep in a green gorge in West Virginia, there's a place where a whole coal town once buzzed with life and now stands quiet, waiting for curious folks to wander through....

Read More    8 min read

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This Texas Meat Market Serves Sausage Plates Made In-House

A butcher counter and a hot plate of sausage. That is a combination that works. This Texas meat market makes its sausages in...

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Bulk Foods, Fresh Produce, And Deli Sandwiches Have Filled This Missouri Country Market Since 1972

A good country market makes it very easy to leave with more than you planned. This Missouri shop mixes bulk foods, fresh produce, pantry staples, and deli sandwiches in one simple...

Read More    7 min read

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Drivers Still Slow Down For This Narrow Iron Bridge Left Over From Oklahoma’s Route 66 Days

Some Oklahoma landmarks announce themselves with billboards. This one just sits there, rusting quietly at the edge of a lake, waiting for you to notice that the road narrows and...

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In Ronceverte, West Virginia, A Small Monthly Check Covers A Paid-Off Porch By The Greenbrier River And Neighbors Who Still Know Your Name

Some places in West Virginia don't shout for attention, yet they end up staying with you long after you leave. Picture a slow river curling past brick-paved streets, an old railroad...

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Southern Fried Chicken Meets Mediterranean Flavor At This New Missouri Restaurant

Fried chicken gets a nice little shake-up here. This new Missouri restaurant keeps the crispy, comforting Southern side of the meal, then works in brighter Mediterranean flavors...

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This Missouri Pie Shop Turns Out Around 100 Pies A Day And Has Been Doing It For Decades

This Missouri pie shop has been feeding sweet-toothed regulars for decades, and the ovens stay plenty busy. On a typical day,...

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This All-You-Can-Eat Missouri Buffet Serves Sushi, Hibachi, And Chinese Favorites Near The Lake

Come hungry, because choosing just one thing here is almost impossible. This Missouri buffet brings sushi, hibachi, and Chinese favorites together in one easygoing stop near the...

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A Small Texas Town Surrounded By Lakes And Hill Country Scenery Is Made For A Slow Weekend

Some places are made for rushing. This Texas town is made for slowing down. It sits surrounded by lakes and rolling Hill Country...

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28 Lakes And Hundreds Of Old TNT Bunkers Hide Inside This Missouri Conservation Area

You can come here to fish and end up staring at a World War II bunker instead. This Missouri conservation area mixes 28 lakes and ponds with woods, trails, wetlands, and a surprisingly...

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New Jersey Has A 45-Minute Trail Lit By More Than 6,000 Hand-Carved Pumpkins

Fall apparently decided subtlety was overrated. Once darkness settles in, thousands of glowing jack-o'-lanterns turn an ordinary autumn outing into something much brighter, stranger,...

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Way Out On A West Virginia Ridge, A Trout Farm Lets You Catch Your Dinner From The Pond

Some of the best places in West Virginia are the ones you almost miss, tucked down a winding country road with no billboards to announce them. Out near a quiet mountain ridge sits...

Read More    8 min read

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This Former New Jersey Train Station Is A Paradise For Vinyl And Book Lovers

All aboard, but leave the suitcase at home. This old station has traded arriving trains for shelves of records, stacks of books, and the kind of browsing that can quietly eat an...

Read More    7 min read

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One Of Indiana’s Oldest Family Farms Is Still Bringing Shoppers Back Season After Season

The farm has an answer for every month. That is the problem. Come in spring, and there are strawberries. Come back later, and...

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An Entire Indiana County Completely Transforms Into A Sprawling 10-Day Autumn Goldmine Every October

The map is basically a shopping list with roads on it. Bridge. Food. Antiques.

Read More    6 min read

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Sushi, Hibachi, And Endless Seafood Fill This Massive Missouri All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

You know the kind of buffet where everyone comes back to the table with a completely different plate? This Missouri spot is built for that.

Read More    7 min read

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A Casual Texas Seafood Restaurant Has The Kind Of Old School Charm You Can’t Manufacture

Some restaurants try to look old. They buy vintage signs, install reclaimed wood, and call it charm. This Texas seafood spot...

Read More    6 min read

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Dinner Feels Extra Special At This Gorgeous Oregon Farm-To-Table Restaurant

Farm-to-table gets used loosely by plenty of restaurants chasing the phrase without living up to it. Here, the commitment actually shows on every plate.

Read More    6 min read

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Six Generations Of Butchers Keep Old-World Sausage Traditions Alive At This Missouri Meat Market

Six generations is a long time to keep sharpening the same kind of skills. This Missouri meat market has done exactly that, passing down butchering, curing, and sausage-making...

Read More    8 min read

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Pumpkin Season Turns This New Jersey Farm Into A Full-Blown Country Escape

There is a point every fall when buying one pumpkin from a grocery-store bin simply will not do. You want the fields. You want...

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This Magical New Hampshire Shop Is Filled With Art Treasures And Storybook Charm

Some shops sell things, and some feel like stepping into another world. This New Hampshire spot falls firmly into the second category.

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Come Hungry To This New Jersey Italian Market Where The Sandwiches Mean Business

There are sandwiches, and then there are sandwiches that require a quick reassessment of your lunch plans. Prosciutto, capicola,...

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Step Into a Little Slice of England at This Charming Maryland Tea Room

Some places feel like a vacation without the flight. This charming Maryland tea room is one of them. The moment you walk in,...

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An Oregon Restaurant That Turnes Dinner Into a French-Inspired Tasting Experience

Ordering dinner usually means picking one dish. Here, that decision gets replaced entirely by trusting the kitchen to build an entire evening instead.

Read More    6 min read

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This Hidden New Hampshire Boardwalk Winds Through One Of The State’s Most Unusual Landscapes

There is a boardwalk in New Hampshire that leads into a landscape most people have never seen up close. It winds through a bog, a rare ecosystem where the ground is spongy and...

Read More    8 min read

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Prohibition Bootleggers Once Ran Moonshine Through This Sleepy West Virginia Mountain Pass

Tucked into the folds of West Virginia's rolling hills sits a shady green hollow that feels a world away from the busy streets nearby. Long ago, resourceful mountain folk used...

Read More    8 min read

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This Striking New Jersey Landmark Makes A Surprisingly Good Travel Detour

A wrong turn would be pretty lucky if it ended here. Behind the unusual architecture sits more than 250 years of history, with...

Read More    6 min read

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A South Carolina Man Turned Throwaway Plants Into a 3-Acre World of Living Sculptures

Spirals, arches, and curling green towers rise out of an ordinary front yard in South Carolina, and the shapes start appearing before the brain can make sense of them. Nothing...

Read More    6 min read

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Alabama Has A Hidden Country Farm With Exotic Zebras and Capybaras Just 30 Minutes From Huntsville

The goat wants your snacks. The zebra wants absolutely nothing to do with you. The capybara looks like it has nowhere else to...

Read More    7 min read

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Oregon Has a Giant Sturgeon That’s Become a Local Celebrity

Fish rarely earn celebrity status, yet one enormous sturgeon here draws crowds specifically to see it, name and reputation included.

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This 166-Acre New Hampshire Park Still Holds Pieces Of A Legendary Animal Farm

Some parks are simply open space, and some carry a story that makes them worth exploring more slowly. This New Hampshire park falls into the second category.

Read More    8 min read

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This New Jersey Mediterranean Restaurant Goes Big On Seafood, Steaks And Greek Favorites

Choosing dinner gets complicated when half the menu starts making a convincing argument. Seafood might sound like the plan....

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Maryland Has a 17,000 Square Foot Market Packed With Vintage Finds, Handmade Goods, and Unexpected Treasures

Some markets are quick stops. You run in, grab what you need, and leave. This Maryland spot is the opposite. At 17,000 square...

Read More    8 min read

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Farm Life From Another Era Still Plays Out At This Living New Jersey Estate

History is considerably more fun when it refuses to sit quietly behind glass. At this working historical farm, the past comes...

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This 10-Mile Missouri Trail Winds Through The Land Where A Vanished Town Once Stood

This Missouri trail has more going on than the mileage suggests. The route stretches for about ten miles through woods, rocky sections, creek crossings, and old roads that once...

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More Than 300 Rare American Motorcycles Fill This North Carolina Museum, and Nearly Every One Can Still Run

Rumbling enough to rattle my chest, a machine older than my grandparents coughed, caught, and settled into a steady roar. I had not expected to hear that sound inside a museum,...

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This Might Be The Best Brisket We’ve Found While Exploring Minnesota Backroads

Some backroad detours lead nowhere interesting. This one led straight to a plate of brisket good enough to justify the whole drive.

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These 12 West Virginia Haunted Places Are The Real Deal

There is something about West Virginia that seems to hold onto its stories, especially the ones that make the hair on your arms stand up. Tucked into old mountain towns and forgotten...

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Forget The Supermarket And Stock Up At This Old-School New Jersey Butcher Shop

The supermarket meat aisle suddenly feels a little boring after visiting a proper butcher counter. There is something wonderfully...

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Seven West Virginia Breakfasts Where The Biscuits And Gravy Come Straight From The Kitchen

Some of the best breakfasts in West Virginia hide in plain sight, tucked along back roads and small-town Main Streets where nobody's trying to impress anyone. You pull in hungry,...

Read More    5 min read