asa whitlock author at My Family Travels
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This Compact Texas Airport Is Becoming a Haven For Affordable Flights

Big airports have their perks. But they also have long lines, expensive parking, and the kind of chaos that makes you question your life choices. This compact Texas airport offers...

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This Underrated Texas Town Has Historic Storefronts, A Classic Downtown Square, And Barely Any Tourist Chaos

A classic downtown square. Historic storefronts. And not a tour bus in sight. This Texas town is the kind of place that makes...

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Locals Pack This Beloved Texas Farmers Market Every Saturday For Sourdough, Baked Goods, And More

Saturday morning has a rhythm in this Texas town. The market opens, the vendors set up, and the locals start lining up. This...

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A Texas Store Packed With Fossils, Crystals, And Minerals Feels More Like A Museum Than A Shop

A store that feels like a museum. That is the kind of place that makes you stop and stare. This Texas shop is packed with fossils,...

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Wait, This Is Texas? A Hidden Attraction Feels Like It Belongs Thousands Of Miles Away

You look around and wonder if you took a wrong turn somewhere. This does not feel like Texas. The architecture, the atmosphere,...

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This Texas Meat Market Serves Sausage Plates Made In-House

A butcher counter and a hot plate of sausage. That is a combination that works. This Texas meat market makes its sausages in...

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A Tiny Texas Taqueria Turns Heirloom Corn Into Some Seriously Creative Tacos

Heirloom corn is not something you find at most taquerias. But this Texas spot is not most taquerias. It sources heirloom varieties...

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A Texas Monastery With Byzantine Style Architecture Feels Completely Removed From Everyday Life

The moment you see the domes, you know you are somewhere different. This Texas monastery is a stunning example of Byzantine architecture, with golden mosaics, arched windows, and...

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The Most Stunning White-Sand Beach In Texas Isn’t Where Most People Expect

When you think of Texas beaches, you probably picture something a little more rugged. But this spot is different. Soft white...

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The Colorful Mexican Restaurant In Texas That Serves Handmade Tortillas Worth The Drive

A tortilla made by hand is a different thing entirely. It is soft, warm, and slightly imperfect in the best way. This Texas...

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A New Texas Deli Inside A 1947 Building Feels Like It Has Been There For Decades

Some places feel new. Some feel like they have been there forever. This Texas deli falls into the second category, even though...

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A Massive Texas Nature Preserve Gives You More Than 2,600 Acres To Escape The City

Sometimes you need to disappear for a while. Not forever, just for an afternoon. This Texas nature preserve gives you more than...

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This Short Texas Trail Packs Caves, Dramatic Rock Formations, and an Incredible View Into Just a Few Miles

A short trail that delivers caves, rock formations, and a view worth the hike. That is a rare combination. This Texas spot...

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Blink And You Could Miss This Tiny Texas Hole-In-The-Wall With Decades Of History

You would drive right past it. The sign is small. The building is easy to overlook. But the people inside know exactly what they are doing.

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This Old School Texas Cafe Has Been Serving Southern Comfort Food Since The 1938

Eighty plus years in business is not luck. It is consistency. This Texas cafe has been serving Southern comfort food since...

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This Underrated Texas Town Packs Historic Homes, Museums, And River Views Into An Easy Day Trip

Some towns try to be everything to everyone. This one just does what it does well. Historic homes, local museums, and river...

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This Texas Hill Country Bakery Is Worth The Drive For Warm Pecan Pies With A Flaky Crust

A warm pecan pie is a thing of beauty. But one with a flaky crust and fresh local pecans? That is worth the drive. This Texas...

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The Massive Texas Amish Market Locals Treat Like Their Best-Kept Comfort Food Secret

A market that locals treat like a secret is the kind of place worth knowing about. This Texas spot is massive, packed with homemade baked goods, bulk foods, deli meats, and comfort...

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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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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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This Texas Vintage Market Is Packed With Mid-Century Furniture, Retro Clothing, And One-Of-A-Kind Decor

Mid-century chairs. Vintage leather jackets. Lamps that look like they came straight out of a 1970s living room. This Texas...

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A No-Frills Texas Restaurant In The Middle Of Nowhere Has Been Drawing Diners For More Than 80 Years

A restaurant in the middle of nowhere should not be this busy. But this Texas spot has been drawing crowds for over 80 years, proving that great food does not need a big city zip...

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8 Small Texas Towns With Schools So Strong Families Are Moving There

Good schools are not just a selling point. They are the reason families pack up and move. These nine small Texas towns have...

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More Than 40 Years Later, This Family Run Texas Italian Restaurant Is Still Doing Things Its Own Way

Plenty of restaurants have come and gone in 40 years. This Texas spot is still standing, and it is still doing things exactly the way it wants.

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This Quiet Texas State Park Has A Snake Problem So Bad Locals Know To Watch Their Step

A quiet park with beautiful trails and a hidden warning locals have learned to respect. The snakes here are no joke. They are...

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One Woman’s Land Donation Helped Start The Entire Texas State Park System

Texas state parks exist because of one woman's vision. She saw the land, loved it, and decided it should belong to everyone. That...

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Customers Drive from Hours Away to Buy Premium Meats at This Texas Butcher Shop

A butcher shop worth driving hours for is not something you find every day. But this Texas spot has earned that kind of loyalty. The...

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This Texas Christmas Store Brings Holiday Magic Even When It’s 80 Degrees Outside

The heat is thick, the sun is blazing, and the air conditioner is running on overdrive. But step inside this Texas store and suddenly it is December.

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This Texas Garden Center Has A Cafe Hiding Between The Plants And Flowers

Plant shopping becomes significantly more dangerous when coffee and lunch are waiting somewhere between the flowers. Texas...

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Ride Through Texas Hill Country On A Vintage Train With Historic Cars And Scenic Views

Road trips are great, but they rarely come with restored railcars from the 1930s through the 1950s and the satisfying excuse to let somebody else handle the driving.

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This Texas Getaway Lets You Sleep Inside A Luxury Yurt Beneath A Dark Country Sky

The first time I looked up from a quiet stretch of West Texas country, I honestly forgot to breathe for a second. There were so many stars that the sky looked crowded, almost busy,...

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The Small Texas Town Where Great Food, Scenic Streets, and Friendly Shops Fit Into One Easy Day

A good day trip should not require a spreadsheet, six parking apps, and military-level timing just to see everything. This...

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This Unusual Texas Shop Is Packed With Vintage Oddities, Curious Collectibles, and One-of-a-Kind Finds

Vintage shopping becomes much more dangerous when there is absolutely no way to predict what will be sitting on the next shelf. This...

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13 Unusual Wildlife Parks In Texas That Belong On Your Bucket List

Texas wildlife parks get considerably more interesting once the standard zoo routine is taken off the table. Around the state,...

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Texas Attractions Where The View Alone Is Worth The Drive

Some Texas attractions need rides, museums, guided tours, or elaborate activities to justify the mileage. Others simply require you to get out of the car, look around, and admit...

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This Unique Texas Restaurant Serves Both Southern And Authentic Indian Dishes

Choosing between chicken-fried steak and butter chicken is already difficult enough without one Texas restaurant putting both on the same menu.

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This No-Frills Texas Smokehouse Serves The Kind Of Barbecue That Makes A Road Trip Feel Completely Reasonable

There is a very specific moment on a Texas road trip when the smell of smoked meat makes whatever schedule you had feel suddenly negotiable.

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Hidden Deep In Texas Is A Campground With Water So Blue It’s Hard To Believe

Texas heat becomes much easier to tolerate when the campground comes with a clear river running right beside it. This riverside...

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Texas Is Home To An Incredible Indoor Campground That’s Perfect For Any Season

Camping gets dramatically easier to support when the weather is outside and your bed is safely inside. This Texas glamping...

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In The Texas Hill Country Town, This Small-Town Diner Is Worth The Stop For A Down-Home Country Breakfast

Breakfast gets better when nobody is trying to reinvent eggs. This small Texas diner keeps the morning menu firmly in comfort-food...

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In Texas, These 9 Gulf Coast Crab Houses Serve Blue Crabs That Make the Drive Worthwhile

Crab is not the meal for anyone trying to stay tidy, and honestly that is part of the fun. Along the Texas Gulf Coast, blue crabs are harvested year-round, with the strongest catches...

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This Free Texas Garden Has Stone Bridges, Koi Ponds, And A 60 Foot Waterfall Hidden Inside

Free attractions usually come with modest expectations, which makes this Texas garden feel almost suspiciously generous. What...

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Locals Say This Texas Swimming Hole Is One Of The State’s Best Late Summer Escapes

Late-summer Texas heat has a way of making any body of water look like an excellent life decision, but this riverside park has considerably more going for it than a place to cool...

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These 9 Texas Burger Joints Have Been Flipping Old-School Patties Longer Than You’ve Been Alive

Before burgers needed truffle sauce, towering toppings, or a bun held together with what looks like construction equipment, Texas had little joints doing perfectly fine with beef,...

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9 Texas Restaurants That Give You The Most Food For Your Money

Restaurant prices have gotten good at making people stare at menus like they are reviewing mortgage paperwork, so a genuinely generous plate feels especially satisfying now.

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What A $500 Weekend Looks Like In 8 Different Texas Towns

Five hundred dollars can feel surprisingly rich in one Texas town and suspiciously inadequate in another, which is exactly what makes comparing weekend getaways so interesting....

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10 Popular Texas Attractions I Wouldn’t Visit Twice and Why

Popularity is a funny thing. A Texas attraction can have thousands of glowing reviews, endless social media photos, and a parking lot packed by 10 a.m., yet still leave some visitors...

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Decades-Old Texas Restaurant Still Serves A Buffet Packed With The Comfort Food

There is something deeply reassuring about a buffet that has no interest in reinventing mashed potatoes. This Texas restaurant...

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A Historic Texas Mansion Still Has Its Original 1890s Furniture Inside

A road trip for bread sounds excessive right up until the bakery smell hits, and then suddenly the mileage feels completely reasonable.

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Don’t Visit These 10 Texas Destinations Before Reading This

Texas is enormous, which unfortunately means a disappointing attraction can waste both your money and a heroic amount of driving time.

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This Stunning Boardwalk Hike Is Texas’ Best Kept Secret for Outdoor Lovers

A coastal nature walk sounds relaxing enough, but this little Texas park adds birds, beach access, and seasonal butterflies to the deal.

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This Humble Texas Spot Serves French Fries So Good It’s Become a Local Hangout

French fries are usually the sidekick, but this Texas spot apparently got tired of watching burgers receive all the attention. The...

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Texas Has a Mexican Restaurant Where Big Flavor and Fair Prices Keep the Tables Full

A restaurant does not stay in business for more than three decades by relying on fancy plates and a photogenic wall. This...

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Texas Day Trips For People Who Have Already Done All The Obvious Stuff

Eventually, even the greatest hits of Texas travel start feeling a little too familiar. You have wandered the famous downtowns,...

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This Texas Lake Has A Sunken Forest Rising Straight Out Of The Water

A normal lake already has enough going on, but this Texas reservoir added an underwater obstacle course of trees just to keep things interesting.

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The Donuts At This Texas Bakery Are Almost Too Pretty To Eat And Almost Too Big To Finish

Some donuts are breakfast. Others arrive looking like somebody gave a pastry chef craft supplies and told them not to hold back. This...

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An Old Texas Feed Store Became A Restaurant Where The Building Is Half The Fun

Some restaurants spend a fortune trying to manufacture rustic charm, while this Texas spot started with the real thing. The...

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This Texas Candy Factory Lets You Watch Sweet Treats Being Made Through The Window

There are candy stores, and then there are places where taffy making becomes actual entertainment. This old-fashioned Texas...

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One Of Texas’ Coolest Bookstores Is Hidden Underground Where Most People Would Never Think To Look

Book lovers are used to hunting through crowded shelves, but finding the bookstore itself is part of the fun at this unusual Texas spot.

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A Secret Texas BBQ Steak Spot Hidden Away In The Countryside

The best Texas meat-and-potatoes meals are not always waiting under bright city lights, and this low-key roadside spot makes a strong case for heading somewhere quieter.

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