My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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This Free Minnesota Discovery Center Sits on the Edge of the Wilderness

A small building on the edge of a massive forest, staffed by people who know every trail and every bird call by heart. This free Minnesota discovery center welcomes anyone who...

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Oklahoma’s 10 Oldest Operating Diners Still Flipping Massive Pancake Stacks On Century-Old Griddles

A century is a long time to do anything. Marriages struggle to last that long. Houses need new roofs twice over. But ten diners...

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The New Hampshire Country-Style Buffet That Locals Call The Finest All-You-Can-Eat Spot In The State

I am usually skeptical of buffets. The food sits out too long. The quality suffers. You pay for way more than you actually...

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People Drive From All Over the Midwest to Squeeze into This Tiny Missouri Deli for a Life-Changing Pastrami Reuben

The line starts forming before noon, snaking out the door and down the sidewalk like a hungry serpent with a serious craving for pastrami. People drive from all over the Midwest...

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This Famous Pennsylvania Factory Visitor Center Makes For A Remarkably Exciting Day Trip

Have you ever walked into a building and immediately felt like a kid again? That happened to me the moment I stepped through the doors of this famous Pennsylvania factory visitor...

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The Most Photographed West Virginia Waterfalls Have Easy Access And Stunning Views

Some waterfalls make you work for it. Hiking for hours. Sweating through your shirt. Questioning your life choices.

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This Iconic New Jersey Diner Draws Diners From Near And Far With Its Hearty Meals

Hunger has a way of making people drive extra miles. Forty five minutes. An hour. Sometimes longer.

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This Nevada Casino Cafe Serves A Bountiful Prime Rib Dinner With Sides For An Incredible Value Every Single Day

You know that feeling when you order a meal and the price seems too low? That happens here every single day. The prime rib dinner...

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This Free Alabama Wild Animal Scavenger Hunt Sends Families Tracking Secret Clues To Find Hidden Creatures

A map, a clue, and a mystery animal hiding somewhere in the zoo. That is all your family needs for a free adventure in Alabama that turns a simple visit into a treasure hunt.

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This Columbus Ohio Burger Joint Created a Cult Following With a Sandwich That Should Not Work This Well

A national publication named a burger from this Ohio spot the best in the state. Smashed patties, house made pickles, shaved onion, and a special sauce.

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12 Italian Restaurants Hidden in Minnesota’s Suburbs That Are Absolutely Worth the Drive

You do not need to fight downtown traffic or pay for expensive parking to find excellent Italian food in Minnesota. The suburbs have quietly built a collection of Italian restaurants...

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This Lake Town In New Hampshire Is Suddenly Packed With Tourists

I have been visiting this lake town for years, and I have watched it change. Slowly at first. Then all at once. This New Hampshire...

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This Massive New Hampshire Pancake House Serves The Ultimate Family-Style New England Comfort Food

The portions are ridiculous here. I do not mean that in a bad way. I mean that in the best possible way. This massive New Hampshire...

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This Spectacular Illinois Tapas Bar Serves Up Showstopping Paella Feasts Right Out Of The Wood-Fired Oven

The pan comes out of the wood-fired oven still sizzling, and the table leans in as one. That is the moment this Illinois tapas bar turns a simple dinner into a shared celebration.

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The Minnesota Escape Where Dining Feels Like A Scenic Retreat

A wooden deck overlooking a quiet lake, a plate of fresh walleye, and absolutely nowhere else you need to be. That is the feeling at this Minnesota dining spot, where a simple...

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Come Hungry Leave Confused and Fully Satisfied at This One of a Kind Wisconsin Eatery

A full size bus hanging from the ceiling. Retro vans turned into dining booths. The smell of wood fired pizza hitting you all...

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This Minnesota Town Keeps Property Taxes Low And Residents Are Staying Put Because of It

Some towns talk about being affordable, but this Minnesota community actually delivers on that promise. Property taxes stay low here, and residents have noticed the difference...

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This Oklahoma Yarn Shop Is a Cozy Creative Haven Where Every Skein Feels Like a New Project Waiting to Happen

Yarn shops have a way of making time disappear. You walk in for one skein, just one, and somehow an hour later you are carrying a bag full of potential projects and a heart full...

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These 12 Volcano-Carved Missouri Shut-Ins Pair Cold Crystal Pools With Nature’s Best Slides

Volcanoes are not the first thing that come to mind when you think of Missouri. Cornfields, sure. Rolling hills, absolutely. But ancient volcanic activity?

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Step Back In Time At This Retro West Virginia Soda Fountain Famous For Its Milkshakes

Some places just know how to slow things down. You walk in, and suddenly it is 1955 again. The stools spin. The counter shines.

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You Can Ride Horses Through A 2,142-Acre Forest Preserve In The Heart Of New Jersey

Who says you need a car to explore the great outdoors? Saddle up instead. This massive forest preserve spreads across two thousand...

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These West Virginia Towns Are Losing Residents As Jobs Disappear And Tax Revenues Shrink

Some places in West Virginia are fighting a quiet battle. You will not see it on the news every night, but the numbers do not lie.

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This Incredible Waterfront Restaurant Along California’s Coast Is A Scenic Visit This Summer

You pull off the Pacific Coast Highway and follow the sound of crashing waves. The parking lot is packed, the line is long, and nobody cares.

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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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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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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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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 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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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 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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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 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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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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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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