cassian brooks author at My Family Travels
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The Slow-Smoked BBQ At This Maryland Smokehouse Is So Good It Sets a New Standard for Barbecue Lovers

Great barbecue is about patience. Low heat, long hours, and a cook who knows exactly when the meat is ready. This Maryland...

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This Maryland Restaurant Gets Its Oysters From Its Very Own Farm on the Chesapeake

Fresh oysters are a beautiful thing. But oysters that come from the restaurant's own farm? That is a different level entirely....

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9 Maryland Restaurants With Thousands of Reviews That Made Us Wonder What All the Fuss Is About

Some restaurants have a following. Others have thousands of reviews and a reputation that precedes them. This list highlights...

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These 10 Maryland Farm-To-Table Restaurants Serve Dinners Sourced From Farmers Just Minutes Away

There is something about Maryland in the middle of harvest season that makes me want to skip the highway rest stops and eat where the food actually grows.

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9 Maryland Restaurants With Senior Discounts Worth Knowing About

Eating out adds up fast, especially on a fixed income. But some restaurants make it easier on the wallet. This list highlights...

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This Rustic Maryland Restaurant Feels Like A Countryside Escape Without Ever Crossing State Lines

Sometimes dinner needs more personality than another shopping-center dining room and a parking lot view. This rustic Maryland...

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The Massive Western Maryland Country Store Where You Can Lose An Entire Afternoon

Country stores are supposed to be small. A quick stop for a snack or a few essentials. But this Western Maryland spot is different....

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Enjoy Lakeside Dining With Unforgettable Views At This Beautiful Maryland Hideaway You’ll Want to Keep Secret

There is something wonderfully unfair about a restaurant where the scenery makes it difficult to pay proper attention to the food. This Maryland lakeside hideaway combines dinner...

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This Maryland Shrine Has a Historic Stone House, a Beautiful Basilica, and a Story Dating Back More Than 200 Years

More than 200 years of history can make one Maryland stop feel like several completely different destinations rolled into the same afternoon.

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These 9 Maryland Pizza Joints Are So Good You’ll Plan A Whole Day To Satisfy That Craving

Pizza cravings have terrible timing, mostly because once they arrive, a sad frozen pie suddenly feels like a personal betrayal. Fortunately,...

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This Waterfront Maryland Classic Is The Seafood Place Locals Want To Hide

Maryland has plenty of waterfront seafood restaurants, but the ones people become protective about usually combine good food with the sort of setting that makes leaving feel inconvenient....

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This Maryland Cabin Retreat Is the Peaceful Escape You Didn’t Know You Needed

Sometimes you do not realize how much you need a break until you are already in it. This Maryland cabin retreat offers exactly that.

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This Unassuming Maryland Eatery Serves A Breakfast That Stays With You

Breakfast is supposed to fuel your day. But some breakfasts do more than that. They linger in your memory long after the plate...

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Maryland Restaurant That Quietly Serves the Best Comfort Food in the State

Comfort food is personal. Everyone has their favorite spot. But this Maryland restaurant quietly serves some of the best in...

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This Maryland Observation Deck Takes You 27 Floors Above the City for an Incredible View

Sometimes a change in perspective is all you need to see a place differently. This Maryland observation deck offers exactly that. Twenty-seven...

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This Maryland Italian Market Is the Kind of Old School Food Shop You’ll Wish You Had Nearby

Some neighborhoods have a corner store that feels like a gathering place. This Maryland Italian market is that kind of spot. Old...

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This Massive 28,000-Square-Foot Vintage Paradise in Maryland Is Basically the Costco of Flea Markets

Costco is known for bulk shopping and great deals. This Maryland vintage paradise operates on a similar principle, but instead of groceries, it is filled with antiques and collectibles.

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The Mouthwatering Steaks At This Quiet Maryland Restaurant Are Worth The Trip

Steak lovers know that a great cut of meat is worth seeking out. This quiet Maryland restaurant serves steaks that are consistently excellent, the kind that make you close your...

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The Maryland Beach with Caribbean-Blue Water You Have to See With Your Own Eyes

I have seen a lot of beaches. Sandy ones, rocky ones, crowded ones, empty ones. But I have never seen water this blue in Maryland....

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Maryland’s Massive Tool Paradise Is a Dream Destination for Professional Builders and Casual DIYers

Every project starts with the right tool. And finding that tool can be half the battle. Maryland has a paradise for builders,...

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Maryland’s Hidden Cheese Shop Is a Dream Come True for Charcuterie Lovers

Charcuterie boards have become a favorite for gatherings. Meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, all arranged beautifully. But the key...

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This Maryland Nature Center Is the Perfect Place for a Quick Reset in the Woods

Sometimes you do not need a whole weekend. You just need an hour in the woods to reset. This Maryland nature center is exactly...

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This Maryland Spot Serves Ribs So Tender You Will Crave Them For Days

Some ribs are good. Some are great. And then there are the ones that haunt you long after you finish. This Maryland spot serves...

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Paddle Through a Ghost Fleet of Sunken Ships at One of Maryland’s Strangest Natural Attractions

Maryland has ordinary kayak routes, and then it has one where the scenery includes the skeletal remains of more than 100 World War I-era wooden steamships.

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This Maryland Island Preserve Has Quiet Trails Beaches and Chesapeake Wildlife Without the Usual Crowds

Maryland’s Chesapeake side can feel wonderfully wild when the route ahead is more likely to involve marsh grass and herons than traffic lights.

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Where Does Money Go The Furthest? Comparing 10 Popular Maryland Weekend Getaways

A $250 Maryland weekend can feel luxurious in one destination and suspiciously optimistic in another, which makes comparing getaway prices far more useful than simply asking which...

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12 Maryland Beach Towns Ranked by How Much a Weekend Will Cost You

A Maryland beach weekend can be either pleasantly affordable or an impressive demonstration of how fast a credit card can overheat.

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Who Says a Great Day Out Has to Cost Money? This Maryland Zoo Is Completely Free

Family outings become considerably more attractive when the admission total for everyone is exactly zero dollars. This Maryland...

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Popular Maryland Attractions I Wouldn’t Visit Twice and Why

Popularity is not the same thing as perfection, especially when a Maryland attraction comes with a parking battle, long lines, inflated weekend prices, or enough crowds to make...

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These Old-School Maryland Delis Still Pile Their Corned Beef High The Way It Was Always Done

There is a point where a corned beef sandwich stops being lunch and starts becoming a minor engineering challenge. Maryland's...

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Maryland’s Farm Fresh Escape Has Pick-Your-Own Produce, a Bustling Market, and an Adorable Petting Zoo

There are Maryland farm trips where you buy a bag of apples and leave, and then there are places determined to occupy most of your afternoon.

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This Maryland Seafood Institution Proves Some Local Favorites Only Get Better With Age

Thirty-five years is a long time to keep Maryland diners interested, especially when seafood fans tend to have very strong opinions about where their crabs should come from.

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This Massive Thrift Store In Maryland Has Deals So Good, It’s Worth A Road Trip

Thrift stores are basically treasure hunts where nobody knows what the treasure is until somebody spots it three aisles away. This...

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9 Tiny Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants in Maryland Where the Food Is Worth Every Single Minute of Waiting

Some of Maryland's most memorable restaurants have approximately zero interest in looking impressive from the parking lot. They...

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The Maryland Spanish Restaurant Where the Portions Are So Generous You Will Be Eating Leftovers for Days

Tapas are supposed to be small plates, but nobody said you had to demonstrate self-control when ordering them. This Maryland...

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9 Overhyped Maryland Towns That Aren’t Worth Your Time or Money

Some Maryland towns are charming enough to justify the traffic, parking hunt, weekend prices, and crowds, while others can leave visitors wondering why they spent two hours getting...

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This Maryland Restaurant Serves a $19.99 Prime Rib Special That Makes Wednesdays Worth Celebrating

Wednesdays are usually the awkward middle child of the week, but Maryland has at least one restaurant giving people a much better reason to care about them.

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Affordable Maryland Family Adventures That Won’t Break the Bank

Family outings have an impressive talent for becoming expensive before anybody has even agreed on what they are doing. Luckily,...

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Maryland’s Most Authentic Puerto Rican Food Spot Is Tucked Away in a Place Only Locals Know About

Puerto Rican comfort food has a way of making a lunch order become considerably more ambitious once empanadas, mofongo, sandwiches, coffee, and homestyle dishes enter the conversation....

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This Maryland Park Has a 200 Foot Fishing Pier and a Beach Most Tourists Drive Right Past

Maryland waterfront parks can get overshadowed by destinations with louder boardwalks and significantly more souvenir T-shirts, which is exactly why this one feels like such a...

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9 Maryland Restaurants Where Family Recipes Have Survived for Generations

Restaurants can chase every new food trend on social media, but a handwritten recipe that has survived three generations probably does not care what is currently going viral.

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Maryland’s Coolest Hands On Experiences for Anyone Tired of Ordinary Day Trips

There comes a point when another perfectly nice day trip involving mostly walking around and looking at things starts feeling suspiciously like all the previous ones.

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This Maryland Bookstore Cafe Lets You Browse Books While Digging Into a Completely Veg Friendly Menu

Combining a bookstore and a cafe already feels dangerously effective for anyone who has ever walked in for one book and somehow lost an entire afternoon.

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Easygoing Maryland Walks That Feel Like a Little Escape

Not every Maryland walk needs steep climbs, complicated gear, or the emotional commitment of realizing you still have three miles left before the parking lot.

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This Maryland Bakery Makes Fluffy Hand-Crafted Buttermilk Donuts That Draw People From All Over

Maryland has no shortage of fancy dessert experiments, but there is something extremely satisfying about a bakery that still understands the power of doing the classics really...

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Abandoned Maryland Places So Eerie They Are Worth Exploring

Maryland has enough abandoned ruins, forgotten settlements, old industrial remnants, and weathered structures to make an ordinary history lesson feel considerably creepier.

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This Maryland Restaurant Collective Is Like a Culinary Trip Around the World Without Leaving the State

Choosing one cuisine for dinner can be surprisingly difficult when everyone suddenly develops very strong opinions, which is part of what makes this Maryland restaurant so interesting....

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This Maryland Swimming Spot Feels Like a Beach Getaway Without The Ocean Crowds

You want a beach day but you want to avoid the chaos of a packed shoreline. This Maryland swimming park is the solution you have been looking for.

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Maryland Locals Line Up Early at This Hole-in-the-Wall Spot for the Best Breakfast in the State

You know a breakfast spot is serious when people line up before it even opens. This Maryland hole-in-the-wall has that kind of following.

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8 Family-Owned Maryland Coffee Shops Worth the Drive

Chain coffee shops are everywhere. They are convenient and reliable, but they lack personality. This list highlights eight...

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This Maryland Restaurant Has Been a Beloved Local Tradition for Almost 50 Years

Restaurants come and go. But the ones that stick around for decades become something more. They become traditions. This Maryland...

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This Maryland Country Store Is In The Middle Of Nowhere But Always Packed

Driving down a quiet country road, you might wonder if you are lost. Then you see the building, a Maryland country store with cars lining the gravel lot.

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This Family-Owned Restaurant In Maryland Serves Some Of The Finest Homemade Pies Around

Pies are a labor of love. The crust, the filling, the golden brown finish. Get any part wrong and the whole thing falls flat....

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This 2.5-Mile Hidden Maryland Trail Deserves A Spot On Your 2026 Bucket List

A new year brings new resolutions, and a new list of places to explore. This hidden Maryland trail deserves a spot on your 2026 bucket list.

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This Family-Owned Maryland Mexican Restaurant Is Giving Every Chain In Town Serious Competition

Chain restaurants have their place. Predictable, consistent, and fine. But family owned spots often bring something different,...

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This Maryland Non-Profit Thrift Shop Turns Every Purchase Into Support for Local Animal Rescues

Thrift shopping is usually about finding a good deal. But this Maryland shop adds another layer to the experience. Every purchase...

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This Small Town Maryland Breakfast Spot Serves Portions So Massive You’ll Need A Nap

Big portions do not always mean good food. But when the portions are generous and the food is excellent, you have found something special.

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The Best Maryland Grocery Market For Peak Summer Produce And Homemade Goods

Grocery stores are fine. But a real market with peak summer produce and homemade goods? That is a different experience. This...

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8 Surprisingly Affordable and Amazing Fried Chicken Spots In Maryland

Fried chicken is everywhere. But good fried chicken at a price that does not make you wince? That is harder to find. Maryland...

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Where To Find The Best Antique Thrift Bargains In Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is known for its history and its waterfront. But the city also has a side that appeals to treasure hunters and bargain seekers.

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