roman pierce author at My Family Travels
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The Coffee Cake at This Historic Indiana Bakery Has Its Own Local-Famous Reputation

A coffee cake nicknamed the Alligator, finished with caramel icing, lives inside a tiny shop that opens at 5 a.m. That name alone stopped me cold.

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This Truly Massive Hidden Indiana Sanctuary Provides A Forever Home To Over 200 Big Cats

Nearly 200 rescued lions, tigers, and other wild cats live on a quiet stretch of rural Indiana farmland. You can walk past them on a guided tour, often just a fence away.

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This Indiana Town Has Swiss Roots, a Towering Clock, and a Culture You Don’t Expect in Farm Country

Twelve animated figures, each taller than most grown-ups, roll out of a clock tower four times a day to tell a town's founding story. The tower stands 160 feet tall.

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This Indiana Barbecue Spot Smokes Its Brisket for 12 Hours So Perfectly You’d Usually Have to Fly to Texas to Find It

The mesquite wood behind this brisket gets hauled in from Texas by the owner himself. That detail alone tells you how seriously this place takes smoke.

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This Indiana Restaurant Is Packed With Puerto Rican Pastries, Sandwiches, and Island Favorites

the counter, grab a seat, and wait for the good stuff. A truck rolls in from Puerto Rico every two weeks just to keep one downtown...

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This Enormous Indiana Playground Is Like a Real-Life Willy Wonka Factory of Fun

Someone knocked down a wall between two buildings just to make more room for trampolines, ziplines, and a ninja course. I love that kind of commitment to fun.

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Indiana’s Longest Cavern Hides A Four-Story Waterfall, An Underground River, And A 40,000-Year-Old Fossil Mountain

Skulls from Ice Age peccaries are sitting in the mud of an Indiana cave right now, and you can see them on a regular tour. They've been down there for roughly 40,000 years.

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The Historic Riverside Town in Indiana That Looks Exactly Like a Hallmark Movie Set

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Shirley MacLaine once filmed a movie on these streets. A star-shaped plaque still marks the spot outside the old theater.

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How Overtourism Is Threatening Indiana’s Most Beautiful Sandstone Canyon

Native Americans may have sheltered under one curved sandstone overhang here about 10,000 years ago. Today, that same rock still stands at the head of a box canyon in southern...

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This Indiana Consignment Shop Hides Chanel, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton Among Its Secondhand Finds

Chanel, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton bags sit on the shelves of a secondhand shop in a suburban strip of Indiana. They aren't knockoffs, either.

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This Indiana Town Is Where Rent Is Just $695 a Month and Budget Living Still Works

A bright orange cartoon cat named Garfield stands in a public garden here, striking a fitness pose. That statue sits among more than 7,000 annual plants, and strolling past it...

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This Indiana Family Served Meals For 200 Years Without Knowing Their Spot Might Be America’s Oldest Of Its Kind

In 1963, a man doing some work on his family's restaurant pulled back a wall and found hand-hewn logs hiding underneath. Those logs had been covered for about 100 years.

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This Unassuming Alabama Pizzeria Competes Directly With NYC’s Legendary Slice Shops

Pizza usually asks one question. “Red sauce or white?” This Alabama pizzeria creates a more difficult one. “Are you really willing to drive an hour for it?”

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This Indiana Ranch Lets You Step Inside The Pasture To Hand-Feed Santa’s Real Live Reindeer Herd

Santa's reindeer have apparently developed a side hustle in Indiana. And yes, visitors get to feed them. On a working family...

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This Hidden Indiana Pizzeria Perfected The 2-Layer Deep Dish And Out-Tastes The Best Spots In Chicago

One 16-inch pizza here is called the Big 10, and it reportedly weighs nearly ten pounds. That's not a pizza. That's a carry-on...

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Illinois Multi-Millionaires Are Buying Up Historic Family Cabins Just To Demolish Them For Mega-Mansions On This Secluded Indiana Lake

One lakefront compound here stretches about 35,000 square feet and comes with its own bowling alley and an underground tunnel. Yes, a tunnel.

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The Cheeseburgers At This Century-Old No-Frills Indiana Diner Are Voted Best In Region

Old English cheese melts over a hand-formed patty of more than a quarter pound of lean beef. That is the cheeseburger this diner has built its name on, and it is cooked to order...

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This Indiana Sanctuary Lets You Hike Forest Trails And Hand-Feed A Cute Alpaca Pasture Herd

A scenic hike is nice. A scenic hike that starts with alpacas is better. Especially when those alpacas can be hand-fed and look...

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This Fairytale Indiana Village Has a Hidden Sourdough Bakery in a Historic Cottage

Some towns are made for shopping. Others are made for taking photographs. This Indiana village apparently decided to do both,...

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Piles Of Slow-Smoked Ribs Clear Out The Kitchen Daily At This Legendary Alabama Pit

The paper towels are the warning. When a restaurant puts a roll on every table, somebody knows what is coming. This Alabama...

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Find Vintage Yarn, Fine Paints, And Quirky Mosaic Scraps At This Sustainable Indiana Eco-Crafter’s Paradise

A teacher preparing an art lesson, a quilter hunting for fabric, and a weekend crafter searching for something fun might seem to have very little in common. Here, they can all...

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Indiana’s Oldest Free-Roaming Feline Sanctuary Gives Special Needs Cats Ultimate Love

A shelter is usually the place between homes. Here, it is the home. This Indiana cat sanctuary has spent nearly three decades...

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This Pristine 26-Acre Indiana Landmark Has A Secret Connection To New York’s Central Park

The yard is doing suspiciously sophisticated things for a yard. Paths bend exactly where they should. Trees frame the views....

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This Indiana Specialty Market Is The Ultimate Fall Morning Stop For Famous Fresh Donuts

A fall morning needs a mission. This one has a very simple one. Find the donuts before they are gone. This Indiana specialty...

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This Indiana Trailside Stop Invites Passersby With a Wild Sign: “Hikers! Please, Help Yourself to a Free Geode!!”

The socks are not for sale. The rocks are free. That sentence pretty much explains the personality of this Indiana roadside stop....

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This Massive Alabama State Park Has A Native Copperhead Population So Locals Know To Watch Their Step

The trail has one rule nobody needs to print on a sign. Watch where you put your feet. That is especially useful in this Alabama...

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Alabama Has A German Deli That’s So Authentic You’ll Think You’re In Europe

A pretzel can be a snack. A pretzel can also be the beginning of a very serious meal. Especially when it arrives beside sausage,...

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This Hidden Indiana Gem Serves Unlimited Punjabi Classics, And They Bring the Fresh Naan Straight To Your Table

The naan has skipped the buffet. Good. Because watching a hot piece of bread arrive directly at the table while everything...

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10 Hidden-Gem Indiana Amish Markets Where You Can Fill A Cart With Hard-To-Find Groceries

There is a dangerous phrase in grocery shopping. “We're just picking up a few things.” That sentence does not survive long in these Indiana Amish markets. A few noodles become...

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Indiana Has A Restaurant & Bakery With More Than 35 Flavors Of Pies

The pie menu has officially become a personality test. Do you go fruit? Cream? Something with enough filling to require structural...

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This Mind-Blowing Alabama Italian Spot Is Worth The Reservation You Will Book Weeks Ahead

The calendar has dinner plans. Tuesday. Thursday. Saturday. And then there...

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This Award-Winning Alabama Bakery Puts Gluten-Free Comfort Baking Front and Center for Celiac Sweets

The ingredient label normally comes before the craving. That is the annoying part. Read the package. Check the kitchen.

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Customers Drive From Across The State To Buy A5 Wagyu At This Unassuming Indiana Meat Market

The butcher counter has one item that changes everyone's vocabulary. Suddenly there is marbling. Then grading. Then questions...

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This Indiana Spot Serves Authentic British Tea With Fresh Scones and Clotted Cream

There is a correct way to eat a scone. Apparently, nobody agrees on what it is. Cream first? Jam first?

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This Massive Indiana Plant Center Is A Hidden Goldmine For Cheap Pots And Garden Finds

The plant costs $4. The pot costs $18. The decorative object costs $27. Somehow, this is still considered a bargain.

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This Hidden Indiana Preserve Becomes a Monarch Butterfly Haven For A Few Weeks Each Fall

The butterfly show has a very annoying schedule. You only get a few weeks. Miss the timing, and the prairie is still there....

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This Fairy-Tale Indiana Castle Grounds Transforms Into a Wild Medieval Spectacle This Weekend

The turkey leg is not the strangest thing you will see. Give it a minute. First comes the knight. Then the hawk.

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Alabama Is Home to One of the Grandest Neo-Gothic Cathedrals Ever Built in the American South

The city is loud. Then you open one door and everything changes. Traffic disappears. So does the hurry.

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Eat Your Way Through the Most Authentic Puerto Rican Menu in Alabama

The smell gets there first. Before the door. Before the menu. Before the person inside even decides what to order.

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This Tiny Indiana Town Has More Restaurants Per Block Than Most Cities and No One Talks About It

The dangerous part is saying, “Let's just walk around.” That sentence can cost an entire afternoon. One doorway smells like fudge.

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This Scenic Indiana State Park Hosts a Massive Astronomy Star Party Next Month

Some parks are built for daylight. This one has plans for after dark. Once the sun drops, the lights disappear, telescopes...

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The One Indiana Train Shop Every Serious Collector Has on Their Bucket List

A spare bedroom is never really spare once trains get involved. It becomes a layout room. Then a storage room. Then a second...

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These 10 Ultra-Luxurious Restaurants Hold the Title of Indiana’s Most Expensive Dinners

The first bite tastes expensive. The second confirms it. Then someone quietly asks, “Should we look at the prices before...

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The Nation’s Most Unique Dolphin and Orangutan Experiences Are Hiding in Indiana

Someone says “zoo.” You picture giraffes. Maybe a tiger. Definitely not a dolphin. Then Indiana ruins the whole expectation.

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This Incredibly Deep Alabama Lake Flooded An Entire Small Town And You Can Still Scuba Dive To See It

The road ends underwater. So does the driveway. So does someone's old car. That sounds like a very strange road trip, but it...

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This Cozy Alabama European-Style Patisserie Bakes Croissants So Flaky You’d Swear You Were in Paris

The croissant leaves evidence. A few flakes on the plate. A few on your shirt. At least one somehow ends up in the keyboard...

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This Cage-Free Indiana Shelter Gives Hundreds Of Homeless Kitties The Pure Love and Protection They Deserve

The cat is not waiting for you. It has already had lunch. It already picked a spot in the sun. And it would appreciate it if...

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This Indiana River Hides Mind-Blowing Crystal Geodes Disguised As Boring Rocks At Your Feet

The best part of a geode is that it keeps a secret with a terrible disguise. Outside: ugly gray rock. Inside: crystals. There...

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This Middle-of-Nowhere Indiana Market Has Secret Bakery Deals You’ll Never Find at Walmart

Your Walmart receipt has a barcode army. This one has a pie. And maybe six doughnuts. That contrast says almost everything about...

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10 Unique Indiana Historical Sites with Stories Your School Teachers Never Told You About

Indiana holds far more than cornfields and highway exits, and the proof sits quietly along back roads and riverbanks across the state.

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9 Hidden Indiana Waterfalls You Don’t Have to Travel to the Pacific Northwest to See

The trail looks wrong. Too flat. Too ordinary. Then the ground drops away and there is water falling through the trees.

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This Tucked-Away Alabama Chapel Features A Massive Mountain Boulder Exploding Right Through Its Wall

The wall has a boulder going through it. Not beside it. Not behind it. Through it.

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This Vibrant Alabama Latin Kitchen Serves Portions So Huge You Will Take Leftovers Home

The waiter puts the plate down, and for a second, the table disappears. Rice is piled high. The main dish spreads across the...

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This Independent Indiana Bookstore Infuses Its Well-Curated Shelves With Vinyl Music And Cats

The cat was asleep on a stack of books. Not beside them. On them. That felt like a pretty strong endorsement of the inventory,...

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10 Stunning Indiana State Parks For Breathtaking Fall Colors That Feel Like New England

You know fall has arrived when someone in the car suddenly says, “Stop.” Not slow down. Stop. There is a hillside covered...

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This Overlooked Indiana Forest Hosts Spooky Night Hikes Guided Only By The Moon

At night, a perfectly normal tree can become suspicious. A branch moves. Something rustles. You hear wings overhead and immediately...

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Forget The Ivy League: This Indiana University Just Shocked The Nation With A Elite New Rating

Someone mentions the ranking, and suddenly everyone has an opinion. That is what happens when a familiar Indiana university lands an elite new spot on a major global list.

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This Sprawling Indiana Discount Warehouse Sells Massive Bulk Food At Unbeatable Warehouse Prices

Picture the grocery bill for a birthday party. Now picture walking into a warehouse and finding enough snacks, drinks, and supplies to handle the whole thing in one trip.

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This Unassuming Alabama Restaurant Is Packed When Locals Want Classic Comfort Food

The person in front of you has probably been here before. You can tell by the speed. One glance at the pans, one quick order,...

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This Alabama Beach Town Is Being Ruined By Too Much Development, According To Locals

The beach is still gorgeous. That is the problem. Stand on the sugar-white sand and the water looks almost too green to be...

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