clio harper author at My Family Travels
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9 Alabama Towns That Out Of State Tourists Completely Ruined

Alabama has some of the most beautiful small towns in the entire South. From quiet mountain villages to historic streets lined with century-old homes, these places have a charm...

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This Alabama Thrift Mega-Store Is Full Of Surprises And Shockingly Cheap Prices

I never thought a thrift store could surprise me until I started hearing whispers about a massive secondhand shop in Attalla, Alabama.

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The Ultimate 1,400-Acre Off-Road Adventure Hiding Right Here in Indiana

For off-road enthusiasts looking to conquer mud pits, scale massive sand dunes, and navigate dense wooded trails all in a single trip, this legendary park in Attica, Indiana is...

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This Century-Old Alabama Kitchen Is Famous For Deep Frying Their Ground Beef Burgers

Some food places earn their reputation not through trends or marketing, but through nearly a century of doing one thing and doing it their way.

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This Alabama Diner Spot Lets You Eat Comfort Food Inside A Crashed Passenger Train Car

Some restaurants give you a good meal. A rare few give you a story worth telling. This Robertsdale, Alabama diner is exactly...

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Rare Lemurs Will Literally Climb Directly Onto Your Head At This Quirky Alabama Zoo

There is a zoo in Gulf Shores, Alabama where a lemur might walk right across your shoulders and settle on your head like it owns the place. That is not a joke.

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The Massive 40-Acre Indiana Flea Market That’s Literally The Size Of 30 Football Fields

Some places just have a way of stopping you in your tracks. This massive flea market in Indiana’s Amish country is one of those places, and once you see its scale, it becomes...

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8 Jaw-Dropping Alabama Places Local Traditionalists Insist You Have To See To Actually Believe

Alabama has a way of surprising people who think they already know what the state looks like. From glowing canyon walls to ancient meteorite craters, the natural and historical...

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10 Alabama Places That Don’t Look Like They’re in Alabama

Alabama has a way of surprising people who think they already know what the state looks like. Most folks picture flat farmland, humid summers, and maybe a few rolling hills, but...

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This Stunning Emerald Pool Hidden In An Alabama Canyon Is A Paradise For Cliff Jumpers

Some places feel like they were made to be discovered on a perfect summer day. The Hippie Hole in Fort Payne, Alabama is one of those rare spots that earns every bit of the excitement...

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The Battle-Scarred Alabama Fortress Where You Can Walk Through Dark, Abandoned 19th-Century Tunnels

Fort Morgan sits at the very tip of the Alabama coast, where Mobile Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, and it carries the weight of American history in every worn brick.

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This Unique Alabama Landmark Hides A Massive Historic Village That Transports You Straight Back To The 1800s

Most people driving through Huntsville never realize there is a fully preserved 19th-century village sitting on a mountaintop just minutes from the city. This mountaintop museum...

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The Award-Winning Indiana Smokehouse That Quietly Swept The National BBQ Circuit

Some barbecue places earn their reputation slowly, one loyal customer at a time. This Mooresville, Indiana smokehouse did exactly that, building a name for itself through decades...

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You Won’t Believe This Ornate Tibetan Temple Is Tucked Away In The Indiana Woods

Most people think of Indiana and picture cornfields, college towns, and quiet Midwestern life. What they do not expect is a Tibetan cultural center surrounded by rolling wooded...

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This Beautiful 700-Acre Alabama Oasis Is Hidden Less than Two Minutes From The Interstate

Most people blow past Exit 51 on Interstate 85 without a second thought, never knowing what waits just around the corner. This state park sits on nearly 700 acres of rolling hills,...

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This Heart-Pounding Alabama Bridge Lets You Stand Directly Over A Massive Rushing Waterfall

There are places in Alabama that stop you cold the moment you see them, and this Grove Oak destination is exactly that kind of place. A wide, powerful waterfall surges through...

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8 Secret Alabama BBQ Hole-In-The-Walls Better Than Any Major Chain

Alabama has a BBQ culture that runs deeper than most people realize. Far from the highway chains and flashy tourist stops, small family-run smokehouses across Alabama have been...

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This Alabama Boat Tour Gets You So Close To Wild Dolphins They’ll Be Jumping Right Beside You

There is something genuinely thrilling about watching wild dolphins leap through the water just a few feet from where you are standing. Along the Alabama Gulf Coast, this Orange...

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Most Alabamians Don’t Know This Surreal Underground Waterfall Even Exists

Hidden beneath the hills of Jackson County, Alabama, this cave preserve holds one of the Southeast’s most striking underground landscapes. A waterfall drops deep into a cavern,...

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This Indiana General Store Still Serves Sandwiches The Old-Fashioned Way

There are some places in Indiana that just feel like home the moment you walk through the door, and this historic general store in southwestern Indiana is one of them. Sitting...

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One Of Indiana’s Most Scenic Coastal Hikes Includes A 270-Step Stair Climb To The Top

There is something about standing at the edge of a massive sand dune, looking out over Lake Michigan with the Chicago skyline glowing in the distance, that makes you forget you...

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This Hidden Alabama Boardwalk Is The Secret Portal To A Deserted Island Oasis

Most people come to Gulf Shores for the crowded beaches and busy strip, but I found something far more rewarding just a short drive away. This short loop trail inside Bon Secour...

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The Massive Alabama Museum That Houses The World’s Largest Motorcycle Collection

Some places just stop you in your tracks, and this vintage motorsports museum in Alabama is absolutely one of them. I remember the first time I heard about a museum that officially...

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Walk Above The Trees On This Stunning 1,500-Foot Alabama Boardwalk

There is something quietly magical about walking through a forest canopy at eye level with the treetops, and this elevated boardwalk in an Alabama state park makes that experience...

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This Giant Alabama Antique Mall Is One Of The Most Overwhelmingly Big In The State

Some places just stop you in your tracks the moment you walk through the door. This massive antique mall in Gardendale, Alabama is exactly that kind of place.

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10 Must-Try Tiny Seafood Spots In Alabama Worth A Full Road Trip

I never thought a road trip through Alabama would change the way I think about seafood forever. Growing up in Oklahoma, our idea of fresh fish was usually whatever the local grocery...

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The Quirky Indiana Shop Filled With Oddities, Curiosities, And One-Of-A-Kind Finds

There are some places you walk into and immediately feel like you’ve discovered a secret the rest of the world hasn’t quite caught onto yet. This curiosity shop in Valparaiso...

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This Hidden Indiana Sushi Spot Sets Your Dinner On Fire Behind A Tucked-Away Hotel Entrance

You walk through a hotel lobby, past the front desk, down a hallway that does not look promising. No sign. No host stand. Just...

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This Small Alabama Smokehouse Might Have The Most Addictive Smoked Wings You’ll Ever Try

I had heard whispers about these wings long before I really understood what made them different. When I finally made it to this small roadside smokehouse, I realized why people...

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People Line Up At This Indiana Fish Shack For Its Famous Crispy Cod

I grew up hearing stories about places where the food is so good that people will drive an hour just for a plate. This unassuming seafood spot in Decatur is exactly that kind of...

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This Indiana Soul Food Gem Piles Plates High With Fried Chicken, Catfish, And Rich Southern Sides

I’ve eaten my way through plenty of small-town spots over the years, but finding authentic soul food that feels like a Sunday dinner at your grandmother’s house is rare. This...

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This Indiana Battlefield Park Marks One Of The Most Important Early Conflicts In State Formation History

There are places in Indiana where history does not just sit quietly in a textbook. This battlefield park in Battle Ground is one of those places, and every time I think about it,...

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The Underrated Indiana Forest Gorge Hike With Rocky Terrain And Deep Shade Even In Summer

I’ll be honest, I had driven through Greene County more times than I can count without ever stopping to explore what was tucked just off a quiet rural road in Solsberry. This...

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An Indiana River-Town Pizza Spot Facing One Of America’s Prettiest Historic Main Streets

Madison, Indiana has a way of stopping you in your tracks. The Ohio River rolls quietly nearby, the architecture on Main Street looks like something out of a postcard, and right...

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This Indiana Hidden Gem Sells Professional Outfits Starting At $1, And It’s Not A Typo

I'll be honest, the first time I heard about a store in Fort Wayne selling professional outfits starting at just a few dollars, I thought someone was pulling my leg. But this spot...

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The Ultimate Indiana “Everything” Buffet Where You Can Get Sushi, Steak, and Pizza Under One Roof

When I think about a place that genuinely has something for everyone at the table, a large buffet-style restaurant in northwest Indiana comes to mind immediately. It is one of...

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The Award-Winning Indiana Boil House Famous For Huge Portions Of Cajun Snow Crab And Crawfish

There is something about the smell of a well-seasoned seafood boil that makes everything else feel secondary. Living in Indiana, I never expected to find that kind of bold, Louisiana-style...

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This Indiana Pho Spot In A Modest Plaza Serves Broth That Rivals Big City Bowls

I’ll be honest, I did not expect to find one of my favorite bowls of pho tucked inside a strip mall on the northeast side of a Midwestern city. But that is exactly what happened.

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The Tragic Victorian Estate In Indiana Haunted by a Young Girl and a Former Doctor

I still remember the first time I heard about an old Victorian home in southern Indiana that locals refuse to talk about in too much detail. A friend described hearing a child’s...

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This Massive Indiana Wilderness Area Offers Miles Of Secluded Backcountry Hardwood Forests

I grew up in Indiana thinking the state was all cornfields and flat roads. Then someone pointed me toward a gravel path near Heltonville, Indiana, and everything I thought I knew...

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This Hidden Indiana Nature Preserve Will Transport You To A World Of Peaceful Ponds And Rolling Hills

I never expected to find something this wild and peaceful just a short drive from town. This hidden nature preserve quietly stretches across 809 acres of glacial ridges, shallow...

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This Indiana Kitchen Gives You A Real Taste Of Maryland With A Midwest Twist On Their Famous Lump Crab Cakes

I never expected to find a taste of Maryland right in the middle of downtown Indianapolis, but this kitchen and bar changed everything I thought I knew about Midwest dining. The...

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This Indiana Pizza Place Is Housed in a Revitalized Garage and Serves Slices With Spicy Honey

There are pizza places, and then there are places that make you rethink everything you thought you knew about pizza. This Indianapolis spot is firmly in that second category.

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This Historic Indiana Landmark Lets You Investigate a Cursed Theatre Attic and Phantom Doctor

I have always believed that the best buildings hold more than just history within their walls. Built in the 1890s by a city’s German immigrant community, this landmark has worn...

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10 Indiana Paths That Feel Completely Different Once Spring Arrives

I have walked a lot of Indiana trails in every season, but nothing quite compares to the moment spring finally shows up and changes everything. The bare branches fill in overnight,...

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This Hilly Indiana Loop Offers A Secluded Woodland Workout Just Minutes From The City’s Best Coffee Shops

I have hiked a lot of trails around Indiana, but this one near Bloomington keeps pulling me back every single season. There is something about the way the hardwood forest closes...

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This Picturesque Riverfront Town Is Indiana’s Go-To Destination For A Stress-Free Weekend Escape

I have spent enough weekends in busy Indiana cities to know when a place genuinely earns its reputation as a getaway destination. There’s a charming river town along the Ohio...

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This Historic Indiana Butcher Shop Is Famous for its Friday Smoked Brisket Specials

Some places earn their reputation quietly, one satisfied customer at a time, and this family-run butcher shop is exactly that kind of place. Since 1966, it has been a cornerstone...

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This Indiana Riverfront Park Features a Winding 560-Foot Pedestrian Bridge Elevated High Into the Treetops

This Midwestern city has quietly built something special along the banks of its river, and it honestly deserves far more attention than it gets.

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This Bizarre Indiana Clown-Themed Diner Is Famous for its Magic Burger and 1960s Vibe

There are diners, and then there is this small-town spot. I have driven past a lot of places in Indiana, but nothing quite prepares you for walking into a restaurant where clown...

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The Haunted Indiana Steakhouse Where Ghosts Throw Brochures and the Wood-Fired Ribeye Is Legend

There are steakhouses, and then there are places that feel like they carry the weight of an entire town's story in their walls. One spot in Aurora, Indiana is exactly the second...

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This Artisan Indiana Pizzeria Uses a Wood-Fired Oven to Blister Crusts Topped with Pepperoni and Zesty Peppadew Peppers

Finding genuinely great pizza in Indianapolis is something I take seriously, and this Broad Ripple spot has completely changed my expectations.

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The Tiny Indiana Amish Country Shop Where Locals Score High-Quality Regional Treasures

There is something genuinely exciting about finding a shop that feels completely unlike anything else in the area, and The Crowded Closet Consignment in the heart of Middlebury...

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This One-Acre Indiana Railway Garden Features Seven G-Gauge Trains Circling 3,000 Feet of Landscaped Track

I have walked through a lot of gardens in Indiana, but nothing quite prepared me for what I found at this arboretum in Valparaiso. Nestled within a 360-acre oak preserve, this...

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This Indiana Deli Sells Authentic Jamaican Patties in a Tiny, No-Frills Neighborhood Shack

I never expected to find one of my favorite meals in a small, no-frills spot in Indianapolis. But the first time I tried a beef patty there, I completely understood why people...

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This Tiny Indiana Italian Market Features Authentic Pastries, Gelato, and Sliced Entrees

I never expected to find a slice of Italy tucked in Carmel, but here we are. This is the kind of place that stops you mid-bite and makes you forget you are anywhere other than...

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This Indiana Neighborhood Steakhouse Offers Chicago-Sourced Steaks and a Fun Dining Experience

I never thought I’d find a steakhouse in Greenwood, Indiana that could genuinely compete with the big downtown spots, but that assumption didn’t last long after my first visit...

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This Indiana Antique Mall Is Housed in a 37,000-Square-Foot Warehouse with 350+ Vendors

I have spent plenty of weekend afternoons hunting through antique shops across Indiana, but nothing quite prepared me for the first time I walked into this spot in Plainfield....

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This Indiana Train Is Being Taken Over By The Easter Bunny This Month For An Interactive Egg Hunt On The Rails

There is something about a train ride that just feels magical, and when you mix that with Easter, an egg hunt, and rolling countryside, you have a recipe for one of the best family...

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This Indiana 1850s Gastropub Serves Peanut Butter Burgers and Weekly Ramen Inside a Former Historic Tavern

Some places just feel different the moment you walk through the door. This historic pub in Valparaiso, Indiana, is one of those rare spots where history, food, and community collide...

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