My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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You Have To Try The Biscuits And Gravy At This Little New Jersey Spot

There are some meals that stop you mid-bite and make you forget everything else around you. That happened to me on a quiet...

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This Peaceful Indiana Village Is The Ultimate Stress-Detox

I still remember the first time I drove into Zionsville on a quiet Saturday morning. The brick-paved streets, the smell of fresh coffee drifting from a nearby cafe, and the sound...

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The Maryland Amish-Style Market Locals Treat Like Their Best-Kept Comfort Food Secret

Do you need a comfort food spot that feels like a secret, even when the parking lot says otherwise? The Pennsylvania Dutch Market of Hagerstown is the Maryland Amish-style market...

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8 Small-Town Texas Diners That Still Serve Breakfast the Old-Fashioned Way

There is something about pulling into a small Texas town before the morning fog lifts that makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. The kind of places I am talking about...

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This All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Spot In Virginia Is A Seafood Lover’s Paradise

Can an all-you-can-eat restaurant actually serve high-quality sushi that rivals fine dining spots? That's the debate sparking up across Virginia, and there's one name at the center...

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A Full-Day Ride On New Mexico’s Vintage Scenic Railroad With A Lunch Stop People Brag About

Ready to spend a whole day on a train that makes the landscape feel like the main event? The Cumbres And Toltec Scenic Railroad is New Mexico vintage rail magic, and the full-day...

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This Oregon Food Cart Pod Is Basically a Mini Culinary Vacation

Picture this: you're craving Thai food, your friend wants a gyro, and someone else is dreaming about fresh sushi. At most places, you'd have to compromise or split up.

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Influencer Pins Ruined These Michigan Hidden Beaches That Weren’t Built For Crowds

One viral pin is all it takes to turn a quiet beach into a line. Michigan has hidden beaches that were never built for crowds, and influencer posts can flip them from peaceful...

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This Tiny Oklahoma Town Is Full of Route 66 History and Quirky Charm

I’ve driven through plenty of small towns that blur together after a while. Chandler didn’t. The moment I rolled into town...

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California Has An Abandoned Gold Rush Town Preserved In Arrested Decay

Your brain expects a ghost town, then Bodie gives you a frozen world. Bodie State Historic Park sits high in California’s eastern Sierra, preserved in arrested decay so the past...

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This Nostalgic Candy Store In New Jersey Is Packed With Sweet Memories

There is something about walking into a candy store that instantly makes you feel like a kid again, no matter how old you are, right?

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Indiana’s Massive Candy Hub Where You Can See the World’s Best Gummies Being Made

I still remember the first time I walked through the doors of the Albanese Candy Factory Store in Merrillville, Indiana, and got hit with that warm, sweet smell of fresh gummies....

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This Amish Breakfast Buffet In Ohio Is The Weekend Plan People Do Not Cancel

Your weekend is officially booked the moment you smell this breakfast line. Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen in Ohio is the kind of Amish breakfast buffet people do not cancel, because...

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This Massive Virginia Thrift Store Is A Goldmine With 250+ Secret Vendors Inside

Think all thrift stores are created equal? Think again. Tucked along a busy Richmond road sits a sprawling treasure palace that...

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New York Has An Abandoned Island Castle That Makes The Hudson Feel A Little Haunted

Your boat ride feels normal until Bannerman Castle shows up and the Hudson starts acting haunted. Sitting on Pollepel Island, this abandoned-looking ruin has a dramatic silhouette...

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One Small Texas Town With Historic Streets and Surprisingly Great Shops

Nacogdoches, Texas caught me completely off guard, and honestly, that is the best kind of travel surprise. Hidden into the pine-covered hills of East Texas, this small city carries...

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Indiana’s Hot Pot and Sushi Oasis That Feels Like a Culinary Playground

I never thought I would find a place in Indianapolis that genuinely felt like a culinary adventure every single visit, but Homey Hot Pot and Sushi Buffet on Lafayette Road proved...

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The Hash Browns At This Restaurant In Oregon Are So Good, They’ve Become A Local Favorite

Golden, crispy, and piled high on your plate, the hash browns at Pancake Mill Restaurant & Pie Shoppe have become the stuff of local legend in North Bend, Oregon.

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Eat Like It’s 1905 At This Iconic Historic Railcar Restaurant In Oklahoma

Some restaurants are just places to eat. And then there is Southern Belle Restaurant in Heavener, Oklahoma, where you sit inside an actual restored 1905 Kansas City Southern passenger...

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13 Under-The-Radar New Jersey Barbecue Chains Locals Say Are Worth Every Dollar

I’ve always believed barbecue belongs to the South, but traveling through New Jersey quickly challenged that assumption. What I discovered was a network of small, under-the-radar...

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This Indiana Gas Station Is Hiding The Best Ribs Of Your Life

I'll be honest. When a friend first told me to stop at a BBQ joint inside a gas station on South East Street, I laughed. It sounded...

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9 Beginner-Friendly Hikes In Virginia To Experience This Spring

Virginia has a way of making spring feel like a full-on celebration, with blooming wildflowers, rushing streams, and mountain views that stop you right in your tracks. The good...

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We Found a Texas Diner Serving a Chicken Fried Steak That Rivals the Legends

Some meals just stay with you long after the last bite. Jonathon's Diner on North Beckley Avenue in Dallas is one of those places that earns a permanent spot in your memory, not...

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This Oregon Railroad Bridge Hike Feels Like Walking Through History

Walking across the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge in Gold Beach feels like stepping onto a film set where history plays the leading role. This isn't just another concrete span over...

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The World’s Largest Concrete Totem Pole Stands Proud in a Hidden Oklahoma Park

I was not prepared for the first glimpse of Ed Galloway's Totem Pole Park. One minute I was cruising a quiet stretch of highway in northeast Oklahoma, the next I was pulling over...

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This Humble Restaurant In New Jersey Turns Sandwiches Into Pure Perfection

I walked in thinking, “How good can a sandwich really be?” Turns out, dangerously good. The bread was so fluffy I wanted...

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This Massive Historic Compound In Indiana Is A Dream Come True For Fans Of Weird History

I have to be honest with you. I almost drove past it. The Wayne County Historical Museum in Richmond, Indiana looks unassuming...

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Virginia’s Best-Kept Mac And Cheese Secret Is Hidden In The Wild

Think you know where to find the creamiest, most soul-satisfying comfort food in Virginia? Most folks cruise right past Pungo without realizing what they're missing.

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This West Texas Canyon Feels Like Entering A Vast And Untouched World

Standing at the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon for the first time, I felt like the earth had swallowed me whole in the best possible way. Towering limestone walls rise over 1,500...

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This Oregon Desert Feels Nothing Like the Rest of the State

Most people picture Oregon as a land of endless green forests, misty coastlines, and rain-soaked valleys. But tucked away in the southeastern corner of the state lies something...

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Oklahoma’s Vintage Paradise With Dozens of Dealers Under One Roof

The first time I walked into Time After Time Antique Mall in Fairland, I barely made it a few steps before I slowed down. Every direction I looked, there was something worth stopping...

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The Haunted New Jersey WWII Bunker That Keeps Visitors Wondering What Lurks Inside

Standing on a quiet stretch of Cape May beach, I spotted something that stopped me mid-step. A massive concrete structure, half-swallowed by sand and overgrowth, loomed ahead like...

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This Indiana Park Hides a Secret World Beneath Your Feet

I still remember the first time I walked into Spring Mill State Park and felt like I had stepped into two completely different worlds at once.

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This Small Virginia Eatery Is A Hole-In-The-Wall With Big Flavor

Think you know where Richmond's best breakfast lives? Spoiler alert: it's not in some shiny new brunch palace with Edison bulbs and overpriced avocado toast.

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This Texas Barbecue Joint’s Brisket Is So Good It’s What Everyone Orders

Smoke hangs in the air along Airline Drive, and it practically leads you straight to Pinkerton's Barbecue. Before I even reached the door, that deep scent of post oak had already...

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This Oregon Alpine Village Feels More Like Switzerland Than the Pacific Northwest

Mount Angel sits in Oregon's Willamette Valley like a postcard from the Alps that somehow got delivered to the wrong continent. Walk...

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This Legendary Oklahoma Chicken-Fried Steak Demands a Road Trip Detour

Let me tell you something right now: if you think you've had the best chicken-fried steak of your life, you probably haven't been to Kendall's in Noble, Oklahoma. This place isn't...

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The New Jersey Café Where You Can Sip Coffee While Soaking In Riverfront Views

There are some places you stumble upon that just stick with you, and The Stone Bean in Clinton, New Jersey is exactly that kind of place.

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This Hidden Gem Indiana Cafe Serves A Plate Of Biscuits And Gravy That Locals Call The Gold Standard

I have eaten breakfast at a lot of places around Indianapolis, but nothing quite prepared me for my first visit to Just Judy's. The moment I walked through the door, I felt like...

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Locals Claim This Virginia Buffet Is the Ultimate Cheat Day Spot

What if your next big splurge meal could include everything from crispy fried chicken to warm cinnamon rolls, all under one rustic roof? That's exactly what diners are raving about...

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10 Small Towns In Texas That Every Food Lover Should Visit

There is something about small-town Texas that gets under your skin in the best way possible. I first noticed it on a road trip through the Hill Country, when the smell of smoked...

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This Unassuming Bakery In Oregon Serves A Cinnamon Roll That’s Pure Perfection

Aurora, Oregon might not be on everyone's radar, but tucked along Pacific Highway East sits a bakery that's changing minds one cinnamon roll at a time. White Rabbit Bakery has...

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These Hidden Oklahoma Mineral Springs Are a Natural Spa Escape

Somewhere in the rolling hills of south-central Oklahoma, there is a place that feels like the land itself decided to offer you a gift.

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These Are 11 River Trails In New Jersey Locals Keep Off The Radar

There's a moment when you step onto a trail that barely shows up on any map, and something shifts. The air smells different, the trees lean in a little closer, and the sound of...

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Virginians Are Traveling Far And Wide To Try The Famous Homemade Apple Dumplings At This Small-Town Restaurant

Think your local spot makes the best donuts? Think again. Tucked along a scenic mountain highway, a legendary roadside stop has...

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10 No-Frills Restaurants In Virginia Serving Up Mouthwatering Smoked Barbecue Ribs

Virginia has a serious barbecue problem, and honestly, nobody wants it fixed. Across the state, smoky, fall-off-the-bone ribs are served from roadside shacks, retro luncheonettes,...

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One of the Most Overlooked Historic Parks in Texas Tells an Incredible Story

Tall pines close in around the road long before you reach the entrance, and by the time I stepped into Mission Tejas State Park, the noise of everything else had faded out. The...

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This Hidden Oregon Eatery Lets You Feast on Salmon Chowder for Just $10

Florence, Oregon holds a floating treasure that most travelers miss. A small metal shack bobbing on the Siuslaw River serves up some of the Pacific Northwest's most memorable seafood...

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This Hidden Oklahoma Depot Restaurant Is a Mouth-Watering Portal to Railroad History

I’ve had meals that were good. I’ve had meals that were memorable. But sitting in an old train depot in Waynoka, Oklahoma,...

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Wyoming Hot Spring Retreats With Big Views And Small Crowds

Your brain stops sprinting the second warm water meets cold air. Wyoming hot spring retreats feel like a real reset because the views are huge, the pace is slow, and the crowds...

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