clio harper author at My Family Travels
Article
This Tiny Coastal Alabama Airport Is Quietly Becoming a Haven for Low-Cost Flights

The annoying part of a beach vacation used to happen before the beach. You would land somewhere else. Collect your luggage. Find...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Why Seniors Are Flocking to This Affordable Alabama Retirement Haven

The kayak is not supposed to spend retirement in the garage. Neither are the walking shoes. Yet that is what happens in plenty...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Rugged Indiana Forest Is Home To Endangered Rattlesnakes So Hikers Know To Watch Their Step

The trail makes a noise. You stop. Not because the noise is especially loud. Because it came from the leaves.

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Secret Fabric World In Alabama Features Thousands Of Bolts For Creative Makers

The fabric stash has become a safety hazard. Not physically. Financially. Because once you see thousands of bolts stacked around...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Hidden Indiana Supermarket Features A Weekend Buffet So Authentic You’ll Think You’re In The Middle East

The first thing to understand is that the grocery store is not the main event. Not on weekends. That is when the dining room...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Hidden Rural Indiana Store Stocks Groceries You Won’t Find At Most Supermarkets

The refrigerator is full. That is not the same thing as having anything to eat. There is cheese, technically. A jar of something...

Read More    6 min read

Article
10 Upcoming Fall Festivals In Alabama You’ll Want On Your Calendar

Summer finally gets the hint. The humidity backs off. The evenings become bearable. And Alabama immediately starts throwing...

Read More    9 min read

Article
9 Alabama Restaurants Where One Dish Put Them On The Map

Every restaurant wants a signature dish. These restaurants may have accidentally created a celebrity. One has sauce. One has...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Best Cheeseburger In Alabama Is Served Inside This Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurant

The fries never showed up. They were never invited. That is one of the first things that makes this Alabama burger joint different....

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Alabama River Basin Is The Only Place On Earth Where This Rare Salamander Lives

The salamander has a terrible commute. It cannot simply move somewhere else. Its entire world is one river watershed. That is...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Powerful 17-Acre Sculpture Park in Alabama Changes Everyone Who Visits

A sculpture can be beautiful. A name can be heartbreaking. Put both in the same place and the meaning changes. This Alabama park...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Indiana Farm Hosts an Adults-Only Corn Maze Party This September

The hardest part of an adults-only corn maze may be explaining why nobody brought the children. Fortunately, they are not invited.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Weekend-Only Buffet In Indiana Refuses To Tone Down The Spice For Anyone

There is always one person who asks, “Is it actually spicy?” Here, that question has a very simple answer. Yes. That is...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Tiny Alabama Shop Bakes Up Authentic Sicilian Treats That Taste Straight Out of Italy

The passenger seat has a new job. Protect the cookies. That becomes important after a stop at this Alabama bakery, where handmade...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Inside the Secret 30-Acre Alabama Oasis Home to the World’s Most Unique Wild Hydrangea

The traffic is loud. The garden is not. That contrast is probably the first surprise. One minute there are shopping centers,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Charming Alabama Bookshop Has a Patio Where You Can Sit and Read While Sipping Coffee From the Cafe Inside

The smartest person here may be the one who brought a bookmark. Because this Alabama bookshop is not especially interested in sending people home quickly.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Massive Alabama Country Mall Is So Enormous You Could Lose an Entire Afternoon Inside

The car needs a break. You do too. Ten minutes later, neither of those things has happened. Instead, the Alabama roadside stop...

Read More    6 min read

Article
One of the Deepest Canyon Cuts East of the Mississippi Is an Alabama Road Trip Hiding in Plain Sight

The river has terrible manners. Instead of going downhill like a normal river, it runs along the top of the mountain. Then...

Read More    6 min read

Article
10 Secret Indiana Diners Known For Obscenely Large Portions That Seem Unreal

Some families argue about politics. Others argue about who gets the last pancake. The second argument is usually more productive....

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Hidden Indiana Chapel Looks Exactly Like a Postcard From the European Countryside

A postcard from Europe would probably look less convincing. There is the stone chapel. The wooded hill. The tiny rise in the...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Tiny Alabama Burger Joint Still Serves Legendary Depression-Era ‘Slugburgers’

Nobody sets out looking for a burger named "slug." Curiosity does the rest. Onions hit a hot grill somewhere in Alabama, and that smell alone has been pulling people off the sidewalk...

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Alabama Coastal Towns with the Best Seafood Shacks

There is no graceful way to eat a good seafood basket. Someone always gets sauce on a finger. Someone drops a fry. Someone...

Read More    7 min read

Article
You Can Meet One Of The Rarest Wolf Species On Earth Hidden Inside This Alabama Zoo

Someone asks where the wolves are. The answer is surprisingly easy. Right there. The harder question is how many are left.

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Alabama Trails Under 2 Miles for People Who Want the Views Without the Tough Hike

Someone says, “It's only a mile.” That sentence usually requires clarification. Only a mile through what? Up a mountain?...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Alabama Backyard Tells Civil Rights History in a Way No School Textbook Ever Dares to

Someone hands you a history book. It tells you what happened. This backyard asks a different question: What did it feel like?...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Historic Indiana Market Is Basically A Little Slice Of Old-School Italy Hidden In The State

The family recipe did not come with measurements. It came with instructions like “use the good cheese” and “you will know when there is enough.” Finding the good cheese...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Historic Indiana Rail Trail Is Completely Perfect For A Crisp September Bike Ride

There is a certain sound a bike makes on an old railroad grade. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Eerie Alabama Road Bridge Holds Local Legend As A Historic Haunted Crossing

The headlights go off. That is when the bridge becomes interesting. Not because the steel suddenly changes, but because the...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Most People Have Never Heard Of This Enchanting Waterfront Sanctuary Tucked Deep In Alabama

“Where is everybody?” That is probably the first question. There are no crowds spilling down the shoreline. No constant...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Tiny Alabama Crossroads Hides A Restored 1900s Country Store Frozen In Time

The porch is doing exactly what a porch is supposed to do. Nothing. It sits out front, wide and inviting, attached to an old...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Tiny Alabama Pie Shop Hand-Rolls Pastries Exactly Like Grandma Used To Make

A fried pie is a terrible thing to eat while driving. There is no graceful way to manage the crumbs, the flaky corners, or the filling that inevitably tries to escape.

Read More    6 min read

Article
10 Packed Alabama Fabric Shops With Trims, Notions, and Bolts You Cannot Find Online

I have never trusted myself around a wall of buttons. There is always one more worth picking up. Then there is the ribbon....

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Indiana Pizza Joint Became a Small-Town Legend Without Ever Needing a Big City

A teenager ate here in 1975. Decades later, that same person brought a grandchild through the door. Somewhere along the way,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
10 Cozy Indiana Restaurants That Secretly Source Their Entire Menu From Neighboring Farms

The tomato tastes suspiciously like a tomato again. The cream has actual flavor. The pork comes with a farmer's name attached...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Historic Alabama Variety Store Is a Nostalgic Wonderland Hiding the Ultimate Toy Selection

The fastest way to lose a child in this store is to mention the toys. The fastest way to lose an adult is to let them notice the rest of the shelves.

Read More    6 min read

Article
10 Quiet Alabama Nature Trails Where You Can Escape From The Crowds

Try standing still for thirty seconds. No talking. No music. No checking the phone.

Read More    8 min read

Article
9 Alabama Markets Where $20 Can Turn Into an Entire Afternoon of Browsing

The twenty-dollar bill is still in your pocket. That is the important part. Everything else gets complicated once you see the...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Massive Outlet Mall In Alabama Is Worth Every Mile

The plan was simple: stop, find one thing, and get back on the road. Then the first sale sign appeared. Then another. Then...

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Wild Alabama Trails Perfect For Spotting Alligators, Rare Birds, And Sea Turtles

You think you know what the coast looks like, and then an alligator floats past looking exactly like a log that has learned to swim. A few minutes later, a bird drops into the...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Giant Indiana Amusement Warehouse Features Tactical Mission-Based Laser Tag and Foam Dart Arenas

You walk in expecting a rainy-day activity and suddenly find yourself standing beside a school bus inside a laser tag arena. A real school bus.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Sleepy Indiana Village Grill Has Been Voted Its County’s Best-Kept Secret For Decades

I stopped for a quick meal and somehow ended up spending much longer than planned. There is something about an old town that can make a simple lunch feel like part of the trip,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Massive Alabama Educational Landmark Was Built From Scratch By Former Enslaved People

I stopped at one of the old brick walls and found myself wondering how many hands had touched the clay before it became part of a building. Then came the part that made the whole...

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Breathtaking Alabama Hiking Trails With a View

Think Alabama hiking is all flat paths and easy strolls? One trail can change that idea pretty quickly. Across the state, you’ll...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This 130-Year-Old Alabama Hosiery Mill Houses A Secret Antique Marketplace And A Hidden Gourmet Tavern

You walk in expecting maybe a quick bite, and three hours later you are still there. That is the kind of pull this old mill has, sitting somewhere in Alabama.

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Great Thrift Stores And Warehouse Outlets In Alabama For Budget Shoppers

My favorite Alabama road trips have nothing to do with beaches or football stadiums, and everything to do with what sits behind a plain warehouse door. I love the sound of hangers...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Iconic Indiana Comic Shop Features Nearly Half A Million Rare Back Issues

Nearly half a million back issues is enough to make any comic collector forget what time it is. Tucked into Indiana's comic scene is a massive collection spanning decades of superheroes,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Historic Indiana Underground Railroad House Reveals Secret Passageways Used to Hide Slaves

What if the most important parts of a historic house were the spaces you could barely see? Beneath the floors and behind the walls of one Indiana home are hidden passageways connected...

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Century-Old Buildings In Alabama Hiding A Fascinating Past

The walls may be quiet now, but they have seen a lot. From bustling commercial centers to grand homes and historic theaters, Alabama's oldest surviving buildings preserve stories...

Read More    7 min read

Article
9 Historic Alabama Restaurants That Have Been Serving The Same Famous Dish For Decades

Some recipes become so closely tied to a restaurant that ordering anything else almost feels wrong. Across Alabama, a handful of historic eateries have spent decades perfecting...

Read More    8 min read

Article
8 Authentic Alabama Fish Markets With the Freshest Catch in the State

What if your next grocery run could end with a cooler full of fresh Gulf seafood? Across Alabama, local fish markets give shoppers a chance to bring home everything from shrimp...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Top-Rated Alabama Joint Serves Up an Addictive Made-to-Order All-You-Can-Eat Sushi and Sashimi Feast

What if you could keep ordering your favorite sushi until you had tried everything you came for? One Alabama restaurant has turned that idea into a made-to-order feast, giving...

Read More    6 min read

Article
People Drive For Miles To Try The Legendary, Hand-Battered Fried Catfish At This Historic Alabama Landmark

A craving for fried catfish can be surprisingly persuasive when you know exactly where to find it. One longtime Alabama landmark has become a destination for diners willing to...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Indiana Building Looks Like A Secret Sci-Fi Bunker But Holds 4.5 Million Books

Some buildings are impressive because of what they look like. Others become unforgettable because of what they hold. One Indiana...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Tiny Indiana Town Is Hiding A Massive Retro Candy Shop Piled High With Childhood Nostalgia

When was the last time a simple piece of candy brought back a childhood memory? Sometimes all it takes is spotting a familiar treat on the shelf to remember family vacations, trips...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Legendary Century-Old Alabama Pharmacy Features An Authentic Soda Fountain Serving The Ultimate Old-School Sundae

You would not necessarily expect one of the best nostalgic dessert stops to be inside a pharmacy. Yet one longtime Alabama establishment has kept its soda fountain tradition alive,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Nostalgic Alabama Dairy Bar Has Been Serving A ‘Must-Eat’ Legendary Footlong Since 1952

How do you know a restaurant has truly stood the test of time? Sometimes the answer is as simple as generations of customers returning for the very same meal.

Read More    6 min read

Article
8 Adrenaline-Packed Adventures Thrill Seekers Will Absolutely Love Exploring In Alabama

When was the last time you did something that made your heart race in the best possible way? Alabama offers far more than peaceful scenery and relaxing getaways.

Read More    8 min read

Article
10 Unassuming Alabama Gas Stations Hiding 5-Star Restaurants Inside

When was the last time you expected one of your best meals to come from a gas station? Most people stop for fuel, a drink, or a quick snack, never imagining that the door next...

Read More    9 min read

Article
9 Iconic Alabama Comfort Food Spots Every Southerner Needs to Try at Least Once

What is the one meal that instantly feels familiar, no matter how long it has been since you last had it? Comfort food has a way of bringing people back to favorite memories through...

Read More    8 min read

Article
Get Lost Inside This Historic Indiana Home Packed From Floor To Ceiling With Used Books

Some bookstores feel like stores. A beloved bookshop in South Bend, Indiana feels like someone left the door open to their personal library and just never closed it.

Read More    6 min read