My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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This Pennsylvania Discount Grocery Store Keeps Prices Low And The Shelves Full Of Surprise Finds

A discount grocery chain that started on an Amish farm in the nineteen eighties, this Pennsylvania spot has grown into a local favorite for anyone who likes to stretch a dollar....

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The Tiny Maryland Burger Spot Locals Protect From Big Chains And Tourist Crowds

Big burger chains are everywhere. Same patties, same buns, same experience. But the best burgers usually come from tiny spots...

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These Montana Rocks Chime Like Bells When You Tap Them with a Hammer

Tap a rock with a hammer in this Montana boulder field and it rings like a bell. Not a dull thud. A clear, resonant chime that...

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This Oregon Off-Road Outfitter Lets You Drive Through Lava Fields and Deschutes National Forest

A rugged off-road vehicle becomes your key to exploring Oregon's volcanic wilderness. This outfitter lets you drive through ancient lava fields and dense forest trails.

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This Minnesota Amish Buffet Piles On Endless Plates of Country Cooking

A limestone building from 1854 offers endless plates of hearty country cooking. This Minnesota buffet piles on classic Amish-style dishes that keep visitors coming for more.

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This Oklahoma Plant Shop Feels Like a Jungle Escape in the Middle of the City

This Oklahoma shop overflows with lush greenery, rare plants, and a vibe that feels nothing like the busy city streets outside. The second you step through the door, the air smells...

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11 Budget-Friendly Missouri Towns That Make Easy Living Feel Real Again

You pay your rent and still have money for dinner out. That simple math is becoming rare, but in these eleven budget-friendly Missouri towns, easy living does not require a second...

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This Unassuming West Virginia Diner Has Locals Driving For Miles For Its Famous Pancakes

If you ever find yourself craving a stack of pancakes that defies all logic, there is a spot in West Virginia you need to know about.

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This Hiking Trail Leads To A Forgotten New Jersey Estate You Can Still Explore

Here is a hot take for you. The best castle in New Jersey does not have a gift shop or a moat. It is a two-story stone skeleton...

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The Best Fish Sandwiches Have Been Served At This Historic West Virginia Market For Over A Century

There is a holy war over who makes the best fish sandwich in West Virginia, and this place has been winning it for a hundred years.

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North Carolina’s Juiciest Steak Dinner Is Tucked Inside This Timeless Barnhouse Restaurant

The restaurant started as a simple idea on a patch of pastureland in 1960, and it has since grown into a legendary North Carolina steakhouse.

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This Hidden Alabama Liquidator Clears Out Near-Expiration Meat For Pennies

If you have ever wished your grocery bill could shrink without your cart getting smaller, a regional discount supermarket in Fort Payne, Alabama might be exactly what you have...

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Vintage Tractors, Climbing Nets, and Endless Workshops at This One-of-a-Kind Idaho Space

Six floors of bold architecture, open outdoor spaces, vintage tractors parked like sculptures, and the distant sound of kids laughing on a giant spiral slide. That is what you...

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This Connecticut No-Frills Pizzeria Serves Charred New Haven-Style Pizza In A Classic Old-School Room

The oven has been fired up in the same spot for generations, and the crust that comes out of it is still blistered and chewy, a hallmark of the regional style that has made this...

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This 1,137-Acre Minnesota Garden Preserve Blends Stunning Scenery, Trails and Sculptures

Over one thousand acres of gardens and woodlands await you at this Minnesota preserve. The grounds feature stunning scenery, winding trails, and impressive sculptures throughout...

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These 10 Mind-Blowing Natural Wonders in Virginia Don’t Look Real

You look at the photos and think they must be edited. The colors are too vivid, the shapes are too strange, the landscape looks like it belongs on another planet.

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This Century-Old Virginia Palace Features Striking Marble Architecture and Stunning Mountaintop Views

The marble gleams in the sunlight, the columns rise toward the sky, and the mountaintop views stretch for miles. This century-old Virginia palace is a stunning blend of architecture...

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This North Carolina Beach Park Has An Inclusive Playground So Epic It Turns A Shore Day Into An Adventure

A day at the beach in North Carolina just got a whole lot more exciting for families who want more than sand and surf. This...

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This Hidden New Jersey Arcade Lets You Play Unlimited Retro Games For One Flat Price

Pay once and suddenly every single machine is yours for the taking. No pockets full of quarters. No begging for change. Just...

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This Texas Store Is Packed Floor To Ceiling With Nothing But Christmas Decorations

Christmas in July is not just a saying here. It is a reality. This store is packed floor to ceiling with ornaments, lights,...

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11 Oregon Summer Festivals Locals Mark on Their Calendars Every Year

A warm summer evening, live music drifting through the air, and neighbors gathering to celebrate something they all love. That is the scene at festivals across Oregon, the kind...

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Idaho’s Most Magical Vacation Rental Comes with Spiral Staircases and a Moat

Real stone castle with a moat on a mountain in northern Idaho. You can actually sleep there. Walls are over twenty inches thick,...

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This Ohio Sausage House From The Eighteen Eighties Feels Like A Hidden Old-World Market

The scent of smoked meat and spice has been drifting through this Ohio neighborhood for well over a century, a fragrant reminder of the old-world recipes that still fill the plates...

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This Oklahoma Hotel Transforms a Historic Power Plant Into a Luxury Stay Full of Art and History

Century old red brick buildings in Oklahoma were originally assembly plants built in nineteen sixteen. Now this hotel is where history and comfort actually coexist without one...

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Missouri Locals Are Driving Miles Just to Try This Restaurant’s Sky-High Apple Pies That Barely Seem Real

The slice stands so tall you almost expect it to wobble. Then you cut through the flaky crust and watch the steam rise from layers of cinnamon-spiced apples stacked like a delicious...

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13 Free-Admission Spots In New Jersey Where You Can Spend Summer Days Surrounded By Nature And History

Summer in New Jersey can get expensive fast, but it does not have to be that way. There are places where you can soak up history,...

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10 Authentic Restaurants In Indiana That Aren’t Tourist Traps And Real Locals Actually Love

I have spent a good chunk of time eating my way across Indiana, and I can tell you firsthand that the best meals I have ever had here were never at the places with giant signs...

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This 1850s Church Was Built Without a Single Nail and It Still Stands in Idaho

Oldest standing building in Idaho, built in eighteen fifty three. No nails hold it together, just wooden pegs, mud, grass, and sheer determination.

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This Charming Small Town In Indiana Lets Smart Retirees Live Large On A Very Small Budget

Nestled along the Wabash River in northern Indiana, a small city in Miami County offers a surprisingly rich mix of history, affordability, and small-town living.

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10 Virginia Tea Rooms Ranging From Immersive Historic Gatherings To Traditional British Afternoon Teas

The kettle is on, the cups are out, and the scones are warm from the oven. Virginia has a wonderful collection of tea rooms, and they range from immersive historic gatherings to...

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These 10 Secret Ruins in Virginia Are Waiting to Be Explored

They are tucked in the woods, hidden along rivers, and scattered across the landscape. These secret ruins in Virginia are waiting to be explored, crumbling remnants of a past that...

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Many People Live Their Whole Life in Texas Without Seeing These 11 Hidden Gems

A lifelong Texan should not miss these spots. But many do. They are off the beaten path, easy to overlook, and rarely make...

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This Idaho Airbnb Used to Travel the Country Now It Sits on a Farm Waiting for You

A giant potato sits on an open farm in Idaho. It used to travel across the country on the back of a semi truck. Now it lives...

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This Historic 1910 Oregon Brick Landmark Is an Adventure Basecamp for Travelers

A red brick building that has stood since 1910 holds more than a century of stories within its walls. This historic Oregon landmark, the first brick structure in its town, now...

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This Abandoned Colorado Resort Between Two Alpine Lakes Was Once a Victorian Playground

Victorian resort sits crumbling between two alpine lakes in the Colorado Rockies. Reachable only by trail or boat, it once welcomed wealthy guests arriving by stagecoach.

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11 Texas Places That Feel Like They Should Be Famous But Somehow Aren’t

A swimming hole with water so clear it looks fake. A stretch of road that curves through canyons like a postcard. A small town...

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A Metal Dragon Guards This Colorado Castle Built by One Man’s Decades of Dedication

One man built a stone castle in the Colorado mountains with his own hands. Fifty years of work, no blueprints, no formal training. Just...

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This Giant Thrift Store In Indiana Is So Big You Can Easily Treasure Hunt All Day

Fort Wayne, Indiana is home to a large thrift store that has built a strong following among local shoppers, and it is easy to see why once you step inside.

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This Terrifying Alabama Restaurant Serves Award Winning Pies To Living Guests And Ghosts

Hidden in a small town in southwestern Alabama, a historic restaurant operates inside a two-story antebellum home that dates back nearly two centuries.

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This Massive 39-Mile Paved Trail Weaves Through Alabama’s Hidden Mountains

Alabama has an outdoor destination that still feels like a discovery to many visitors. Stretching across the eastern part of the state, a paved rail trail winds through farmland,...

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This Hidden Virginia Family-Owned Meat Market Is A Food Lover’s Local Gem You Need To Explore This June

The smell of smoked meat hits you before you even open the door. Inside, the cases are full of cuts you do not see at the grocery store, and the people behind the counter know...

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The Virginia Coastal Town With So Few Residents You Will Feel Like You Stepped Back In Time

The ferry ride is the first hint that you are leaving the modern world behind. Then you step onto the dock and the quiet hits you.

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This Oregon Restaurant Offers Intimate Lodge Ambiance and Stunning Mountain Views

A low ceiling, warm wood tones, and a fireplace that anchors the whole room. That is the first thing you notice when you step into this Oregon restaurant, where the ambiance feels...

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This Gorgeous Town In Maryland Could Be One Of The State’s Most Beautiful Getaway

Some towns are just pretty. Others leave you staring. This Maryland town falls into the second category. Waterfront views,...

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This Giant Minnesota Sunflower Field Is a Bright Summer Detour Worth the Trip

Thousands of bright yellow blooms stretch across acres of farmland like a sunlit ocean. That is the sight that greets you at this Minnesota farm during the late summer sunflower...

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Rows Of Affordable Used Books Make This Texas Shop A Dream Destination For Book Lovers

A used bookstore with rows of affordable books is a dangerous place for anyone who loves to read. Walk in meaning to browse and leave with a stack that will take months to get...

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This French Patisserie In Maryland Feels Like A Small Taste Of Paris Without The Long Flight

You do not need a passport to eat like you are in Paris. This Maryland patisserie brings the French bakery experience right to your neighborhood.

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The No-Frills Texas Bakery Locals Swear Has Some of the Best Donuts in the State

No cronuts. No cereal toppings. No donuts that cost more than a sandwich. Just fresh, classic donuts that taste like the ones...

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This Small Oklahoma Farm Lets You Pick Fresh Flowers, Produce, and Pure Country Calm

This Oklahoma farm stand has been quietly doing things right for nearly five decades. I stumbled across it on a warm Saturday morning, not really expecting much, and left with...

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This West Virginia Trail Offers Views So Stunning You’ll Want To Hike It Twice

Some trails give you a nice view and send you on your way. This one delivers a view so good you will immediately want to turn...

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This Booming Small Town In Indiana Is Steadily Becoming The States Next Massive Hotspot

Tucked just north of Indianapolis in Hamilton County, a fast-growing Indiana city is quickly transforming from quiet suburb into one of the state’s most talked-about destinations....

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This Sleepy Small Town In Indiana Is Secretly Becoming The Data Center Capital Of The Midwest

Most people drive right past a small town in northern Indiana without a second glance. With fewer than 2,000 residents, this quiet St. Joseph County community looks like any other...

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This Historic Indiana Steakhouse Offers A Massive Prime Rib Sandwich With Sides For Under $20

Fort Wayne, Indiana is home to a long-standing steakhouse that locals have been loyal to for decades, and it is easy to understand the appeal.

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Why Locals Escape to This Luxurious Texas Hill Country Resort Every June Without Fail

June in Texas means heat, humidity, and the desperate need for a break. Locals have a solution, and it is a Hill Country resort that has become a yearly tradition.

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This Oklahoma Festival Turns an Entire Park Into Medieval Europe

Pulling into a parking lot in Oklahoma and suddenly hearing the distant sound of drums and bagpipes cutting through the spring air is genuinely surreal. A renaissance festival...

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10 Minnesota Rooftop Restaurants With Amazing Skyline Views

An elevator ride up, a door opening to the sky, and the whole city unfolding beneath you like a living map. That is the feeling these Minnesota rooftop restaurants deliver, where...

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This Missouri River Gorge Is a Hidden Geological Wonder Most People Speed Right Past Without Looking

The road signs do not scream, "Stop here for a geological wonder!" They just quietly point the way to one of the most surprising landscapes Missouri has to offer. You pull off...

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This Oklahoma Art Center Doubles as a Working Pottery Studio Filled With Handmade Ceramics and Local Art

You do not expect a town like this in Oklahoma to surprise you, but this art center does exactly that. Housed inside a converted city fire station, it buzzes with creative energy...

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These Crumbling Stairs In A Quiet New Jersey Park Are All That’s Left Of A Forgotten Amusement Park

What happens when a roaring amusement park goes quiet and nature simply takes over? In a peaceful marshland park, a grand...

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This Historic Downtown Landmark In New Hampshire Is Actually A Century-Old Masonic Temple

You have probably walked past it a hundred times without ever looking up. The building is grand and imposing, with stone columns and intricate carvings that hint at something deeper.

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