julian hayes author at My Family Travels
Article
7 Secluded California Hot Spring Retreats

California rewards seekers of quiet with places where warm water meets wild scenery, and these secluded hot springs prove it. You...

Read More    7 min read

Article
The Oklahoma Town Known for Its Cobblestone Streets and Easy Pace

Tucked into the rugged foothills of the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma, Medicine Park feels like a place pulled from another era.

Read More    7 min read

Article
Two-Day Winter Route in Washington to Hidden Snow Harbors

You have 48 hours, fresh snow in Washington, and a craving for quiet places that feel like secret harbors tucked in the trees. This...

Read More    7 min read

Article
Oregon’s Coastal Road Trip That Looks Like a Living Postcard

Oregon’s coast feels like a moving painting, every curve of Highway 101 unveiling new colors, cliffs, and quiet towns that seem made for lingering.

Read More    8 min read

Article
Tennessee’s 10 Best Pizza Spots You Should Visit

You are about to explore a Tennessee pizza trail that blends craft, community, and unforgettable ambiance. Every stop on this...

Read More    8 min read

Article
7 Weird Tennessee Roadside Stops That Feel Almost Unreal

Driving across Tennessee, I've realized that the highways offer more than the usual rest stops and familiar chains. Between...

Read More    7 min read

Article
7 New Mexico Spots Where Red Chile Takes the Spotlight

Red chile is the heart and soul of New Mexico cuisine. Made from ripened green chiles that are dried and ground into a rich,...

Read More    7 min read

Article
9 Local Museums in New York State Most Tourists Miss

New York State holds icons everyone knows, yet the most memorable discoveries often happen far from the lines and the noise. Tucked...

Read More    8 min read

Article
9 Kentucky Family-Run Restaurants That Haven’t Changed in Decades

Kentucky rewards patient travelers with places that still feel like home, where family names greet you at the door and routines run on memory.

Read More    8 min read

Article
10 Maryland Fishing Villages You Need to Photograph

You are about to meet the most photogenic corners of Maryland, where boats rock gently and the light feels tailored for your lens.

Read More    8 min read

Article
7 Kansas Buffets Everyone Seems to Return To

If you travel across Kansas with an appetite for comfort and consistency, certain buffets stand out as dependable favorites. These...

Read More    9 min read

Article
Utah’s Remote Artist Town Travelers Often Discover by Accident

Springdale sits at the edge of one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the American West, tucked between towering red rock cliffs and the Virgin River.

Read More    7 min read

Article
6 New York Small Town Bakeries Locals Won’t Stop Recommending

Small towns across New York hide bakery gems that locals quietly celebrate, and this guide brings those places together in one carefully considered route.

Read More    7 min read

Article
6 Wisconsin Winter Festivals That Make Small Towns Sparkle

Winter in Wisconsin feels like a backstage pass to small town magic, where lake air sharpens the senses and lights turn streets into storybooks.

Read More    8 min read

Article
9 Alabama Comfort Food Restaurants Locals Guard Like a Secret

Alabama has always been a place where food carries meaning beyond the plate, passed down through generations in small towns and quiet corners.

Read More    10 min read

Article
This Small Arizona Desert Café Built a Cult Following One Plate at a Time

Tucked along a lonely stretch of highway between Phoenix and Flagstaff, Rock Springs Café has become a quiet legend in Arizona’s high desert.

Read More    8 min read

Article
8 Amish-Adjacent Towns in Kentucky Where Visitors Feel Watched Without Knowing Why

Kentucky rewards close listeners, and these quiet towns ask you to read the room before you read the signs. You notice the...

Read More    9 min read

Article
9 Hidden Hole-in-the-Wall Cobbler Houses in Tennessee Worth the Fork

You came for music and mountains, but Tennessee hides its sweetest stories in unassuming dining rooms where cobbler still cools on the counter and the scent of cinnamon drifts...

Read More    7 min read

Article
8 California Cliffside Escapes You’ll Want to Discover Before Everyone Else

California rewards curious wanderers who chase the edges, where land lifts high and the Pacific sets the rhythm. These cliffside...

Read More    8 min read

Article
Tennessee Turns Bristol Speedway in Lights Into a Must-Visit Holiday Spectacle

Headlights meet holiday glow the moment you roll toward the grandstands of Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, and the night begins to hum in color.

Read More    9 min read

Article
Arizona’s Desert Town Where People Swear They’re Being Watched at Night

Night settles on Chloride with a velvet hush that seems to breathe from the Hualapai foothills, and every shadow feels like it has a story.

Read More    10 min read

Article
The Oklahoma BBQ Shack Serving Brisket People Drive Hours to Try

Cruising Route 66 across Oklahoma, you feel the pull of a legendary stop long before the turnoff appears. Butcher BBQ Stand...

Read More    8 min read

Article
Why Locals in Montana Say Their Butchers Beat Every Steakhouse

Montana rewards anyone who looks beyond white tablecloths and leans into butcher paper, backyard coals, and meals built on care rather than ceremony.

Read More    7 min read

Article
11 Vermont Ski Villages Travelers Love in Winter

Winter in Vermont feels alive the moment fresh snow softens the villages and lifts carve quiet lines toward the ridge. You...

Read More    9 min read

Article
Why Locals in Savannah, Georgia Hate Tourists During Holiday Parades

Holiday lights glow against live oaks, and the squares feel smaller as crowds press in from every side. You catch the salt...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Downtown Diner In New Hampshire Refuses Upgrades, Same Stools, Same Menu, Same Feel

Manchester wakes up to the glow of a small neon arrow that never sleeps, and you feel it before you see it. The Red Arrow...

Read More    8 min read

Article
10 Most Romantic Winter Villages in Tennessee Hidden in the Mountains

Winter in Tennessee drapes the mountains in a soft hush, and small towns glow like lanterns along the ridgelines. You feel...

Read More    7 min read

Article
9 Secret Washington Picnic Spots Only Locals Know About

Washington State rewards curiosity, and the best picnics often hide just beyond the crowds. You will find quiet corners where...

Read More    8 min read

Article
10 Charming Christmas Villages in Maine That Feel Like a Winter Postcard

You can feel Maine settle into a quieter heartbeat when the first snow dusts the coast and the village greens start to glow. Each...

Read More    9 min read

Article
The Tiny Vermont Village Known Nationwide for Its Maple Everything

Maple steam drifts from shop doors in Montpelier as morning light slides across the Winooski River and picks out the State House dome in a soft glow.

Read More    9 min read

Article
Virginia’s River Town Famous for Magical Colonial Lantern Nights

You feel the pull of the York River before you even see the water, a quiet shimmer that hints at stories tucked into every brick and cobblestone.

Read More    9 min read

Article
The Most Festive Small-Town Winter Breakfast Spot in Vermont Locals Don’t Want Crowded

You can feel Vermont winter settle in the moment you step onto Main Street and see The Hatchery glowing through the frost. The...

Read More    9 min read

Article
The Christmas Train Ride in North Carolina That Travelers Call Pure Magic

You feel it the moment the lights flicker on and the locomotive hum settles into the valley, a North Carolina night turning quietly festive around you.

Read More    7 min read

Article
12 Historic California Towns Perfect for an Unforgettable Weekend Escape

California keeps surprising you, especially when you trade freeways for cobblestone lanes and quiet waterfronts. Historic...

Read More    10 min read

Article
10 Pennsylvania Small Towns Seniors Fall in Love With

Pennsylvania rewards curious travelers with small towns that feel welcoming from the first step on the sidewalk. You get slower...

Read More    8 min read

Article
10 North Carolina’s Old-Fashioned Winter Towns Perfect for a Two-Day Curious Traveler

Winter in North Carolina softens the scenery and slows the clock, which makes short trips feel deeper and more personal. You...

Read More    7 min read

Article
Arizona Has a Small Town Winter Keeps Photographing Like a Rumor

Winter in Arizona can feel like a secret, and Snowflake is the whisper that keeps returning to your feed. The high plateau...

Read More    8 min read

Article
California’s Most Photographed Town Has a Side Nobody Filters

You have seen the moody photos of Bodie Ghost Town, but the truth on the ground in California hits harder than any filter. Step...

Read More    7 min read

Article
The Hidden Christmas Rituals This Georgia Village Quietly Keeps Alive

Step into Helen, Georgia, and you feel the North Georgia mountains fall quiet around a village that glows with Alpine charm. Cobbled...

Read More    5 min read

Article
9 Hole-in-the-Wall Morning Cafés in Indiana Worth Every Crumb

Indiana mornings feel different when you start them in a humble cafe that knows your name, or at least your order. These quiet...

Read More    5 min read

Article
The Lost Rhode Island Pier That Glows With Ghostly Light

Rhode Island hides some of its best stories in plain sight, and the old pier ruins off India Point Park in Providence might be the most haunting of them all.

Read More    5 min read

Article
Why Pennsylvania Locals Won’t Reveal the Name of Their Favorite Mountain Village

You hear whispers about a mountain village in Pennsylvania, then the conversation changes and someone smiles like they know a secret.

Read More    5 min read

Article
The Forgotten Oceanfront Café in South Carolina That’s Always Warm

Nestled along the coast of Garden City, South Carolina, the Gulfstream Cafe has earned a reputation that goes far beyond its delicious seafood and stunning views.

Read More    4 min read

Article
10 Hole-in-the-Wall Pastry Cafés in New Jersey That Tourists Don’t Know About

New Jersey has a surprisingly deep and diverse pastry scene, often hidden in small strip malls or quiet Main Streets away from major tourist hubs.

Read More    4 min read

Article
Why This “Dull” Town in South Dakota Is Becoming a Photographer’s Dream

Belle Fourche has long been labeled a quiet crossroads town, a place where travelers often pass through on their way to the Black Hills.

Read More    5 min read

Article
8 Hidden Hole-in-the-Wall Dry-Rub Shacks in Missouri Worth Every Mile of the Drive

Missouri has earned its place on the barbecue map with smoky flavors and deep regional pride. Across the state, small family-run...

Read More    6 min read

Article
10 Epic Outdoor Adventures You Can Only Have in Utah

Utah's landscape is defined by red rock canyons, alpine peaks, salt flats, and desert expanses that create experiences found nowhere else in the country.

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Small Village Candy Store in Vermont Still Making Old-Fashioned Winter Sweets

Nestled just a few miles south of the Canadian border, the charming town of Swanton, Vermont, is home to the small village candy store.

Read More    5 min read

Article
The California Coastal Spot Younger Travelers Are Treating Like a Vibe

California keeps inventing new scenes, but some places resist the script. Bolinas, tucked along Marin County’s ragged edge,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
The Arizona Desert Getaway That’s Dominating Social Media Right Now

Arizona keeps showing up on your feed for a reason. The Sonoran Desert glows with soft light, sculpted boulders, and calm...

Read More    6 min read