leo summers author at My Family Travels
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This New Jersey Theme Park Lets You Operate Real Construction Equipment

There are theme park rides, and then there are machines that look like they should be digging up the parking lot. This New...

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A Wealthy Family Donated 582 Acres To New Jersey And You Can Still Visit The Estate Today

Talk about leaving behind one impressive gift. Long before hikers and history lovers wandered these grounds, this sprawling...

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This Huge Italian Festival Is Taking Over A New Jersey Town For Four Days

Clear the calendar and maybe leave a little extra room for dinner. One town is about to spend four days celebrating Italian...

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This New Jersey Farm Turns Apple Picking Into A Full Fall Adventure

Apple picking sounds simple enough. Grab a bag, find a tree, and try not to eat half your haul before reaching the car. But...

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More Than 150 Classic Games Make This New Jersey Boardwalk Arcade A Retro Playground

Ready to level up your boardwalk plans? This New Jersey arcade makes it dangerously easy to turn “one quick game” into...

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Step Into A World Of Comics And Collectibles At This New Jersey Shop

Just one comic. Famous last words. Shelves full of colorful covers can turn a quick browse into a full-blown treasure hunt...

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Dinner Feels Extra Special At This Gorgeous New Jersey Farm-To-Table Restaurant

Some dinners feed you. Others make you sit up a little straighter the moment you walk through the door. This elegant New Jersey...

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You Can Stay In A Cozy Cabin Beside The Lake At This New Jersey State Park

Camping sounds lovely right up until someone mentions sleeping on the ground. Good news: you can keep the woods and lose the...

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You Can Have Dinner In A Cave-Like Dining Room In New Jersey

Dinner in a cave? Okay, that already beats staring at the same four restaurant walls again. This New Jersey dining spot turns...

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The New Jersey Restaurant Where Pasta Gets Twirled Inside A Giant Cheese Wheel

Pasta night just got a whole lot cheesier. New Jersey has a restaurant where a simple plate of cacio e pepe becomes a tableside spectacle, with fresh pasta tossed inside a giant...

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This New Jersey Farm Has A Massive Dolly Parton-Themed Corn Maze This Fall

Fall fun just got a whole lot more Dolly. New Jersey has no shortage of pumpkin patches and corn mazes, but this seasonal attraction adds a surprising country-music twist.

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Sunday Mornings Feel Like A Small-Town Tradition At This New Jersey Farmers Market

What’s better than a lazy Sunday morning? One with fresh finds waiting around the corner. This New Jersey farmers market...

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Just Beyond The Shore Is A Wild Corner Of New Jersey Most Visitors Miss

The ocean has a way of grabbing all the attention, with its crowded sand and the steady thump of waves against the shoreline. But...

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This Favorite New Jersey Buffet Is A Must-Stop Whenever Guests Come To Town

When guests come to town, there is always that one question. Where do we take them for a meal that will make them remember New Jersey?

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This New Jersey Country Market Is Practically The Costco Of Amish Goods And Fresh Groceries

You know a grocery trip has gone wonderfully off the rails when you came for a few basics and leave wondering how you’re going to fit everything in the car.

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A Half-Mile Forest Walk Leads To Wolves At This Unusual New Jersey Preserve

Listen, you are not supposed to want to get close to a wolf. But at this New Jersey preserve, that is exactly the point. A...

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Pick Your Own Flowers At These 12 New Jersey Farms From April Through October

From April through October, the fields become a colorful free for all where you are the head florist. This is not a passive...

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Breakfast Feels Like A Small-Town Affair At This Easygoing New Jersey County Cafe

Okay, so you know that feeling when you walk into a diner and everyone already knows each other, but somehow you feel like you belong too? That is this New Jersey cafe.

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Ten Miles Of Wild Shoreline Make This New Jersey Barrier Island Feel Far From Everything

Listen, you know how every Jersey Shore town feels like a postcard of boardwalks, high-rises, and crowds? Well, this one does not. This...

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One Of America’s Oldest Roads Winds Through A Forgotten Corner Of New Jersey

There is a road in New Jersey that is older than the country itself, and most people have never even heard of it. It stretches over a hundred miles from the Delaware Water Gap...

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11 New Jersey Areas Where Black Bear Sightings Keep Happening In Early Fall

Early fall has a funny way of making everyone hungry, and apparently black bears did not miss the memo. Across parts of New...

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Eat Inside A Real 1927 Train Car At This One-Of-A-Kind New Jersey Diner

Most diners give you a booth. This one gives you a seat inside an actual piece of railroad history. That already makes breakfast...

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This Enormous New Jersey Buffet Has Over 300 Items And People Drive Across The State To Try It

There is hungry, and then there is standing in front of more than 300 buffet choices wondering why you only brought one stomach. That...

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Down A Quiet New Jersey Road Is A Family Farm With Hot Cider Donuts And Pick-Your-Own Apples

There is real confidence involved in saying, “I’m only here for apples,” while standing within smelling distance of hot cider donuts.

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10 New Jersey Cafés That Are Worth Visiting For The Pastry Case Alone

Some people walk into a café and look at the coffee menu. Other people immediately lock eyes with the pastry case and forget why they came in.

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You Can Spot Over 100 Nesting Herons At This Hidden New Jersey Peninsula

You do not have to travel far to witness something remarkable. Just a short walk through the woods and you are standing at...

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Few Travelers Know This New Jersey Park Has An Old Canal Towpath And Store Ruins

You could walk right past the entrance and never know what is hiding back there. A quiet New Jersey park where an old canal...

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This New Jersey Park Is An Easy Answer When You Need A Low-Key Day Outdoors

They say New Jersey has traffic, but they obviously have never seen me try to find a quiet walking trail. This park is the...

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This Tiny New Jersey Creamery Sells Farm-Fresh Milk And Cheese Around The Clock

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, this New Jersey creamery has fresh milk and cheese waiting for you. It is a family-run...

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This New Jersey Comic Shop Is Packed Wall-To-Wall With Pop Culture Treasures

This New Jersey shop is a comic book paradise and you will not know where to start. The shelves are crammed with everything...

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This New Jersey Christmas Store Is A Year-Round Tradition, Even When It Is 80 Degrees Outside

Christmas in September? Why not. This New Jersey shop keeps the holiday spirit alive every single day of the year. Ornaments,...

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Rows Of Tiny Trees Turn This Rural New Jersey Nursery Into A Bonsai Wonderland

Walk in and you are suddenly surrounded by tiny trees. Hundreds of them. Some are decades old, shaped and pruned into living...

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This New Jersey Farm Turns Into A Huge Fall Festival Every September

Fall arrives in a spectacular fashion at this New Jersey farm, transforming the place into a massive autumn playground that keeps families coming back year after year.

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Customers Drive From Hours Away To Buy Premium Meats At This New Jersey Butcher Shop

You can find the usual cuts at any grocery store. But here? The cases are filled with premium meats that make you stop and...

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10 Upcoming Fall Festivals In New Jersey You’ll Want On Your Calendar

Clear your weekends because fall festival season is about to take over. New Jersey is lining up pumpkin-filled celebrations,...

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One Of New Jersey’s Coolest Free Nighttime Experiences Comes With A 20-Inch Telescope

Did you know New Jersey has a free research-grade telescope open to the public on Wednesday nights? Neither did I until recently.

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A Little-Known New Jersey Park Hides Five Arches Filled With Stories From The Past

Wait, a park on top of a highway tunnel? That is not something you hear every day. In New Jersey, a six-acre green space sits...

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This New Jersey Antique Mall Is So Packed With Finds You’ll Need To Come Back Twice

Some places sneak up on you, and this one did exactly that on a slow Saturday morning when the plan was just to stretch my legs for twenty minutes.

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This New Jersey Creamery Is The Rare Place Where Baby Goats And Artisan Cheese Steal The Show

You will not find a creamery quite like this one. Udderly charming from the moment you arrive. Nestled in the woods of New...

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This Wild New Jersey Mini Golf Course Takes You Inside A Fantasy Castle Filled With Wizards And Dragons

Put away your scorecard and grab your sword. This is not your average round of mini golf. Dragons loom. Wizards cast spells....

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12 Halal Restaurants In New Jersey Overflowing With Authentic Taste

You know that feeling when a place is so good you want to tell everyone, but also want to keep it to yourself? That is what...

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This New Jersey Bakery Is Famous For Its Slow-Fermented Sourdough Bread

You had me at slow-fermented sourdough. That is how you know this bakery means business. People line up before the doors even...

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This New Jersey Beachfront Spot Has An Atlantic View That Feels Almost Too Good To Be Real

The salt in the air hit me before the view did, and that alone was enough to slow my walking pace. I had heard whispers about...

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One Of New Jersey’s Most Stunning Oceanfront Dining Decks Serves Homemade Pasta By The Water

Ocean views, homemade pasta, and a deck that makes you forget your phone exists. This New Jersey spot has it all. The river on...

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This 105-Year-Old New Jersey Horse Race Raises Millions For Cancer Care Every Fall

The first time I heard about a horse race in the New Jersey hills that quietly funds cancer treatment, I assumed it was a small country gathering with a few dozen folks in boots....

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Pull Up, Dock Your Boat, And Grab The Best Brisket Cheesesteak In New Jersey

Pull up to the dock and step into a waterfront hideaway. The brisket cheesesteak here is the stuff of legend. Tender, smoky,...

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You Can Tour The Abandoned New Jersey Site Where Nuclear Missiles Were Ready To Launch Within Minutes

Tour an abandoned New Jersey site where nuclear missiles once sat ready to launch within minutes. Sounds intense, right?

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This Floating New Jersey Hot Dog Stand Has Picnic Tables In The River And Is Only Accessible By Boat

Lunch usually does not require a paddle. Here, it absolutely might. A summer float turns wonderfully strange when a hot dog...

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12 New Jersey Polish Delis That Are Worth Every Mile Of The Drive

You do not just stumble into a Polish deli in New Jersey. You follow your nose. And your hunger. And maybe a recommendation...

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Come Hungry Because This Burger Joint Serves Some Of The Best Burgers In New Jersey

The burgers here are not messing around. Step into this New Jersey spot and prepare for a burger that demands your full attention. These...

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This New Jersey Steakhouse Looks Closed From The Outside But Is Always Packed Inside

Drive down a quiet New Jersey country road and you might just miss it. The stone building looks like it has seen better days....

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Fresh Seafood Tacos And Waterfront Views Make This New Jersey Marina Spot A Summer Favorite

Some places just get summer right. This marina spot in New Jersey is one of them. You pull up, grab a seat on the deck, and...

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This New Jersey Steakhouse Dry-Ages Its Prime Beef For 28 Days Before It Ever Hits The Grill

Four weeks. That is how long a prime cut of beef sits in a temperature-controlled room before it ever sees a flame. Some people...

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This New Jersey Paddleboard Adventure Belongs On Every Summer Bucket List

The water is calm. The sun is warm. And the only sound is the gentle dip of a paddle slicing through the bay. That is the feeling...

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This New Jersey Festival Turns Downtown Into A Showcase Of 300 Cars And Endless Eats

Three hundred gleaming machines. Twenty food trucks. One unforgettable New Jersey night. The annual car show and food truck...

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This New Jersey Lookout Tower Is The Last Freestanding WWII Tower In The State

Imagine standing where soldiers once scanned the horizon for threats. Your eyes trace the same endless curve of the Atlantic that they did nearly a century ago.

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This New Jersey Hilltop Fort Has Been Called “Nonsense” For More Than 200 Years

Some places have names that make you chuckle. This New Jersey hilltop has a name that has sparked curiosity for more than two centuries.

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This Secluded New Jersey Summit Rewards Hikers With Panoramas Few Ever See

I will be honest, I pushed myself harder than I thought I would. The trail here is not messing around. Exposed rock slabs....

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This New Jersey Adventure Park Turns 40,000 Square Feet Into A Nonstop Indoor Playground

Rain, heat, or a sudden urge to climb something. It does not matter. This New Jersey playground has you covered.

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12 New Jersey Secondhand Bookstores Every Book Lover Needs To Visit In 2026

The scent of aging paper and wooden shelves hits you the moment you push through the door. For book lovers, few things compare to that feeling of discovery in a secondhand bookstore....

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