My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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Here’s why families drive out to this Ohio sculpture park in Hamilton for a whole afternoon

Some places in Ohio surprise you the moment you roll through the front gate, and this one keeps surprising you all afternoon. Picture rolling green hills, ponds tucked into quiet...

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Miners Once Dug Diamonds Out Of This West Virginia Hillside, And You Can Still Sift For Them

Every so often you find a place in West Virginia that feels bigger on the inside than it looks from the road. Picture towering sandstone walls, hidden little caves, and a shady...

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This Tiny Texas Creamery Sells Farm-Fresh Milk and Cheese Around the Clock

Fresh milk and cheese at any hour of the day or night. That is what this tiny Texas creamery offers. It runs on an honor system,...

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These 7 Ohio observatories let your kids look through real telescopes at the night sky

There is something unforgettable about the first time a kid sees Saturn's rings with their own eyes instead of in a textbook. Across Ohio, tucked into hilltops, parks, and quiet...

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Locals Swear These 8 West Virginia Pepperoni Roll Bakeries Beat Anything The Grocery Shelf Sells

Somewhere in West Virginia, a warm pepperoni roll is sliding off a baking sheet right this minute, and once you taste one fresh, the plastic-wrapped grocery kind will feel like...

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Frontier Fighters Trained To Scale Cliffs At This Forgotten West Virginia Climbing School

Some places hide their most remarkable stories in plain sight, and this towering wall of rock in West Virginia is one of them. Long before hikers and rock climbers came for the...

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7 Wildlife Conservation Programs in Texas Where You Can Volunteer or Learn

Want to do more than just admire Texas wildlife from a distance? These conservation programs let you get involved. From bird...

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The Rathbone Well In Creston, West Virginia, Marks One Of The World’s Oldest Oil-Producing Sites

Tucked along a quiet stretch of country road in West Virginia sits a spot that most travelers zip right past without a second glance. Yet this humble roadside marker points to...

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This Texas Butcher Shop Is So Clean and Fresh, Locals Have Given Up on Supermarket Meat

Once you go to a real butcher, it is hard to go back to the plastic-wrapped stuff at the supermarket. This Texas shop is proof. It...

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This Oklahoma Tea Room Serves Classic Afternoon Tea With Fresh Scones

What makes afternoon tea feel like a special occasion? Sometimes, it is simply the chance to slow down, sip something warm, and enjoy a thoughtful spread of sweet and savory bites...

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A Full-Size Carousel Spins Beside Giant Breakfasts At This Wild New Jersey Pancake Spot

Listen, breakfast is supposed to be simple. Eggs, pancakes, maybe some bacon. But this New Jersey spot did not get the memo,...

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West Virginia Locals Drive Way Out Of Their Way For The Spicy Chili Dogs At This Roadside Stand

Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide behind the plainest little counters, the kind you might drive past without a second glance. Tucked into a busy corner where locals...

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This New Jersey Country Market Is Practically The Costco Of Amish Goods And Fresh Groceries

You know a grocery trip has gone wonderfully off the rails when you came for a few basics and leave wondering how you’re going to fit everything in the car.

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You Can Go on a Wild Bison Safari in Indiana for Less Than the Price of a Latte

A bison has a very different idea of personal space. Fortunately, the bus does too. That is what makes this Indiana safari...

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10 Unexpectedly Cool Hangouts in Indiana That Are Completely Free to Visit

“It's free?” That question gets asked a lot. Usually right before the plan changes. In Indiana, there are bridges that...

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8 Texas Areas Where Black Bear Sightings Keep Happening in Early Fall

Seeing a black bear in Texas is not as rare as it used to be. In fact, early fall is when sightings spike, as bears roam farther and wider in search of food before winter sets...

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Enjoying the countryside from the sundeck of the MS RE Waydelich. Photo c. LJ Christian Creutz for CroisiEurope
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European Holiday Travel Is Smooth Sailing On This Cruise Line

Are you dreaming about Europe, the fall festivals or famed Christmas Holiday Markets? Whatever your fancy, you want your European holiday travel to be easy to plan and enjoy.

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This Oklahoma Horse Farm Offers The Kind Of Experience That Changes Your Perspective

There is something about spending time around horses that can make an ordinary day feel surprisingly memorable. At this Oklahoma farm, visitors can slow down, connect with nature,...

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This Enormous Oregon Buffet Has Over 250 Items

Two hundred fifty items sounds impossible to count accurately, let alone sample in one visit no matter how hungry you arrive. Stations...

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This Iconic Missouri Candy Shop Serves Homemade Ice Cream In An Old-School Setting

Some candy shops are worth visiting for the sweets alone. This Missouri favorite adds homemade ice cream, nostalgic treats, and plenty of old-school charm to the experience.

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Locals Claim This Tiny New Jersey Stand Serves The Best Sliders In The State

Big burger reputations do not always come with big dining rooms. Sometimes they come with a tiny counter, a sizzling griddle,...

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These 8 Restaurants Hold The Title Of New Hampshire’s Most Expensive in 2026

Fine dining comes with a price, and in New Hampshire there are a handful of restaurants that have pushed that price higher than most people would expect. These establishments are...

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A Half-Mile Forest Walk Leads To Wolves At This Unusual New Jersey Preserve

Listen, you are not supposed to want to get close to a wolf. But at this New Jersey preserve, that is exactly the point. A...

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This Maryland Restaurant Gets Its Oysters From Its Very Own Farm on the Chesapeake

Fresh oysters are a beautiful thing. But oysters that come from the restaurant's own farm? That is a different level entirely....

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The Slow-Smoked BBQ At This Maryland Smokehouse Is So Good It Sets a New Standard for Barbecue Lovers

Great barbecue is about patience. Low heat, long hours, and a cook who knows exactly when the meat is ready. This Maryland...

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This Oregon Butcher Shop Is So Clean And Fresh Locals Won’t Buy Meat At The Supermarket Anymore

Supermarket meat counters rarely get compared this unfavorably to anywhere else. Cases here stay immaculate, cuts prepared with visible care instead of pre-packaged and shipped...

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This Charming New Hampshire French Restaurant Feels Like a Cozy Parisian Bistro

There is a particular kind of warmth that comes from a true neighborhood bistro, and this New Hampshire restaurant has captured it perfectly. The room is small and intimate, with...

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This Recreated West Virginia Fort Is Where Frontier Pioneers Hid Behind Log Walls In The 1770s

Some places sneak up on you. You expect a quiet stop and a few old buildings, then suddenly you are standing inside towering log walls, listening to a blacksmith hammer glowing...

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Hidden Along A Busy New Jersey Road Is A Victorian Mansion That Time Barely Touched

Some houses age gracefully. This one seems to have made a private agreement with the 1800s and never looked back. Behind the...

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An Old South Carolina Railroad Tunnel Was Never Finished, Leaving Hundreds of Feet of Darkness Inside a Mountain

The first thing I noticed was the temperature drop, and it happened faster than I expected. One minute I was sweating on a short uphill path in the South Carolina foothills, and...

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8 Unique Alabama Spots Where You Can Volunteer And Save Forgotten Wildlife

A raccoon has absolutely no respect for your plans. Neither does a hawk. That is part of the fun of volunteering at Alabama...

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Oregon Has a Pizza Place That Puts Wildly Unexpected Toppings on the Menu

Predictable toppings don't stand a chance on this Oregon menu. Whoever's running the kitchen clearly gets bored easily, and pizza benefits from it.

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These Hidden New Hampshire Islands Feel Like A Faraway Escape Just Off The Coast

A short boat ride can take you somewhere that feels like a completely different world, and these hidden islands off the New Hampshire coast prove that point beautifully. The moment...

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9 Maryland Restaurants With Thousands of Reviews That Made Us Wonder What All the Fuss Is About

Some restaurants have a following. Others have thousands of reviews and a reputation that precedes them. This list highlights...

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Diamondback Terrapins Steal The Show At This Fascinating New Jersey Wetlands Center

A turtle crossing the road might not seem like a big deal. But at this New Jersey wetlands center, saving those turtles is a full-time mission.

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9 Ohio Places Where Furnaces, Factories, and Company Towns Were Left Behind

Glassy black slag on an Ohio hiking trail turned out to be a piece of an industry that once lit up entire valleys, and I did not know what I was holding the first time I found...

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The Once-Quiet Minnesota Lake Town That Fall Crowds Have Completely Taken Over In The Last Few Years

Quiet used to describe this lake town accurately. That word barely applies anymore once fall arrives and crowds show up in numbers nobody predicted a few years back.

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This Oklahoma Park Has A Waterfall Where Chisholm Trail Cattle Once Stopped For Water

That natural spring bubbling up in the middle of an Oklahoma city stopped me cold. I had pulled off a quiet street expecting a plain park with a few benches and maybe a swing set.

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This Adorable West Virginia Alpaca Farm Lets You Wander The Field And Feed Its Fluffy, Friendly Herd

Some of the best afternoons in West Virginia start when you turn off a winding country road not quite sure what you'll find. Tucked into rolling green pastures sits a little farm...

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Pick Your Own Flowers At These 12 New Jersey Farms From April Through October

From April through October, the fields become a colorful free for all where you are the head florist. This is not a passive...

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This West Virginia Stone Bridge Was Laid in 1832—And You Can Still Walk Across Its Three Arches Today

Somewhere in West Virginia, tucked along a quiet creek, sits a stone crossing so old it feels like stepping into another century. You could drive right past it, never guessing...

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A California Desert Town Still Has a Stone Jail Built Into a Giant Boulder

House-sized chunks of granite scattered across a mountain valley caught my attention on the winding drive up to a high California lake, and the idea that early settlers looked...

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This Little-Known 700-Acre Alabama Farm Is A Hidden Paradise For Rescued Horses

Somebody always falls for the same horse. It usually happens without permission. One horse looks up. You look back.

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There’s a Tiny Oregon Theater Where You Can Watch Independent Movies in a Historic Alley

Alleys rarely double as addresses, let alone home to an actual movie theater. This one does exactly that, tucked into a historic passage most visitors wouldn't think to explore.

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This Beloved Virginia Shop Keeps Cheese Lovers Coming Back To The Counter

Some shops are worth visiting for the atmosphere alone. This beloved Virginia shop keeps cheese lovers coming back to the counter, and it is easy to see why.

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These 11 Virginia Craft Schools Made Us Appreciate Handmade Work In A Whole New Way

Handmade work is easy to take for granted. A pottery bowl, a woven basket, a carved wooden spoon. They look simple, but they...

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This Walkable New Jersey Lake Town Is A Must-Visit Summer Escape

Summer crowds can feel like a test of patience. Parking lots overflow, beaches buzz with noise, and boardwalks pulse with chaos. Yet...

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This Small Texas Mexican Joint Is Cash-Only But People Still Crowd In For The Food

The sign on the door says cash only. The line out the door says it does not matter. This small Texas Mexican joint has built...

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Grab your mittens because these 6 Ohio sledding hills give kids the fastest winter rides

There is something magical about the first big snowfall in Ohio, when a plain grassy slope suddenly becomes the fastest ride in town. Every winter, families across the state chase...

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A Georgia Gold Mine Still Takes Visitors Underground Where Miners Once Chased Veins of Gold

Cool air and dripping water surrounded me the moment the tunnel door closed behind our group on a hillside in Georgia, and I did not expect to be swallowed whole by a mountain...

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Minnesota Has a Restaurant That Became Famous for Its Take on the Midwest Supper Club

Supper clubs used to define an entire era of Midwest dining, then slowly started fading from most cities entirely. This Minnesota restaurant refused to let that tradition disappear...

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This Lakeside Oklahoma Grill Stacks Bacon Brisket And Pulled Pork Onto One Half-Pound Burger

The gravel crunching under my tires and the smoke drifting from a little building tucked into the woods near the lake told me I had found the right spot. I kept checking my phone...

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You Can Hike Around A Wooded Lake Then Cool Off At The Beach In This Missouri State Park

The trail dips beneath a canopy of oak and hickory, and the sound of the lake grows closer with each step. A three-and-a-half-mile loop circles the water, offering shaded stretches...

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You Can Get Lost In A Sixteen-Acre Corn Maze And Stay For A Campfire At This Missouri Farm

Corn stalks brushed together in the wind, a dry rustle that followed me as soon as I stepped off the gravel lot. I had heard about the sixteen?acre maze outside a Missouri town,...

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We Ranked 10 Of The Top Steakhouses In New Jersey And Here’s Who Made The Cut

Ranking steakhouses is the kind of job that sounds easy until the first perfectly cooked ribeye lands on the table and suddenly everyone has opinions.

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Brick Ruins and an Old Powerhouse Are All That Remain of This South Carolina Textile Mill

Water spilled over an old mill dam, a steady rush that reached me before I even saw the brick, and I pulled off a narrow South Carolina road expecting a quick photo stop. I ended...

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This Outrageously Delicious Indiana Cheesesteak Spot Is Worth Driving From Anywhere

The menu has become a witness. It has seen people come in saying they are “just looking.” It has seen them order the same cheesesteak they swore they would not get again.

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10 Secret Indiana Diners Known For Obscenely Large Portions That Seem Unreal

Some families argue about politics. Others argue about who gets the last pancake. The second argument is usually more productive....

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10 Virginia Dog Walking Spots That Make An Everyday Walk Feel Like A Proper Outing

Walking the dog is usually a quick loop around the block. But Virginia has spots that turn an everyday walk into a proper outing, places where both you and your dog can enjoy the...

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These 9 Historic Virginia Parks Made The Past Feel Much Closer Than We Expected

History is usually something you read about or see behind glass. But these historic Virginia parks make the past feel much closer than expected.

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