lila merrick author at My Family Travels
Article
This Virginia Landmark Preserves The Authentic Spirit Of Colonial America

I have stood inside plenty of old churches, but this one felt different. The walls are sturdy, the bricks are weathered, and the silence has a weight to it that makes you speak...

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The Windows On This Abandoned Virginia Asylum Are Bricked Up But Locals Say Faces Still Appear At Night

Let’s be real. There is “creepy,” and then there is “the locals bricked up the windows and people still see faces.” That is a whole different level of nope.

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This Dreamy Virginia Beach Town Makes A One-Day Escape Feel Like A Mini Vacation

You do not need a whole week to feel like you got away. Sometimes one day is enough, especially when the destination is this dreamy.

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This Family-Run Virginia Restaurant Is Known for Massive Plates of Authentic Mexican Classics

Some restaurants feed you. Others feed you and then send you home with leftovers for tomorrow. This Virginia spot falls firmly...

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10 Best Virginia Campgrounds For Riverside Mornings And Water Views This April

April in Virginia is tricky. One day it is warm enough for shorts. The next day you need a jacket. But here is what works no matter the weather.

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This Massive Virginia Battleship Is The Largest Of Its Kind Ever Built

You do not fully understand the word "massive" until you stand next to this thing. I have seen plenty of ships in movies and documentaries, but nothing prepared me for the USS...

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This Virginia Gem Is Serving Up The Most Authentic Peking Duck Around

Finding authentic Peking duck in Virginia is not impossible. But finding the best? That takes a local who knows where to point. Crispy skin. Tender meat.

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This Virginia Ferry Ride Will Carry You To A Destination Frozen In Time

Imagine a place with no chain restaurants. No traffic lights. No stress. Now imagine getting there by boat.

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This Small Virginia Town Is Quietly Known For Its Historic Charm, And Unexpected Road Trip Appeal

Most people zoom right past it. Highway 7, windows up, eyes forward, destination already locked in. Big mistake.

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This Enchanting Virginia Tea Room Is An English-Inspired Escape For Pastry Lovers

Hold on. A tea room inside a shopping center that feels like an English manor? I did not believe it either until I walked through...

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10 Virginia Historic Theaters Where The Stage Has Been Alive For Over A Century

There is something about walking into a theater that has been around for over a hundred years. The creak of the floorboards. The...

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This 4.4 Mile Virginia Hike Takes You To A 69 Foot Waterfall You Can Swim In

Some hikes just give you a view and send you home. This one gives you an adventure and a swimming lesson. You will start by ducking...

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10 Virginia Coastal Escapes That Aren’t The Virginia Beach Boardwalk

Virginia's coastline is wildly underrated, and honestly, the boardwalk crowd has been sleeping on some seriously spectacular spots. From wild pony islands to sinking fishing villages,...

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This Beloved Virginia Candy Destination Has Been Making Sweet Memories For Over A Century

Step inside and everything slows to a sweeter pace. In a gorgeous neighborhood, a small candy factory has been turning out old fashioned hard candies for more than a century, using...

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This Virginia Theater Survived The Great Depression And Is Still Packing The House Tonight

Some historic places feel like a museum you have to tiptoe through. This theater is not one of them. It survived financial...

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10 Rural Virginia Towns Where You Can Still Buy A House For $150,000

Think Virginia is only for Washington D.C. commuters with seven figure budgets? Look past the crowded suburbs. Out past the interstate...

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Virginia’s Most Underrated Lake Has 800 Miles Of Shoreline And Zero Crowds

It’s easy to miss, but overlooking this place means skipping one of the East Coast’s most impressive lakes. Along the Virginia border lies a vast reservoir with nearly 800...

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You Can Tour A Real-Life Fairy Tale Castle Hidden Deep In The Virginia Countryside

Think you need a flight to Europe to wander through a true Tudor manor? Not quite. Virginia quietly delivers the real thing....

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This Massive 19th-Century Virginia Fortress Was Built To Protect But Became A Prison For A U.S. President

In Virginia, there stands a fortress that feels more like the setting of a gripping story than a simple military site. Massive stone walls rise in Hampton, built to protect a young...

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The Mountain Town In Virginia Where Monthly Rent Still Starts Under $300

Okay, let's settle something right now: is affordable mountain living in Virginia actually a myth, or does it still exist somewhere off the beaten path? I stumbled onto a small...

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This Massive Virginia Cathedral Features 100-Year-Old Stained Glass And Italian Marble

Virginia is full of surprises, but few stop you dead in your tracks like a cathedral that feels like it was airlifted straight from Renaissance Italy. This stunning Catholic landmark...

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10 Massive Thrift Shops In Virginia That Are Almost Too Good To Be True

Virginia is quietly sitting on one of the best-kept secrets in American shopping culture, and it's time the world found out. Forget the tiny donation bins and cramped aisles you...

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The Retro-Style Ice Cream Shop In Virginia Where You Can Relive The Golden Days

Time slows down the moment you arrive here. A small soft-serve stand has been spreading joy since the mid-1990s. The atmosphere...

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This Virginia Attraction Lets You Meet Kangaroos And See Exotic Wildlife Up Close

Hot take: Virginia has one of the most underrated wildlife experiences on the East Coast, and most people have no idea it exists. There is a place where you can hand-feed a bison...

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The Old-School Restaurant In Virginia With The Best Reuben Sandwich You’ll Ever Have

Forget everything you think you know about sandwiches, because one bite of this Reuben changes the standard completely. In Richmond, Virginia, there’s a legendary deli right...

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One Of Five Surviving Virginia Pizza Hut Classics Still Delivers a Full Dine-In Nostalgia Trip

Hot take: some dining experiences are so good they deserve to survive every food trend, every delivery app craze, and every fast-casual takeover. Virginia still has five of these...

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This Gigantic Secondhand Shop In Virginia Is Worth The Trip From Across The State

Every so often, a shopping spot comes along that completely resets your expectations. In a state filled with solid retail options, this one stands out by offering something far...

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This Virginia Museum Houses The World’s Fastest Jet

History runs deep across Virginia, but few places hit with the same level of awe as this one. One enormous museum houses some of the most iconic machines ever created.

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This Alpine Landscape In Virginia Is Home To Wandering Ponies

High above southwestern Virginia, a windswept mountain stretch feels more like the Scottish Highlands than the American South. Across these open balds and rocky ridges, a herd...

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This Charming Coastal Diner In Virginia Is Famous For Its Fresh Crab Cakes And Old-Fashioned Shakes

Blink and you might miss it, but once it catches your eye, it is impossible to forget. On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a gleaming silver diner draws you in with pure nostalgia and...

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The Hidden Creative Warehouse That’s Home To One Of Virginia’s Favorite Donation-Based Art Thrift Stores

Step inside this Richmond warehouse and suddenly everything feels possible. Shelves stretch high with donated fabrics, art supplies, sewing machines, and the kind of materials...

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This Historic 1753 Virginia Estate Feels Like You’ve Been Transported To A French Country Inn

Few places leave a mark before you even step out of the car. In the rolling countryside of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, a limestone estate dating back to 1753 still carries...

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This High-End Virginia Rooftop Spot Blends Japanese Precision With Bold Peruvian Flavors

Virginia Beach offers plenty of oceanfront dining, but few places deliver this kind of unexpected fusion. High above the shoreline, a rooftop restaurant blends Japanese precision...

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This Underground Virginia Wonder Is America’s Oldest Continuously Operating Show Cave

Deep beneath the rolling hills of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, something extraordinary has been welcoming curious adventurers since the early 1800s. Long before national parks...

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This Vibrant Virginia Destination Is Famous For Its Hand-Stuffed Salvadoran Pupusas And Latin Street Food

Skip the usual seafood circuit and head somewhere that completely rewrites the script on dining in Virginia Beach. Away from the coastal crowds, this low-key spot delivers Latin...

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This Charming Virginia Garden Is A Cafe Hidden In Plain Sight

Along a busy commercial strip in Northern Virginia, one café quietly transports you far beyond its surroundings into something closer to a countryside escape. It is easy to miss...

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This Retro Virginia Gas Station Was Converted Into A High-End Destination For Gourmet Artisanal Cuisine

Okay, so picture this: a century-old gas station in the rolling hills of Virginia horse country, completely transformed into one of the most talked-about artisan bakeries on the...

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The Scenic Virginia Water Taxi That Beats City Traffic Every Time

Hot take: the most underrated commute in all of Virginia happens on the water, not the highway. Forget sitting in tunnel traffic while the clock ticks and your patience evaporates.

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This Unusual Virginia Coffee Shop Is A Colorful 2D Cartoon World Come To Life

Virginia Beach has no shortage of oceanfront spots competing for your attention, but every so often a place comes along that genuinely stops you in your tracks. I stumbled across...

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This Full-Size Virginia Stonehenge Replica Is Made Entirely Out Of Foam

Out in the rolling farmland of Northern Virginia, something unexpected rises from the grass. At first glance, it looks ancient. Massive...

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This Virginia Spectacle Turns The Skyline Into A Kaleidoscopic Playground That Will Blow Your Mind

Picture a wide-open field where the sky above Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains suddenly erupts in a riot of color, movement, and pure joy. That's exactly what happens every spring...

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This Authentic Virginia Pizzeria Uses A Traditional 72-Hour Fermentation For Its Prize-Winning Pizzas

Virginia has a serious pizza secret, and locals are fiercely divided over whether it deserves all the hype or is simply the best thing to ever happen to the DMV food scene. Hidden...

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This Virginia Museum Lets You Walk Alongside Artifacts From The Bottom Of The Atlantic

Most museums keep their treasures safely behind glass, but one place in Virginia lets you get so close to Civil War-era relics pulled from the ocean floor that you can practically...

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This No-Frills Virginia Kitchen Is A Taco Purist’s Dream

Some spots in Virginia don't need a fancy sign or a trendy interior to earn a loyal following. There's a small family-owned kitchen in Alexandria that has been quietly winning...

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This 1,127-Acre Wildlife Refuge In Virginia Is Home To Over 400 Species Of Birds

Some places just stop you in your tracks, and the southern tip of Virginia's Delmarva Peninsula is absolutely one of them. Imagine standing at the edge of a salt marsh as thousands...

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This Virginia ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ Is A Massive Limestone Bridge Carved By Time

Some places just stop you in your tracks, and I mean that literally. Standing beneath a colossal limestone arch that nature sculpted over thousands of years is one of those jaw-dropping...

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This Quiet Virginia Hike Leads To A Breathtaking Panoramic Peak Above A Hidden Woodland Cathedral

Some trails just have a name that dares you to show up. Tucked into the rolling mountains of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, this hike climbs through forested ridges, past open-air...

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We Found a Hidden Waterside Seafood Spot In Virginia That Feels Like A Local Secret

Some spots in Virginia just hit different, and locals would honestly prefer to keep them that way. Tucked along the shimmering edge of Lynnhaven Inlet, there is a waterside seafood...

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This Virginia Mega-Mall Merges Major Shopping And Endless Fun Into One Loop

Forget everything you thought you knew about outlet malls. Nestled in Woodbridge, Virginia, just off I-95, there is a sprawling shopping destination that genuinely earns the title...

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This Virginia Fairytale-Like Fun Park Has Become A Haunting Forest Relic

Somewhere in Virginia, a medieval dream was born, flourished briefly, and then quietly surrendered to the forest. What started as an elaborate fairytale kingdom, complete with...

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This Colossal Virginia Book Fair Is A 500 000-Title Paradise For Every Reader

Forget everything you think you know about book fairs. Somewhere in the rolling hills of the Shenandoah Valley, tucked just south of Harrisonburg, Virginia, sits a place that makes...

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Virginia Has A Museum Of Giant Forgotten Parades And It’s Every Bit As Surreal As You’d Hope

Somewhere in the rolling farmland of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, a warehouse full of giant, glittering parade floats sits waiting to blow your mind. I stumbled across this place...

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This Virginia Food Hall Feels Exactly Like A Mini Culinary Escape

Stepping into this vibrant food hall in Virginia feels like taking a quick vacation for your taste buds. Imagine wandering past colorful stalls, each offering a different aroma...

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The Ultimate Guide To 10 Most Iconic Vegetarian Restaurants In Virginia

Virginia is quietly becoming one of the most exciting plant-based dining destinations on the East Coast, and honestly, it deserves way more credit. From the rolling hills of the...

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This Legendary All-You-Can-Eat Japanese Seafood Restaurant Is So Good People Drive Across Virginia For It

Okay, let's settle this debate right now: is there actually an all-you-can-eat sushi spot in Virginia worth crossing county lines for, or is that just internet hype? I'm here to...

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This Small-Town Virginia Restaurant Is Known For Steaks People Drive Miles For

Somewhere tucked inside a charming small town in Virginia, there is a steakhouse so good that people genuinely rearrange their road trips just to eat there. Locals swear by it,...

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This Virginia Tunnel Dares Drivers To Face One Of The Scariest Crossings In The South

Hot take: crossing a body of water through a tunnel buried beneath the ocean floor is either the coolest thing you will ever do or the most nerve-wracking. Virginia has a crossing...

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This Virginia Cemetery Is A Gorgeous Park Where Presidential History Comes Alive

Strolling through a peaceful, tree?lined oasis just outside the city, you’ll feel the gentle hush of history wrap around you like a soft blanket. Imagine a place where winding...

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This Virginia Bookstore Is So Lively, You’ll Leave With Books, New Friends, And Story Nights Worth Attending

Some bookstores just sell books. Others become the heartbeat of an entire neighborhood, pulling strangers together over dog-eared pages, Saturday story sessions, and staff recommendations...

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10 Towns Virginians Flee To When They Need Peace

Life's too loud sometimes, isn't it? Between the honking horns on I-95 and the endless hustle of Northern Virginia's sprawl, even the most patient souls start craving a little...

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