esme whitman author at My Family Travels
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This West Virginia Humane Society Gives Homeless Dogs and Cats a Real Second Chance at a Home

Tucked along a quiet road in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle sits a place that most folks drive right past without a second thought. Behind its modest doors, though, lives a...

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This Quiet West Virginia Town Lets Retirees Live Comfortably On A Social Security Check Alone

Some of the best places to grow older aren't the ones splashed across glossy retirement brochures. Tucked into the mountains of West Virginia sits a small county seat where a monthly...

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This Homey West Virginia Italian Restaurant Serves Lasagna So Rich It Deserves A Standing Ovation

Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide behind ordinary walls, waiting for hungry folks to wander in and be surprised. There's a little Italian spot where the smell of garlic...

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7 Signs You’re a True West Virginia Mountaineer Beyond Knowing Every Word to Country Roads

You've sung along to that famous tune more times than you can count, feeling proud every single time. But belonging to West Virginia goes way deeper than remembering the words...

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This West Virginia Bookshop Fills An Old Building With Rare Finds You Browse All Afternoon

Some places sneak up on you. You wander into a downtown storefront expecting a quick browse, and hours later you're still there, coffee in hand and a stack of books at your feet.

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This West Virginia Hot Dog Stop Lets You Grab A Seat Inside Retired School Buses

Some of the best meals happen at places you almost drive right past. Tucked along a quiet river road in West Virginia, there's a spot where the smell of grilled goodness pulls...

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This Quiet West Virginia Park Is The Real Birthplace Of The John Henry Legend

Some places in West Virginia don't shout for attention, yet they hold stories big enough to fill a whole country's memory. Tucked along a winding mountain road, this peaceful spot...

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This Gorgeous West Virginia Town Is The One Most Travelers Have Never Heard Of

Some places sneak up on you. You roll into town expecting nothing special, and before long you're wandering brick sidewalks, peeking into old storefronts, and wondering why nobody...

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This Beautifully Forgotten West Virginia Shop Is Packed With Antiques And Primitives You’ll Linger Over For Hours

Some places in West Virginia look small and quiet from the sidewalk, then swallow up your whole afternoon once you step inside. That is exactly the surprise waiting behind an unassuming...

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This Underrated West Virginia Town Is Made For An Easy, Unhurried Weekend Drive

Some of the best weekends in West Virginia start without a plan at all. Picture yourself easing off a mountain highway, the road curving alongside a slow river, and stumbling onto...

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This Tiny West Virginia Town Is An Antique Hunter’s Paradise You Can Explore For Days

Some places surprise you the moment you slow down and start poking around. Tucked into the mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle sits a small town where old brick buildings...

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This West Virginia Shop Scoops Homemade Ice Cream Locals Call Some of the Best in the State

Some of the sweetest surprises in West Virginia don't announce themselves with flashing signs. Tucked onto a corner of a downtown street, there's a little shop where the ice cream...

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This Massive West Virginia Antique Shop Lets You Lose Yourself For Hours Among The Past

Sometimes the best surprises in West Virginia hide behind a plain storefront on a quiet street. You walk in expecting to peek around for ten minutes, and suddenly two hours have...

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This West Virginia Children’s Museum Is A Hidden Wonderland With 4 Floors Of STEAM Play

Some places make you wonder why you did not visit sooner. This West Virginia museum is one of them. Four floors of hands-on exhibits...

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This Iconic West Virginia Italian Restaurant Has Served Unforgettable Pasta For Over Half A Century

Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide behind the plainest doors, and this little roadside spot is proof. From the outside, you might just drive right past it, but step inside...

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This West Virginia Bookshop Pours Local Coffee And Has Cozy Seating Where You Read All Afternoon

Tucked into Morgantown near West Virginia University, there is a little shop where you can grab a warm cup of local coffee, pick out a used book, and sink into a comfy chair for...

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This Funky West Virginia Diner Makes Banana Splits That Make You Close Your Eyes

Right on Fairmont Avenue sits a diner that folks have loved for decades. The Poky Dot is bright, colorful, and famous for milkshakes and banana splits so big they almost seem like...

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This Civil War Hilltop Fort In West Virginia Has Views That Stretch Across Two Rivers And Two States

You do not come here for the fort. You come here for what the fort was built to protect: the view of two rivers merging below and two states unfolding beyond them.

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Put This Beautiful West Virginia Garden On Your List For A Relaxing Weekend Wander

Some places sneak up on you, and this one did exactly that for me. I expected a quick stop, maybe fifteen minutes of polite...

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12 Lesser-Known Hikes In West Virginia To Add To Your 2026 Bucket List

There is a stretch of Appalachian backcountry where the fog sits low in the valleys until almost noon, and the only sound for miles is water tumbling over sandstone.

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This Former Schoolhouse In West Virginia Is Now A Pizzeria With A Sweet Sauce That Keeps Locals Coming Back

Somewhere between the ridges of Preston County, the road bends past a brick building that looks far too grand to be a pizza shop.

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This West Virginia National Park Has So Many Snake Species Visitors Are Told To Watch Their Step

There's a spot in West Virginia where an ancient river has been grinding its way through the mountains for longer than almost any river on the continent.

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This West Virginia General Store Is A Quaint Treasure Trove Of Local Crafts, Antiques, And Homemade Food

There is a moment when you step inside and feel the warmth of a place that has been part of the valley for generations. The...

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This Historic West Virginia Church Looks Like It Belongs In A European Hill Town

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but this church might just be the most dramatic thing you see all year. You round...

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This Secret West Virginia Pizzeria Is So Good Customers Travel Hours To Eat Here

Listen, I am not saying you should drive hours for pizza. But I am also not saying you should not. This West Virginia spot...

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This West Virginia Mill Site Once Produced 15 Tons Of Wood Pulp Daily Before A Flood Swept It Away

Stand right here and try to imagine the roar. The thunder of multiple turbines churning out tons of wood pulp every single day. That...

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10 West Virginia Trout Fry Spots Where The Catch Of The Day Sells Out Fast

Fresh trout hitting a sizzling pan is a sound that stops conversations. In West Virginia, that sound means it is time to eat. The...

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This 1866 West Virginia Roundhouse Is The Oldest Domed Structure Of Its Kind In The World

Step inside this West Virginia roundhouse and prepare to have your mind blown. It is a massive circular brick building with...

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This 1894 West Virginia Grist Mill Is One Of The Last Turbine-Driven Mills In The United States

The water still rushes beneath this West Virginia grist mill, just like it did over a century ago. Built on the banks of a...

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This Former Bank In West Virginia Is Now A Massive Bookstore Where You Can Read In The Old Vault

Who knew a bank vault could be the coziest reading spot in town? This West Virginia bookstore is full of surprises. The shelves...

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Come Hungry Because This West Virginia Shop Serves Some Of The Best Pizzas And Homemade Ice Cream

You will smell it before you see it. Wood smoke. Baking dough. Something sweet drifting from the freezer.

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The West Virginia Site Where The Real Rocket Boys Launched Homemade Rockets In The 1950s

You can almost hear the whoosh of homemade rockets slicing through the West Virginia sky. This is where a group of teenage...

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This West Virginia Store Has Original Art Deco Fixtures And Has Been Family-Run Since 1887

A store that has been in the same family since 1887 does not need to try hard. It just needs to keep the doors open and the lights on.

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This Middle-Of-Nowhere West Virginia Diner Has Biscuits And Gravy So Good They Are A Local Legend

Let's be honest, most food described as "legendary" requires a massive salt shaker. Not this place. The biscuits and gravy...

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The Best West Virginia Fish Camps For Late Summer Lake Days

You know that feeling when summer starts to slip away and you are not quite ready to let go? The sun is still warm, the water...

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This West Virginia Theater Is A Historic Treasure That Rose From The Ashes Of A 1939 Fire

Fire swept through this West Virginia theater back in 1939. Most people would have called it a loss. But this building had...

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This West Virginia Restaurant Looks Closed From The Outside But Is Always Packed Inside

Do not let the unassuming exterior fool you. From the outside, this West Virginia restaurant looks like it might be closed for good.

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This Quiet West Virginia River Town Makes A Simple Day Trip Feel Like A Mini Vacation In 2026

You know that rare kind of day trip where you do not actually need to do much to feel like you have gotten away from it all? The...

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One Of West Virginia’s Grandest Theaters Still Shines Beneath Its Mediterranean Dome

You know that feeling when you walk into a place and your neck immediately cranes upward? That is exactly what happened to me. I...

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This West Virginia Italian Spot Is Serving Handmade Pasta That Feels Straight Out Of Italy

The pasta does not come from a box. It comes from a well-floured table, rolled thin, cut by hand, and dropped into boiling water just before it reaches your plate.

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This West Virginia Resort Hosted George Washington And Is Now One Of America’s Most Haunted Places

A resort that hosted George Washington and a string of early presidents has a guest list that reads like a history textbook. The...

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Take A Free Tour Of This West Virginia Wildlife Sanctuary And Come Face-To-Face With Live Birds Of Prey

You can lock eyes with a bald eagle in West Virginia and it will not cost you a single penny. Free tours are offered on the...

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This West Virginia Butcher Shop Serves Farm-To-Table Meats Raised The Old-Fashioned Way

Some butcher shops just sell meat. This one tells a story with every single cut. The family behind it has been farming the...

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The Coolest Bar In West Virginia Has A Garden Patio Locals Can Enjoy All Summer Long

Somewhere between my third wrong turn and a sudden craving for something crispy and cold, I stumbled onto a street in a college town that smelled like fresh pretzels and good decisions....

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This West Virginia Buffet Serves An All-You-Can-Eat Feast With Hibachi, Sushi, Pho, And More

Hibachi. Sushi. Pho. All under one roof. That is the delicious chaos of this West Virginia buffet.

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This West Virginia Bin Store Is A Fun Treasure Hunt With Items For Pennies On The Dollar

Shopping should feel like an adventure. This West Virginia bin store delivers exactly that. You have probably been to clearance...

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This Small West Virginia Town Packs More Great Restaurants Into A Few Blocks Than Most Cities

Some towns have a diner and a pizza place. This one has a culinary scene that puts cities to shame. You have probably driven...

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This Tiny West Virginia Community Once Fueled One Of America’s Wildest Oil Booms

Nobody warned me that a tiny dot on a West Virginia map could completely rewrite everything I thought I knew about American history.

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This Popular West Virginia Buffet Lets Hungry Diners Choose From More Than 150 Rotating Favorites

Hungry? Good. You are going to need the extra room. This West Virginia...

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This State Park In West Virginia Has A Swing With Views So Good It’s Been Called Iconic

Some swings are for kids. This one is for dreamers. You have probably swung on a porch or a playground before. Fun, but ordinary.

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You Can Spot White-Tailed Deer And Explore Hidden Waterfalls At This 8,000-Acre West Virginia Park

Some parks give you a bench and a view. This one gives you 8,000 acres of wild beauty and a front-row seat to nature's best show.

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You Can Play With Vintage Toys And Trains At This Three-Story West Virginia Museum

You have to see this place. Three floors of pure childhood chaos, all in an old schoolhouse. You can actually touch the toys,...

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This West Virginia Pizzeria Was Crowned Best Pizza By Over A Thousand WVU Students

Over a thousand hungry students cast their votes, and this pizzeria took the crown with a landslide of cheese loving Mountaineers.

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This One-Mile West Virginia Trail Descends 900 Feet To An Abandoned Mining Complex

This is not a casual stroll. This is a one-mile vertical plunge into West Virginia history that will test your knees. The trail...

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13 Delicious Ice Cream Shops To Celebrate National Ice Cream Day Across West Virginia

A day that officially demands you eat dessert first, and a whole state ready to help you do it right. National Ice Cream Day...

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You Can Get A Low Country Boil In The Middle Of West Virginia At This Caribbean Seafood Spot

A Low Country boil in the middle of the mountains sounds like a contradiction, but this place makes it work. The shrimp and...

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This Hike In West Virginia Takes You Past Seven Waterfalls In Just Two Miles

Seven waterfalls in just two miles. That is not a hike, that is a waterpark designed by nature itself. The trail ascends alongside...

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Locals Claim This West Virginia BBQ Spot Serves The Best Pulled Pork In The State

The locals are not shy about their loyalties, and they will point you straight to this unassuming spot for the state's most coveted pulled pork.

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You Can Enjoy Summer Days At This West Virginia Park Where A Forest Hike Ends At A Cool Lake Swim

A forest trail that works up a honest sweat and a lake that promises instant relief. That is the kind of summer math we love....

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This West Virginia Bookshop Is Owned By A Bestselling New York Times Author

What happens when a #1 New York Times bestselling author decides to open a bookstore in her own hometown? She names it after...

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