asher bennett author at My Family Travels
Article
This Ordinary Interstate Exit Leads To A Missouri Antique Mall With 200 Dealers And 30,000 Square Feet To Explore

Somewhere off Interstate 70, an antique mall named after a vegetable holds the goods of about 200 dealers. Yes, a vegetable. The...

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9 Missouri Delis And Specialty Markets Worth The Drive For A Hearty Lunch

One deli on this list has been slicing hot salami since 1918. Another spot processes deer, yet it still builds roast beef sandwiches at the counter.

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Your Coffee Break Can Happen Inside An Old Bank Vault At This Missouri Roastery

A real bank vault now holds coffee drinkers instead of cash. Yep, you can sip a latte in the same room where people once guarded their savings.

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This Missouri Park Hides Natural Arches, Caves, And Bluffs Just Beyond The City

A river once changed its mind and left an entire hill stranded. That raised chunk of land stands about 60 feet tall and 200 feet wide, now circled by a floodplain.

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10 Missouri Pizza Spots That Locals Say Put The Big Names To Shame

One of my favorite pizza addresses in Missouri sits on a street officially named Main Street USA. Yes, that's the real mailing address, and no, it isn't a ride at a theme park.

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Why Schnitzel At This Missouri German Restaurant Feels Like A Trip Overseas Without The Flight

Wiener Schnitzel shares the menu with German classics such as beef rouladen, grilled bratwurst, and smoked pork chops. Yeah, I'm definitely looking twice at that.

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A Missouri Man Promised His Wife A Castle, Then Built It With A Crew Of Just Three People

It started with a doodle. A husband mailed his wife a castle sketch with seven words written on it: I want to build you a castle. Most...

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This Missouri Pasta Shop Makes Handmade Pasta And Saves Room For Cannoli And Grandma’s Italian Cookies

A fig cookie filled with dark chocolate, cloves, and orange, then topped with lemon icing and rainbow sprinkles. Yeah, I'm definitely looking twice at that.

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This Missouri Roadhouse Turns House-Smoked Prime Rib Into A $16 Melt On Grilled Sourdough

Smoked prime rib gets shaved thin, piled with Swiss, and pressed between slices of grilled sourdough. Then it shows up with a side of house-made horsey sauce.

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Missouri Readers Suggested Their Favorite Books, Then The Library Wrapped A Parking Garage In Giant Versions Of Them

A parking garage in Missouri wears a row of book spines taller than a two-story house. I had to read that twice. Each spine stands...

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This Family-Owned Missouri Warehouse Sells Store Liquidations By The Truckload, But You Can Buy A Single Pallet

This Missouri wholesaler sells store returns and overstock, with most inventory shipping directly from retailer or supplier facilities. Single pallets are occasionally available,...

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The Gooey Butter Cake At This Missouri Coffee Shop Comes In More Than 70 Flavors, And Counting

More than 70 flavors of one single dessert. That's the count at a little coffee shop, and the list keeps growing. The dessert...

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The Prices At This Missouri Bin Store Make You Wonder If Someone Forgot A Decimal Point

Prices here drop every single day of the week, and on certain days, they can fall all the way to zero. Yes, zero. I had to read...

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Workers Sealed Radioactive Waste Beneath This Missouri Mound, Then Built Stairs So Visitors Could Climb To The Top

About 1.5 million cubic yards of radioactive and chemical waste sit sealed inside a giant rock-covered mound. And yes, there's a staircase to the top.

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You Can Try A Little Of Everything At This Missouri Indian Restaurant’s Six-Day Lunch Buffet

Goat curry, chicken tikka masala, and pakoras made with paneer could all fit into one lunch break. That alone makes my stomach pay attention.

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This Classic Missouri Steakhouse Has Been Keeping The Steak-Night Tradition Alive Since 1961

A filet mignon wearing a pile of onion rings sounds like it dressed up for dinner. Here, it goes by Steak by George, a name with enough personality to make me reconsider my usual...

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We Ranked 6 Missouri Apple Cider Donut Spots From Good To Absolutely Worth The Drive

A good apple cider donut can derail an entire Saturday. You leave the house with errands to run, and suddenly you’re discussing how far is too far to drive for something covered...

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This Missouri German Restaurant Serves Schnitzel Inside Historic Stables With Tables In The Horse Stalls

Your booth at this restaurant once belonged to a horse. The tables sit inside the real, original stalls of a stone stable built in 1847.

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This Missouri Restaurant Lets You Build Unlimited Stir-Fry Bowls For A $14.99 Weekday Lunch

You pick every noodle, vegetable, and sauce yourself. Then a cook grills it on a giant round griddle, and you can go back for another bowl as many times as you like.

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This Missouri Deli Builds Its Sandwiches On Homemade Bread And Saves Room For Something Sweet

A great sandwich starts before the first bite. Here, the bread comes fresh from the oven, giving lunch a head start that’s hard to beat.

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This Missouri Steakhouse Cooks Dinner Over A Live Oak Fire And Gives You A Reason To Make The Drive

The steaks here hit a live oak fire before they ever reach your table. Even the prime rib gets a final trip over those flames. The...

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The Massive Bookstore In Missouri That Takes Nearly All Day To Explore

A bookstore once hosted a poetry reading that ran for 120 hours straight. Five full days of nonstop poems, and it happened right here in Missouri.

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10 Missouri Hiking Trails Locals Skip In October Because The Snakes Are Too Active

Copperheads are the venomous snakes Missouri hikers run into most often, and their coppery bands match fallen oak leaves almost perfectly. So when October buries the trails in...

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You Can Sleep In An 1896 Missouri Victorian With Feather Beds And Mississippi River Views

A lumber baron's son built this house in 1896, and you can still sleep under its roof tonight. The oak, cherry, and mahogany woodwork he chose is still right there.

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A Little Taste Of Switzerland Comes With Chocolates And Pastries At This Missouri Café

A Swiss pastry chef once wrote and published a recipe book to help pay for his dream of opening a chocolate shop. That book was called Schweizer Konfect, and the dream worked.

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9 No-Frills Missouri Restaurants Locals Would Rather Keep Off Your Radar

A fancy dining room can’t rescue a forgettable meal. But a simple restaurant with a good plate of food can earn a permanent place in your dinner plans.

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The Enchanting Small Town In Missouri You Might Not Have Heard Of

Your weekend doesn’t need another packed itinerary. A river town with quiet streets, interesting shops, and a trail beside the water can do the job beautifully.

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9 Missouri Towns Where Old Storefronts And Quiet Streets Make The Whole Trip

Old brick storefronts can turn a simple walk into the best part of a day trip. In Missouri, small towns make room for the kind of unhurried wandering that gets lost on a packed...

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The Pan-Fried Chicken At This Rustic Missouri Restaurant Is Almost Too Good To Share

Trying to share the last piece of pan-fried chicken is where good manners get tested. At this Missouri restaurant, the signature dinner comes with potatoes, gravy, green beans,...

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This Missouri Petting Zoo Goes Beyond Barnyard Animals With Camels, Kangaroos And Lemurs

Baby goats are only the beginning here. This Missouri petting zoo mixes familiar farm animals with creatures you would never expect to meet on the same walk.

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A Missouri River Overlook Reveals Where A Lost Town Launched The Santa Fe Trail

A whole town once sat across the river from this Missouri overlook. Today, almost nothing remains of Old Franklin, but this is where the Santa Fe Trail story really began.

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A 10-Foot Argentinian Grill Turns Up The Heat At A Missouri Restaurant Known For Wood-Fired Lunches

A ten-foot grill is a pretty serious commitment to lunch. This Missouri restaurant cooks over hickory and oak, using a huge Argentinian-style fire table for much of the menu.

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11 Missouri Meat Markets Where Buying In Bulk Still Beats The Supermarket

Buying meat used to mean talking to a butcher, choosing the cuts you wanted, and taking home enough to last awhile. Plenty of Missouri meat markets still work that way.

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This Missouri Restaurant Rolls Sushi Into Burritos Packed With Salmon, Shrimp Tempura, And Crunch

This is what happens when sushi gets a little less delicate and a lot more filling. At this Missouri restaurant, rolls come packed like burritos with salmon, shrimp tempura, rice,...

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This Missouri Orchard Market Makes Apple, Peach, And Blueberry Cider Doughnuts

Apple cider doughnuts are already hard to pass up, but this Missouri orchard gives them some competition. The market also makes peach and blueberry versions, turning one bakery...

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This Missouri Pizzeria Serves Sicilian Pizza So Thick The Menu Warns About The Wait

When the menu warns you that the pizza takes longer, you know the crust is serious. This Missouri pizzeria serves Sicilian pies that are thick, square, and baked in extra virgin...

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9 Missouri Towns With Ghost Stories That Outlasted The People Who Told Them

Ghost stories tend to get better every time they are retold, and some Missouri towns have had generations to work on theirs. Old...

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This Missouri Pizzeria That Began With Car-Hop Service Has Been Serving Since 1956

Back in 1956, dinner here could arrive right at your car window. This Missouri pizzeria started with car-hop service, a small dining room, and a short menu built around pizza and...

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A Restored 1940s Missouri Motel Is Welcoming Travelers Back To Route 66

For decades, this old roadside motel was something travelers could only pass and wonder about. Now the lights are back on. This...

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This Missouri Thrift Store Has Over 15,000 Square Feet Of Secondhand Finds Arriving Daily

This is the kind of thrift store where checking “just one section” is a lie you tell yourself at the door. More than fifteen thousand square feet are filled with clothes, furniture,...

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This Missouri Bulk Food Store Has A Bakery Turning Out Homemade Bread And Cinnamon Rolls

A cinnamon roll the size of your appetite can turn a pantry run into something much more interesting. This Missouri bulk food...

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More Than 900 Animals Roam Across This 281-Acre Missouri Attraction With Free Admission

Finding a full day out that does not immediately start draining your wallet is getting harder. That is what makes this Missouri attraction so appealing.

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Prices Drop All The Way To $1 At This Missouri Bin Store Packed With Retail Returns

There is a reason people keep checking this place throughout the week. This Missouri bin store starts with retail returns, overstock, shelf pulls, and liquidation finds, then lowers...

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This Missouri Wurst Haus Lets You Make Sausage By Hand And Take Home Several Pounds Of It

The sausage casings are laid out on the counter, and the grinder is ready to go. A three-time Hall of Fame sausage maker leads the class, sharing techniques that have been passed...

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This 1848 Missouri Mill Started As A Whiskey Distillery Before Becoming A Working Grist Mill

Before flour and cornmeal took over, this old Missouri mill was making whiskey. Built in 1848, it started as a distillery and quickly became part of a small community that grew...

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Weekend Crowds Pack This Quirky Missouri Breakfast Joint For Big Plates And Creative Brunch

By late morning, the tables are full and somebody is almost definitely eyeing the plate that just passed by. This Missouri...

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For More Than 40 Years, This Missouri Candy Shop Has Been Handcrafting Truffles, Caramels, And Chocolates

This is where your self-control goes to disappear. One case is filled with truffles, another with caramels, and then there are chocolates in enough shapes and flavors to make choosing...

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This Missouri Sushi Restaurant Serves Omakase, Wagyu, And Robata-Grilled Dishes In A Moody Modern Dining Room

This is not the kind of sushi dinner where you order a couple of rolls and call it a night. This Missouri restaurant leans...

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Tea Lovers Could Lose An Entire Afternoon Inside This Missouri Shop Packed With Teas, Herbs, And Spices

Tea people know how fast one little jar can turn into a whole afternoon. This Missouri shop is packed with loose-leaf teas, herbs, spices, and blends that make browsing feel a...

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More Than 8 Million Tacos Have Been Sold At This Family-Run Missouri Mexican Restaurant

Eight million tacos is the kind of number that makes you stop for a second. This Missouri restaurant has been serving them...

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This 10.5-Mile Missouri Trail Climbs To A 1,740-Foot Peak With 10-Mile Valley Views

Your legs will know pretty quickly that this is not a casual little walk. This Missouri trail climbs through forest, rocky glades, and steep stretches before reaching some of the...

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This Old-Fashioned Missouri Supermarket Still Has Butchers Who Cut Your Steaks Exactly How You Want Them

There is something satisfying about pointing at a steak and saying, “Make it this thick.” At this Missouri supermarket, the butcher counter still works that way.

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This One-Mile Missouri Trail Turns Into A Dark After-Hours Adventure Every October

The woods get a lot stranger after sunset here. Every October, this Missouri garden turns a one-mile trail into a dark, immersive adventure filled with lights, music, fog, performers,...

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This Massive Missouri Antique Mall Has 30,000 Square Feet Of Booths And New Finds Every Day

That warehouse off the interstate in Missouri looked deceptively simple from the parking lot, like a friendly name on a plain building. I had pulled over expecting a quick stretch...

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This Three-Story Missouri Secondhand Bookstore Belongs On Every Reader’s 2026 Road Trip List

You do not expect to find a three-story temple of used books in a Kansas City strip mall. But there it is. Prospero's Books rises...

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Walk Through The Real Missouri Cave That Inspired Tom Sawyer And See Mark Twain’s Signature

The same twisting passages that once sent a young Samuel Clemens scrambling through the dark later became the labyrinth where Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher lost their way in American...

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Step Inside An 1860 Missouri Woolen Mill Where More Than Fifty Original Machines Still Fill Three Floors

Three stories of handmade brick with rows of windows watching the road. That is what stopped me in my tracks the first time I looked up at a mill in rural Missouri.

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This Missouri Chapel Surrounds Visitors With Floor-To-Ceiling Hand-Painted Murals

Painted angels, bronze fountains, and stained glass stretched across a property in southwest Missouri where I expected nothing more than a quick stretch of the legs. I had pulled...

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This Missouri Thrift Store Refreshes Its Racks Every Morning, So You Never Know What You’ll Find

Morning is a pretty good time to show up here with an empty cart and no real plan. This Missouri thrift store refreshes its racks daily, so the mix of clothes, housewares, furniture,...

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This Missouri Sandwich Shop Hand-Cuts Its Meat And Cheese Every Day Before Building Lunch On Fresh Bread

Lunch feels a lot better when the sandwich was not sitting wrapped up hours ago. This Missouri shop cuts the meat and cheese...

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