aria ellison author at My Family Travels
Article
You Can Almost Smell the Strawberries as the West Tennessee Festival Kicks Off

You do not need a calendar to know when strawberry season hits West Tennessee. You can smell it. The whole town fills with...

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8 Wisconsin Buffets That Still Serve Portions Like It’s 1985

Wisconsin buffets are not for the faint of heart. They are for people who remember what portions used to look like before everything got small and expensive.

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Arizona’s Most Unexpectedly Amazing Shrimp Tacos Are At This Little Hideaway

Arizona is not the first place you think of for shrimp tacos. That would be Baja. Or San Diego. Or anywhere with a coast.

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The Best Weekend Ritual In Tennessee Happens At These 10 Farmers Markets

Tennessee knows how to do a weekend right. Sleep in a little. Grab some coffee. Then head to a farmers market where the parking...

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An Ohio Farm Serves Up Cuddly Animals By Day And A Haunted Circus That Will Mess With Your Head After Dark

Ohio has some weird spots, but this one takes the cake. During the day, it is all sunshine and soft fur. You can bottle feed...

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Lakefront Dining And Southern Comfort Food Await At This Beautiful Georgia Restaurant

You know that feeling when you find a restaurant that checks every box? Good food. Great view. A staff that actually seems happy...

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10 North Carolina Farmers Markets That Locals Love And You Will Too

North Carolina knows how to do a farmers market. Not those sad little setups with three tables and some wilted lettuce. Real...

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This Small-Town Iowa Restaurant Serves Soft Serve So Good, You’ll Plan Your Road Trip Around It

I have driven a long way for a lot of things. Concerts. Hikes. Visiting friends.

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No Amish Farms For Miles But Florida Still Has A Beloved Amish Market

Florida does not exactly scream Amish country. No rolling pastures. No horse drawn buggies. No sprawling dairy farms.

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In Nevada The Night Sky Is Disappearing As Light Pollution Steals The Stars

You used to look up in Nevada and see everything. The Milky Way stretching across the sky like a river of light. Thousands of...

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Shoppers Keep Spending Entire Days At This Connecticut Flea Market

I made a huge mistake. I showed up to this Connecticut flea market with only one hour to spare. That was nowhere near enough...

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This Ohio Coffeehouse Feels Like Stepping Into a Renaissance Painting With Every Sip

I have been to themed coffee shops before. Fake vintage signs. Maybe a chalkboard with a pretentious quote. This is not that.

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In This Georgia Town Time Stands Still And Rent Never Skyrocketed

You hear so much about places becoming unaffordable. Cities where rent has doubled in five years. Towns that got discovered and...

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Pomegranate Market Highlights Eco-Friendly Practices At Its South Dakota Farmers Market

Farmers markets are supposed to be green, right? Local food. Less driving. Reusable bags.

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This Memphis, Tennessee Pie Is So Good That North Jersey Just Lost Its Title

North Jersey has been bragging about its pies for years. And honestly, fair enough. They have good stuff up there. But then I...

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This Colorado Town Almost Became A Ghost Town, Then A Local Came Up With Something Brilliant

The town was quiet. Too quiet. Storefronts sat empty. Main Street felt more like a hallway than a destination.

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This Baltimore, Maryland Steakhouse Served Legends And Plenty Of Prime Rib

The door barely closes behind you before you understand what the fuss is about. Dark wood. Low lighting. The smell of freshly-made...

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First Amish Restaurant In Hamden Connecticut Brings Pot Pie To Pizza Country

Connecticut is pizza country. Everyone knows that. Thin crust, coal fired, the whole deal. So when an Amish restaurant opened...

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You’ll Need A Second Stomach For The Homestyle Southern Cooking At This Georgia Gem

The plate arrived and I actually laughed out loud. There was no way one person was supposed to eat all of that. But then I started....

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This Frozen Sea Of Lava In New Mexico Will Make You Feel Very, Very Small

I have stood on some pretty dramatic landscapes before, but nothing prepared me for this scene in New Mexico. Walking onto a field of sharp, jagged black rock that stretches as...

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Florida’s Secret Birdwatching Paradise Is A Free Boardwalk Through 100 Acres Of Pure Wetland Magic

Step onto the boardwalk and the world immediately softens. A place in Florida does that to you without warning. The low, rhythmic...

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Utah’s High-End Steakhouse Just Dropped A Happy Hour So Affordable It Feels Illegal

There are moments when a meal genuinely surprises you, and this was one of them. A sleek steakhouse in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah quietly rolled out a happy hour that made me...

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Dekalb Illinois Just Got Sweeter With Homemade Mini Cheesecakes

A tiny round dessert stopped me cold at a farmers market in northern Illinois, and I have not been the same since. The moment I caught a glimpse of those perfectly portioned mini...

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Forget Colorado, This Tiny Maryland Town Just Became Your New Outdoor Obsession

Somewhere between a rugged mountain range and a winding river, a small town rewired how I think about outdoor travel on the East Coast. The moment you roll in, something shifts.

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Small Town Massachusetts Has Prime Rib Bigger Than Your Head, Made With A 60-Year-Old Recipe

There’s a certain magic in a restaurant that doesn’t chase trends, just slow-roasts perfection for nearly seven decades. And hidden on a quiet two-lane road is a prime rib...

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The Nebraska Goodwill Where Shoppers Wear Gloves and Wait Behind Yellow Lines

A certain Goodwill in the Midwest does not look like any thrift store you have walked into before. The moment you step through those doors, you notice yellow lines taped across...

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New York Has Waterfalls That Have Been Cut In Half Turned Off And Stolen

New York hides jaw-dropping surprises along rocky gorges and quiet creek beds. Waterfalls with wild stories wait in forgotten corners of the state.

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This California Restaurant That Serves One Pizza Daily Built A Cult Following

You do not forget a place that makes one pizza a day. One pizza only. No sprawling menu. No decision fatigue.

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Hidden Speakeasies In Nevada That Feel Like Secret Worlds Behind Ordinary Doors

Pushing open an ordinary door to find a world built just for you hits different. My first speakeasy stumble in Las Vegas hid behind a fake refrigerator door.

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This Hidden Ohio Spot Serves Fried Clams You’ll Be Thinking About Long After The Last Bite

Some meals just stick with you. Not in a dramatic way. Just in a way that makes you think about them days later. A little while...

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This Hidden Ohio Spot Serves Fried Clams You’ll Be Thinking About Long After The Last Bite

Some meals just stick with you. Not in a dramatic way. Just in a way that makes you think about them days later. A little while...

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Plantation’s Italian Comfort Food Gem That’s Pasta-tively Winning Over Florida Locals

The dining experience at this Plantation, Florida, destination stays with guests long after the plates are cleared. Tucked along South University Drive, the establishment possesses...

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Antique Decor Warehouses In New York State That Feel Like Movie Sets

There is something almost magical about pushing open a heavy door and finding yourself surrounded by decades of history stacked floor to ceiling. New York State is full of these...

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