dorian hayes author at My Family Travels
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8 Delicious Virginia Spring Food Festivals You Can’t Miss This Year

Spring in Virginia means more than just blooming flowers and warmer weather. It means food festivals. Lots of them. I have...

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10 Authentic Virginia Eateries That Aren’t Tourist Traps And Locals Actually Love

Let me tell you something about Virginia's food scene. The best meals never make it onto those glossy visitor guides. They are...

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This 2.4 Mile Virginia Loop Offers A View Of Shenandoah Mountain Without Having To Climb It

You know that feeling when you want a killer mountain view but your knees have a different plan? Same. The good news is that...

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This Virginia Beach Is Rated One Of The Most Undiscovered In The State And Regulars Prefer It That Way

There is a stretch of sand in Virginia that most tourists never see. Not because it is hidden, but because the people who love it have a quiet agreement not to make too much noise.

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10 Virginia Rooftop Bars With Amazing Skyline Views

There is something about sitting on a rooftop while the sun sets behind a city skyline. The lights start to flicker on, one by one, and for a moment everything just feels right.

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Legend Says One Kiss On This Virginia Bridge Binds Hearts Forever

Let me tell you a story. There is a bridge tucked away in Virginia, hidden among trees and moss and the quiet footsteps of students hurrying to class.

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This No-Frills Virginia Stand Is Famous For A Hot Dog Named After A Pool Shark

You do not need fancy tables or a waiter when you have a hot dog this legendary. This tiny stand looks like it hasn't changed a thing since the 1950s, and that is exactly the point.

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This Unassuming Virginia Steakhouse In A Strip Mall Serves Ribeyes That Locals Call A Religious Experience

You would drive past this place without a second glance. That would be a mistake. It sits in a strip mall next to who knows...

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Virginia’s Most Celebrated Botanical Jewel Is A True Living Museum

First glance and you already know this place is different. In Virginia, a sprawling botanical garden unfolds with winding paths, reflective ponds, and layers of color that shift...

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This Virginia Gorge Hides The State’s Second Tallest Waterfall And An Old-Growth Hemlock Forest

You would walk right past this place if you did not know any better. That is the whole charm of it. The trail drops you into...

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This Hidden Virginia Gem Serves Pristine Sushi Sourced Directly From Tokyo

Virginia does not exactly scream sushi capital. You expect barbecue. You expect oysters. You do not expect fish that left a Tokyo...

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This 18th-Century Church In Virginia Is So Haunted That Confederate Soldiers Refused To Go Near It

History doesn’t just sit quietly here, it lingers in every shadow and corner. In Virginia stands an 18th-century church wrapped in stories so unsettling that even Civil War soldiers...

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This Eerie Virginia Tunnel Was Carved By Hand And Is Said To Echo With Ghostly Whispers

Hidden beneath Virginia’s mountains lies a hand carved tunnel that feels equal parts triumph and enigma. Cut straight through solid rock with hand drills and black powder, it...

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Virginia Locals Avoid This 28-Mile Long Beach At All Costs During The Tourist Season

The shift happens almost overnight. As summer settles over Virginia’s coastline, the calm gives way to a surge of visitors flooding in from every direction.

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This Virginia Town Played A Key Role In Major Hollywood Films Including Evan Almighty And Gods And Generals

Step onto these streets and it feels like you’ve wandered onto a film set. In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, this place blends small-city charm with a cinematic edge that has...

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This No-Frills Virginia Spaghetti House Has Been Serving Massive Family-Style Feasts For Decades

Great food does not need to show off to earn its reputation. Some places become legendary by serving honest, satisfying meals that keep families returning year after year.

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This Quirky Virginia Town Is Home To A 20-Foot-Tall Pencil That Proves Local Stationery Is A Big Deal

You spot it before you even realize what you are looking at. In a small Virginia town, one of the most unexpectedly bold landmarks rises above Main Street, impossible to ignore.

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This Secluded State Park In Virginia Is The Absolute Best Place To Escape The Crowds

Forget the packed parking lots and elbow-to-elbow trail traffic. There is a state park in Virginia so quietly spectacular that most people drive right past it without a clue.

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The Authentic Wiener Schnitzel At This Virginia Restaurant Is So Good, You’ll Dream About It For Weeks

One bite is all it takes to make this place unforgettable. Virginia has a knack for delivering meals that linger in your memory, and this one stands out immediately.

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This Tiny Virginia Diner Quietly Serves One Of The Best ‘Cheesy Westerns’ In The Region

Some places just refuse to be forgotten. There is a tiny diner in Virginia that has been feeding the city since 1930, and locals will argue passionately that nothing else comes...

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This Spectacular Cascading Waterfall In Virginia Should Be On Everyone’s Radar

Virginia has a way of surprising you when you least expect it, and nothing proves that more than a roadside waterfall so jaw-dropping it stops traffic. Somewhere in Virginia, a...

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This Revolutionary War Battlefield In Virginia Will Transport You Back To 1781

Few places hit with the kind of impact that makes everything else fade for a moment. In Virginia, the ground itself tells the story of a turning point that reshaped an entire nation...

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This Virginia Country Buffet Serves An All-You-Can-Eat Southern Feast With Over 100 Homestyle Dishes

Forget fast food and fancy menus. Somewhere in Virginia, there is a place that smells like Sunday dinner and feels like a grandmother's kitchen.

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This Floating Tiki Boat Is Bringing A Fun Tropical Vibe To Virginia’s Riverfront

Virginia just got a whole lot more tropical, and no, you did not need a plane ticket to get there. Picture yourself gliding down a scenic river, bamboo all around you, a thatched...

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10 Virginia Dining Destinations That Were Made For Your Instagram Grid

Virginia has a serious secret, and it's not just about the history books. The dining scene across this state is a full-on visual feast, where jaw-dropping interiors, dreamy outdoor...

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Why This Virginia Festival Is The Ultimate Spring Destination

Spring in Virginia hits differently when thousands of apple trees burst into bloom and an entire city transforms into a celebration. Locals call it "The Bloom," and trust me, that...

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Readers Travel Miles To This Labyrinthine Virginia Used Bookstore Where 100,000 Stories Wait To Be Re-Read

Some bookstores you browse. Others pull you in and refuse to let go. In Charlottesville, Virginia, there is a used bookstore...

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This Virginia Steakhouse Is Redefining Upscale Korean BBQ

Plenty of restaurants across Virginia make an impression, but occasionally one raises the standard entirely. One Korean BBQ spot delivers an experience that feels deliberate, refined,...

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This Iconic Virginia Estate Features The Oldest English Formal Garden In North America

Few places make an impression this quickly, and this Virginia estate is one of them. Hidden in Surry County, it holds records most historic sites can only dream of, including the...

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This Beginner-Friendly Richmond, Virginia Pathway Guides You Directly Over A Hidden Suspension Bridge

Is this the most underrated outdoor escape in all of Virginia, or do locals just want to keep it to themselves? Hidden inside the city of Richmond, a narrow pedestrian suspension...

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This Unique Virginia Farm Offers A Guided Trek Through Mountain Pastures With A Herd Of Wagyu Cattle

Weekends take on a different pace at this Blue Ridge foothill farm, where the usual routines give way to something far more immersive. In Paris, Virginia, Ovoka Farm offers a hands-on...

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This Breathtaking Virginia Escape Offers Dinner With A View That Will Leave You Speechless

High above Virginia’s Blue Ridge, this mountaintop retreat feels almost too perfect to be real, the kind of place that makes you stop mid-step just to take it in. It rises above...

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This Historic Virginia Drive-In Features A 1904 Machine That Still Hand-Rolls The World’s First Waffle Cones

Places like this do not fade quietly into history, and this one has no intention of trying. In a corner of Norfolk, Virginia, a drive-in has been drawing attention and sparking...

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This Virginia Spot Is Where You’ll Find The Best Ethiopian Injera And Spicy Stew

Virginia’s dining scene is packed with standouts, but some places don’t just impress, they stay with you. In downtown Richmond, a low-key spot is turning out Ethiopian dishes...

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This Virginia Alpine Escape Offers The Most Dramatic High-Altitude Photos In The South

Somewhere tucked inside the rugged heart of Virginia, a geological spectacle sits waiting to blow your mind. Massive quartzite boulders the size of vans and coffee tables tumble...

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This Narrow Virginia Shop Is Only 12 Feet Wide And Lets You Step Inside A Century-Old Spite House

Along one of Old Town Alexandria’s oldest streets, a building stands out by barely taking up space at all. It’s so narrow it feels like a challenge, wedged tightly between...

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This Haunted Farm Trail In Virginia Becomes Terrifying After Dark

Some places wear two faces, and one of them will make your heart race. By day, it is all sunshine, fluffy animals, and kids squealing with delight.

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An Electric Virginia Brazilian Steakhouse Gem With A Massive Spread Of Rotating Meat Cuts

Virginia has no shortage of great restaurants, but every once in a while, a place comes along that makes you question every dinner decision you have ever made. Hot take: most people...

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This Welcoming Buffet In Virginia Serves Hearty Nostalgic Home-Cooked Meals

Somewhere along South Crater Road in Petersburg, Virginia, there is a place that smells like Sunday dinner and feels like a warm hug the moment you walk through the door. Locals...

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This Virginia Destination Serves Authentic Dim Sum And Steamed Dumplings Worth The Drive

Some spots just have that magnetic pull that makes you rearrange your entire weekend schedule. There is a Cantonese gem inside a strip mall in Virginia Beach that locals have been...

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These Viral Jiggly Soufflé Pancakes Are Virginia’s Best Culinary Find

Imagine biting into a pancake that’s as light as a cloud and still manages to jiggle just enough to make you smile: yes, those are the famous soufflé pancakes that have taken...

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This 9-Patty “Triple Triple” Burger Challenge In Virginia Is A Meat Lover’s Paradise

Virginia has no shortage of bold food experiences, but nothing quite stops traffic like a nine-patty burger stacked so high it barely fits in your hands. I stumbled onto this glorious,...

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This 18th-Century Virginia Tavern Keeps Room 8 Locked To Honor Its Most Famous Anonymous Ghost

Some places carry their history quietly, tucked behind polished wood and candlelit corridors. But one colonial-era building in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, holds a secret so...

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Crowds Of Tourists Have Overwhelmed These 10 Virginia Beach Towns

Virginia is having a serious moment, and honestly, the coast can barely keep up. From the wild ponies of Chincoteague to the sun-soaked boardwalk of Virginia Beach, the state's...

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This Serene Virginia Garden Is A Breathtaking Window Into a Hidden Corner Of Kyoto

Virginia has a lot going for it, from its coastline to its history, but somewhere tucked inside a public park in Virginia Beach, there is a pocket of Japan so authentic it will...

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This Virginia Landmark Serves Massive 48oz Steaks In a Classic 1960s Barn Setting

Some restaurants just have that thing. You know it the moment you step inside, feel it in the warm glow of the lighting, and taste it in every perfectly seasoned bite.

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Step Inside This Spellbinding Virginia Boutique Full Of Oddities And Apothecary Magic

Virginia has a way of surprising you, and tucked inside the charming historic neighborhood of Phoebus in Hampton sits a shop that feels like it was conjured straight from a dream....

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10 Virginia Food Spots That Don’t Need Ads To Stay Packed Every Night

Virginia has this sneaky talent: you can be strolling through a historic downtown, chatting with friends, or even day?dreaming about that meeting you just survived, and you won’t...

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This Virginia Town Is Famous For Its Quaint Downtown And Live Music Scene

What makes a small city unforgettable? Some say it's the history, others insist it's the music, but Bristol, Virginia proves you don't have to choose.

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10 Remote Virginia Restaurants Totally Worth The Long Drive

Virginia is full of surprises, and some of the best ones are tucked far off the beaten path. Forget the city buzz for a moment and picture yourself winding down a country road,...

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This Secret Seafood Buffet In Virginia Lets You Feast On All The Crab You Can Eat

Virginia has no shortage of places to eat, but every once in a while, a spot comes along that makes you question why you ever wasted time anywhere else. Tucked away from the usual...

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This Quiet Virginia Lake Hides A Hidden Underwater World Waiting To Be Explored

Picture this: a crystal-clear quarry tucked away in the Virginia countryside where sunken helicopters, school buses, and vintage cars rest silently beneath the surface. Sounds...

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This Old-Fashioned General Store Serves Up a Nostalgic Taste of the South You Can’t Find Anywhere Else

Think all country stores are the same? Think again. Tucked away in Smithfield, Virginia, there's a place where time slows down...

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A Scenic And Affordable Virginia Town That Will Make You Want To Quit Your Job And Move Immediately

Picture a town where Victorian architecture meets mountain views, where you can actually afford a charming historic home, and where the arts scene rivals cities ten times its size....

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This Charming Café In Virginia Serves Coffee With A Side Of Cats

Is sipping tea while a furry friend curls up in your lap the ultimate afternoon escape, or just an overpriced gimmick? Cat cafes have taken the world by storm, and Virginia is...

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8 Virginia Scenic Drives That Beat the Highway Every Time

Think the interstate is your only option for getting from point A to point B in Virginia? Think again. The Old Dominion is laced...

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10 Virginia Theme Parks That Families Keep Coming Back To

Virginia families know something the rest of the country is still catching on to: this state packs serious theme park punch. From screaming roller coasters that'll test your courage...

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This Virginia Ramen Spot Nails The Authentic Japanese Flavors You’d Expect In Tokyo

Think ramen this good only exists in Tokyo? Think again. Tucked away in Annandale, a cozy little spot is rewriting the rules...

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Virginia’s Best-Kept Mac And Cheese Secret Is Hidden In The Wild

Think you know where to find the creamiest, most soul-satisfying comfort food in Virginia? Most folks cruise right past Pungo without realizing what they're missing.

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The Serene Virginia Town That Makes Everyday Stress Fade Away

Picture a place where your shoulders drop, your jaw unclenches, and you actually remember what it feels like to exhale fully. That place exists, and it's tucked along Virginia's...

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