elena ryder author at My Family Travels
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This Oklahoma Outdoor Haven Is Feeling The Footprint Of Overtourism

Turkey Mountain used to be Tulsa's secret. Now it's everywhere, all the time, packed with people who just discovered what locals have known for years.

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This Amish Greenhouse In Oklahoma Is Growing On Everyone

If you've been searching for a place where healthy plants meet honest prices and genuinely kind people, you need to know about Clarita Greenhouse in Oklahoma.

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This Oklahoma Café Lets Dogs Enjoy the Spotlight While You Sip Coffee

You don't expect to see a dog curled up next to a leather couch in a strip mall coffee shop, and that is exactly why Nordaggio's Coffee stands out. I walked in for freshly roasted...

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This Oklahoma Favorite Is Where Pizza Plans Come Together

Look, I'm going to be straight with you. Finding a pizza place that actually gets it right is harder than it should be. Too many...

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This Oklahoma Pizza Spot Is On Fire, And The Hype Is Real

You know that feeling when you bite into something so good you actually pause mid-chew and wonder why nobody told you about this place sooner? That's exactly what happens at Hall's...

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This Oklahoma City Flea Market Is A Culturally Rich Wonderland Of Color, Flavor, And Hidden Finds

I used to think a flea market was just rows of folding tables and random stuff I didn’t need. Then I walked into OKC Plaza Latina and realized I’d been doing flea markets all...

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11 Oklahoma Restaurants Locals Secretly Gatekeep From Visitors

Every state has those places people talk about in a lower voice. Not because they are flashy or impossible to get into, but because they never miss.

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This Cozy Oklahoma Café Treats Dogs Like the Real VIPs

Not every restaurant welcomes four-legged guests with open arms, but at one charming Tulsa café, dogs are more than just tolerated, they are celebrated.

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The Oklahoma Town Long Remembered By A Missing Girl’s Case

Have you ever noticed how one event can change the way a town is remembered forever? In Oklahoma, there’s a community that still carries the weight of a missing girl’s case,...

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This Oklahoma Country Eatery Serves Comfort Food That Tastes Like Home

There are not many places left where a meal tastes like it came from someone who learned to cook long before shortcuts were a thing. Most places rush through preparation or rely...

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Tourists Ruined This Quiet Little Swimming Spot Locals Once Loved

I still remember the first time I visited Bath Lake in Medicine Park, Oklahoma, back when it was a peaceful retreat known mostly to locals.

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This Quiet Oklahoma Lake Still Feels Undiscovered, Even on Summer Weekends

I remember the first time I pulled up to Lake Wister State Park, tucked away in southeastern Oklahoma near the town of Wister. The parking lot was nearly empty, the water stretched...

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The Handmade Pie at This Plain-Looking Oklahoma Eatery Is the Reason It Stays Busy

Weatherford sits in the heart of western Oklahoma, where wide prairies meet endless skies and the spirit of Route 66 still hums along the roadside.

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This Giant Oklahoma Vintage Store Lets You Load Your Backseat With Treasures For Next To Nothing

Walking into Antique Avenue Market feels like stepping into your grandmother’s attic, except everything is organized, priced to move, and nobody minds if you touch the merchandise....

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These Romantic Oklahoma Dinner Spots Feel Made For Valentine’s Night

I've learned that the most romantic dinners in Oklahoma are rarely about what is on the plate. They are about how the room feels once you sit down.

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Oklahoma’s Asian All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Where You Can Literally Taste the Rainbow

Walking into Chen's Buffet feels like stepping into a world where variety meets comfort, and hunger meets satisfaction in the most colorful way possible.

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This No-Frills Oklahoma Restaurant Serves Pulled Pork So Good It’s Famous Far Beyond the State

I've learned that mentioning barbecue in Oklahoma is a guaranteed way to stir up opinions, and nothing proves that faster than a stop at Van's Pig Stand. Some people talk about...

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This Dog-Friendly Oklahoma Café Lets Your Pup Dine in Style

Finding a restaurant where your dog feels as welcome as you do can be tough, but Picasso Cafe in Oklahoma City changes that completely.

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This Purr-fect Oklahoma Café Serves Coffee With a Side of Cats

I have walked Guthrie’s historic streets plenty of times, admiring the Victorian buildings and slow small town pace, but I did not expect to fall in love with a place filled...

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These Lesser-Known Romantic Getaways in Oklahoma Are All About Lakes and Quiet Shorelines

Oklahoma might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about romantic lakeside escapes, but that's exactly what makes it special.

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This Oklahoma Zoo Experience Brings You Face-to-Face With Giraffes and Zebras

You might think zoos are just for kids, but anyone who's stood eye-level with a giraffe while it wraps its tongue around lettuce in your hand knows better. Oklahoma City Zoo delivers...

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These Oklahoma Romantic Getaways Are Where Sparks Fly, No Fireworks Required

Romance doesn’t always require a plane ticket to Paris or a cruise to the Caribbean. What if the most romantic escapes are hiding right here in Oklahoma, waiting to surprise...

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How Oklahoma’s Hole-in-the-Wall Backroad Cafés Decide Dinner Without Menus

Why do some of Oklahoma's best backroad cafés don't have menus? You walk in hungry, ready to order, and the server just tells you what's for dinner.

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This Oklahoma Covered Wagon Getaway Makes the Stars Your Ceiling

What's like to sleep under a blanket of stars without sacrificing comfort? At Orr Family Farm in Oklahoma City, you can do exactly that in one of their iconic covered wagons.

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This Oklahoma Amish-Style Country Store Still Runs on Homemade Comfort Food

Does a store that bakes its own cinnamon rolls from scratch still exist? Spoiler alert: it does, and locals are lining up before the doors open.

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This Chicken-Focused Fast-Food Chain Built a Cult Following by Doing One Thing Only

Tucked along South Yale Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sits a fast-food spot that has turned simplicity into a regional phenomenon. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers doesn't try to be...

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This Oklahoma Ghost Town Is Still Shooting Off Wild West Legends

Some folks think ghost towns are nothing but dusty ruins and forgotten dreams, but Ingalls, Oklahoma tells a different story. Sitting nine miles east of Stillwater in Payne County,...

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Tourists Ruined This Once-Perfect Oklahoma Swimming Hole and Locals Still Aren’t Over It

Ever stumble across a hidden gem so perfect you can't help but tell everyone about it? That's exactly what happened to Blue Hole Park in Salina, Oklahoma, and now locals are watching...

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The Bizarre Oklahoma Law Leaves Visitors Wondering How It Ever Passed

Some laws are so bizarre you have to double-check they’re real. In Oklahoma, one makes visitors scratch their heads and locals chuckle: wrestling a bear for sport is strictly...

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How Amish Food Culture in Oklahoma Has Stayed Unchanged for Generations

Locals in Oklahoma know something most outsiders don't: tucked into the quiet corners of the western part of the state, there's an Amish food tradition so untouched by time that...

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These Massive Secondhand Shops in Oklahoma Will Make You Feel Like You Need a Game Plan

Oklahoma's secondhand shopping scene isn't for the faint of heart. Sprawling warehouses packed floor to ceiling with vintage treasures, quirky collectibles, and hidden gems await...

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This Oklahoma Ghost Town Vanished From Maps Almost Overnight, but Not From Memory

Ever heard of a town that just disappeared? Not in some mysterious Bermuda Triangle way, but because history, economics, and time decided to erase it from the map.

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This Oklahoma Ghost Town Isn’t Scary at Night, It’s Worse During the Day

Locals around Oklahoma can't stop debating whether Cardin is more haunting in moonlight or blazing daylight, and honestly, the daylight crew might be onto something darker than...

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This Low-Key Oklahoma Record Shop Holds Decades of Music History Inside

Oklahoma locals have been arguing for years about which record shop truly holds the crown for the best vinyl collection in the state, but one unassuming spot on Pennsylvania Avenue...

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The Abandoned Oklahoma Schoolhouse With Stories Locals Won’t Repeat at Night

Deep in Osage County, Oklahoma, where rolling prairie meets tangled creek bottoms, sits a crumbling schoolhouse that locals prefer to avoid after sundown. Bird Creek School, built...

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Why This Small Oklahoma Town Was Made for Waiting, Not Rushing

Tucked away in the rolling plains of northwest Oklahoma, Alva is a small town that hums to a different rhythm. Here, life unfolds at a pace that invites you to slow down, breathe...

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This Oklahoma Fast-Food Stop Became a Road Trip Staple Without the Gimmicks

QuikTrip didn't become a road trip legend by accident. Tucked along Oklahoma's bustling highways, this 24-hour gas station has quietly earned its reputation as a reliable stop...

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This Remote Oklahoma Park Reveals a Side of the State Most People Never See

Far from the bustling cities and well-traveled tourist routes, Black Kettle National Grassland stretches across western Oklahoma like a hidden world waiting to be discovered.

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This Laid-Back Oklahoma Town Makes a Simple, Affordable Life Feel Surprisingly Easy

Tucked into the rolling hills of eastern Oklahoma, Poteau offers something increasingly rare in modern America: a place where life slows down without feeling stuck in time.

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How This Tiny Oklahoma Town Keeps an Old Frontier Tradition Alive, And It’s Delightfully Weird

Tucked into the rolling prairie of north-central Oklahoma, Pawnee sits at the crossroads of old frontier spirit and small-town charm.

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This Oklahoma Town Feels Like It Runs on a Different Clock

Tucked into the rolling plains of northern Oklahoma, Medford sits quietly at the crossroads of Grant County, a place where time seems to move at its own unhurried pace.

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This Little-Known Part of Oklahoma Shows a Side of the State Few Expect

Most people picture Oklahoma as flat prairie stretching endlessly under wide skies, but tucked away in the southeastern corner lies a landscape that flips that image completely....

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An Abandoned Place in Oklahoma Travelers Stop At Without Hesitation

Somewhere along the faded asphalt of Route 66, where the Texas Panhandle meets western Oklahoma, sits a ghost town that refuses to disappear completely.

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This Unassuming Oklahoma Seafood Buffet Is One Regulars Never Get Tired Of

Oklahoma City has grown into a destination that surprises travelers with its blend of urban energy and welcoming hospitality. The...

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These Hidden Oklahoma Oddities Are Nothing Like What You’d Expect

Oklahoma has a quiet habit of surprising people who think they already know it well. Past the familiar stretch of prairies...

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How This Small Oklahoma Town Became a Quiet Refuge for Local Artists

Guthrie sits in central Oklahoma like a time capsule wrapped in red brick and Victorian elegance, its tree-lined streets whispering stories of frontier ambition and creative rebirth....

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Why This Alaska Glacier Town Leaves a Lasting Impression

Tucked into the narrow valleys of southeast Alaska, Skagway stands as a living testament to the wild spirit of the Klondike Gold Rush.

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These Louisiana Towns Locals Say Feel Different With More Visitors

Louisiana keeps pulling travelers in with rhythm, flavor, and a warmth that feels like a porch light left on for you. Locals...

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This Foggy Oregon Coast Cliff Looks Out Over Wide Ocean Views

Cape Meares stands as one of Oregon's most dramatic coastal landmarks, where towering cliffs drop sharply into the churning Pacific and fog rolls in like a living thing.

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8 Oklahoma Small Towns Visitors Appreciate for Their Historic Main Streets

Oklahoma holds countless surprises for travelers who venture beyond the cities and into its quieter corners. Small towns across...

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