elias vaughn author at My Family Travels
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There Is a Hidden Warehouse in Indiana Where You Can Buy Amazon Mystery Boxes for $50

A family in Indiana turned a 12,000-square-foot building into a treasure hunt stocked with returns from Amazon, Target, Walmart, and more. Yes, you can buy the surprise box without...

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This Indiana Farm Lets You Feed Bison for Just $6 During a Surprisingly Affordable Tour

A wagon rolls straight into a pasture full of bison, and if the herd is in the mood, you can feed one by hand. That alone made me sit up.

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This Low-Key Indiana Riverside Deck Serves Up Ocean-Fresh Feasts With A Skyline View Locals Obsess Over

Frog legs, rolled oysters, and hushpuppies, all served on a multi-level deck facing the Louisville skyline. That combo alone made me sit up a little straighter.

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This Cozy Indiana Restaurant Is Now Nationally Renowned For Its Crispy Southern Fried Chicken

The fried chicken here sizzles in 14-inch cast-iron skillets filled with hog fat. That stubborn, old-school method helped earn a James Beard Foundation honor in 2023.

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9 Indiana Farms Where You Can Skip the Grocery Store and Buy Beef Straight From the Herd

One farm on this list sits right on the Indiana and Ohio state line. The same family has worked that land for over 180 years, which makes it older than the light bulb.

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99.9% Of Indiana’s Original Woods Are Gone, But This Protected Haven Holds One Of The Last Surviving Stands Of Virgin Forest

Some of the trees here were already growing before anyone had heard of Shakespeare. A few are over 400 years old, and they're still standing tall today.

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This Once-Massive American Restaurant Chain Has Just One Location Left In Indiana, And It Still Serves The Classics

A steakhouse chain born in Indiana once grew to more than 700 restaurants across America. Today, the whole state is down to a single location, and it still serves up steaks.

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This Historic Indiana Mill and Covered Bridge Make One of the Prettiest Hidden Corners of the State

A water turbine installed in 1886 still spins inside an old three-story mill here. It powers the northern half of the building, using nothing but creek water.

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This Small Indiana Restaurant Serves Filipino Comfort Food and a Sunday Buffet Many Travelers Would Never Expect to Find Here

To reach the dining room, you walk through a little Filipino grocery stocked with homemade pandesal and empanadas. That alone made me stop and read twice.

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2 Million Customers a Year Visit the Indiana Bakery One Woman Started With Homemade Cakes

A self-taught baker beat the competition in London with a chocolate cake she perfected at home. That win became the spark for one of the most talked-about bakeries in Indiana.

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9 Cozy Indiana Diners Perfect for a Peaceful Autumn Breakfast

One Indiana diner arrived by train. It was built by a New Jersey diner company and shipped west on the rails. I love that detail,...

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Malls Are Dying Across America, But Crowds Still Happily Drive Hours to This Enormous Indiana Landmark

More than 1.3 million square feet of shopping sits under one roof here. That's the biggest mall in Indiana, and it has held that title for over five decades.

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The World’s Highest-Rated Wooden Roller Coaster Is Hiding in a Tiny Indiana Holiday Town

A wooden roller coaster in a tiny holiday town keeps riders floating out of their seats for 24.3 seconds. That's a world record for airtime on a wooden coaster, and honestly, it...

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The World’s Largest Children’s Museum Isn’t in New York or Paris, It’s Tucked Away in Indiana

Real paleontologists clean actual fossils behind a window while kids press their noses to the glass. That alone would make most museums proud.

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This No-Vaccine, 100% Grass-Finished Indiana Farm Is Becoming a Secret Road Trip Mecca for Clean Meat

No vaccines, no antibiotics, no hormones, and not a single bag of synthetic fertilizer on the pasture. That's the promise behind one small farm in northeast Indiana.

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Two Movies For $12 Is Still An Absolute Reality At This 1950s Indiana Drive-In Theater

Twelve bucks gets an adult two movies on a giant outdoor screen here. Kids five and under get in free, which feels almost suspicious in today's world.

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This Rural Indiana Pizza Joint Makes Pies Your Italian Grandmother Would Swear You Stole the Recipe For

A pizza that bakes in one minute and fifteen seconds sounds like a magic trick. This lakeside spot pulls it off with a wood-fired oven from Italy and a dough recipe that's hundreds...

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This Enormous Indiana Warehouse Is Completely Stuffed With 10,000 Discount Power Tools

Seven to ten semi loads of merchandise roll into one Indiana warehouse every single week. That is a lot of tools, tile, doors, and surprises landing on the floor before you even...

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Stop Scrolling: This Indoor Adults-Only Waterpark Suite in Indiana Has a Private 92° Pool for the Ultimate Fall Escape

Indiana in October is not exactly swimming weather. Unless the pool is indoors. And heated to 92 degrees. And belongs entirely...

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This Restricted Indiana Dog Park Actually Requires A Year-Long Waiting List To Get In

A dog park in Indiana once had 651 dogs on its waiting list, and no, that's not a typo. Local reporting in 2022 put the wait at about eight months, and the line hasn't exactly...

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For Over A Century, This Cash-Only Indiana Diner Has Served Double Cheeseburgers Without Changing A Single Item On Its Menu

Two beef patties get smashed paper-thin on a flat-top grill that's been working since at least 1960. Then they land on a three-part bun with American cheese, shredded lettuce,...

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Indiana’s Best-Kept Road Trip Secret: A Free 90-Minute Tram Tour Through A Massive 4.5 Million Sq-Ft Automotive Plant

Thousands of pickup truck parts hang from a ceiling here, frozen in midair like a giant exploded diagram. A six-person team spent six months building that display.

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This Indiana Neighborhood Spot Crafts Giant Pierogi Platters That Could Rival Warsaw

The potato pancake has entered the room. Nobody is looking at the menu anymore. At this Indiana spot, the homemade Polish food...

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This Beautiful Indiana River Town is Booming With Tourism, But Locals Claim it’s Ruining Their Identity

The town looks wonderful on a travel website. It looks a little different when you are trying to get home through the weekend crowds.

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9 Insanely Haunted Indiana Historic Hotels Where You Definitely Can’t Sleep At Night

Some hotels offer room service. These Indiana hotels may offer unexplained noises. That is part of what makes them so memorable....

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The Fresh Donuts At This Tiny Indiana Bakery Are The Most Unforgettable Thing You’ll Ever Taste

The donut has a short life expectancy. Very short. It comes out warm. Someone buys it.

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This Charming Indiana Polish Hub Turns Homemade Pierogi And Year-Round Paczki Into A Fall Road Trip

The ideal Polish food haul has a little of everything. Something savory for dinner. Something hearty for tomorrow. Something...

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The Absolute Most Beautiful Sandy Beach In Indiana For Fall Foliage Isn’t Where You Expect

Who decided beaches were only for summer? Apparently, nobody told this Indiana shoreline. By fall, the sand is still there, the...

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This Phenomenal Indiana All You Can Eat Buffet Is A Total Paradise For Selective Eaters

Choosing a restaurant for picky eaters is usually a group project nobody wants. “What do you want?” “I don't know.” “What about seafood?” “No.” “Pasta?” “No.”...

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This Indiana Diner Serves A Massive 1,200-Calorie Pork Tenderloin Sandwich Worth Every Single Bite

The bun looks nervous. It has every right to. Underneath it sits a fried pork tenderloin so enormous that the bread starts looking...

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This Sprawling Indiana “Amish Carnivore Heaven” Is Hiding Hundreds of Hand-Cut Steaks and Old-School Wholesale Prices

The cooler is empty on purpose. It has to be. Because walking into this Indiana meat market with no trunk space is like showing...

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These Indiana Polish Delis Are Worth Every Mile Of The Drive

A freezer bag has never felt so important. That is because the food keeps multiplying. Kielbasa goes in. Pierogi go in.

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This Enormous Indiana Buffet Servs Dim Sum, Sushi, and Mongolian Grill Until You Burst

The first plate is a lie. It suggests you have a plan. You do not. Not in an Indiana buffet with more than 200 dishes waiting...

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This Cage-Free Indiana Sanctuary Gives Rescued Cats The Love, Comfort, And Second Chance They Deserve

The hotel guests here do not know how to check out. They also have absolutely no interest in doing so. This Indiana cat sanctuary...

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This Indiana Thrift Warehouse Is Where Resellers Go Before The Public Even Knows

The inventory has a short attention span. Bathroom vanities one day. A riding mower the next. Something completely different...

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This Hidden Indiana Seafood Buffet Serves A Mountain Of Crab And Sushi For One Flat Price

The breakfast is cancelled. Not because of some grand plan. There is simply no room for it when lunch involves snow crab, sushi,...

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10 Indiana Fall Destinations Worth Planning Around

The first red leaf causes a problem. Now every weekend looks booked. One drive for the leaves. Another for a covered bridge.

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Indiana’s Biggest All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Serves Legendary Amish Comfort Food And 30 Varieties Of Fresh Pie

The belt notch is not optional. It is part of the strategy. This Indiana restaurant has built an entire day around the dangerous...

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Owned by a Bestselling Hoosier Author, This Indiana Bookstore Is a Diverse Literary Haven

The neon sign is pink. The disco balls are real. The books are serious. That combination is exactly why this Indiana bookstore...

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One Of Indiana’s Oldest Family Farms Is Still Bringing Shoppers Back Season After Season

The farm has an answer for every month. That is the problem. Come in spring, and there are strawberries. Come back later, and...

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You’d Never Guess This Colorful Fabric Wonderland Is Hidden in Indiana

The color pink has apparently been taking its job very seriously. It is not one pink. It is dozens. Then come the greens, yellows,...

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This Indiana Craft Shop Is Packed With Everything Creative Minds Could Want

The porch lies. It looks like an ordinary old house. Then the door opens. Paper everywhere.

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This Remarkable Indiana Mexican Ice Cream Shop Boasts 32 Handcrafted Flavors Born From an American Dream

Corn ice cream sounds like a dare. Queso ice cream sounds like somebody lost a bet. Tamarindo sounds safer. Then the mango...

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This Authentic Amish Buggy Tour Might Be Indiana’s Most Unexpected Cultural Adventure

You get in a buggy expecting a ride. You get out with a completely different idea of what “slow” means. Indiana has an...

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This Indiana River Town Feels Like the Secret Star of an Autumn Weekend

The hardest part of an autumn weekend is usually leaving. Especially when the next block looks just as interesting. This Indiana...

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This Lush Indiana City Offers the Crisp Autumn Air and Cozy September Mornings You Crave

The first cool morning changes the entire wardrobe. Suddenly, the shorts seem ridiculous. A sweater makes sense again. Coffee...

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9 Secret Autumn Woodlands in Indiana Where You Can Forage for Wild Mushrooms

A mushroom hunter has a strange relationship with fallen leaves. Everybody else sees a pretty autumn carpet. They see possibilities....

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This Hyper-Clean Indiana Butcher Shop Is So Pristine Locals Completely Boycott Supermarkets

The steak at the supermarket was fine. That was the problem. Once you get used to someone talking to you about marbling, trimming...

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You Can Go on a Wild Bison Safari in Indiana for Less Than the Price of a Latte

A bison has a very different idea of personal space. Fortunately, the bus does too. That is what makes this Indiana safari...

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This Gorgeous Indiana Church Looks Straight Out Of Germany And No One Knows It Exists

You see the church. Then you see the rooflines. Then the sign. Wait. Was...

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This Family-Owned Indiana Specialty Store Is A Massive BBQ Equipment & Grilling Supply Paradise

Someone comes in for barbecue sauce. Thirty minutes later, they are comparing smokers. Then thermometers. Then grilling tools.

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This Jaw-Dropping 20-Foot Hillside Monolith Is One Of Indiana’s Most Striking Hidden Landmarks

A rock should not need an introduction. You see one. You step over it. Life continues.

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11 Breathtaking Indiana Churches That Look Like You Stepped Straight Into Medieval Europe

The first reaction is usually confusion. The second is a photo. The third is, “How is this here?” Good question. Indiana...

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This Mind-Bending Indiana Landmark Looks Exactly Like a UFO Landed in the Middle of the Landscape

The first sketch must have sounded ridiculous. “Let's make the church six-sided.” “Keep it low.” “Now put a giant gold cross nearly 200 feet in the air.”

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This Breathtaking 130-Year-Old Indiana Mansion Has a History as Wild as Its Architecture

There is a giant acorn sitting on top of the house. That is not a metaphor. It is actually up there. And somehow, that is not...

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This 101-Year-Old Small-Town Factory Is Believed To Be Indiana’s Last Independent Creamery

The churns keep turning. That is the whole story. Except it is not. Behind those ordinary sounds is a 101-year-old Indiana...

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This Remote Indiana Farmstand Bakes Scratch-Made Fried Pies That Draw Lines Down Country Roads

The pie was still warm when the pumpkin started rolling across the back seat. That pretty much summed up the afternoon. One farm...

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This Hidden Indiana Mud Pit Features Tight, Wooded Loops for Trail-Ready UTVs

First comes the splash. Then comes the mud on the windshield. Then somebody decides to go back through it faster. That is roughly...

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This Beloved Historic Indiana Bakery Has Served Legendary Scratch-Made Sweet Treats For Decades

You are not supposed to be thinking about donuts at five in the morning. Then you smell the glaze. That is usually the end...

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This Quiet Indiana Backroad Marks the Only Time the Civil War Invaded the State

The odds were terrible. Roughly 400 local volunteers had thrown together a makeshift defensive line when a Confederate force nearly six times larger came toward them.

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