grayson holt author at My Family Travels
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People Drive For Hours Just To Feast At This Legendary Oregon Buffet Where The Frog Legs Rule

There’s a certain magic about a restaurant that turns a simple road trip into an unforgettable food pilgrimage. Oregon delivers that in spades at this legendary buffet.

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This Massive Candy Emporium In Oregon Has A 21-Foot Chocolate Fountain You Have To See

Walking through Oregon’s hidden sweet spot felt like being invited to a private party of candy lovers. The first thing that...

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9 Oregon Restaurants Locals Secretly Gatekeep From Visitors

There’s something magical about finding a restaurant that feels like it was made just for you, and Oregon is full of those hidden gems that locals fiercely guard.

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This 8,000-Acre Park in Oregon Remains a Well-Kept Secret

I’m still amazed by the quiet escape I found hidden in Oregon’s rolling hills. Imagine 8,000 acres of whispering pines, sparkling streams, and open meadows that feel like a...

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This Stunning Oregon Garden Is A Masterpiece Of Peace And Design

Discovering this thoughtfully crafted garden in Oregon felt like opening a secret chapter of a favorite book. Each turn revealed new textures, colors, and quiet corners.

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This Classic Oregon Drive-In And Diner Feels Like Stepping Straight Into The 1950s

There's a certain magic about cruising down an Oregon drive-in that looks straight out of a 1950s postcard. The checkered floor and pastel signage set the scene before you even...

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This Massive Buffet In Oregon Is Actually Worth The Long Road Trip

I’ve always loved a good road trip, especially when it ends with a plate piled high. Last summer I drove over a hundred miles just to try a legendary buffet in Oregon, and every...

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This Giant Burger Challenge In Oregon Is A Must Try For Serious Food Lovers

When I heard about a legendary burger challenge tucked away in Oregon, I couldn’t resist the pull of a truly epic eat-off. From the first bite, the layers of juicy meat, melted...

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This Oregon Spot Serves A Free Breakfast Every Week in March And Everyone’s Welcome

There's something incredibly uplifting about finding a hidden gem, especially one that takes care of you without asking for anything in return. I stumbled upon one such heartwarming...

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The Unassuming Store In Oregon That Serves Marionberry Pie You’ll Dream About

What if I told you there's a charming, quiet corner in Oregon serving up a dessert so legendary, it's worth planning your next road trip around? Forget fancy facades; this is about...

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This Little-Known Oregon Artesian Well Is Where the State’s Purest Water Flows

There’s something truly magical about finding a natural wonder that feels like it’s just for you, isn't there? In the heart of Oregon, a remarkable place exists where the earth...

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The Private Oregon Garden That Feels Like A Hidden Botanical Paradise

Ever dreamt of finding a secret garden, a place seemingly plucked from a storybook where every turn reveals a new wonder? That's exactly the magic we stumbled upon recently, tucked...

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This Underrated State Park In Oregon Is So Little-Known, It Often Feels Like Your Own Private Escape

You know that wonderful feeling when you stumble upon a place so peaceful and untouched, it almost feels like it's just waiting for you? Well, I recently had that exact experience,...

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10 Peaceful Towns In Oregon Where Retirement Feels Surprisingly Affordable

Oregon has a quiet kind of magic that tends to sneak up on you. One moment you are watching a river curl through a valley of pines, and the next you are wondering why you ever...

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10 German Restaurants In Oregon That Will Make You Forget You’re In The States

Oregon might be famous for its rain, stunning coastline, and farm-to-table food scene, but there is a whole other culinary world quietly thriving here. Authentic German cooking...

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This Oregon Mountain Tram Takes You Above the Clouds for Unreal Views

Picture yourself gliding above alpine meadows, watching wildflowers carpet the mountainside below while Mount Hood towers in the distance. That's exactly what happens when you...

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This 40-50 Mile Oregon Trail Is a Hiker’s Dream With Epic River Views

I'd been hearing whispers about the Three Sisters Loop for years before I finally laced up my boots and hit the trail. Every backpacker I knew who'd completed this legendary 40-50...

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Locals Line Up for the Fish and Chips at This Low-Key Spot Just Off Highway 101

Somewhere between the salt-heavy ocean breeze and the sound of seagulls overhead, I found myself standing in a small strip mall parking lot off Highway 101, wondering if I had...

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Oregon Has A Bin Store Where The Prices Feel Like Somebody Forgot A Decimal Point

Somewhere along Mohawk Boulevard in Springfield, Oregon, there is a store that makes you stop and stare at the price tag twice, not because something is wrong, but because something...

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The Hash Browns At This Restaurant In Oregon Are So Good, They’ve Become A Local Favorite

Golden, crispy, and piled high on your plate, the hash browns at Pancake Mill Restaurant & Pie Shoppe have become the stuff of local legend in North Bend, Oregon.

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This Historic Chinese Restaurant Is the Oldest in Oregon

Portland’s Chinatown hides a culinary time capsule that has survived nearly a century of change. Oregon’s oldest continuously operating Chinese restaurant still serves classic...

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This Oregon Restaurant Serves the State’s Best Dungeness Crab

Astoria sits right where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, and that prime location means one thing: incredibly fresh seafood.

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This Once-Quiet Coastal Oregon Town Has Been Overrun by Tourists – and Locals Are Furious

It’s hard to believe that just a decade ago, Pacific City felt like a secret only locals were allowed to keep. Mornings were quiet enough to hear the surf crash against the cliffs,...

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This Oregon Food Tour Will Take You Straight to Ice Cream Heaven

Walking into the Tillamook Creamery felt like stepping straight into my childhood dream, except this time I had adult money and zero self-control.

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9 Oregon Breakfast Spots That Rise and Grind the Right Way

I've wandered through Oregon countless times, chasing sunrises over the Pacific and mountain views that make you forget you're even hungry. Then breakfast hits different here.

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The Oregon Ghost Town You Won’t Be Able to Drive Past Without Pulling Over

Shaniko sits frozen in time along Highway 97 in Oregon, a genuine ghost town that refuses to completely fade away. With only about 30 residents keeping watch over weathered wooden...

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These Oregon Locations Make People Say “You Had to Be There”

Oregon holds secrets that refuse to be captured in photographs or described in simple words. Scattered across this diverse state are places so extraordinary that they demand your...

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This Oregon Market Has Handmade Goods You Can’t Find Anywhere Else

Downtown Portland has no shortage of quirky surprises, but one storefront stopped me in my tracks. Inside was a colorful explosion of art prints, hand-poured candles, enamel pins,...

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9 Secret Nature Trails That Look Too Good to Be Real

Oregon hides some of the most jaw-dropping trails you’ll ever stumble across, and most travelers drive right past them without even knowing they exist.

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Why This Oregon Town Is the Cheapest and Coziest February Escape

Astoria sits where the Columbia River crashes into the Pacific Ocean, and if you've never experienced the Oregon coast in February, you're missing out on something special.

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This 10,000-Square-Foot Oregon Secondhand Shop Is the Place to Score Big This Spring

Spring cleaning takes on a whole new meaning when you discover Rerun on Sandy Boulevard in Portland. This isn't your average thrift store with dusty bins and fluorescent lighting...

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This Oregon Beach Hides a Historic Road Where Stagecoaches Once Navigated the Cliffs

I still remember rounding that bend south of Cannon Beach and glancing down at the stretch of coastline below the highway, not fully prepared for what I was about to see. The name...

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This Oregon Steakhouse Was Once John Wayne’s Favorite Hidden Hangout

Carved into the rugged landscape of Central Oregon, just minutes from Bend, sits a steakhouse where Hollywood royalty once sought refuge from the spotlight.

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This Oregon Restaurant Lets You Dine on a Terrace Beside a Waterfall

Picture yourself savoring Pacific Northwest cuisine while one of Oregon's most magnificent waterfalls thunders just steps away. The Multnomah Falls Lodge Restaurant in Corbett,...

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This Oregon Coastal Lodge Feels Like a Private Slice of Heaven in Spring

Spring along the southern Oregon coast brings something extraordinary to life at Tu Tu' Tun Lodge. I discovered this haven tucked along the banks of the Rogue River, where the...

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This Haunted Oregon Ghost Town Will Give You Chills Even in Broad Daylight

Standing at the edge of Cornucopia, I felt something shift in the air around me. Maybe it was the wind whispering through the skeletal remains of century-old buildings, or perhaps...

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This Lesser Known Oregon Town Has the Best Local Food You’ll Never Hear About

The tiny town of Manzanita on the Oregon coast has been quietly serving some of the freshest seafood and most satisfying pastries around.

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This Oregon All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Spot Is Testing Everyone’s Self-Control

I stepped into Sushi Kuni & Cocktail Bar in West Linn expecting the usual all-you-can-eat sushi setup, but what I found completely blew my mind.

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This Oregon Trail Feels Like a Secret You’re Not Supposed to Know

Hiking all over Oregon has made a lot of trails blur together for me, but Eagle Creek never does. The second I step onto those narrow ledges carved straight into the cliff, my...

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This Delightful Oregon Museum Is a Quilt Lover’s Paradise

A rainy Tuesday in Tillamook, Oregon led me straight into the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center, and I didn’t expect much from a museum in an old schoolhouse. I couldn’t have...

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This Creepy Oregon Train Station Has a History Locals Still Whisper About

Few spots in Oregon carry the kind of quiet, eerie history that makes you feel it in your bones - and the Oregon City Train Depot at 1757 Washington St, Oregon City, OR 97045 is...

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This Oregon Road Trip Through Ghost Towns Is Packed With Creepy History

I used to think Oregon road trips were all waterfalls and cozy small towns, until I found myself cruising down empty highways that felt way too quiet for comfort.

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This Oregon Restaurant Serves Iraqi Flavors You’ll Keep Coming Back For

Stepping into DarSalam on a rainy Portland afternoon, I knew I’d found something special the moment the aroma hit me. This...

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These 9 Oregon Towns Are Stealing Attention From the Popular Ones

Exploring Oregon for years has shown me that the famous spots get all the attention, while incredible little towns sit quietly nearby, waiting to be discovered. Cannon Beach and...

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This Haunted Oregon Lighthouse Locals Avoid After the Sun Goes Down

Perched high on Oregon’s rugged coastline, Heceta Head Lighthouse has been guiding ships safely for over a century - but after dark, it feels like something else is in charge....

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9 Oregon Buffets That Will Leave You Rollin’ in Happiness

I never thought buffets could win me over, but Oregon proved me wrong. There’s something magical about walking into a place where you can taste a little bit of everything without...

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The Oregon Town That Looks Sleepy Until You Actually Spend a Day There

I rolled into Astoria expecting a slow-paced fishing village where the biggest event of the day would be watching seagulls fight over a sandwich. Boy, was I wrong.

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Oregon’s Retro Diner Where Chicken Fried Steak Reigns Supreme

Portland, Oregon, is home to a breakfast gem that brings authentic Southern comfort straight to the Pacific Northwest. Grits...

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8 Oregon Towns That Feel Stuck in Another Era (In the Best Way)

Oregon hides some of the most enchanting small towns where the hustle of modern life feels like a distant memory. Walking through these communities is like stepping through a portal...

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This Oregon Drive-In Is a Blast From the Past With Movies Under the Sky

I absolutely love finding places that feel like stepping back in time, and the 99W Drive-In Theatre in Newberg, Oregon, is exactly that kind of magic.

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