grayson holt author at My Family Travels
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This Oregon A-Frame Log Cabin Tavern Has Been a Mountain Favorite Since 1973

Some places just feel like they have always been there, like they grew out of the mountain itself. This one has been welcoming travelers since 1973, and it has not lost a drop...

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10 Oregon Museums That Are Completely Free To The General Public Every Day

Who says culture has to come with a hefty price tag? Not here, and not at these places. The doors are wide open every single...

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This Oregon Lighthouse Is One of the Most Haunted on the Coast

A historic lighthouse on the Oregon coast holds a reputation for ghostly encounters. The assistant keeper's house from 1893 now operates as a bed and breakfast.

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11 Oregon Summer Festivals Locals Mark on Their Calendars Every Year

A warm summer evening, live music drifting through the air, and neighbors gathering to celebrate something they all love. That is the scene at festivals across Oregon, the kind...

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This Iconic Oregon Steakhouse Has Been Drawing Crowds for Years

A weathered wooden building with a simple sign and a packed parking lot even on weeknights. That is the first sign that this Oregon steakhouse has become something special.

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After Searching the Entire Oregon Coast, We Found the Coziest Clam Chowder

You could spend weeks driving up and down the Oregon coast, stopping at every seafood shack and harbor side cafe, and still not find the perfect bowl of clam chowder. But we did...

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12 Oregon Gluten-Free Bakeries Serving Cakes, Cookies, and Pastries Worth the Drive in 2026

You know that sinking feeling when someone says gluten free and you immediately picture cardboard textured muffins and sad, crumbly cookies? We have all been there, staring at...

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9 Stunning Oregon Day Trips That Won’t Cost You More Than $50

A mountain view that costs nothing but the drive, a coastal town where sea lions put on a free show, and a walk behind a waterfall that feels like a secret. These Oregon day trips...

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This Oregon Restaurant Overlooks a Lake and Features Cascade Heritage Architecture at Its Best

A high arched ceiling soars above the dining room, and massive windows frame a quiet lake and the distant silhouette of Mt. Bachelor.

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People Travel Across Oregon For The Cheap Prime Rib At This Tiny Rural Steakhouse

A covered wagon perched on the roof and a small building that looks like it has been there since the Old West. That is your first clue that this Oregon steakhouse does things differently.

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This Oregon Farm Turns Summer Nights Into Magical Evenings Of Music And Food

The sun hangs low over the fields, a band starts tuning up under a wooden pavilion, and the smell of grilled food drifts across the grass. This Oregon farm has figured out how...

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This Charming Oregon Sunflower Field is a Vibrant Summer Detour Worth the Drive

Driving past a field of sunflowers in full bloom is one of those summer moments that makes you pull over without thinking. This charming Oregon farm plants acres of them every...

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This 8-Acre Oregon Campus Is a Wildlife Exhibit by Day and the Nation’s Largest Public Observatory by Night

Animals during the day and planets at night on the same eight acre campus. That is the unusual promise of this Oregon destination, which transforms completely once the sun goes...

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Oregon’s Only Saltwater Lake Is Vanishing And Scientists Say It May Never Come Back

A lake that has existed for thousands of years is shrinking before our eyes. Oregon's only saltwater lake looks different now than it did a decade ago, much different.

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This Unusual Oregon Town Skipped the Stoplights and Went All In on Trails, Pizza and Charm

Some towns measure progress by how many stoplights they install. This unusual Oregon town went the opposite direction and skipped them entirely.

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This Upside-Down Oregon Attraction Lets You Take Gravity-Defying Photos for an Affordable Price

Everything in this Oregon attraction is glued to the ceiling, or at least it looks that way through the camera lens. You walk into a room where furniture hangs upside down, a toilet...

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This 1913 Tudor Revival Library in Oregon Is Now a Museum of Local History and Pioneer Culture

A library built in 1913 looks exactly like you hope it would, with dark wood, leaded glass windows, and a staircase that creaks in all the right places. This Oregon Tudor Revival...

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This 7,000-Year-Old Oregon Volcano Stands 500-Feet Tall and Sits at the Heart of a National Monument

Seven thousand years ago this Oregon volcano exploded, scattered ash for miles, and then went quiet. Today it stands five hundred feet tall at the heart of a national monument,...

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This Newly Revitalized Oregon Roadhouse Blends Classic Western Camp Style With Modern Desert Comfort

Old west vibes meet modern comfort and the combination works better than you would ever guess. This newly revitalized Oregon roadhouse sits in the high desert where the sky feels...

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This Quiet Oregon Lake Has Suddenly Become The Center Of Heated Debate

A quiet lake in Oregon has suddenly turned into the center of a very heated debate and nobody can agree on what should happen next. The water is beautiful and calm, surrounded...

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You’ll Leave This Oregon Riverfront Institution Already Planning Your Next Seafood Night Downtown

Some restaurants are so good that you start planning your return visit before the check even arrives. This Oregon riverfront institution is exactly that kind of place.

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A Scenic Waterfront Park in Oregon with a Wooden Viewing Pier, Passing Cargo Ships and Distant Mountains

A wooden pier juts out over the water and you can stand at the very end watching cargo ships glide by like slow moving giants. The distant mountains sit quietly on the horizon...

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Savor Traditional English-Pub Fish & Chips at This Quaint Oregon Coast Eatery

Fish and chips done wrong is a sad sight. Greasy batter that falls off, fish that tastes like nothing, and fries that went limp five minutes ago.

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This Gigantic Oregon Flea Market Is Every Deal-Seeker’s Ultimate Fantasy

Walking into a massive indoor space filled with vendor booths as far as the eye can see. That is the feeling here. This Oregon...

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Paddle the Quiet Side of the Oregon Coast Where Trails Meet Calm Estuary Waters

Most people think of crashing waves and windy beaches when they imagine the Oregon coast. That version exists and it is beautiful, but there is another side that stays quiet and...

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You Haven’t Truly Tasted the Oregon Coast Until You Stop at This Unassuming Smoked Seafood Gem

The Oregon coast has plenty of fancy seafood restaurants with ocean views and white tablecloths., this is not one of them. The real magic happens inside a tiny unassuming building...

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A Beautifully Restored 1913 Heritage Streetcar Offers Scenic Narrated Tours Along Oregon’s Historic Waterfront

A shiny restored streetcar from 1913 rolls slowly along the waterfront while a narrator points out stories you would never find in a guidebook. That is the whole experience and...

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These 10 Secret Swimming Holes In Oregon Are Summer Perfection

Summer in Oregon means one thing. Finding water cold enough to shock you awake but clear enough to see every rock on the bottom. These...

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Oregon’s Finest Seafood Is Hiding In This One Charming Small Town

You would think the best seafood would come from a fancy coastal city with a waiting list and valet parking. You would be wrong. This...

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The Minnesota Gas Station That Sells The Best Fried Chicken In Three Counties

You pull up to the pumps and the smell hits you before you even turn off the engine. Fried chicken. Not the sad, rubbery kind...

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A Minnesota Boardwalk So Quiet, The Herons Will Ignore You Completely

Some trails are for checking a box. Get your steps in. Snap a photo. Head home. This...

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Oregon’s Most Photographed Rock Has 235 Feet Of Basalt, Tufted Puffins, And Tide Pools You Can Walk To At Low Tide

As you stand on the cool, wet sand, your camera frame fills with a 235-foot tower of ancient basalt, and you suddenly understand why photographers return here again and again....

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This Small-Town Minnesota Coffee Shop Brews Cozy, Cabin-Themed Vibes With Every Cup

The first sip tastes like pine needles and a crackling fire. That is the feeling this cabin-themed coffee shop has been brewing since it opened in a historic Lindstrom building.

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10 Minnesota Lakes With Public Beaches That Are Never Crowded, Even In July

You grew up picturing packed beaches, frantic searches for parking, and the sudden dread of sitting elbow?to?elbow with strangers on a blanket. That is not the Minnesota you are...

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8 Minnesota Walleye Sandwiches That Locals Keep Secret From Tourists

Let me ask you something. When was the last time a fish sandwich made you close your eyes and just say "wow"? If you have only...

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This Minnesota National Park Gets Zero Crowds And All The Beauty

You will probably have this Minnesota park almost entirely to yourself. That is the quiet magic of Grand Portage National Monument, a remote site on the North Shore that sees only...

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9 One Of A Kind Oregon Museums You Won’t Find Anywhere Else In America

A museum dedicated to barber poles and another one filled with life sized concrete dinosaurs hiding in the trees. I have visited quirky collections all over the country but Oregon...

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This Half-Mile Oregon Trail Takes You Through A 250-Million-Year-Old Marble Cave

A half mile trail leads into a marble cave that has been forming for 250 million years. I walked through the entrance and the cool air wrapped around me while my eyes adjusted...

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This Oregon Restaurant In A Restored 1896 Building Sits On A Pier And Most People Just Drive Right By

A restored building from 1896 sits on wooden pilings over the water where ships still pass by slowly. I almost drove past it myself because the entrance is humble and easy to miss...

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Locals Say the Best Brisket in Oregon Is Hiding Inside This Barbecue Joint

The smell of smoked meat hits you before you even see the building. I pulled into a gravel lot and my stomach started making decisions before my brain could catch up.

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A Single Oregon Restaurant Serves Gluten Free Corn Dogs That Locals Hide From Tourists

The best corn dogs in Portland are hiding behind a simple counter where the batter swaps wheat flour for rice flour and gets a secret splash of local honey.

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Life Size Concrete Dinosaurs Lurk In An Oregon Rainforest And It’s The Most Unusual Roadside Attraction You’ll Ever See

A T-Rex peeks through the ferns like it is waiting for an unsuspecting visitor to wander too close. I pulled off the highway and found myself surrounded by life sized concrete...

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This Quirky Oregon Town Offers Giant Pecans, Haunted Saloons, And Small-Town Charm Nonstop

A town where the pecans are the size of your palm and the saloons might have ghosts rattling the old piano at night. I strolled down the main street and found a candy shop selling...

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This Oregon Supper Club Serves Prime Rib so Cheap You’ll Check The Menu Twice

A dark wooden dining room where the prime rib arrives on a warm plate and the prices look like a mistake. I sat down and read the menu twice because my eyes did not believe what...

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The Oregon Treehouse Village Where You Can Sleep 35 Feet Up and Zip-Line Between Cabins In the Morning

A wooden staircase spirals up around a massive trunk and suddenly your bedroom is nestled among the branches. I woke up to sunlight filtering through leaves and the sound of birds...

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This Quiet Oregon Town Has Rent Under $580 And A Beautifully Slow Pace Of Life

Rent under $580 feels almost impossible to find these days but this town makes it a reality. I walked down a quiet street where neighbors wave and the pace of life moves like a...

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This Oregon Diner Has Served The Same $6 Breakfast for Thirty Years and Never Changed a Thing

A six dollar breakfast that has not changed in thirty years feels like a beautiful gift from a simpler time. I slid into a vinyl booth and the menu still had the same prices my...

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This 150 Year Old Oregon Lighthouse Still Spins Its Original Lens And You Can Climb It For A Small Fee

A lighthouse that has been spinning its light for one hundred fifty years still knows how to impress visitors. I walked up to the base and tilted my head back to take in the whole...

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One Small Bakery In Oregon Prepares The Most Mouthwatering Donuts You’ll Ever Taste

The little building sits quietly on a small town street without any flashy signs or loud colors. I almost walked past it and that would have been a delicious mistake I would regret...

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The Largest Music Store In Oregon Carries Over 250,000 Vinyl, CDs, Tapes, And More

A music store so massive that you could spend an entire day flipping through records and still barely scratch the surface. I walked in and the familiar crackle of vinyl and smell...

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This Historic Oregon Diner Has Been Serving All-Day Breakfast and Old-School Vibes Since 1978

A neon sign glows in the window and the door has welcomed hungry guests since 1978 without missing a beat. I slid into a red vinyl booth and the menu promised breakfast at any...

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You’ve Driven Past This Oregon Hot Spring a Hundred Times Without Ever Noticing The Turn

The turn is so easy to miss that you could drive past it a hundred times without ever knowing. I finally spotted the small sign hidden behind some bushes and felt a little silly...

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This Tiny Oregon Beach Town Has Only 250 Residents And A 2.5 Mile Stretch Of Sand Most Tourists Never Find

A beach town so small that two hundred fifty people call it home and everyone probably knows everyone's name. I drove past the turnoff twice before finally spotting the quiet road...

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The Oldest Deli in Oregon Feels Like a Trip Straight to Sandwich Heaven

The door creaks open and the smell of fresh bread and roasted meats wraps around you like a warm hug. A glass case holds piles of meats and cheeses that make choosing almost impossible...

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People Drive From All Over Oregon To Eat The Hand Formed Burgers At This Junkyard Themed Restaurant

The restaurant looks like a junkyard and smells like a dream come true. Old car parts hang on the walls like strange metal artwork from a mad mechanic.

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The Old School Oregon Burger Joint Where Locals Go For A Hot Juicy Stacked Burger

The sign is old and faded and I almost drove right past it honestly. A local told me this place has the best burger in the entire city.

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An Oregon Farmer Accidentally Grew A 2,000 Pound Pumpkin, Then Carved It Into A Boat And Rowed Across The Local Pond

A farmer looked at his giant pumpkin and had a truly crazy idea. The thing weighed two thousand pounds which is more than my entire car.

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The World’s Smallest Navigable Harbor Is Hiding On The Oregon Coast

The tiniest harbor in the whole world fits right here along the dramatic Oregon coastline. Boats squeeze through a narrow channel so small you might blink and miss the entrance...

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The Gluten Free Pancakes At This Oregon Restaurant Are So Good Locals Drive Over Just For Breakfast

Gluten free pancakes usually taste like cardboard pretending to be breakfast food honestly. I ordered them here expecting the same sad pile of disappointment again.

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Oregon’s Oldest Operating Breakfast Joint Has Been Flipping Pancakes Since 1929

1929 was the year this place started flipping pancakes forever. That is 96 years of butter and maple syrup on one grill. I walked...

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