clara rivers author at My Family Travels
Article
This Oregon Waffle Spot Is the Best in the State (and So Much More)

A waffle that is somehow both fluffy and crispy, paired with a bubble tea that uses real tea and fresh fruit, is the kind of find that makes you question every other waffle you...

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This Oregon Town is Losing Residents Due To The Rising Cost Of Suburban Living

The welcome mat is still there, but fewer people are stepping through the front door these days. This Oregon city has seen its population shrink for three years straight, and the...

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This Minnesota Flea Market Will Make You Rethink What $28 Can Buy

You walk in with a twenty-dollar bill and a casual attitude. That is enough to fill your arms with unexpected finds you never knew you needed.

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This Minnesota Meat Market Is a Food Lover’s Hidden Gem With Smoked Meats That Keep Locals Coming Back

The smell of smoked sausages hits you before you even pull the door open. That warm, peppery aroma is your first clue that you have found something special.

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This Minnesota Sandwich Chain Serves Jumbo Subs Stuffed With Cold Cuts, Just Like in New Jersey

The sub arrives wrapped in paper, stuffed so full you need both hands just to hold it together. This Minnesota chain has brought a taste of the East Coast to the Midwest, piling...

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This Minnesota Lake Hides a Mystery That Still Has People Searching Underwater

The water's surface is peaceful, but beneath it, secrets are buried deeper than you would ever expect. This Minnesota lake spans over forty thousand acres, with hidden stories...

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Locals Call This Minnesota Farmers Market the Best in Town With Prices Half of What You’d Pay at the Supermarket

The tents go up before the sun, and by mid-morning, the aisles are packed with people hunting for bargains. This farmers market has earned a reputation that stretches across the...

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10 Minnesota Towns Where Surging Property Taxes Are Forcing Families To Move Away

The numbers on the tax bill keep climbing, and for many families, that annual envelope is no longer just a nuisance. It has become the final nudge toward the moving van, a quiet...

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This Oregon Bayfront Is a Beautiful Coastal Gem Where Sea Lions Bark and Fresh Seafood Awaits

Sea lions bark from their docks, their chorus carrying across the water like a salty greeting. The bayfront hums with activity, fishing boats bobbing at their slips and nets drying...

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This Minnesota Town Feels So Perfectly Preserved, You’ll Swear It’s Frozen in Time

You step onto the main street and immediately feel like you have wandered onto a movie set. The storefronts are immaculate, the sidewalks are clean, and the pace of life is wonderfully...

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This Massive Minnesota Amish Store Blends Tradition With Wholesale Shopping

The sheer size of this place catches you off guard at first, with row after row of handcrafted furniture stretching in every direction. It is a Minnesota shopping destination that...

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This Minnesota Gem Offers Cliffside Trails, Cart-In Camping and a 1910 Lighthouse

The light has been sweeping across Superior's waters since 1910, and it still guides the way today. This spectacular park offers a blend of natural beauty and maritime history...

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12 Minnesota Spots With Free Admission for Summer Days Surrounded by Nature and History

You can have an unforgettable summer without spending a single dollar on admission, and Minnesota proves that every day. The state is filled with incredible places that welcome...

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Led by a Two-Time James Beard Winner, This Minnesota Restaurant Is the Pinnacle of Elegance

Some restaurants feed you, but this one completely redefines what a meal can be, and it does so under the quiet glow of a James Beard winner's vision. Tucked away with just twenty...

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A Viking Ship and a Stave Church Replica Await at This Scenic Minnesota Museum Complex

You round the corner and there it sits, a full size Viking ship that looks ready to slice through open water. This museum complex houses a stunning replica that pays tribute to...

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A Minnesota Casual Eatery With All-Day Breakfast, a Salad Bar, and Lunch and Dinner Menus

Breakfast at noon, a salad bar that actually feels fresh, and dinner options that comfort you like a favorite sweater. This place does it all, and they do it without any fuss or...

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This 10,000-Year-Old Frontier Fortress In Minnesota Instantly Transports You Back In Time For Free

Step onto the grounds and the modern world just melts away like snow in spring. The stone walls have stood for over a century, but the land itself has witnessed more than ten thousand...

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This Minnesota Discount Grocery Store Keeps Prices Low And The Aisles Full Of Unexpected Finds

You never really know what you are going to find when you walk through those sliding doors, and that is exactly the thrill of it. One minute you are reaching for a jug of milk,...

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This Former Minnesota Psychiatric Hospital Is Now Known As One Of The Most Haunted Places In The State

An abandoned psychiatric hospital from 1890 sits on a hill in Minnesota. The building was designed using a famous plan for healing with light.

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This Mind-Blowing Italian Spot In Minnesota Is Worth Skipping A Trip To New York For

A family recipe for red sauce that has remained unchanged for over ninety years. That is the heart of this mind blowing Italian spot in Minnesota, a place that has been quietly...

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10 Minnesota Restaurants Offering Scenic Waterfront Views Worth The Trip In June

The sun hangs lower over the water, the boats rock gently at the dock, and a cool breeze carries the scent of grilled fish and lake air. That is the feeling at these Minnesota...

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This Minnesota Farm Turns Summer Nights Into Magical Evenings Of Music And Food

You know summer has truly arrived when the air stays warm after sunset and someone starts strumming a guitar in the distance. This Minnesota farm has turned that feeling into a...

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The Minnesota Escape Where Dining Feels Like A Scenic Retreat

A wooden deck overlooking a quiet lake, a plate of fresh walleye, and absolutely nowhere else you need to be. That is the feeling at this Minnesota dining spot, where a simple...

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This Old-School Minnesota Italian Bakery Has Been Baking Cannoli And Pastries For Generations

A bell above the door announces your arrival at this old school Minnesota Italian bakery, where the smell of sugar and fried dough hits you like a warm hug. The same family has...

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This Minnesota Church Was The First Basilica Established In The United States

Long before most people had cars, this Minnesota church received a title that no other American church could claim. The first basilica established in the United States sits in...

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This 355-Acre Minnesota Playground Has Been Hiding Live Horse Racing for 40 Years

A three hundred fifty five acre playground has been hiding live horse racing in plain sight for forty years and most people still do not know about it. This Minnesota attraction...

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2026 Highest Rated Seafood Restaurants in All of Minnesota

Seafood in a landlocked state usually comes with a disclaimer about freshness. Minnesota has somehow flipped that expectation upside down.

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10 Authentic Mexican Restaurants in Minnesota That Taste Like Home

Finding Mexican food that tastes like someone's abuela made it can be tricky in the Midwest. Too many places serve bland salsa and ground beef tacos that would make any Mexican...

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10 Minnesota Overnight Escapes Perfect for a Quick Mental Reset

A mental reset does not require a week of vacation time or a plane ticket to somewhere tropical. Sometimes just one night away from your normal routine does the trick.

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Minnesota’s Oldest, Deepest and Richest Iron Ore Mine Takes Visitors Nearly Half a Mile Underground

Riding a cage elevator nearly half a mile underground into the dark feels like something from an adventure movie. The temperature drops, the lights flicker.

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This Massive Minnesota Waterpark Kicks Out the Kids for After-Hours Adults-Only Parties

A waterpark without screaming children sounds like a fantasy. No one splashing you in the face by accident. No line cutting disputes or parents yelling from lounge chairs.

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Minnesota’s Adults-Only Spa Resort Features Outdoor Soaking Pools and Endless Relaxation

No kids screaming in the pool. No one asking for a snack every five minutes, no cartoon characters on the towels. This Minnesota...

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Oregon’s Largest Coastal City Has Affordable Housing, The Oregon Dunes, And A Bay View That Costs Nothing To Enjoy

People assume the Oregon coast is out of reach. Expensive vacation homes. Tourist priced groceries. But the largest coastal city...

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This Oregon Trail Was Used By The CCC In The 1930s, You Can Still Find Their Stone Fireplaces Hidden In The Woods

You are walking through the forest and suddenly there it is. A stone fireplace standing alone in the middle of the trees, no walls around it, no roof overhead.

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This Oregon Thrift Store Is Housed Inside An Old Movie Theater And The Balcony Still Has The Original Chairs

You walk through the doors and the first thing you notice is the ceiling. High. Ornate. Covered in details that no modern building...

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9 Abandoned Oregon Ghost Towns You Can Still Walk Through Without Paying A Dime

There is something quietly electric about setting foot in a town that time forgot. The creak of old wood, the rusted hinges on a door nobody has touched in decades, the way the...

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This Oregon Hot Spring Is So Remote That The Last 3 Miles Require A Four Wheel Drive

Getting there is half the adventure, but this one tests that saying to its limit. Hidden deep in the Oregon backcountry, a natural hot spring waits for those willing to earn the...

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Oregon’s Most Unusual Hike Leads To A Natural Bridge Where A River Disappears Underground, Then Reappears A Quarter Mile Later

The Rogue River flows along like any other mountain stream. Then it vanishes. Swallowed whole by an ancient lava tube carved...

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Oregon’s Most Family-Friendly Hot Spring Resort Has Heated Pools, Changing Rooms, And A Chilling Lake Plunge Next Door

The water is hot enough to steam in the cool Oregon air, and the lake right next door is cold enough to steal your breath. That...

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This Oregon Ghost Town Still Has A Working Jail And You Can Spend The Night Inside For $20

The cells are tiny, the door is heavy iron, and your bed for the night is a wooden bench. You have just checked into a working jail in Oregon's high desert.

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Oregon’s Most Unusual Historic Site Is A Mining Ghost Town With Just Four Buildings Standing

Imagine a ghost town so quiet that the only sound is the wind rattling through a church door that hasn't opened in a century. That is exactly what you will find at this forgotten...

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This 3.2-Mile Oregon Hike Ends At A 100 Foot Waterfall You Can Walk Behind

The trail starts with a gentle ascent through moss draped firs, the silence broken only by the whisper of the Siuslaw River far below. You feel a slight bounce beneath your boots...

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Oregon’s Small Town Hot Springs Has No Phones, No Wi-Fi, And A Clothes Optional Policy After 9 PM

The only notification you will receive is the gentle ripple of geothermal water and the distant call of a great horned owl. This...

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This Historic WWII Site In Minnesota Tells A Story You Won’t Find In Textbooks

A quiet military base holds a museum filled with stories that most history classes skip over entirely. I walked through the doors and found myself surrounded by uniforms and vehicles...

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This Small-Town Minnesota Boutique Is A Treasure Trove Of Sassy Finds

A cheerful little storefront where the mannequins wear feather boas and the jewelry cases sparkle with one of a kind finds. I pushed open the door and a friendly voice called out...

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This Free Minnesota Park Has 100+ Outdoor Sculptures So Bizarre You’ll Swear You’re Dreaming

A giant metal chicken next to a concrete whale next to a house balancing on its nose. I walked across an open field and my brain kept asking if I had somehow wandered into a very...

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The Minnesota BBQ Joint That Was Named Best Brisket By Midwest Living Magazine

A modest building with a smoker out back that runs day and night like a loyal beast. I pulled open the door and the scent of oak and hickory wrapped around me before I even saw...

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This Wonderfully Quirky Minnesota Restaurant Is So Fun, You’ll Never Want to Leave

Pink booths and turquoise walls hit your eyes like stepping into a 1950s daydream. I sat down while Cuban music played softly and the smell of fresh plantains drifted from the...

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9 Minnesota Fishing Holes Locals Refuse To Name On Social Media

Ask a local where they caught that monster walleye and they will smile and change the subject quickly. I have learned that some fishing spots are so good that people protect them...

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You Can Explore an Entire 1800s Minnesota Town For Free And Have it Almost to Yourself

An entire town from the 1800s sits waiting for visitors who want to step back in time without spending a single dollar. I walked down a dirt street past old homes and a schoolhouse...

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People Travel From Across Minnesota For The Cheese-Stuffed Burger At This Historic Restaurant With A Bowling Alley Downstairs

A burger stuffed with cheese and a bowling alley tucked downstairs makes this place impossible to forget. I walked in and the smell of sizzling patties immediately told me I was...

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The Two-Mile Minnesota Trail That Takes You Past 100-Year-Old Pine Trees Most People Have Never Seen

A surveying mistake a hundred years ago saved these trees from being logged like the rest. I walked into a forest where the pines stretch so high that looking up gives you a dizzy...

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A Legendary German Bakery In Minnesota Just Reopened With A Brand New Bar

A legendary German bakery closed its doors and everyone held their breath waiting. Now it is back and brought something unexpected along for the ride.

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This Spring Park Restaurant Has Been Serving The Same Legendary Walleye Sandwich Since 1968

The walleye sandwich has not changed one single bit since 1968 arrives on my plate. I took a bite and understood why people keep coming back for decades endlessly.

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This Hidden Oregon Cave Has A Giant Hole In The Ceiling That Pours Sunlight Down Like A Golden Spotlight From Heaven

The cave is dark and cold until you look up at the perfect moment. A giant hole in the ceiling pours sunlight down like a theater spotlight.

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This Minnesota Cemetery Has A Grave Marker Carved Like A Pulled Tooth

I walked past a giant carved tooth sitting on top of a grave today. My first thought was whether a dentist is buried underneath that unusual monument actually.

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This Minnesota Town Is The Perfect Family Getaway With History, Nature And Kid Friendly Fun

I watched a family of five unload their minivan with matching excited screams today. The kids kept asking how much longer until we get to the riverfront.

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The Minnesota Trail That Makes You Forget You’re Only 10 Minutes From Town

You park your car and hear nothing but quiet wind. That is surprising because a busy road is just behind you. The trail ducks...

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One of Oregon’s Clearest Lakes Where Blue Water Views Feel Almost Coastal

A lake so clear it almost looks unreal sits quietly in Oregon, blurring the line between freshwater calm and coastal beauty. The water carries a deep blue tone that shifts with...

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This 4.4-Mile Hike Is a Must-Add to Your Oregon Bucket List

This 4.4-mile Oregon hike doesn’t waste time getting interesting. I hit the trail and it immediately feels like it knows how to keep things moving.

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