amara blake author at My Family Travels
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This Tiny Virginia Village Was The Original Capital Of The Colony

Before Richmond, before Williamsburg, there was a muddy little village that started it all. You have probably heard the name, but you might not realize just how tiny and scrappy...

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This 4,500-Acre Virginia Park Seems Normal At First, Until You Stumble Into Its Whimsical Forest

You walk through the entrance, find a parking spot, and start down a trail. Everything seems normal. Trees, rocks, the usual...

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This Virginia Park Offers High-Flying Zipline Views Of The River

There are two ways to see the river. You can stand on the bank and look out across the water, which is lovely and calm. Or you...

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This 1646 Virginia Site Is North America’s Oldest Indian Reservation

When people think of reservations in North America, their minds usually go west. But the oldest one is actually right here in Virginia, established in the 1600s, long before most...

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This Virginia Town Is Secretly The Data Center Capital Of The World

You have probably never heard of this place. That is by design. While most people drive past on their way to somewhere else,...

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This Stunning Emerald Reservoir Stands As Virginia’s Most Tropical-Looking Hidden Wonder

Forget the Caribbean for a minute. Seriously. Put down the passport and look closer to home.

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Most Virginia’s BBQ Joints Are Doing Texas Style But This One Refuses To Follow The Crowd

Texas has a stranglehold on BBQ culture and honestly, it is getting a little boring. Walk into most smoke joints across Virginia and you will find brisket this, beef that, and...

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This Virginia Soul Food Spot Offers An All-You-Can-Eat Sunday Buffet With Golden Fried Chicken And Rotating Seafood

Sunday is for church, naps, and soul food. That is just a fact. And this Virginia restaurant has turned the last one into an...

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This Virginia Coastal Town Is The Perfect Hidden Gem For Your Spring Break Escape

Okay, hot take: the most underrated spring break spot on the East Coast is not a big flashy city or a packed tourist trap. It is a tiny, sun-kissed coastal town tucked onto Virginia's...

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This Sustainable Virginia Estate Is The Birthplace Of Earth Day

I had no idea that Earth Day started right here in Virginia. Not until I visited this quiet estate tucked into the countryside, surrounded by fields and forests that look like...

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This Virginia Coastal Village Offers A Relaxing Escape Into The Past

Some places shout for your attention. This one just whispers. Tucked along the water in Virginia, there is a coastal village...

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Virginia’s Iconic 15,000-Square-Foot Tool Paradise Is A Dream Destination For Builders And DIYers

Walk into most hardware stores and what do you get? Fluorescent lights, confused employees, and a sinking feeling that you are about to buy the wrong thing.

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This Haunted Virginia Tavern Has A Ghost Who Crashes Parties In The Ballroom Then Disappears

Imagine dancing the night away and then realizing you have an uninvited guest. An old fashioned one. This historic tavern has...

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Northern Virginia Says Their Barbecue Is Best But This Central Virginia Spot Isn’t Even Listening

Barbecue arguments are the oldest fights in the South. Northern Virginia keeps talking. This place keeps cooking. While everyone...

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This Scenic Virginia Trail Is Lined With Intricate Tree Carvings That Turn The Forest Into An Open-Air Gallery

Blink and you might miss it, but just outside Warsaw, Virginia, a stretch of forest transforms into something unforgettable. Along a quiet trail, living trees are carved and painted...

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This Virginia Village Serves As A Living Museum Of The Civil War’s Final Days In 1865

History books have a way of making everything feel flat and finished. This place does the opposite. You walk down a dusty lane...

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This Massive Virginia Revolving Restaurant Features A City View That Locals Are Rediscovering

You have probably driven past it a hundred times without a second glance. A hotel. A parking garage. Nothing special from the...

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This Small Virginia Town Sits At 3,000 Feet And Offers The Most Stargazing Spots On The East Coast

Perched nearly 3,000 feet above sea level in the rolling highlands of Virginia, there is a tiny community that makes astronomers, hikers, and road-trippers completely lose their...

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This Hidden Virginia Waterfall Is So Perfect It Looks Straight Out Of A Fantasy Film

Virginia is full of surprises, and some of the best ones are tucked deep inside its ancient forests. I stumbled onto a waterfall so jaw-dropping, so lush, and so impossibly cinematic...

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This Former Virginia Slave Plantation Now Offers Lavish Wedding Packages

A grand mansion in the Shenandoah Valley has become the center of a debate that cuts straight through modern wedding culture. Can a place once tied to slavery be reimagined as...

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The Haunted Virginia Inn Where Spirits Join You For Dinner

Walk through the front door and the past feels uncomfortably close. One historic inn dating back to the late 1700s holds onto more than just its long history.

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This Virginia Destination Offers A Deep Dive Into Traditional Yemeni And Arabic Cuisine

Every now and then, a place completely resets your expectations of what great food can be. Virginia offers plenty of strong dining options, but this one stands out the moment you...

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The Birthplace Of A U.S. President In Virginia That Is Still Guarded By 83 Documented Spirits

The air changes the second you step inside, as if the past is still lingering just beneath the surface. In Virginia, there stands an estate that has been collecting stories since...

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This Virginia World-Class Museum Features Over 200 Rare And Iconic Aircraft

Virginia is home to one of the most jaw-dropping aviation museums on the planet, and most people have no idea it exists. Tucked right next to a major international airport, this...

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The Stunning 18-Foot-Tall Native American Sculpture In Virginia That Most Tourists Walk Right Past

History reveals its surprises in unexpected places. Many travelers pass through Virginia focused on colonial forts and battlefield markers, overlooking a striking bronze figure...

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This Virginia Literary Garden Is A Spring Dream Come True For Bibliophiles

Spring in Virginia hits differently when you find yourself standing inside a garden inspired by a poem about paradise. This enchanted outdoor space blends literary history with...

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The Coolest Place To Shop In Virginia Is This Antique Shop In A Massive Historic Barn

You don’t expect a barn to feel like an adventure, but this one makes it impossible to walk past without stepping inside. In Virginia, a towering red structure from another era...

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10 Affordable Virginia Adventures That Feel Expensive

Virginia has a way of making you feel like a millionaire without actually spending like one. From misty mountain overlooks to centuries-old estates dripping in history, this state...

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One Of Virginia’s Oldest Brick Churches Has Been Standing Since The 1680s

Most drivers pass it without a second glance, and that might be the wildest part. In Virginia, a centuries-old brick church stands quietly, holding layers of history that reach...

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Tourists Overwhelmed This Tiny Virginia Beach Town Locals Once Loved

Locals are starting to talk, and not always in whispers. A tiny waterfront town on Virginia's Eastern Shore has gone from a sleepy, well-kept secret to a full-blown summer sensation,...

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This Historic Virginia Town Is The Ham Capital Of The World

Okay, so I have a bold claim to make: there is one small Virginia town that out-porks, out-charms, and out-histories just about every place on the East Coast. Tucked in the heart...

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This Fresh-Made Donut Shop In Virginia Is A Sweet Tooth Comfort Food Classic

Out on a winding stretch of Virginia highway, one stop has a way of pulling drivers off the road without a second thought. Surrounded by rolling hills and open countryside, this...

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This Artisanal Chocolate Shop In Virginia Feels Like A Little Slice Of Europe

One step inside this chocolate shop and everything else fades into the background. The space feels like a cozy European chocolatier, filled with the scent of rich cocoa and displays...

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This Remote All-You-Can-Eat Tavern In Virginia Is So Exceptional It’s Worth The Longest Drive

Okay, let's settle something once and for all. Is a two-hour drive through the rolling hills of Virginia worth it for a lunch spot?

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This Artistic Virginia Coffee Sanctuary Combines Gourmet Roasts With A Serene Community Atmosphere

Certain places feel instantly personal, as if they were designed with intention for anyone who walks through the door. In Falls Church, one coffee spot has built that kind of reputation,...

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This Remote Virginia Island Is Home To One Of NASA’s Most Massive Space Flight Centers

Forget everything you think you know about quiet barrier islands off the Virginia coast. Tucked along the Eastern Shore of Accomack County sits a sliver of land that punches way...

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10 Iconic Virginia Dining Institutions Where Scoring A Table Requires Booking Weeks In Advance

Virginia has a dining scene that punches way above its weight, and locals know it. Across the rolling hills of the Shenandoah, the charming streets of Richmond, and the breezy...

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This Crystal-Filled Virginia Corner Is A Zen Seeker’s Paradise

Between mountain views and fast-paced suburbs, Virginia still finds ways to surprise you, and this quiet corner of Herndon is proof. Along an unassuming street, a long-standing...

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This Historic Virginia Museum Is Home To The World’s Oldest Edible Ham Which Is Over 120 Years Old

In a quiet Virginia town, a ham has been patiently aging since 1902, and it somehow lives up to the hype. Smithfield, known as the Ham Capital of the World, is home to this unlikely...

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Why You Need To Visit This Car-Free Virginia Island Right Now

Forget everything you think you know about Virginia beach destinations. Sitting roughly 12 miles out in the Chesapeake Bay, there is a tiny, car-free island that feels like it...

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This Charming Virginia Restaurant Serves Traditional Afghan Comfort Food Worth Traveling For

Some restaurants just have that rare, magnetic pull that makes you rearrange your entire week to get a table. There is a cozy Afghan gem in Springfield that locals fiercely protect...

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This Virginia State Park Features A Breakwater Made Of Nine Sunken Concrete Ships

Picture a quiet stretch of beach where the horizon is broken by something strange. Nine massive concrete ships sit just offshore, slowly sinking into the waters of the Chesapeake...

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This Virginia Coal Town Is So Perfectly Preserved It Feels Like The Miners Just Left

Some places freeze time so completely that walking through them feels less like tourism and more like trespassing on history. One small Tazewell County town has kept its coal-era...

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This Virginia Highway Is A 348-Mile Treasure Map Of Vintage Finds And Historic Stops

Forget the interstate. There is a slower, far more rewarding road cutting through the heart of Virginia, and it has been hiding in plain sight for decades.

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This High-Flying Virginia Adventure Park Lets You Race Through The Treetops

Forget the beach for a minute. Virginia Beach has a secret that lives above the sand, above the crowds, and way above your comfort zone. I stumbled onto this place and honestly...

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Virginia’s Best-Kept Geological Secret Is A 400-Million-Year-Old Rock Maze

Somewhere deep in the Appalachian highlands of Virginia, a sandstone labyrinth sits quietly at the top of a mountain, waiting for the curious and the bold. Most people drive right...

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The Incredible Second-Hand Shop In Virginia Is Hiding Rare Collectibles That Could Be Worth A Fortune

Locals have been debating this for years: is this little shop in Virginia truly the best antique destination in the state, or is it just a well-kept secret that tourists haven't...

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This Virginia Arboretum Offers A Magical Blend Of Wild Forests And Sculpted Gardens

Some places just stop you in your tracks, and this botanical gem tucked inside a Virginia university campus is absolutely one of them. Sprawling across more than a hundred acres,...

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This Shadowy Virginia Trail Deep In The Woods Is A Nightmare Journey You Won’t Soon Forget

Some places in Virginia earn their reputation the hard way, one scream at a time. Tucked deep in the woods of Purcellville, there is a haunted trail experience so wildly immersive...

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This Tiny Virginia Diner Is A Living Piece Of Americana That Feels Like A Set From A Mid-Century Road Movie

Some places just stop time. Tucked into the heart of downtown Roanoke, Virginia, there is a tiny diner that has been slinging comfort classics since 1930, and somehow, nothing...

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A Shadowy Pier In Virginia That Even The Bravest Locals Avoid After Midnight

Some places earn their reputation in daylight, but this one earns it after dark. Tucked along the Potomac River in Virginia, a certain pier has become the stuff of local legend,...

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This Majestic 34-Foot Virginia Lord Of The Waves Is The Perfect Photo-Op On The Atlantic

Standing tall on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, a bronze giant commands the Atlantic with a trident in hand and the ocean at his back. This is King Neptune, Virginia Beach's most...

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10 Top Restaurants Along Virginia’s Atlantic Coastline To Visit

Virginia's Atlantic coastline is one of those rare places where the scenery and the food compete equally for your attention. Stretching from the lively Virginia Beach boardwalk...

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The Only Thing That Tops This Virginia Breakfast Is The Unbelievable View

Perched four stories above the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia, there is a breakfast spot so breathtaking that your eggs might actually get cold while you stare out the window....

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This Massive Mennonite Buffet In Virginia Is Actually Worth The Long Road Trip

Some places are worth every single mile, and this sprawling buffet tucked in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is proof of that. Rooted in Mennonite cooking traditions, it serves up...

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This Virginia Museum Chronicles The Lives Of Both Settlers And Indigenous Peoples

Think you know the real story behind America's first permanent English colony? Most history books skip the messy parts, the cultural clashes, and the daily grind of survival that...

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This Scenic Mountaintop Restaurant In Virginia Feels Like A Fairytale

Somewhere along Skyline Drive in Virginia, tucked into the misty ridgeline of Shenandoah National Park, sits a dining room that genuinely stops you in your tracks. Mountaintop...

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This Massive Virginia Smorgasbord Is A Southern Comfort Food Dream Worth Traveling For

Somewhere in Portsmouth, Virginia, there is a place that makes grown adults call their grandmothers just to say thank you. Locals know it.

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This Virginia Diner Has Been Crafting Pure Nostalgia And Legendary Milkshakes For Generations

What makes a diner truly unforgettable? Is it the perfectly crispy hash browns, the milkshakes thick enough to stand a spoon in, or that retro vibe that transports you straight...

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Step Inside The Twisted Virginia Beach Nightmare That Has Been Haunting The Oceanfront For Generations

Think you know scary? Think again. Tucked along the bustling Virginia Beach boardwalk sits a terror trap that has been making...

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