My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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This Missouri All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Is Famous for Its Over-the-Top Dessert Bar

A buffet without a serious dessert spread is just a cafeteria with better lighting. This Missouri all-you-can-eat spot understands that truth deeply, building a reputation on what...

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The Clearest Spring Creek In Oklahoma Is Almost Too Gorgeous To Be Real

The water is so clear that you can see every detail of the rocky bottom, from the rounded stones to the tiny fish darting between them. It is a place that makes you stop mid-step...

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This Wild New Jersey Beach Feels Like The Shore Before The Boardwalks Took Over

Forget the neon lights and the funnel cake chaos for a minute. This place is a glimpse into what the shore used to be, wonderfully wild and beautifully untouched.

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9 New Hampshire State Parks With Pristine Swimming Beaches

New Hampshire may be small, but its collection of state park beaches punches way above its weight class. From the Atlantic coastline to glassy mountain lakes, this state serves...

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This New Jersey Restaurant Blends Indian And Chinese Cuisines Better Than You Expect

Imagine craving both the cozy warmth of a spicy curry and the fiery thrill of schezwan noodles at the exact same moment. Problem...

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One of Maryland’s Most Charming Small Towns Still Flies Under-the-Radar

Some towns are discovered, discovered again, and then completely overrun. Others stay quietly charming without all the attention.

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This Pennsylvania Cave Lets You Float Through An Underground World By Boat

Some of the most remarkable places in Pennsylvania hide in plain sight, and this one sits quietly beneath a working farm. A...

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This Minnesota Seafood Spot Started as a Food Truck and Is Now Famous for Its Lobster Mac and Cheese

A food truck dream that grew into a full blown seafood empire, and it all started with a simple, brilliant idea. This place took lobster mac and cheese and turned it into something...

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The 1-Hour Line at This Oklahoma Ramen Joint Every Night Is Proof It Lives Up to the Hype

The line starts forming before the doors even open. By 6 PM, it snakes through the parking lot, a hungry ribbon of people who have heard the rumors and decided to find out for...

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This Rustic New Hampshire Waterfront Restaurant Lets You Dine With Your Toes In The Sand On The Lake

Tucked away in the rolling countryside of New Hampshire's beloved Lakes Region, there's a restaurant that makes you feel like you've stepped into another era the moment you walk...

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11 German Restaurants in Missouri That Will Make You Forget You’re Still in the United States

You do not need a passport to find Bavaria. Missouri has been quietly hiding a collection of German restaurants that transport you straight across the Atlantic, and eleven of them...

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This Ohio Donut Shop Feels Like A Tiny Rock-And-Roll Bakery With Serious Hometown Buzz

The donuts here have names like "Whole Lotta Love" and "Back in Black," and they taste every bit as bold as their rock-and-roll inspirations.

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12 West Virginia Farms Where You Can Pick Your Own Fruit And Veggies This Summer

Get your baskets ready, because summer in West Virginia is calling your name. Nothing beats the taste of a strawberry still...

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The 11 Best Places In New Jersey To Forage For Wild Berries, Mushrooms, And More

Imagine ditching the grocery store for a walk in the woods. That is the thrill of foraging in New Jersey, a state bursting with wild edible treasures.

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This Pennsylvania Dutch Counter Inside A Historic Market Serves Comfort Food Worth Waiting For

The sizzle of scrapple hitting a hot griddle and the scent of butter-soaked pancakes drift through the market air, pulling you toward a counter where locals have been eating for...

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This Iron Alabama Subsurface Monolith Marks The Oldest WWII Submarine On Public Display

Hidden in plain sight along the Alabama waterfront sits one of the most remarkable relics of World War II. A historic submarine on display in Mobile is a real vessel you can actually...

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This Hawaii Diner Has Been Serving Plate Lunches Since Before Hawaii Was a State

Not every meal needs a story, but some spots come with one whether you ask for it or not. Hawaii still has a handful of old-school diners where nothing feels rushed and everything...

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This Minnesota Restaurant Serves Beef Brisket That’s Famous Across the State

The moment that tray hits the counter, you can smell exactly what makes this place legendary. That brisket has been smoking low and slow for hours, developing a bark so dark and...

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This Overlooked New Hampshire Waterfall Tumbles 80 Feet Into A Crystal-Clear Swimming Hole Perfect For Hot Summer Days

New Hampshire has no shortage of stunning natural spots, but every now and then one place rises above the rest and becomes the summer destination everyone is talking about.

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11 Historic New Hampshire Meetinghouses That Have Stood For Over Two Centuries

New Hampshire is packed with history, and nowhere is that more alive than inside its oldest meetinghouses. These extraordinary buildings served as the beating heart of colonial...

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This Giant Ohio Grocery Store Feels More Like A Food Theme Park Than A Supermarket

A grocery store where a life-sized elephant and giraffe greet you at the entrance, a waterfall cascades inside, and you can sample cheese from the Netherlands while listening to...

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Maryland’s Hidden Cheese Shop Is a Dream Come True for Dairy Lovers

Cheese lovers, listen up. This Maryland shop is for you. Hidden away in a small town, it is the kind of place that feels like...

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The Russian Pelmeni Dumplings in This Alaska Town Are a Taste of History You Can Eat

Meals that linger in memory usually have very little to do with presentation and everything to do with timing, setting, and feeling. Alaska has a way of making warm, simple food...

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12 Minnesota Spots With Free Admission for Summer Days Surrounded by Nature and History

You can have an unforgettable summer without spending a single dollar on admission, and Minnesota proves that every day. The state is filled with incredible places that welcome...

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Since 1928, This Minnesota Tavern Has Been Serving Its Famous Juicy Lucy

Some burgers are good, and then there is the one that has people arguing for nearly a century about who made it first. This tavern has been serving its version since 1928, long...

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This Oklahoma Park Feels Like a Storybook Come to Life With Forest Trails, Cozy Cabins, and Lake Views

Storybook settings do not usually come with lake views and hiking trails. But this Oklahoma park makes a strong case for rewriting that rule.

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This Historic Missouri Train Station Feels Like a Step Back Into the Golden Age of Rail Travel

The first thing you notice is the scale. Soaring ceilings, massive arches, and a grand hall that could swallow a city block. This...

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Shoppers Drive Across West Virginia For The Incredible Deals At This Salvage Grocery

Nobody warned me that a grocery run could actually feel like an adventure, but here we are. My cart was overflowing before...

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This New Jersey Shrine Feels Like A Quiet Pilgrimage Without Leaving The State

Some places do not shout for attention. They simply wait, quietly, for those who need them. This is one of those spots.

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This West Virginia Restaurant Offers A Prime Rib Dinner With Sides For A Great Price

Let us be real for a second. Finding a genuinely great prime rib dinner that also fits your budget is like finding a four leaf clover.

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The California Fish Market Where Chefs And Home Cooks Hunt For Ultra-Fresh Seafood

Walk into a working fish market in San Diego and you will find chefs in aprons standing next to home cooks, all of them eyeing the same glistening catch.

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This Remote Alaska Island Is a Living Museum of War and Wild Beauty

There is an island at the far western edge of Alaska where nature and history exist side by side in a way that feels almost impossible to comprehend. Windswept tundra stretches...

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This Authentic Alabama Taco Haven Packs Heavy Overstuffed Plates That Completely Fill The Table

Some restaurants just hit different, and a market taqueria in Huntsville, Alabama is exactly that kind of place. Tucked inside a Hispanic supermarket, this hidden gem serves some...

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The Best Key Lime Pies in the Country Come From This Unassuming Restaurant in Oregon

The perfect key lime pie should make your mouth pucker just a little, then immediately reward you with sweet, creamy relief. This humble spot in Oregon has mastered that exact...

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This Washington Museum Is A Giant Indoor Playground For Anyone Who Loves Cars, Road Trips, And Retro Design

You can get behind the wheel of a vintage hot rod, stare up at a sleek supercar from the nineteen sixties, and walk through a gallery dedicated to the open road, all without ever...

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10 Virginia Movie And TV Filming Locations You Can Visit In Real Life

You have seen them on screen, a Virginia courthouse where a scene unfolded, a bridge where a character had a moment, a small town that looked so perfect it must have been a set....

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There’s A Magical Waterfall At The End Of This Short 1.4-Mile Virginia Trail And It’s Absolutely Breathtaking

The trail is short, just 1.4 miles, but it feels like a journey. You walk through the forest, crossing small streams, and then you hear it.

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The Tiny Ohio Burger Spot With Over-The-Top Burgers And A Loyal Local Following

You could order a sensible burger anywhere, but that is not why you are here. You are here for the one with foie gras, or the one crowned with Iberian ham, or the one that requires...

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Why This New Jersey Deli Has Locals Lining Up For Fresh Meats And Sandwiches

Let us talk about a place that takes sandwiches very, very seriously. This is not your average corner deli throwing some cold cuts between bread and calling it a day.

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This Maryland Amish Market Feels Like a Hidden Treasure Trove of Farm Fresh Finds

You know that feeling when you walk into a place and immediately know you are going to find something good? That is this market. Maryland...

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This Oregon Oasis Offers A Refreshing Mountain-Stream Soak In A Secluded Forest Sanctuary

The forest air turns cool and damp as you follow the trail deeper into the ancient trees. Then you catch that first wisp of steam rising through the mossy ferns, and you know you...

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This Spot Combines Cajun Heat and Alaska Seafood in a Way That Should Not Work but Absolutely Does

Places that sit at the edge of the map tend to carry a different kind of energy, the kind that feels less visited and more endured. In Alaska, that sense of distance becomes almost...

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This New York Cave Hides A Massive Underground Waterfall Behind An Old-School Roadside Entrance

A hand-painted billboard on a rural New York road promises something strange, and the promise is not empty. Around a bend,...

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11 Unassuming Oklahoma Smokehouses Flipping the Script on Gourmet Dining

Gourmet dining usually means white tablecloths, tiny portions, and a waiter who recites the specials like a poem. But Oklahoma has a different idea of fine dining, one that involves...

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8 Missouri Hidden Gems Serving the Original Crispy Cashew Chicken Locals Still Swear By

The story of cashew chicken is a Missouri origin tale, born in Springfield in the 1960s when a Chinese immigrant named David Leong created a dish that would define the region's...

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This Mind-Blowing Italian Spot In New Jersey Is Worth The Reservation You Will Book A Month Ahead

This is not a restaurant you just casually stroll into on a whim. This is the kind of place that requires strategy, advanced planning, and a willingness to beg if necessary.

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This Alaska Island Is the Loneliest American Land You Have Never Heard Of

Places that sit far beyond the edge of routine travel tend to feel almost unreal, like they belong more on a map than in any real itinerary. In Alaska, that sense of isolation...

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This Famous Alabama Interstate Market Is Packing Legendary $5 Fried Pies And Local Southern Hot Sauces

Somewhere along I-65 in central Alabama, there is a roadside stop that turns an ordinary highway break into something you will remember long after the trip ends.

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10 Hidden Roadside Gems in Alabama Every True Southerner Needs to Visit Once

I have driven through Alabama more times than I can count, and every single trip surprises me. This state hides some of the most unusual, beautiful, and downright unforgettable...

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10 Virginia Caves With Underground Wonders You Can Actually Walk Through

The cool air hits you as you descend. The light fades. And the underground world opens up. These Virginia caves have wonders...

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The Best Free Farm Zoo In Virginia Is An Absolute Hidden Gem

The animals are friendly, the grounds are clean, and the price is impossible to beat. This free farm zoo in Virginia is an absolute hidden gem, a place where families can spend...

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These Maryland Crab Cakes Are the Kind of Meal That Turns a Drive Into a Mission

Sometimes a meal is just a meal. Other times it is a mission. This is one of those times. Maryland is known for crab cakes, but...

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Alaska Still Holds the Rusted Remains of a World War II Occupation That History Books Forgot

At the edge of Alaska, far beyond anything that feels familiar, there is a stretch of land where silence and weather do most of the talking. I ended up reading about a remote island...

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You Can Still See the Rusted Remains of a 1940s Shipwreck at This California Beach

Massive cargo ship rusting into a California coastline, waves crashing around it like nothing unusual is happening. Wedged into a rocky reef since March of nineteen sixty one.

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13 Free-Admission Spots In Oregon Where You Can Spend Summer Days

You can have a spectacular summer without spending a single dollar on admission, and Oregon proves that every single day. The state is packed with incredible places that welcome...

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One Of Texas’ Busiest Brunch Destinations Keeps Winning Over First Time Visitors

A busy brunch spot can be a gamble. Long waits, rushed service, and average food. This Texas destination defies those expectations....

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This California Butterfly Grove Is One of the State’s Best Kept Secrets and It Is Completely Free

Certain stretches of coastline have a way of surprising you when you least expect it, especially when nature decides to put on a quiet show. In California, there are moments where...

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This 13-Room Frontier Mansion Features Musket Ports Used To Defend Indiana’s Oldest Territory

Imagine walking up to a red-brick mansion built in the early 1800s, knowing it once doubled as a fortress on the American frontier. A historic home in Vincennes is exactly that...

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This Haunted Indiana Tavern Still Has Prohibition Era Gangster Bullet Holes In The Walls

Some bars serve drinks. A historic downtown inn in Indianapolis, Indiana serves history, mystery, and a whole lot of soul. Open...

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This Jaw-Dropping Indiana Overlook Is Budget-Friendly & Takes Less Than 10 Minutes To Reach

Some of the most breathtaking natural spots in the Midwest are hiding in plain sight, and a waterfall overlook in Spencer, Indiana is proof of that. Located within a large state...

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