My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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This Dockside Raw Bar In New Jersey Is Where The Locals Go For Oysters Worth The Hype

Pulling up to a small dock, I honestly had no idea what I was walking into. The sign was modest, the parking lot was gravel,...

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This Indiana Eatery is Hidden Inside a Restored 1870s Catholic Church

I never expected a Tuesday afternoon in Indianapolis to leave me genuinely speechless, but walking through the doors of St. Joseph Brewery on North College Avenue did exactly that....

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Bargain Hunters Can’t Stop Shopping At This Massive Discount Thrift Store In Virginia

Think thrift shopping is just dusty racks and random junk? Think again. Northern Virginia harbors a treasure trove that has bargain...

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This Scenic Ranch Steakhouse In Texas Is A Paradise For Meat Lovers

Somewhere between El Paso and the open desert, there is a place that feels like it was pulled straight out of a classic Western film. Cattleman's Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch...

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This Iconic Oregon Roadside Stand Has Been Serving Frozen Custard Since 1951

Pulling up to Custard King on a crisp Oregon morning, the first thing that hits you is how perfectly unchanged the place looks, like a postcard from another era tucked right into...

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This Oklahoma Thrift Store Can Upgrade Your Wardrobe for Just $16

Imagine walking out of a store with a brand-new wardrobe and barely spending anything at all. That is exactly what happens at Bargain Thrift Store in Oklahoma City, where real...

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The Dutch Market In New Jersey Where Locals Flock For Tradition, Flavor, And Friendly Service

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when tradition, flavor, and friendly service all squeeze into one building, let me introduce you to Lapp’s Dutch Market in New Jersey....

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This Indiana Lakeside Town Has Been Swallowed by Luxury Tourism

I never expected a small Indiana town of just over a thousand people to stop me in my tracks the way Culver did. Lake Maxinkuckee sits right at its heart, and the moment I saw...

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The Legendary Steaks At This Small-Town Virginia Spot Outshine Richmond’s Best At Half The Price

Think Richmond's got the monopoly on mouthwatering steaks? Think again. Tucked along Route 1 in North Chesterfield sits a culinary...

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This Hidden Waterfall Is A Peaceful Texas Oasis Hidden Where You’d Least Expect

Suburban streets are not where you expect to hear rushing water. That is part of what makes Prairie Creek Waterfall such a surprise.

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This All-You-Can-Eat Mexican Buffet in Oregon Is A Flavor Lover’s Dream When You Want To Try A Little Of Everything

Pulling off the Pacific Highway in Junction City, Oregon, the last thing you expect is a Mexican buffet that genuinely stops you in your tracks.

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Oklahomanns Are Flocking To This Giant Go-Kart Track For The Ultimate Thrill

If you have ever wanted to feel like a real racing driver without leaving Oklahoma, there is one place that keeps coming up in every conversation: Oklahoma Motorsports Complex...

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This New Jersey Ramen Spot Nails The Flavor People Expect To Find In Japan

There are moments when a bowl of ramen stops you mid-slurp and makes you think, wait, this is exactly what I imagined Japan would taste like.

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This Small Town Virginia Bakery Serves Up Warm Apple Cider Donuts You’ll Dream About

Picture this: crispy edges dusted with cinnamon sugar, a soft pillowy center that practically melts on your tongue, and that unmistakable apple cider tang that screams autumn in...

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This Texas German Restaurant Serves Schnitzels Bigger Than the Plate

Somewhere along South Seguin Avenue in New Braunfels, there is a historic building that smells like browned butter, fresh rye bread, and something deeply satisfying you can not...

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This Oregon Candy Factory Lets You Watch Sweet Magic Happen

Imagine biting into the creamiest, most velvety fudge you've ever tasted, knowing it was crafted by monks living a life of prayer and devotion. That's exactly what happens when...

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Once Quiet Oklahoma Woods Are Feeling the Weight of Too Many Hikers

Something is shifting in the woods outside Tulsa, and not everyone is happy about it. Oxley Nature Center, an 800-acre preserve tucked inside Mohawk Park, used to be the kind of...

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New Parking Fees Ruined These Florida Beach Days That Used To Feel Easy

Remember when a beach day meant showing up, tossing a towel down, and calling it a win? In Florida, new parking fees have a way of turning that easy plan into a small budgeting...

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The Vintage Music Haven In New Jersey Keeps Vinyl Dreams Alive

Pulling up to Farnsworth Avenue on a quiet afternoon, I had no idea I was about to walk into one of New Jersey's most beloved vinyl sanctuaries.

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10 Indiana Spots Where Dogs Are Welcome and the Food Is Amazing

I have spent a lot of weekends driving around Indiana with my dog riding shotgun, nose out the window, tail wagging like she already knows where we are headed. Finding places that...

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The Loaded Truffle Fries At This Cozy Gastropub In Virginia Is Out-Of-This-World Delicious

Some places just have that magnetic pull. You hear about them through a friend, a whisper at a dinner table, or a glowing review from someone who clearly knows their food.

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This Ohio Thrift Store Sells Surprise Finds For Pennies Compared To Everywhere Else

Feel like paying full price is officially canceled today? Where Ya Bin in Dublin, Ohio is a thrift-style bin store where surprise finds show up for pennies compared to everywhere...

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One of the Best Quiet Picnic Spots in Texas Sits Right by the Water

There is something about pulling up to a lake on a calm morning that just resets everything. Lake Whitney State Park caught me completely off guard the first time I visited, and...

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This Oregon Mountain Lake Is Clearest in Late Spring and Hardly Anyone Knows

I still remember the first time I paddled out onto Waldo Lake's glassy surface and looked straight down through what felt like liquid air. The water was so transparent that I could...

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What Started as One Oklahoman’s Hobby Became the World’s Largest History Collection

Imagine spending decades quietly collecting pieces of history, one artifact at a time, until your personal passion grows into something the entire world wants to see.

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This Georgia Museum Is Shattering The South’s Biggest Myths In One Walkthrough

Think you know the South’s story, and then one museum walk makes you realize how edited that story can be. The National Center For Civil And Human Rights in Atlanta hits fast...

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This Charming Restaurant In New Jersey Delivers Brunch Worth Waking Up For

I don’t usually leap out of bed for mornings, but the promise of pancakes and coffee strong enough to fuel a road trip had me up early.

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Indiana’s Hidden Glass Wonderland Where You’ll Find Every Color Imaginable

I'll be honest with you. Before I visited Kokomo Opalescent Glass, I had no idea that one of the oldest art glass factories in the entire United States was sitting right here in...

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A Tiny Virginia Pizzeria Is Serving Up Authentic Neapolitan Slices That Rival Italy

Forget everything you thought you knew about American pizza. Somewhere tucked into the charming streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, a small but mighty pizzeria is quietly rewriting...

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This North Carolina Enchilada Plate Has A Serious Fan Club

Ready to meet an enchilada plate that turns strangers into regulars? San Marcos Mexican Restaurant in North Carolina has a serious fan club, and it is not hard to see why.

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A Texas Comfort Food Buffet That Feels Like a Weekly Family Gathering

There are places you stumble upon that immediately feel like somewhere you have been before, even on your very first visit. Butter Churn in Aransas Pass, Texas, is exactly that...

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Take This Picturesque Oregon Train Ride For A Relaxing Spring Day Trip

Rolling along the northern Oregon coastline aboard a vintage train sounds like something from another era, and that's exactly what makes the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad such a...

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Hidden Chapel in Oklahoma Feels Like the Most Magical Place in the State

Some places stop you in your tracks the moment you lay eyes on them, and Thunderbird Chapel in Norman, Oklahoma is exactly that kind of place.

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Ohio’s Under-The-Radar Donut Stop With Donuts The Size Of Your Face

Ready for a donut that makes your coffee look like the sidekick? Bill’s Donut Shop in Centerville, Ohio is an under-the-radar stop that locals treat like a weekly ritual, and...

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New Jersey’s 350-Acre Safari Park Lets You Get Surprisingly Close To Exotic Animals

I thought New Jersey was all diners and boardwalks, but then I found myself face-to-face with a giraffe. Driving through 350 acres of safari felt less like Jersey and more like...

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This Massive Indiana Haunted Complex Is A Creepy Hidden Gem Where Horror Lovers Can Spend The Night

I never thought a drive through Parke County would lead me to one of the most unforgettable places I have ever set foot in. Indiana State Sanatorium sits on a sprawling property,...

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The Louisiana Law That Makes One Anonymous Order A Very Bad Idea

Your burner number is not a magic cloak in Louisiana, and one anonymous order can turn into a very bad idea fast. The state has laws that cover abrasive communications made by...

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There’s A Tiny Virginia Smokehouse Where The Slow-Roasted BBQ Is Pure Magic

Think barbecue can't surprise you anymore? Think again. Tucked along a scenic Virginia highway sits Blue Ridge Pig, a place that's...

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The Delaware Outlet Stop Where No Sales Tax Turns Every Deal Into A Bigger Deal

Your receipt hits different when the sales tax line stays at zero. Tanger Outlets Rehoboth Beach is the Delaware outlet stop where every discount feels bigger, because no sales...

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This Free Texas Attraction Feels Like a Private Escape Most Visitors Miss

The sound of the Brazos River moving below limestone cliffs is not what most people expect from a city park. That is exactly what makes Cameron Park stand out.

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This Oregon Coastal Trail Gives You 360-Degree Ocean Views

Standing at the edge of the Pacific, where ancient forests meet crashing waves, I discovered a trail system that changed how I think about coastal hiking. Cape Perpetua near Yachats,...

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These Kansas Sunflower Fields Got Tourist-Ruined By Fence Jumping And Crop Stomping

Sunflower season is not a free pass to act like the field is your personal photo studio. In Kansas, some sunflower fields have gotten tourist-ruined by fence jumping and crop stomping,...

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8 Lesser-Known Hikes in Oklahoma to Add to Your 2026 Bucket List

Oklahoma doesn't usually make the top of anyone's hiking bucket list, and honestly, that's exactly why you should go. While everyone else is booking trips to Zion or the Smokies,...

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Utah Has A Secondhand Store Stop That Regulars Check Like A Weekly Drop

Your cart is going to fill up faster than your brain can justify it. Deseret Industries in Sugarhouse is the Utah secondhand stop regulars check like a weekly drop, because the...

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You Have To Try The Biscuits And Gravy At This Little New Jersey Spot

There are some meals that stop you mid-bite and make you forget everything else around you. That happened to me on a quiet...

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This Peaceful Indiana Village Is The Ultimate Stress-Detox

I still remember the first time I drove into Zionsville on a quiet Saturday morning. The brick-paved streets, the smell of fresh coffee drifting from a nearby cafe, and the sound...

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The Maryland Amish-Style Market Locals Treat Like Their Best-Kept Comfort Food Secret

Do you need a comfort food spot that feels like a secret, even when the parking lot says otherwise? The Pennsylvania Dutch Market of Hagerstown is the Maryland Amish-style market...

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8 Small-Town Texas Diners That Still Serve Breakfast the Old-Fashioned Way

There is something about pulling into a small Texas town before the morning fog lifts that makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. The kind of places I am talking about...

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This All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Spot In Virginia Is A Seafood Lover’s Paradise

Can an all-you-can-eat restaurant actually serve high-quality sushi that rivals fine dining spots? That's the debate sparking up across Virginia, and there's one name at the center...

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A Full-Day Ride On New Mexico’s Vintage Scenic Railroad With A Lunch Stop People Brag About

Ready to spend a whole day on a train that makes the landscape feel like the main event? The Cumbres And Toltec Scenic Railroad is New Mexico vintage rail magic, and the full-day...

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