My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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This Missouri Museum Makes You Feel Giant Inside Rooms Built At Fine-Scale Miniature Size

A staircase leads up to a world where a teacup fits in the palm of your hand and a grand piano is smaller than a paperback book.

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Oklahoma’s Oldest Bar Still Draws Crowds With Fried Chicken And An Eight-Item Menu

There is a place in Oklahoma where the menu has not changed in decades and the building has been around since the late eighteen hundreds.

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10 Historic New Jersey Sacred Sites That Will Make You Feel Like You’ve Stepped Back In Time

History has a way of lingering in certain places, and these sacred sites practically vibrate with it. New Jersey holds a collection...

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11 Pizza Taverns In New Hampshire Adored By The Locals

You know those places where the pizza is so good that people drive across town just for a slice? New Hampshire has a collection of local pizza taverns that are adored by the locals,...

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This New Jersey Wildlife Area Is A Nearly 6,000-Acre Salt Marsh Peninsula With A Road That Never Reached The Shore

Nobody warned me that a road could feel like a plot twist. One minute you're driving through a regular New Jersey town, and...

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This Maryland Indian Buffet Is a Locals-Only Secret Worth Finding

Buffets can be a gamble. Sometimes the food is sad and dried out, other times it is a feast worth writing home about. This...

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This Oregon Street Doesn’t Go From Block to Block, It Goes From Bottom to Top

Forget streets that go from block to block. This one goes from bottom to top, and it is the only one of its kind in the entire country.

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9 Haunted Cemeteries In New Hampshire That Locals Say Are Too Creepy To Ignore

I have always been drawn to old cemeteries. There is something peaceful about them, but there is also something unsettling. The...

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The Missouri Trail That Ends At A Volcanic View Most Visitors Never Realize Is There

What if the oldest rocks in the country were hiding at the top of a Missouri trail? Some of the most ancient exposed rock in the United States awaits hikers at the summit of a...

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You Can Buy Animal Food And Pet Giraffes At This Family-Run Zoo In Rural West Virginia

A giraffe will eat right out of your hand. That is the kind of wild you get here. This is a small family-run zoo tucked into...

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This New Jersey Shop Is A Must-Try For Its Crispy Korean Corn Dogs And Vibrant Mochi Donuts

You have had a good donut. You have had a decent corn dog. But you have never had anything quite like this.

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This Serene Alabama Creek Paddling Trail Winds Miles Through Lily Pad Marshes Filled With Bald Eagles

Grab a paddle, leave the noise behind, and get ready for the kind of outdoor adventure that feels surprisingly peaceful. In Alabama, a quiet creek winds through marshy landscapes...

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A Family-Run Hawaiian Drive-In on This Island Has Been Serving the Same Plate Lunches for Generations

Hawaii has a spot that has been serving up consistency and heart since 1961, and the moment you pull up to that colorful rainbow overhang, you feel it.

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This Homey Oregon Restaurant Serves Grilled Steaks and Seafood With Panoramic Ocean Views

Steam rises from a perfectly grilled steak, and the Pacific stretches out like a living painting. This Oregon restaurant serves up comfort food with a side of breathtaking scenery.

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This New Hampshire Restaurant Feast Is So Exceptionally Rich The Taste Lingers For Days

A friend told me about this place months ago, and I finally made the trip on a crisp autumn afternoon. The drive through the countryside was beautiful, but nothing prepared me...

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This Famous New Hampshire Ice Cream Shop Serves Scoops That Locals Keep All to Themselves

Some places are too good to share. The locals know this, and they keep the secret to themselves. This famous New Hampshire ice...

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This 22-Acre Maryland Escape Feels Like You’ve Stepped Into the French Countryside

Some places make you forget where you are, and that is a wonderful thing. Twenty two acres of gardens, topiary sculptures, and peaceful paths, this Maryland escape feels like a...

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This Tennessee Waterfall Has a Natural Slide That Rivals Anything You’d Find at a Water Park

A wide rock slab with water fanning across it like nature's own waterslide sat in front of me in Tennessee. I laughed out loud...

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Plant Lovers Keep Returning To This Massive Oregon Garden Center Year After Year

Plant lovers keep circling back to this Oregon garden center like bees to a blooming rose. It is a botanical wonderland that never gets old.

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This Minnesota Spot Serves the Most Authentic Fish & Chips Outside the UK

The batter is golden and shatters with every bite. The fish inside stays flaky and moist, never greasy or overcooked. It is exactly what you would find in a London pub, but it...

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The Best Cheap Oklahoma Road Trip Winds Across A Mountain Ridge With A New View Around Every Bend

You do not need a big budget for a great Oklahoma road trip. One of the best rides in the state is a stretch of highway that runs along a mountain ridge, with a new view around...

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This Missouri Farm Supply Store Serves A No-Frills Homemade Lunch You Would Never Expect To Find There

You pull into a gravel lot expecting feed bags and fence posts. A sign on the door lists a few everyday items, but that is your first clue that this Missouri country store is not...

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This West Virginia National Forest Has Over 800 Miles Of Trails And Nearly One Million Acres Of Wild Terrain

Eight hundred miles of trails and nearly one million acres of pure wild terrain. That is not a forest, that is an entire world waiting to be explored.

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This West Virginia Pizzeria Was Crowned Best Pizza By Over A Thousand WVU Students

Over a thousand hungry students cast their votes, and this pizzeria took the crown with a landslide of cheese loving Mountaineers.

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This Hidden 1,100-Acre Alabama Preserve Is Packed With Secret Caves And Waterfall Trails

What if your next outdoor adventure led you somewhere that felt completely removed from everyday life? In Alabama, there is a massive natural escape where winding trails, hidden...

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This South Carolina Beach Access Feels Like the Coastline Before It Was Discovered

The only way to reach that South Carolina beach is by boat, which means the sand stays wide open and the birds outnumber the people. I stumbled across that spot while looking for...

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This Minnesota Glamping Spot Puts You in a Luxe Canvas Tent Across the Street From a State Park

Canvas walls, cozy beds, and the great outdoors - all without the hassle of wrestling a tent in the dark. This Minnesota glamping spot offers a chic escape just steps from a state...

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This Beatles Themed Pub In Virginia Has Been Entertaining Fans Since 1982

You walk through the door and the music hits you first. Not in a loud, overwhelming way, but like a familiar friend. This Virginia...

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This Virginia Eatery Features Award-Winning Dim Sum And Authentic Chinese Comfort Food

Dim sum is one of those foods that demands to be shared. The baskets stack up on the table, each one holding a different offering, and the conversation flows as freely as the tea.

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You Can Browse Books In Six Languages While Sipping Authentic Turkish Tea At This New Jersey Bookstore

You are not just looking at a book, you are holding a passport to another culture in your hands. This bookstore boasts a stunning...

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This Texas Vintage Store Is Filled With Antiques, Oddities, And Finds You Never Knew You Needed

A vintage store is dangerous. I say that with affection. This Texas spot is packed with antiques, oddities, and things you...

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Families Have Flocked to This Oregon Speedway for 70 Years of High-Octane Action

The roar of engines is the first thing you hear, a deep rumble that vibrates through the grandstands even before the first green flag drops. This iconic quarter-mile clay oval...

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North Carolina’s Midnight Hole Is So Deep and Cold, You’ll Forget It’s Summer

Water so cold it takes your breath away, deep emerald green, framed by massive boulders and a small waterfall. That pool in North Carolina looked like something the forest had...

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This Roadside Oklahoma Steakhouse Turns Smoked Bologna Into An Open-Faced Local Legend

Smoked bologna might sound like a humble choice at a steakhouse, but in Oklahoma, it's a local legend that has earned nicknames like "Oklahoma tenderloin" and "Oklahoma prime rib"....

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This Chic Missouri European Cafe Serves Up Incredible Scratch-Made Pastries And Brunch Right On The Town Square

The chocolate croissant shatters just enough, and the butter in the pastry tastes like it was made for a slower kind of morning.

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This Museum Is New Jersey’s Largest And Features A Tibetan Altar Blessed By The Dalai Lama

This place is not just New Jersey's biggest museum, it is a global treasure chest. The crown jewel sits quietly in the Asian...

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This Secret 241-Acre Indiana Oasis Features Hidden Lagoons And An Isolated Walking Path Island

Have you ever stumbled across a place that makes you wonder how you never heard about it before? In Indiana, there is a hidden outdoor escape where you can trade busy days for...

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You Can Find Authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice and Poke Bowls at This Unassuming Nevada Spot

That little counter-serve spot in a Nevada strip mall has been quietly serving some of the most genuinely Hawaiian food you can find anywhere on the mainland. The name alone carries...

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This Artsy Indiana Beach Blends Wild National Park Trails With Vibrant Street Art Masterpieces

Some places have a way of surprising you when you least expect it, especially when they combine natural beauty with a creative local spirit. In Indiana, there is a lakeside community...

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10 Virginia Small Towns That Refuse To Sell Their Soul For Tourist Dollars

There is a certain kind of small town that has figured out what matters. The main street is still full of local shops, not chain stores.

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At Under $16 For Lunch, This Virginia Buffet Is An Economical Feast With Sushi And Seafood

You can find a cheap lunch anywhere. But an economical feast with sushi and seafood? That takes a special place. At under sixteen...

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One Visit To This Texas Market Usually Turns Into A Basket Full Of Unexpected Finds

Walk in for a quick look. Leave with a basket full of things you did not even know you needed. That is the danger of this Texas...

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A California Food Truck Is Serving Kalua Pig and Garlic Shrimp That Taste Like They Came Straight from the Islands

Kalua pig, garlic shrimp, and a scoop of rice that tastes like it came straight from a North Shore truck. California has a spot that does Hawaiian food right, and the moment the...

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With All That Driftwood and Salt Air This South Carolina Beach Feels Like the End of the Earth

Massive, bleached tree skeletons rise from the sand along a stretch of South Carolina coastline, and the salt air hits you before you even reach the shore.

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Tourists Ruined This Once-Perfect Oregon Swimming Hole and Locals Still Aren’t Over It

That mesmerizing turquoise water once felt like a secret worth protecting. Then the secret got out, and everything changed. What was a peaceful Oregon spot is now a crowded, chaotic...

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Tennessee’s Lake Has Coves So Quiet, You’ll Hear Your Own Echo

Tennessee has a lake where the water runs an impossible shade of emerald green, the hills roll softly in every direction, and the only sound is a single bird somewhere deep in...

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This Indiana Town Tops Happiness For Schools, Short Commutes & Old-World Historic Charm

There is something special about an Indiana community that seems to balance the best parts of the past with the conveniences people look for today. Some towns manage to keep their...

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This Massive Alabama Liquidation Store Has Rapid Price Drops That Feel Like A Complete Typo

If you have ever spotted a price tag so low it made you do a double-take, you already know the thrill of a great liquidation find. A unique bargain store in Pelham, Alabama is...

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This Hidden Alabama Food Truck Serves Up Authentic Puerto Rican Comfort Food Only Locals Know About

Some of the best food you will ever eat comes from the most unexpected places. A food truck in Madison, Alabama is quietly winning over hearts one plate at a time.

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9 Best Free Beaches In Virginia For Families Who Love The Shore

The beach is the best place for a family day. Sun, sand, and waves that keep the kids entertained for hours. But parking and...

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This Maryland Seafood Spot Brings Out Platters So Massive You Won’t Know Where to Start

Some seafood platters are modest. A few shrimp, a piece of fish, and a side. And then there are the platters that demand attention....

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This Former Minnesota Dive Bar Is Now a Destination for Peanut Butter & Jelly Burgers and Chainsaw Art

The peanut butter and jelly burger sounds like a dare, but here it is a menu legend that people actually crave. This spot started as a humble dive bar in 1934, a place where locals...

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9 Texas Restaurants Inside Hotels Worth Visiting Even If You’re Not Staying There

Texas has a way of making every meal feel like an event, and some of the best proof of that is hiding right inside hotel lobbies. I've driven across this state chasing good food,...

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This Maryland Yarn Shop Is a Paradise for Knitters and Crocheters

Yarn shops are more than just places to buy supplies. They are communities. A place where knitters and crocheters gather, share...

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9 Texas’ Secret Spots That Feel Like a Full Vacation Escape

A secret spot that feels like a full vacation is a true treasure, and Texas has plenty of them. These hidden locations offer a sense of escape and tranquility that can transport...

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This Oklahoma Bakery Is Making Waves With Organic Flour Artisan Breads And Zero Preservatives

A family-run bakery in Oklahoma has been quietly building a reputation on a few simple principles. The flour is organic, the fermentation is slow, and the preservatives are nowhere...

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This West Virginia Greenhouse Has Been A Plant Lover’s Paradise Since 1944

Since 1944, this West Virginia greenhouse has been the ultimate paradise for anyone who loves getting their hands dirty. What...

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Indiana’s Grand Tudor-Gothic Masterpiece Doubles As One Of The World’s Largest Masonic Buildings

Some buildings do more than just stand tall. A remarkable cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana is one of those rare places that genuinely stops you in your tracks.

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This Hidden Indiana Farm Resort Lets You Vacation Inside A Luxury Barn Right Next To A Robotic Dairy Farm

Not every hotel makes you feel like you have stepped into a different world entirely. A one-of-a-kind farm resort in Fair Oaks, Indiana does exactly that, sitting alongside a working...

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This Beautiful Town Still Feels Like The Way Texas Used To Be

A town that still feels like the Texas of the past is a rare and beautiful thing. This spot has managed to hold onto its historic charm, with well-preserved 19th-century architecture...

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