My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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This Virginia Creek Contains 10% Of All Fish Species In The State

You would look at this creek and think it is just another pretty stream. You would be wrong. Somehow, this unassuming little...

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This Virginia “Hotel” Is Just One Room On Top Of A Grain Silo

You have probably slept in a boring hotel room with beige carpet and sad artwork. This is the opposite of that. Somebody looked...

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These Budget-Friendly Small Towns In Montana Prove You Don’t Need To Spend Big To Experience Big Sky Country

When you picture a Montana vacation, does your wallet start sweating a little? You are not alone. We tend to assume that Big...

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This Secret Park Lets You Camp Right On The Lake For Just $20 A Night

Camping right next to the water usually costs a small fortune or requires winning some kind of lottery. This place is the exception.

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This Old-School Minnesota Drive-In Theater Will Transport You Right To The 1950s

You pull in, find your spot, and suddenly it is 1955. The giant screen glows against the night sky. Your windows are rolled down...

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Flea Markets In New York Where The Past Meets The Present

New York City has a way of surprising you, and nowhere is that more true than at its sprawling weekend bazaars. There is something genuinely exciting about turning a corner and...

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This Minnesota Pizza Hut Is One Of The Last Remaining With Its Original Hut-Shaped Roof

You almost drive right past it because it looks like a toy. That little roof is impossible to miss once you actually see it. It...

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This Oklahoma Bridge Feels Like a Walk Straight Through the Water When the River Runs Low

Here is the thing about this Oklahoma bridge. When the river decides to play nice and run low, you can walk across and feel like you are hovering right on top of the water.

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This Retro Missouri Drive-In Hasn’t Changed Since the 1950s, and People Love It

The burgers are greasy. The root beer is frosty. And the whole place looks like someone hit pause in 1955 and never pressed play...

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The Delightful Cat Cafe In Washington That Will Make Your Day Infinitely Better With Adoptable Rescue Kitties

Have you ever met a cat with Feline Leukemia and thought, "This one deserves a home more than any other"? That is the beautiful mission behind this delightful cat cafe in Washington,...

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The New Jersey Flea Market Where Treasure Hunters And Critics Completely Disagree

One New Jersey flea market has reviewers calling it a treasure hunter's paradise and a hazardous dump in the very same breath. Treasure...

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13 Dog-Friendly Beaches Every New Jersey Pet Parent Needs To Know

You know that sad look your dog gives you when you grab your beach bag and leave them behind? Well, New Jersey has good news for both of you.

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This 2.5-Mile Hike In New Jersey Leads You To A Swinging Suspension Bridge Hidden In The Woods

You know that feeling when a bridge wobbles just enough under your feet to remind you that you are alive? This 2.5 mile hike...

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The California Recreation Area Named For A Drowned Gold Rush Town And A Main Street Lost To The Deep

Have you ever walked along a shoreline knowing that just beneath the water lies a main street, four hotels, and the remains of a Gold Rush town? That is the haunting reality at...

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How Denver, Colorado Is Managing Life Between Residents And Long-Term Nomads

Denver has figured out how to make a home for people who stay and people who float, and it shows up in the smallest daily details. You can feel it in the way neighborhoods pace...

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This 100-Year-Old Indiana Swinging Bridge Is A Hidden World War Memorial

Some places carry more weight than they appear to hold. I first heard about a historic swinging footbridge in a small Indiana town from a local who mentioned it almost casually,...

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The 150-Acre Georgia Flea Market Where One Man’s Trash Becomes A Treasure Hunter’s Pure Gold

What do you get when you combine a former country music venue, a bearded dragon mascot, and over a thousand vendors spread across 150 acres? You get one of Georgia's most beloved...

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This Enchanting Oregon Tea Room Is Actually A Real-Life Fairy Tale For Pastry Lovers

You half expect a woodland creature to pull out your chair. The moment you step inside, everything feels smaller, sweeter, and more deliberate.

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The Best View In Virginia Costs Exactly Zero Dollars And Requires A 10-Minute Walk

Some hikes ask for your whole Saturday and both knees. This one does not. You can literally show up in flip flops and still earn...

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10 Virginia Waterfalls That Make The Perfect Summer Swimming Hole

Virginia is sitting on a treasure chest of natural beauty, and most people have no idea what's hiding in those Blue Ridge mountains and national forests. Hidden behind mossy trails...

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Why Tourists In North Dakota Are Fined For Taking Rocks From Fields

You know those big open fields you see when you cruise across North Dakota, the ones that look like you could just hop out and grab a cool rock for the car? You absolutely should...

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This Old-School New Jersey Deli Has Been Serving Magic Between Bread Slices Since 1946

You know a sandwich is legendary when people have been driving across New Jersey for nearly 80 years just to get one. This...

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10 Chicken Fried Steaks In Texas That Are Always A Hit and Worth the Drive

Some people chase sunsets or waterfalls. Smart people chase chicken fried steak. This dish is Texas comfort food at its finest,...

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The Oregon Ranch Where Twisting Mountain Bike Trails Cut Through Rugged Terrain And Keep Riders Coming Back

Your legs will hate you for the first ten minutes. Then they will forgive you and ask for more. The dirt here is that perfect...

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These Are Hawaii’s Most Low-Key Towns Locals Quietly Protect

Picture us cruising a rented sedan with the windows down, not chasing big sights, just letting the quiet parts of Hawaii show up when they feel like it. The places I am thinking...

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These Are Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Date Night Spots That Feel Effortless And Romantic

Let’s treat Philly like our shared backyard tonight, because there are so many easy, thoughtful moves that make a regular evening feel planned on purpose. I’m talking about...

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This Oklahoma Mexican Cafe Piles Massive Plates of Enchiladas and Fajitas with Bold, Homestyle Flavor That Keep Locals Coming Back

You know that perfect kind of messy where you need three napkins before you even take a second bite? That is what happens at this Oklahoma Mexican cafe.

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10 Secluded Lakes in Missouri That Locals Treasure But Tourists Rarely Visit

Missouri has a way of hiding its best spots in plain sight. While the Lake of the Ozarks gets all the postcards and the bumper stickers, there are dozens of quieter lakes scattered...

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Amish Dining Experiences In Ohio You’ll Remember Long After The Meal

If you are up for a slow, unhurried kind of evening, let us map a route through Ohio where the table sets the pace instead of the clock.

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The New Jersey Seafood Restaurant That Brings New England Chowder And Lobster Bisque To Life

Have you ever tasted a lobster bisque so creamy it makes you forget you are sitting in a strip mall? This New Jersey seafood...

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Amish Food Traditions Travelers Rarely Experience In Ohio

If we’re rolling into Ohio together, I want you to see how everyday life quietly shapes what ends up on a table, and how that rhythm is different from anything on a tour map....

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The 15-Acre Indiana Statue Lot Where Thousands Of Concrete Sculptures Rise From The Countryside

I never expected a gravel road in southern Indiana to lead me somewhere so genuinely unforgettable. This roadside attraction in Otisco has been quietly blowing minds since 1976,...

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An Indiana River-Town Pizza Spot Facing One Of America’s Prettiest Historic Main Streets

Madison, Indiana has a way of stopping you in your tracks. The Ohio River rolls quietly nearby, the architecture on Main Street looks like something out of a postcard, and right...

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This Floating Maine Restaurant Is A Seafood Stop You’ll Want To Show Up Hungry For

Have you ever eaten clam chowder while gently bobbing with the tide, watching the water rise and fall right outside your window? That is exactly what awaits at this floating Maine...

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This Virginia Village Serves As A Living Museum Of The Civil War’s Final Days In 1865

History books have a way of making everything feel flat and finished. This place does the opposite. You walk down a dusty lane...

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This Virginia Gorge Hides The State’s Second Tallest Waterfall And An Old-Growth Hemlock Forest

You would walk right past this place if you did not know any better. That is the whole charm of it. The trail drops you into...

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This Easy 1.2-Mile Texas Trail Takes You To To Peaceful Riverside Hot Springs

You want a beautiful payoff without hiking all day and sweating through your shirt. This trail is only about a mile, which means you can actually enjoy the walk instead of just...

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Oregon’s Most Authentic Gluten-Free Food Truck Is Hidden In A Spot Only Locals Know

Gluten free usually means settling for a sad, crumbly substitute. Not here. This little food truck hides in plain sight, and...

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4 Rivers In Arizona That Vanish Every Summer Into The Desert Heat And Return After The Rain

Arizona hides one of nature’s most dramatic secrets beneath its sun-baked surface: rivers that vanish without warning. The first time I reached what should have been a flowing...

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The Small-Town Oklahoma Diner Serving Mile-High Breakfast Plates and Chicken Fried Steak That Keep Locals Sunny-Side Up

Let's talk about a place where the plates are bigger than your head and the coffee never hits the bottom of your mug. In the tiny town of Antlers, Oklahoma, there is a diner that...

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This Adorable Missouri Cat Café Lets You Sip Coffee While Cats Steal Your Heart

Here is a business model that makes perfect sense. Coffee plus cats. That is what you get at this adorable Missouri spot in Branson...

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One Beloved Michigan Sweet Shop Lets You Watch Fresh Fudge Being Made By Hand

What if the best fudge you have ever tasted came from a place that is only open part of the year? That is the delicious frustration of this beloved Michigan sweet shop, where you...

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A Texas Pizza Spot Where Hand-Tossed Dough And Brick Ovens Create Crispy Crusts

Pizza opinions are serious business, and everyone thinks their favorite is the best. But there is something special about dough that gets tossed by hand and then hit with a blazing...

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A Peaceful Indiana Retreat Where Rolling Hardwood Forests Surround a Scenic Man-Made Lake

There is something about a large state park in eastern Indiana that pulls you back every single time. Nestled in the rolling hills of Union County near Liberty, this 1,200-plus-acre...

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A Historic Indiana Supper Club Where 153-Year-Old Walls Pair Mystery Shows With Famous Comfort Food

There are places in Indiana that feel like they exist outside of time, and a rural supper club in Shelby County is absolutely one of them.

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Nevada’s Wild Horse Country With Three Stops Where Mustangs Roam Free

There is something that stops everything the moment wild mustangs appear across a Nevada hillside. Dust lifts into the air, hooves thunder through open desert, and for a brief...

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An Accessible Indiana Waterfall Spot Where Short Trails Lead To Seasonal Falls After Heavy Rain

There is something quietly thrilling about discovering a waterfall hiding inside a city. This cascade in a small Indiana city is exactly that kind of surprise.

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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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This Mountain Loop In Virginia Takes You Past Waterfalls, Wild Ponies, And High-Country Meadows

You know that feeling when your legs are screaming but your soul is doing cartwheels? That is exactly what this trail serves up from the first step.

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6 Arkansas’ Hidden Hot Springs Deep In The Ozarks’ Secret Waters

There is something almost magical about stumbling across natural hot springs hidden deep in the Ozarks, where dense forests, pine-scented air, and quiet trails set the tone long...

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Oregon Is Home To One Of The Grandest Gothic Cathedrals Ever Built In The United States

You do not have to be religious to feel something the second you walk inside. The ceilings reach up like they are trying to poke a hole in the sky.

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The Little-Known Texas Museum That Honors Women Of The West

You have heard plenty about cowboys, outlaws, and gunfighters from the Old West. But what about the women who ran the ranches, raised the kids, and outlasted the dust storms?

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Granite State Scenic Railway In New Hampshire Where The Hobo Picnic Lunch Steals The Ride

A train whistle echoing through the White Mountains has a way of changing the mood of an entire journey. Granite State Scenic Railway in Lincoln, New Hampshire, runs along the...

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This Bellevue, Washington Hike Uncovers Coal Creek’s Hidden Mining Past Beneath Forest Trails

Some trails lead from one point to another, Coal Creek Natural Area in South Bellevue carries something deeper than direction. Beneath a second-growth forest, an industrial past...

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Find Your Story in Oregon at This Cozy Bookstore and Cafe

You know that feeling when you just want to disappear into a good book and a warm drink? This is the place for that exact mood. The...

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This Under-The-Radar Florida Shop Is A Vintage Treasure Hunt Waiting To Happen

Have you ever walked into a place and immediately felt like you had stumbled into a friend's perfectly cluttered attic? That is exactly the feeling waiting for you at this under...

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Texas Shops Where You Can Save Money And Still Find Quality Items

You want nice stuff but you do not want to pay nice stuff prices. That is a very Texas kind of smart. There are shops around...

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These Colorado Mountain Villages Are Struggling To Stay Peaceful

Have you ever escaped to a tiny mountain village, only to find the quiet broken by bumper to bumper traffic and a drone buzzing overhead? That is the unexpected reality facing...

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This New York Museum Is Home To A Collection Of Quirky Trash Treasures And It’s Surprisingly One Of The Coolest Places In The State

Have you ever pressed a random button on a building's exterior just to see what would happen? One New York museum started exactly that way.

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This Hidden Texas Barbacoa Spot Is a Must-Stop You Can’t Miss Out On

You know those places that have no reason to be hidden but somehow are? This barbacoa spot is exactly that. It sits there quietly,...

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