evan whitaker author at My Family Travels
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7 Cozy Spots Along the Maine Coast Where the Lobster Stew Comes With a Side of Nostalgia

The fog rolls in off the water and you pull your jacket tighter, watching the boats bob at the dock. A wooden sign creaks in the breeze.

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What Moves Inside That Arkansas Aviation Museum After Dark

The airplanes sit silent during the day, polished and still, with no hint of what happens after the lights go out. But the night staff at this Arkansas aviation museum have stories....

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There Are Empty Houses in the Middle of Florida’s Biscayne Bay Where You Shouldn’t Go at Night

Out in the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay, a cluster of old wooden buildings sits on tall stilts, looking nothing like the rest of Florida. These are the abandoned remains of a...

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10 Tamale Stands in Mississippi That Have Been Feeding Generations

You have to understand what a Mississippi tamale is before you go looking for them. Smaller than the Mexican version, made with cornmeal instead of masa, and simmered instead of...

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5 Louisiana Beaches That Prove You Don’t Need Florida for a Gulf Coast Getaway

Florida gets all the attention when people talk about Gulf Coast beaches. The white sand. The turquoise water. The crowds.

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This Florida Beach Is Beautiful During the Day and Terrifying After Sunset

Florida beaches are supposed to be relaxing. Sun. Sand. A cold drink in your hand.

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One Bite of This Georgia Burger and You’ll Forget Bread Existed

The first thing you notice is that there is no bun. Not because someone forgot. Because this burger does not need one. Two smashed...

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The Only Burger Spot in South Carolina Where Your Favorite Dish Disappears for Six Days a Week

You have to plan your week around this place. Not because the line is long, though it can be. Because the dish everyone wants...

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Poinsett Bridge in South Carolina Whispers at 3 AM When No One Is There to Hear It

South Carolina has old bridges. But this one is different. Built way back in 1820, the stone structure looks like something out...

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Get Your Fizz On Because North Carolina’s Sweetest Festival Is Pouring Back Into Salisbury

You hear festival and you think crowds, overpriced tickets, long lines for a porta potty. But this one in North Carolina is different.

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The Arizona Restaurant Where One Burrito Is Never Meant For One Person

I made a mistake the first time I walked into this Arizona restaurant. I ordered a burrito for myself like a normal person. The...

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There’s No Menu Online And No Website, But This Ohio Amish Restaurant Is Always Full

Good luck finding this place on the internet. No website. No social media. No menu posted anywhere for you to study before you...

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You Have To Pull A Yellow Wall To Get Inside This Insanely Cool California Coffee Spot

The address takes you to a blank wall. No sign. No door handle. Nothing that says coffee.

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You Don’t Need a Passport to See Giraffes and Camels at This Kansas Farm

Driving through Kansas, you expect cornfields and cattle. Maybe a wheat field if you are lucky. What you do not expect is a giraffe...

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You Haven’t Heard of This Colorado Food Hall Yet, But You Will in 2026

Colorado has a lot of food halls. Denver alone has several. But this one is different. It is still being built, still under the...

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12 Places In North Carolina Where The Hush Puppies Are Golden, Buttery, And Absolutely Legendary

You have eaten hush puppies before. Little fried balls of cornmeal. Fine. Nothing special.

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One Bite of These Ohio Subs and You’ll Taste Five Decades of Perfection

Ohio has a lot of sandwich shops. Some are old. Some are new. A few have been around long enough to figure things out.

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10 Arizona Restaurants Serving Carne Asada So Good, Locals Forget The Rest Of The Menu Even Exists

You walk into any of these Arizona restaurants and something happens. People who came in planning to order something else look at the carne asada and change their minds.

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Wake Up to a Mind Blowing Breakfast at This Cherished Michigan Diner

Michigan has a lot of diners. Greasy spoons. Corner spots. Places where the coffee is older than the customers.

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Georgia Has a Little Slice of Germany and It Comes With a Pretzel the Size of Your Head

You do not expect to find Bavaria in Georgia. But here it is. A small town that leans hard into its German heritage, complete...

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After Three Months Of Prep This Iowa Farmers Market Is Finally Ready

Farmers markets do not just happen. Someone has to wrangle the vendors. Line up the permits. Make sure the porta potties show...

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This Tennessee Market Is Family Owned Amish Mennonite And Secretly A Sandwich Heaven

You walk into this Tennessee market and it looks like a normal country store. Wooden shelves. Bulk bins. Jars of honey and jam.

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The Tulips Are Blooming In Iowa And Thousands Are Coming

Iowa does not usually make the list for flower tourism. The coast gets the cherry blossoms. Texas gets the bluebonnets. But Iowa...

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Colorado’s Water Assumptions Are Crumbling Along With The Climate

Colorado has always assumed the water would be there. Snowpack in the mountains. Runoff in the spring. Full reservoirs by summer.

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Locals Love This Tampa, Florida Restaurant For Its Authentic Middle Eastern Flavors

Tampa has a lot of restaurants claiming to be authentic. Most of them adjust their recipes for American palates. Less spice....

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Paddle The Allagash Wilderness Waterway In Maine Where Moose Outnumber People

Maine has a lot of wilderness. More than most people realize. But the Allagash is something else. A hundred mile stretch of rivers,...

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You Haven’t Truly Had Coffee In Kansas Until You’ve Visited The Coffee Plant By Radina’s In Kansas

Kansas does coffee different. Not because of the beans. Those come from the same places they do everywhere else. But because...

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Go Beneath The Streets Of Arizona For The Most Incredible Halibut You Will Ever Taste

Underground restaurants are not supposed to exist in Arizona. The ground is too hard. The heat is too intense. But someone figured...

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This North Dakota Trail Got Its Name From A Coal Fire Started By A Thunderbolt That Lasted Nearly Three Decades

You are walking along a trail in North Dakota. Nothing special. Grass. Prairie. The...

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They Just Found A Massive Tunnel System Hidden Under Buffalo, New York

Buffalo has been keeping a secret. A big one. Engineers doing routine work recently discovered a massive tunnel system running...

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Boulder, Colorado Surf And Turf Combo Is Finally Getting The Attention It Deserves

Colorado and seafood do not usually go together. Landlocked state. Mountains. Beef country.

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Illinois, Get Ready, Halal Bros Brings NYC Halal Street Food Is Coming To Your Neighborhood

If you have ever seen a halal cart in New York City at 1 a.m., you know the drill. A line of hungry people. Steam rising from...

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7 Muffulettas So Good, New Orleans, Louisiana Chefs Keep Coming Back

New Orleans chefs have options. They could eat anywhere. Fine dining, hole in the wall spots, late night po' boys after a long...

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The Brothers Behind Your Favorite Kansas Food Truck Are Opening A Restaurant

If you have eaten terrific food in this part of Kansas, there is a good chance you have stood in line at their food truck. Metal siding.

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Space City Vintage In Los Angeles, California Is A Y2K Goldmine Hiding Inside A Record Shop

I walked into the record shop looking for old vinyl. Walked out with a low rise denim skirt and a burning desire to watch "Mean Girls" again.

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Scottish Highland Cows With Hair Like Stuffed Animals Are Hiding On This Florida Farm

I pulled into the farm and immediately wondered if I had taken a wrong turn to Scotland. Or a cartoon. Because the animals standing...

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The Amstel House In Delaware Offers History, Hauntings, And One Unforgettable Lady In Blue

I am not usually a ghost person. Creaky floors and old buildings just feel like old buildings to me. But then I heard about the...

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This Tiny Alabama Cafe Is Hiding The Best Home-Style Breakfast And It’s Worth Every Mile

I almost drove right past it. And that would have been a tragedy. The building is nothing special. A little faded, a little crooked,...

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A Family Restaurant In Utah Shut Its Doors But Three Generations Of Ghosts Stayed Behind

A small-town restaurant in Utah held onto its memories longer than anyone expected. For over thirty years, locals filled the booths for comfort food and warm conversation.

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You Can Still Eat Like A King In Massachusetts For Under Ten Bucks At This Old School Joint

The smell hits you first. That unmistakable mix of sizzling beef and fresh-cut fries makes your stomach growl before you even reach the counter.

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A Small South Carolina Town Welcomes Cooks And Vendors For A Third Year Of Flavor

A small town food festival just hits differently. The air smells like something wonderful before you even park the car, and the energy on the street feels like a neighborhood block...

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Florida’s Coast Turns Red And The Air Alone Can Send You To The Hospital

A stretch of Gulf coast with water so clear it looks fake and sand like powdered sugar under your feet. That is the kind of place that gets under your skin in the best way.

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Florida’s Coast Turns Red And The Air Alone Can Send You To The Hospital

A stretch of Gulf coast with water so clear it looks fake and sand like powdered sugar under your feet. That is the kind of place that gets under your skin in the best way.

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For $8, This California Museum Lets You Adopt A Real Caterpillar And Watch It Become A Butterfly

A children's museum tucked along a leafy boulevard completely stopped me mid-scroll when I found their butterfly program. The offer is so simple and so magical it almost feels...

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This Small Town In New Mexico Has No Chain Stores, No Traffic Lights And Zero Interest In Growing Up

This town stops you cold. One second you are cruising the highway. The next, you are pulling over because the road just got...

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This Virginia State Park Fights A Silent War Against Invasive Plants While Its Campgrounds Crumble

Tucked deep into the rolling hills, this park is the kind of place that feels genuinely forgotten by the modern world. The moment you turn off the main road and the trees close...

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These Giant Cheese Factories In Vermont Give Free Tours And Don’t Skimp On Samples

Rolling green hills and quiet country roads pull you into Vermont, but cheese kept me coming back again and again. Watching milk transform into sharp, crumbly cheddar right before...

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Flea Markets In New York Where The Past Meets The Present

New York City has a way of surprising you, and nowhere is that more true than at its sprawling weekend bazaars. There is something genuinely exciting about turning a corner and...

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Florida Mega Thrift Store Packed With Endless Aisles of Vintage Finds and Hidden Treasures

There is something almost electric about pushing open the door and realizing the scale of what waits inside. Three floors of antiques, vintage clothing, quirky collectibles, and...

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An Underrated And Surprisingly Affordable Florida Town Most Travelers Overlook

Most people think Florida means theme park lines, sunburned elbows, and fighting for a patch of sand. They think bumper-to-bumper traffic and hotels that charge like they're renting...

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Upper East Side’s Most Exclusive Secondhand Fashion Secret In New York State

There is a place on Madison Avenue that most people pass without a second glance, and that feels almost intentional, like it prefers to stay just out of the spotlight. The Upper...

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A Low-Key Florida Gem Dishing Up Old-School Italian Classics Far From Tourist Menus

Some places don’t announce themselves; they quietly pull you in the moment you step through the door. A warm rush of garlic, slow-simmered tomatoes, and fresh herbs lingers in...

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