eli grant author at My Family Travels
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The New Mexico Village That Turns Centuries-Old Craft Culture Into a Living Tradition

You arrive in Chimayó and feel the quiet rhythm of northern New Mexico shaping every step. Adobe walls glow softly, and the...

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The 9 Local Winter Breakfasts in North Carolina Worth Planning a Trip Around

Winter in North Carolina turns breakfast into a destination, with cozy rooms, glowing windows, and the hush that follows a cold morning.

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This Small-Town Butcher Near Dallas Might Be the Best Holiday Meat Stop You Don’t Know

Holiday plans get easier when you find a butcher who treats your table like their own, and that is exactly what you feel at Hamm’s Meat Market in McKinney, Texas.

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10 Idaho’s Most Beautiful Small Towns You’ve Likely Never Discovered

Idaho rewards curious travelers who trade crowded hot spots for quiet streets and wide skies. You will find towns where storefronts...

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9 Ways Ohio’s Small Towns Outsmart Tourist Booms and Busts

If you have ever fallen for a postcard perfect Ohio main street, you have seen the charm that fuels these towns when the crowds roll in.

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6 Hyped Texas BBQ Joints That Actually Live Up to the Smoke

Texas loves its smoke rings and pitmasters, and some names on the map have grown into full fledged destinations. You deserve...

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Haunted Colorado Hotel With Snow-Day Aesthetics and Midnight Visitors

Snow falls in Georgetown, and the Hotel de Paris Museum seems to inhale the cold air like a living relic that remembers every whisper.

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A Whispered Weekend Travel Plan Across North Carolina’s Hidden Towns

North Carolina, with its charming mix of history and nature, offers a perfect backdrop for an intimate weekend getaway. Beyond...

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The Colorado Ice Labyrinth That Only Exists for a Few Short Weeks Each Winter

Winter in Colorado has a secret that does not stick around for long, and it transforms Cripple Creek into a glittering maze of light and ice.

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The Cozy Vermont Diner That Locals Flock to During Winter Storms

Snow starts to stack on the Green Mountains, and Montgomery Center tightens into a bright little constellation of lights. You...

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Discovering the Magic: The Alaskan Ice Structure That Glows Under the Polar Night

Alaska invites you to slow down, look up, and feel wonder settle in. At Chena Hot Springs Resort in Fairbanks, Alaska, the...

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The Hawaii Beach Legend Locals Say Feels Strongest During a Lunar Eclipse

Hawaii holds stories that ride the wind, and Sandy Beach Park on Oahu feels like one of the loudest whispers. Under a shadowed...

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The “Most Forgettable” Montana Town With the Clearest Night Skies in America

If quiet roads, big skies, and true darkness call to you, Jordan, Montana delivers the kind of night most places forgot. This...

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The West Virginia Cliffside Hamlet Locals Refuse to Publicize

Set in the stunning New River Gorge region, Thurmond, West Virginia, stands as one of the most quietly captivating places to explore.

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The Cliffside Theater in Washington That Locals Treat as Sacred and Tourists View from Afar

The Gorge Amphitheatre sits perched on the cliffs of Central Washington, where the Columbia River carves through ancient basalt formations.

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10 Classic Vermont Breakfast Spots & Diners Piling Up Pancakes and Pure Maple Syrup

Vermont is famous for its maple syrup, and there's no better place to enjoy it than at one of the state's classic diners. These...

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The Old-Fashioned Christmas Customs Make This Kentucky Village Magical

Deep in Kentucky’s countryside, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill becomes a seasonal showcase each December. Known for its...

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8 Hole-in-the-Wall Biscuit & Gravy Saloons in Missouri Locals Swear By

Missouri knows comfort food like few other places, and nothing says morning tradition quite like a plate of warm biscuits smothered in thick, savory gravy.

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Inside the North Carolina Village That Keeps Its Old-Fashioned Holiday Spirit Secret

Tucked away in the mountains of North Carolina, Dillsboro remains a hidden gem where holiday magic happens without flashy displays or crowded attractions.

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New York’s Top 10 Fast Food Restaurants Worth the Wait

New York City never sleeps, and neither does its appetite for incredible fast food. From classic delis serving up towering sandwiches to street carts dishing out flavors from around...

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The Haunted Harbor Restaurant in Delaware That Echoes With Laughter

Curious travelers love a good waterfront mystery, and Lewes, Delaware offers one that comes with friendly service and a view. Along...

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The Forgotten Arizona Mine That Still Echoes With Voices Below

Arizona keeps its secrets in stone, and some of them still speak if you know where to listen. In Bisbee, the Copper Queen...

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10 Timeless Small Towns in West Virginia That Feel Frozen in Time

Small towns in West Virginia reward slow travel with streets that still echo earlier centuries. Step into compact districts...

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The “Most Forgettable” City in Nebraska That Accidentally Became a Tourist Meme

Kearney in Nebraska gained an odd reputation as the place you forget by the next exit, then the internet turned that punchline into a dare.

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Ohio’s Amish Barns, Bakeries, and Backroads: A Complete Travel Route

Ohio’s quiet backroads reward unhurried travelers with everyday scenes that feel timeless yet alive. Barn rooftops crest...

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9 Hole-in-the-Wall Seafood Houses in Minnesota That Taste Like the Coast

Minnesota might be far from the ocean, but its quiet seafood counters and modest shacks deliver coastal spirit with surprising accuracy.

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The “Nothing Happens Here” City in Georgia That Hosts a World-Famous Hot Air Show

Helen, Georgia looks like a sleepy postcard at first glance, a compact Bavarian village tucked against green hills and the Chattahoochee.

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The Montana Town Tourists Drive Past but Locals Call Their Slice of Heaven

Most road trippers cruise past Deer Lodge on Interstate 90, certain the real action waits elsewhere in Montana. Locals quietly...

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The Restored Georgia Theater Locals Fiercely Protect, and Tourists Beg to See Once a Year

Georgia holds a stage that citizens protect like a family heirloom, and travelers queue up for a rare peek behind the curtain. The...

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The Most Photogenic Small Town in New Hampshire You’ve Never Heard Of

New Hampshire tucks away a visual gem where water, brick, and wooded hills meet in a harmony that feels almost intentional. Harrisville may be small, but it knows how to make an...

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8 Mississippi Spots With A Ghostly Past

Ah, Mississippi! Known for its rich history, southern charm, and, of course, a few ghostly tales that might just send a shiver down your spine. If you're up for an eerie adventure,...

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11 Hole-in-the-Wall Ice Cream Parlors in Florida Locals Swear By

Florida hides some of its sweetest secrets behind modest storefronts and quiet side streets. These are the kinds of places...

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10 Quiet Villages in Western Washington Perfect for Slow Travel

Western Washington rewards unhurried travelers with small places where the soundtrack is wind in firs and gulls over tideflats. If...

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9 Quirky Tourist Behaviors in Louisiana Locals Can’t Help but Laugh At

Louisiana does not hide its quirks, it celebrates them. Travelers land expecting a postcard and quickly discover a living...

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10 Cozy Hole-in-the-Wall Cafés in Vermont That Feel Like Christmas Morning

Vermont winters invite you to slow down, breathe in the pine air, and watch the snow stack up outside a warm window. If you...

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The Lost Nevada Desert Carnival That Plays Its Own Music at Night

Some places hum after dark, and Nevada holds a few that seem to sing to themselves. In the Mojave, wind and memory turn old...

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These 10 Iowa Towns Are So Quiet Locals Call Them ‘Peace on Earth’

Iowa is full of small places where time seems to loosen its grip, and conversations drift as softly as the wind through tall grass.

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9 Arizona Laws So Strange Even Locals Don’t Understand Them

Arizona’s desert sun breeds bold myths and even bolder statutes, and some of them still raise eyebrows. I road-tripped from...

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Why Tourists in Utah Keep Getting Arrested for Building Rock Stacks

Utah’s red rock country looks like a giant playground, but the rules here are strict and the consequences are real. Visitors...

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The 10 Most Elegant Streets in America Are Hidden Somewhere in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania hides its finest elegance in plain sight, tucked along streets where stone stoops, brick cornices, and leafy canopies tell a quiet story.

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The 9 Best Small-Town Restaurants in Tennessee for a True Southern Thanksgiving

Tennessee’s small towns hold the kind of Thanksgiving magic that big cities rarely replicate. Historic dining rooms, porch-front...

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The Desert Resort in Arizona That Closed Overnight Without Explanation

Curiosity blooms fast in the Arizona sun, especially when a beloved hideaway goes dark without warning. Travelers once arrived to find locked gates, lights out, and an uncanny...

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10 Colorado’s “Boring” Towns That Are Hidden Beneath the Hills

Some Colorado towns stay quiet on purpose, tucked beneath ridgelines where the light falls slow and the streets never feel rushed.

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The Crab Feast in Louisiana So Good Locals Call It “Heaven by the Ocean”

Louisiana rewards travelers who follow the scent of spice and saltwater rather than the buzz of headlines. South of New Orleans,...

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The Sticky Reason Tourists in Vermont Keep Getting Fined

Vermont looks like a postcard, which tempts visitors to treat the woods as an open invitation. The sticky truth, however,...

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The 10 Wyoming Spots Locals Say Are Drowning in Tourists

Wyoming keeps showing up on bucket lists, and locals feel the surge. Scenic towns and parks now wrestle with packed parking lots, stressed services, and neighborhoods reshaped...

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Tourists Are Losing It Over This All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Lodge in New Hampshire

New Hampshire travelers keep swapping the same tip in hushed, excited tones. Drive to Sugar Hill, climb the ridge, and step into a warm lodge where history hangs in the rafters....

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9 Louisiana Bayou Communities Tourism and Promotion Have Changed for Good

Visitors come for the cypress silhouettes and quiet water, then leave ripples that never settle. In coastal Louisiana, tourism, infrastructure, and climate pressure have reshaped...

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8 Hole in the Wall Texas Spots Every Road Tripper Should Try

Texas backroads reward curious travelers with humble dining rooms, neon-lit counters, and stories etched into wood paneling and brick. This listicle skips the obvious and mixes...

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10 Forgotten Amusement Parks In New Jersey Frozen In Time

Hello, fellow adventurers! Get ready to dust off those memory-laden maps as we embark on an exhilarating journey through New Jersey's storied past. These amusement parks, now mere...

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