My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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This Multi Generation Alabama Farm Restaurant Serves Up A Full Thanksgiving Menu Year Round

You crave turkey and dressing in July, and this multi-generation Alabama farm restaurant does not blink. They serve a full Thanksgiving menu every single day of the year, complete...

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Stand on the Boardwalk at Dawn and Watch Mist Spirals Rise From Illinois Ancient Cypress Cathedral

The air smells like wet earth and ancient wood. The trees here were already giants when medieval castles were being built across the ocean.

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The Massive Kentucky Flea Market You’ll Want To Explore Time And Again

You do not plan to spend four hours walking through a Kentucky flea market. It just happens. You pull into the gravel lot for...

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This Old-School Oregon Restaurant Serves Rich Mizithra Pasta and Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo Right By the River

A tram car sits in the middle of the dining room and a river flows right outside the windows. That is the scene at this old school Oregon restaurant, where the pasta has been comforting...

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This Peaceful Virginia Mountain Town Is Becoming One Of The Loveliest Places To Retire If You Want Serene Living And Less Stress

The mountains are close, the pace is slow, and the main street feels like a place where people actually know each other. This peaceful Virginia mountain town is becoming one of...

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This Virginia Seafood Buffet Has Endless Snow Crab Legs And A Loyal Local Following

The snow crab legs are piled high on the buffet, glistening and ready. You grab a plate, fill it with crab, and return to your table with a mission.

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Georgia Locals Brave Massive Weekend Crowds For This Diner’s Iconic Brunch And They Don’t Regret It

Why would anyone stand in a line that snakes down the sidewalk before 9 AM on a Saturday? Because the chicken and waffles are that good.

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This Year-Round Christmas Shop In New Jersey Feels Magical Even In Summer

Why should December have all the fun? Open the door on a sticky July afternoon and sleigh bells suddenly fill the air. The...

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11 Giant Maryland Thrift Stores Where $40 Goes Way Further Than You’d Think

A single twenty-dollar bill in your wallet feels thin. Walk through the doors of any of these eleven giant Maryland thrift stores, and suddenly that same bill feels like the start...

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Walking Across Ohio Largest Natural Arch Feels Like Discovering Something That Was Never Meant to Be Found

The trees part and there it is. Ohio's largest natural bridge, carved from sandstone millions of years ago, stretching over a hundred feet across a deep ravine.

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This Upside-Down Oregon Attraction Lets You Take Gravity-Defying Photos for an Affordable Price

Everything in this Oregon attraction is glued to the ceiling, or at least it looks that way through the camera lens. You walk into a room where furniture hangs upside down, a toilet...

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This Illinois Landmark Has Been Baking Its Famous Thin Crust Tavern Pizza Since The 1940s

You fold a thin, cracker-crisp slice, and it holds. No flop, no droop, just a satisfying snap that echoes through a room buzzing with the chatter of regulars who have been coming...

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This Tiny Oklahoma Breakfast Spot Serves Mountain-Style Morning Meals With Big Flavor and Small-Town Charm

Medicine Park is known for its cobblestone charm and mountain views, a tiny Oklahoma town that feels like a secret the rest of the state has not fully discovered yet.

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This Massive Missouri “Amish Walmart” Is a One-Stop Shop for Homemade Everything

Calling it a store feels misleading. A store is where you grab a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread on your way home. This...

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10 Legendary Hot Dog Stops In New Jersey You Can Enjoy For Less Than $13

Some people collect stamps. I collect hot dog joints where the snap of the casing echoes like a tiny victory. New Jersey happens...

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This Unassuming Alabama Country Kitchen Serves Up A Legendary Southern Blue Plate Breakfast

You show up hungry and leave planning your next visit. That is the effect of this unassuming Alabama country kitchen, where a legendary Southern blue plate breakfast draws locals...

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Comic Book Heroes Watch You Eat at This Wonderfully Weird Wisconsin Pizza Joint

Yellow walls, lime green chairs, red floors, and Marvel and DC comic book heroes staring at you from every corner. This Wisconsin spot serves pizza and macaroni and cheese, but...

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This Alabama Space Complex Houses Real NASA Moon Rocks And Lets You Train Like A Real Astronaut

You can touch a piece of the moon without leaving Alabama. That is not a metaphor. This massive space complex houses real NASA...

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Virginia’s Finest Historic Dining Experience Is Hidden Inside This Regal Old-School Hotel Restaurant

You step into the hotel lobby and the world outside fades away. Crystal chandeliers, polished wood, and the quiet hum of a room that has seen decades of celebrations.

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The Virginia Southern-Style Buffet That Locals Call The Greatest All-You-Can-Eat Destination In The State

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

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This Picturesque State Park in Maryland Is So Little Known Even Locals Rarely Find It

You will drive past the entrance the first time. Everyone does. That pathetic little sign is your only warning that you are about...

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Skip the Main Course at This Illinois Restaurant and Just Order Three Baskets of Mushrooms

The fried mushrooms at this Illinois spot are ridiculous. I do not say that lightly. Crispy, golden, somehow both light and deeply...

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This Rare Illinois Ecosystem Has Been Forming Since the Glaciers Left 12,000 Years Ago

A place in northern Illinois where the ground literally quakes beneath your feet. It has been quietly doing so for thousands of years.

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This Historical Oregon Gem Preserves the Pacific Northwest’s 18th-Century Maritime Heritage

Highway 101 winds along the Oregon coast with stunning ocean views at every turn, but one unassuming building holds something even more valuable than the scenery. A piece of 18th...

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A Texas Outlet Center With Dozens Of Brand Stores And Year-Round Deals

Pulling off the interstate and seeing row after row of brand names stretched out under the wide Texas sky is genuinely exciting. This outlet center somehow manages to feel both...

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Visit This Ohio Island and Walk on Stone That Has Not Changed Since Woolly Mammoths Walked the Earth

A small island sitting quietly in western Lake Erie where the ground beneath your feet tells a story so old it is almost impossible to wrap your head around. This Ohio island is...

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This Outstanding Restaurant Along Indiana’s Shore Offers Breathtaking Views You Must Visit This Summer

A lake that feels like an ocean stretches to the horizon, and your table sits just feet from the water. That is the promise of this outstanding Indiana restaurant, where breathtaking...

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The Indiana Cash-Only Institution Where Every Foodie Swears By The Massive Scratch-Made Yeast Donuts

The line starts before sunrise, and nobody complains. That is the ritual at this cash?only institution in Indiana, where a tiny storefront has been turning out massive scratch?made...

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This Free Indiana Park Lets You Walk Back In Time Inside A Real Old Wood Fort From The 1700s

History has a way of feeling distant until you are standing right inside it. A historic park near West Lafayette, Indiana, is one of those rare places where the past feels completely...

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The Best Legendary Cheeseburger In Virginia Is Hidden Inside This Tiny Hole-In-The-Wall Drive-In

The building is small, the sign is faded, and the menu is written on a board behind the counter. But the cheeseburger is legendary.

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This Virginia Restaurant Serves A Hearty Prime Rib Roast With Sides For An Unbelievable Value Every Monday

Locals in Virginia Beach have been keeping a delicious secret for decades, and I finally got to experience it firsthand. Tucked away at the end of a quiet residential street, there...

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Late-Night Cravings in Oregon Lead You to This No-Fuss Dive Bar With Legendary Fried Chicken

It is midnight and your stomach is making sounds that cannot be ignored. You could settle for a sad gas station sandwich, or you could drive to this no fuss Oregon dive bar where...

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You Can Get Up Close To Hundreds Of Wild Hummingbirds At This Enchanted Oregon Sanctuary

Standing still while dozens of hummingbirds zoom past your head is a strange and wonderful feeling. Their wings hum like tiny helicopters and their iridescent feathers flash green...

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A Texas Forest Area With Tall Pines And Quiet Trails Is Perfect For Hiking

The air smells like pine needles and cool earth, and the only sounds you hear are birds and the soft crunch of the trail beneath your feet. This Texas forest spreads across more...

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The Maryland Nature Spot That Looks Too Beautiful to Be Real

You follow a winding road past farm fields and forest edges, and then the ground just disappears. A massive slab of ancient rock juts out over a winding creek, offering a view...

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These Quiet Texas Coastal Beaches Still Feel Untouched

What if you could walk along a beach and feel like the whole coast belongs to you? Texas has coastal spots where that is exactly possible.

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This Oklahoma Park Is a Giant Bounce-and-Climb Wonderland Built for Nonstop Family Fun and Wild Energy

Some family outings require patience. Waiting in lines, wrangling tired kids, and pretending you are having fun when you are really just counting the minutes until nap time.

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This West Virginia Resort Offers Whitewater Rafting Adventures You’ll Never Forget

You will not find a better mix of thrills and natural beauty anywhere in West Virginia. Whitewater rafting here is not just...

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This Indiana Joint Stacks Thick Beef Burgers With Peanut Butter and Ghost Pepper Cheese

Indianapolis has no shortage of places to grab a bite, but every once in a while a spot comes along that makes you stop and think. A popular local joint in the Broad Ripple neighborhood...

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8 Hidden Indiana Buffets That Serve Real Homemade Comfort Food Just Like Your Grandma

Indiana has a quiet tradition of feeding people well. Across the state, small family restaurants and Amish-country buffets have been piling plates high with the kind of food most...

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Step Inside A Massive, Historic Flying Boxcar Cargo Plane At This Unique Museum In Indiana

You know those places you expect to be mildly interesting, and then you walk in and realize you are about to spend way more time there than planned because something about it just...

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This Two-Story Burger Spot By The Bay In Texas Is a True Texas Gem

A burger tastes different when the bay is right there next to your table. This spot has two whole stories, and the upstairs balcony gives a view that most fast food places could...

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8 Oklahoma Strip-Mall Spots Serving Massive Steak Sandwiches That Locals Absolutely Obsess Over

Strip malls do not inspire confidence. Fluorescent lighting, shared parking lots, and storefronts that all look the same tend to make people drive right past without a second glance.

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This Spring-Fed Oregon Lake Has Water So Clear You Can See The Bottom And Locals Want To Keep It That Way

You can see the bottom clearly even when you are standing on a dock fifty feet above it. That is how clean this spring fed Oregon lake stays, and locals are fiercely protective...

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Missouri’s Year-Round Christmas Destination Is Even More Magical Than It Sounds (Even This Time of Year)

Plot twist. Christmas does not actually care about the calendar. Try telling a twinkling light or a glowing nativity scene...

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This Massive Oklahoma Mall Is a One-Stop Destination for Shopping, Dining, and Weekend Wandering

Malls have a reputation problem these days. Empty storefronts, fading glory, the sad echo of footsteps on tired tile. But one...

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This New Jersey Temple Is Home To One Of America’s Tallest Buddha Statues

You do not expect to find a 52 foot tall golden Buddha when you are driving along a quiet New Jersey road. But there it stands,...

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This New Hampshire Bakery Serves Old-World Pastry Flavors With A Delicious Homemade Twist

The first thing I noticed was the butter. The smell of it, warm and rich, coming from the oven. This New Hampshire bakery is...

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This Historic New Jersey Restaurant Serves Prime Rib That Locals Call The Best

Prime rib so tender you barely need a knife. That is the rumor floating around this red leather booth filled landmark. Locals...

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One Of Ohio’s Most Magnificent Botanical Gardens That Every Traveler Needs To Experience

You do not need a plane ticket to walk through a rainforest. This Ohio botanical garden has one under a glass dome, complete with misters, giant ferns, and a waterfall you can...

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Maryland’s Thrift Store Where Every Find Feels Like a Little Miracle

You grab a cart and immediately realize your afternoon is officially spoken for. Aisle after aisle of salvaged treasures unfolds in every direction at this Maryland thrift store,...

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This Welcoming Minnesota Community of 14,200 Is the Perfect Blend of History, Art and Nature

A small town of just 14,200 people should not have this much going on, but this welcoming Minnesota community refuses to be boring. Old brick buildings from the late 1800s line...

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11 Authentic Restaurants in Newcastle, Oklahoma That Aren’t Tourist Traps (And Locals Actually Love)

Newcastle is not the first place that comes to mind when people think of Oklahoma food destinations. But maybe it should be. This...

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10 New Hampshire Farm Markets Worth Visiting For Fresh Bakes And Handmade Pantry Finds

I love a good grocery store as much as anyone, but there is something special about buying food directly from the people who grew or made it. New Hampshire is full of farm markets...

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People Travel Across Missouri For The Cheap Prime Rib At This Tiny Rural Steakhouse

The smell hits you before you even find a parking spot. That glorious, unmistakable aroma of beef and fire and something that definitely should not be legal on a Tuesday night.

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The North Carolina Homestyle Buffet That Locals Call The Finest All-You-Can-Eat Spot In The State

You grab a tray and join a slow, happy shuffle past steam tables piled with fried chicken, meatloaf, and buttery biscuits. That is the scene at this North Carolina homestyle buffet,...

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11 Hidden Seafood Gems Across West Virginia You’ll Be Glad You Found

Eleven places where the best seafood hides far from any ocean. Yes, you read that correctly. West Virginia does not touch the...

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10 Places In New Jersey To Watch The Most Spectacular 4th Of July Fireworks

There is something deeply ridiculous about standing in a crowd, neck craned skyward, jaw dropped, holding a half-eaten funnel cake while fireworks shake your chest like a bass...

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This Historic Haunted South Carolina Cemetery Shuts Its Gates Tight To Visitors After Dark

The sun dips behind the oaks, and the iron gate swings shut with a heavy clank. That is your signal to leave this historic haunted cemetery in South Carolina, a place that welcomes...

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10 Stunning Alabama Spots That Secretly Look Exactly Like The Pacific Northwest

You expect the Pacific Northwest to have a monopoly on misty waterfalls, moss draped forests, and rugged canyons. Then you find a trail in Alabama that makes you check your phone's...

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