marissa lockwood author at My Family Travels
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This Oregon Restaurant Is Hiding In A Historic Downtown Building And Serves Seasonal Northwest Food

Brick walls, tall windows, and a doorway most people stroll past without a second glance. Behind it, dinner is quietly doing something special.

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Oregon Has A Vietnamese Restaurant That Makes Its Rice Noodles From Scratch Every Day

Somewhere in the back, a batch of rice noodles is being rolled out fresh, and by lunch it will be sitting in a bowl in front of someone very happy.

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This Oregon Restaurant Makes More Than 26 Kinds Of Jams, Jellies And Syrups

Twenty-six flavors of jam is the kind of number that makes a grocery store aisle look embarrassingly limited by comparison. Jars...

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This Award-Winning Oceanfront Dining Staple in Oregon Has Been a Favorite Since 1977

1997 called, and this place is still answering with the same ocean view and the same warm welcome. Waves crash close enough here that dinner conversations occasionally pause mid-sentence,...

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You Can Still See The Oregon Ranch Buildings Left Behind By One Of The West’s Biggest Cattle Operations

Cattle once covered this land by the thousands, run by an operation so massive it practically rewrote the rules for ranching out west.

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11 Oregon Restaurants That Could Easily Be The Reason For The Road Trip

Full tank, empty stomach, and a GPS pin dropped on a restaurant three hours away. Worth it every time. A handful of spots scattered across the state genuinely earn that kind of...

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This Oregon Italian Bakery Is Open 365 Days A Year For Your Pastry Fix

Christmas morning, a random Tuesday, the dead of a rainy January. The ovens are on either way. Cannoli shells crack, sfogliatelle...

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This 1874 Oregon Saloon Serves Italian-American Fare With Live Music and an Award-Winning Patio

A building from 1874 rarely still has people lining up at the door, yet this one keeps doing exactly that, nearly a century and a half later.

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This Locally Owned Oregon Bistro Puts a Refined French Twist on Pacific Northwest Ingredients

French technique just packed its bags and moved to the high desert, and honestly, it's thriving out here. Local mushrooms get...

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10 Oregon Restaurants With Menus Built Around The State’s Local Ingredients

Ingredients rarely travel far to reach these kitchens, sometimes covering just a few miles between farm and plate. Menus shift...

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Still Family-Owned After More Than 65 Years, This Oregon Italian Restaurant Keeps Feeding Generations

Sixty-five years, one family, zero interest in selling out to a chain. Grandma's meatball recipe is still winning. Same red...

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An Entire Oregon Warehouse Is Packed With Architectural Salvage Waiting For A Second Life

A clawfoot tub sits next to a stack of old church windows. Nobody arranged it that way, and somehow it looks perfect. Doors, mantels, faucets, and floorboards fill the aisles,...

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This Oregon Campground Sits Beneath a Lake Surrounded by Forest and Historic Bridges

Camping beneath a dam rarely sounds appealing on paper, yet this spot in Oregon somehow turns that setup into something genuinely scenic instead.

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This Oregon Village Makes an Ordinary Shopping Trip Feel Like a Little European Getaway

A quick errand shouldn't feel like stepping into another country entirely. Somehow this village manages exactly that anyway. Cobblestone-style...

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There’s an Oregon Observatory Where the Night Sky is Almost Completely Free of City Lights

Darkness this complete feels unfamiliar to most visitors, phones dimmed instinctively the moment eyes start adjusting to just how many stars are actually visible.

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This Oregon Restaurant Serves Dungeness Crab Arancini and Lamb Dumplings Under One Roof

Crab and lamb rarely share a menu section, let alone earn equal billing the way they do at this Bend restaurant. The arancini...

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

Farm-to-table gets used loosely by plenty of restaurants chasing the phrase without living up to it. Here, the commitment actually shows on every plate.

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This Senior-Friendly Oregon Path Comes With Big Scenery And Little Stress

Big scenery usually demands steep climbs or long mileage. This Oregon path skips that trade-off entirely, offering plenty to look at without much effort required.

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This Oregon Salvage Shop Is Packed With Architectural Antiques And Vintage Treasures

Salvaged doors and vintage fixtures don't usually pile up quite this deep anywhere outside a warehouse built specifically for hoarding them.

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This Kitschy Oregon Italian Chain Serves Family-Style Fare on Red-and-White Tablecloths

The portions are massive, the tablecloths are red and white checkered, and the vibe is pure over the top Italian kitsch. This place is not about subtlety, it is about family style...

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The Massive Oregon Market Locals Treat Like Their Best-Kept Comfort Food Secret

Comfort food secrets don't usually come this large, spanning enough space to make finding a favorite dish feel like an actual search.

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This Oregon Drive-In Has Been Serving Burgers Since The 1930s

Burgers from the 1930s sound like something only found in old photographs. Here, they're still being served exactly the way they always have.

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Summer Ends But This Oregon Farmers Market Keeps Going All Year Long

Most farmers markets fold up once summer ends, tables packed away until warmer weather returns. This one keeps running regardless of season.

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This Old-School Oregon Supper Club Hides Some of the Best Prime Rib in the State

This coastal Oregon town has a restaurant that follows you home in the best possible way. The kind of spot where the food...

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This Oregon Seafood Market Lets You Pick Fresh Fish and Have the Kitchen Cook It on the Spot

Choosing dinner off ice rarely happens this literally. Here, the fish gets selected first, then walked straight into a kitchen ready to cook it immediately.

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This Enormous Oregon Buffet Has Over 250 Items

Two hundred fifty items sounds impossible to count accurately, let alone sample in one visit no matter how hungry you arrive. Stations...

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One Oregon Garden is Filled With Tiny Stone Castles, Bridges and Villages

Miniature worlds don't usually take decades to build, yet someone clearly didn't mind the wait here. Tiny castles rise no taller...

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This Breathtaking Oregon Open-Air Market Brings Together Hundreds of Independent Makers

Hundreds of independent makers rarely gather under one roof, let alone entirely outdoors under open sky instead in Oregon. Stalls stretch across blocks here, each one run by someone...

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This Buffet Is One Of The Most Mouthwatering All-You-Can-Eat Destination In Oregon

Portion control doesn't exist once you walk through these doors. That's exactly the point, and exactly why people keep coming back for more.

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12 Oregon Places That Look So Strange You’ll Think You Left the U.S.

Some landscapes just don't match their surroundings at all. A handful of spots across Oregon manage exactly that, looking like they belong somewhere else entirely.

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Everything at This Oregon Cafe Is Completely Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free

Sometimes it's not about what you're giving up, It's about what you're gaining. At this Oregon cafe, the menu is entirely free of gluten and dairy, and you'd never know it from...

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These Oregon Places Feel Like You Found Them First

Discovering somewhere before anyone else talks about it hits differently than following a crowded recommendation list. A handful of spots across Oregon still offer exactly that...

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This Charming Minnesota French Restaurant Feels Like a Cozy Parisian Bistro

Some restaurants make you forget where you are. This one does that within seconds of walking through the door. Soft candlelight, clinking wine glasses, and the smell of butter...

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Wait, This Is Oregon? This Hidden Beach Has Caribbean-Blue Water And Barely Any Crowds

Photos of this water get mistaken constantly for somewhere tropical. Caribbean blue, clear enough to see straight to the bottom, absolutely nothing like the moody gray coastline...

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10 Packed Oregon Fabric Shops With Trims, Notions and Bolts You Cannot Find Online

Bolts of fabric used to fill shops from floor to ceiling before online shopping flattened the whole experience into scrolling and guessing. A few places in Oregon never gave that...

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This Old-School Deli In Oregon Is Worth The Drive From Anywhere In The Country

A deli claiming to be worth a cross country drive sounds like exaggeration. Then you actually taste the sandwich, and suddenly that claim doesn't feel dramatic at all.

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This Oregon Hiking Trail Looks Easy At First But Gets Wildly Different Once You Reach The Woods

Flat ground and easy footing greet you at the trailhead, tricking most hikers into thinking this one stays simple the whole way. It...

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The Best Filipino Restaurant In Oregon Serving Authentic Island Cuisine

There's a difference between eating food and tasting a culture. At this Oregon restaurant, you get the latter. The chef behind it has been recognized nationally for reimagining...

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This Minnesota Horse Farm Offers The Kind Of Adventure That Changes Your Perspective

It’s easy to forget how good it feels to be outside, to move slowly, and to connect with something real. At this Minnesota horse farm, you get exactly that - a chance to trade...

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This Stagecoach Stop in Oregon Has a Tri-Tip Sandwich That Will Make You Forget the Drive

The road stretches long and empty through eastern Oregon, with nothing but high desert and sky for company. Just when you start to wonder if you've missed the turn, a building...

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People Are Going Out Of Their Way For The Donuts At This Tiny Oregon Shop

You've heard about Portland's famous doughnut shops, but there's one tiny spot that has people driving across the state just for a taste. This cozy Oregon shop serves mini doughnuts...

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This Oregon Horse Farm Offers The Kind Of Adventure That Changes Your Perspective

Forget everything you think a ranch vacation should be. This Oregon horse farm isn't a themed resort with staged hayrides. It's a place that hums with the rhythm of the land and...

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This Old-Fashioned Oregon Diner Serves Comfort Food People Travel Miles To Eat

Some places just feel like home the second you walk through the door - worn vinyl booths, the gentle hum of conversation, and the kind of food that wraps around you like a warm...

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This Oregon Spot Is a Tropical Escape With Creative Plant-Filled Interior That Steals the Show

Step through the door and suddenly you're not in Oregon anymore. The air feels warmer, the lighting softens, and you're surrounded by a lush indoor jungle. This spot has created...

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How Much Money Do You Need For 3 Days In Minnesota If You’re Traveling On A Budget?

We've all been there - excited about a trip, then reality hits when we start adding up the costs. Minnesota might seem like an expensive getaway, but the numbers might surprise...

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11 Tiny Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurants In Oregon Where The Food Is Worth Every Single Minute Of Waiting

You know that feeling when you see a line out the door and think, "No meal is worth this"? These Oregon spots make you eat those words every single time. The wait becomes part...

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The Oregon Towns Where Your Vacation Money Goes Surprisingly Far

You know that sinking feeling when you're on vacation and your budget disappears faster than the sunset? We've all been there. The good news? Oregon has several towns where your...

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10 Easygoing Oregon Walks That Feel Like A Mini Adventure

Let's be honest, most of us aren't training for some epic thru-hike or hunting for the next viral summit selfie. We're just looking for a way to shake off the week, stretch our...

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These 9 Middle-Of-Nowhere Restaurants In Oregon Serve Delicious Steaks Worth Driving For In 2026

Oregon surprises me every time I drive through, pulling me off the main road into something unexpected. I have covered high...

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This Unassuming Minnesota Consignment Shop Is Hiding Premium Brands For Less Than A Cup Of Coffee

The racks are packed with designer labels, and the prices are shockingly low. This unassuming Minnesota consignment shop is hiding premium brands for less than a cup of coffee.

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12 Northern Minnesota Buffets That Locals Say Still Do Things Like It’s The 1980s

Carpet that has seen better decades, steam tables that never stop humming, and a soft-serve machine that drips just a little too slowly. That is the vibe at these Northern Minnesota...

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This Laid-Back Minnesota Restaurant Is Known for What Might Be the State’s Best Chicken Wild Rice Soup

The soup arrives steaming, and the aroma alone makes you forget about the cold outside. This laid-back spot has earned a reputation for a dish that feels like Minnesota in a bowl....

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9 Scenic Minnesota Bike Trails With Stunning Views You Need to Ride This Summer

With more than four thousand miles of paved paths and some of the best cycling infrastructure in the country, Minnesota is a paradise for two wheeled adventures. This summer, the...

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The Walleye at This Minnesota Steakhouse Is So Good It’s Worth the Drive

Fresh walleye, golden and flaky, served with a squeeze of lemon and a side of lake views. That is what makes this steakhouse a destination for locals and visitors alike.

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Marching Drums and Civil War History Come Alive at This Minnesota Fort and Museum

The sound of drums and tramping boots echoes off the old stone walls, and you cannot help but stand a little taller. Costumed soldiers march across the parade ground, rifles gleaming,...

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Get Lost in a Real Minnesota Skyway Maze 10 Stories Above Downtown

Getting lost on purpose is not usually a goal, but this Minnesota skyway maze makes it surprisingly fun. You walk ten stories above downtown on a network of enclosed bridges connecting...

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Why This Minnesota Town Is Ranked Among the Top Places To Retire in All of America

A city with four seasons and a lake near every neighborhood feels like a retirement dream. I watched seniors paddleboarding and biking at their own happy pace along the water.

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This Oregon Coast Gallery Is an Institution for Contemporary Art and Fine Crafts

Highway 101 in Oregon bends around coastal cliffs and towering pines, and one gallery tucked along that stretch caught me completely off guard. I stepped inside and the sheer scale...

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This Oregon Waterfront Restaurant Serves American Dishes and Seafood on a Patio With River Views

Driving the Oregon coast, I found a restaurant that stopped me the moment I arrived. It sits right where the river meets the Pacific, offering one of the most naturally stunning...

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This Hidden Oregon Italian Buffet Serves Endless Pasta And Costs Surprisingly Little

The menu at this hidden Oregon spot works on a simple, brilliant promise: build your own pasta bowl with unlimited toppings all for one set price. You choose your pasta, pick a...

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