My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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You Won’t Believe This Place Is Actually in Maryland

Nothing prepares you for seeing roofless stone walls and tall arched openings sitting in the middle of an otherwise modern Maryland neighborhood.

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The Ohio Chapel Where a Ghostly Choir Has Been Heard Singing at Midnight for Over a Century

A low stone wall on a loud Ohio street, a hair salon on one side and an ice cream shop on the other, and behind it all, a quiet that drops over you the second the gate closes....

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11 Stunning Waterfront Dining Experiences You’ll Only Find In Minnesota

A meal by the water is one thing. A meal that's shaped by the water, with the lake or river as the main event - that's something else entirely. In Minnesota, the dining scene is...

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This Unassuming Oklahoma Art Museum Is Hiding Real Egyptian Mummies

A small museum in Oklahoma holds a secret that most people would never expect to find in the middle of the country. Two ancient Egyptian mummies rest in glass cases, their painted...

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This Missouri Restaurant Serves Multi-Course Dinners Inside A Restored 1891 Victorian Mansion

A reservation is not just recommended here, it is required. Twenty?four hours in advance, you choose your meal and claim your seat inside a grand Victorian home that has stood...

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This West Virginia General Store Is A Quaint Treasure Trove Of Local Crafts, Antiques, And Homemade Food

There is a moment when you step inside and feel the warmth of a place that has been part of the valley for generations. The...

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This South Carolina Seafood Shack Has a Dock Where You Can Watch Your Dinner Come In

That gravel lot, the jumbo anchor, the red buoy with the number 106 painted on it, and shrimp boats tied up along Shem Creek like they had all the time in the world. That is what...

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Alabama’s Most Elusive Burger Is Flipped In The Back Of An Old Country Grocery

“Are we there yet?” is a reasonable question when the destination looks like a grocery store. The answer, fortunately, is yes.

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At Under $16 For Lunch, This Oregon Buffet Is An Economical Feast With Sushi And Seafood

ou know those places where the deal is so good you do a double-take at the check? At this Oregon buffet, the $15 lunch option covers the entire buffet - sushi, seafood, and all...

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These 10 Classic Virginia Diners Serve The Best Comfort Food You’ve Ever Tasted

Virginia's classic diners are more than just places to eat. They're living monuments to a simpler time when a good meal meant...

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These 10 Virginia Main Streets Will Make You Fall In Love With Small-Town Life

Virginia holds a special kind of magic in its small towns, where historic Main Streets tell stories of the past while welcoming the present.

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This New Jersey Waterfront Restaurant Has A New Four-Season Terrace With Stunning Water Views

There is a new terrace in town, and it is the only reservation you need this season. Overlooking the Rancocas Creek, this...

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This Maryland Bridge Is a Rare Piece of Engineering History Hiding in Plain Sight

Maryland has old bridges, and then it has the kind that quietly rewrote the rules of American railroad engineering. Built...

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The Georgia Ruins of a 19th-Century Mill That Were Never Rebuilt After the Civil War

That water was loud, the trail dropped between mossy boulders, and then the trees opened up to reveal a five?story brick shell standing in the Georgia woods. I had been hiking...

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This Hidden Minnesota Town Is Quietly Becoming The State’s Next Must-Visit Destination

ou've probably driven past the exit without a second thought. But word is spreading about this lakeside town just outside the Twin Cities, and it's quietly becoming one of Minnesota's...

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This Oklahoma Colombian Restaurant Serves Chicharrón And Steak Beneath A Fried Egg On One Massive Platter

The sound of crispy chicharrón cracking beneath a fork is the first sign that something special is arriving. A massive platter lands on the table, piled high with golden pork...

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This Missouri Park Rebuilt An Entire 19th-Century Village From Relocated Buildings

The buildings were scattered across the countryside, each one a fragment of a forgotten era. A one-room schoolhouse from Tracy. A...

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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 Secret Alabama Boardwalk Leads to an Alien Landscape of Carnivorous Swamp Plants

For a bug, this is a terrible place to make one bad decision. The tall green tubes look harmless enough until an insect lands inside one.

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The Abandoned Ohio Prison That Held Some of the State’s Most Infamous Criminals

That castle-like prison in Ohio looked nothing like what I expected, all turrets and heavy stone and windows that seemed to watch you back. I had come mostly because of a famous...

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10 Quiet Alabama Nature Trails Where You Can Escape From The Crowds

Try standing still for thirty seconds. No talking. No music. No checking the phone.

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This Stunning Zinnia Farm In Virginia Is A Colorful Late Summer Retreat

Virginia is a state built on history. From the first English settlements to the Civil War to the civil rights movement, the ground is layered with stories.

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This Family-Run Virginia Spot Gets Real Heritage Flavor Right

Virginia is a state built on history. From the first English settlements to the Civil War to the civil rights movement, the ground is layered with stories.

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10 North Carolina BBQ Joints That Don’t Have Signs, Websites, or Menus

My first real North Carolina barbecue road trip started because I got lost looking for a woodpile. Someone told me the trick years ago: follow the smoke, not the signs, because...

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This Pennsylvania Family-Owned Restaurant Has a Buffet That Locals Drive an Hour For

I first heard about a pink building in a small Pennsylvania city from a friend who swore the drive through the coal region hills was worth it for one plate of food. So one Saturday...

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11 Hole-In-The-Wall Minnesota Restaurants Locals Secretly Wish You’d Never Find

You know those places that feel like they exist in a parallel universe? Minnesota has a few of them. Tucked away in unassuming corners and old buildings, they're cherished by locals...

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The Washington Coast Has a Trail That Leads to a 150-Foot Waterfall That Hits the Beach

That road stretched through wheat fields and rolling brown hills, and I was half convinced my GPS was playing a joke on me. Then the gravel crunched under the tires, the land flattened...

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This Indiana Library Is Widely Considered The Most Haunted In The US

The smell of lilacs is probably the creepiest part. There is no bouquet. No obvious source. Just the scent appearing in rooms...

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This Gravity-Defying Indiana Cliff Is Actually A 420-Million-Year-Old Underwater Secret

Watch your head. That limestone wall above the river leans out farther than it looks from a distance, and standing underneath it makes the whole thing feel slightly ridiculous.

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This Eerie Indiana Shop Is Hidden Inside A Haunted Hostel And Packed With Strange Taxidermy

Do not look at the owl too long. Then again, there are plenty of other things in here that are harder to ignore. Glass eyes stare...

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10 Historic Landmarks in Virginia Every History Buff Must Visit

Virginia is a state built on history. From the first English settlements to the Civil War to the civil rights movement, the ground is layered with stories.

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Book An Overnight Stay On A Pirate Ship Houseboat At This Virginia Paradise For A Vacation You’ll Never Forget

The gangplank creaks as you step aboard. The sails are furled, the helm is ready, and the cabin is cozy. This is not a hotel...

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This 546-Foot Texas Footbridge Hike Feels Like A Walk Through The Jungle Wonderland

A 546-foot pedestrian bridge is already unusual, but surrounding it with thick East Texas greenery makes the whole walk feel even less like an ordinary stroll.

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This Cozy Oregon Studio Is The Perfect Place To Create Your Own Hand-Blown Glass

There's something deeply satisfying about creating something with your own hands - especially when it involves fire, molten glass, and a whole lot of concentration. This cozy Oregon...

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This No-Frills Texas Smokehouse Serves The Kind Of Barbecue That Makes A Road Trip Feel Completely Reasonable

There is a very specific moment on a Texas road trip when the smell of smoked meat makes whatever schedule you had feel suddenly negotiable.

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Hidden Deep In Texas Is A Campground With Water So Blue It’s Hard To Believe

Texas heat becomes much easier to tolerate when the campground comes with a clear river running right beside it. This riverside...

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This Texas Doughnut Shop Is a Late-Night Haven for Warm, Creative Treats That Locals Swear By

There are very few problems improved by standing in front of an enormous doughnut case after midnight, but choosing dessert is definitely one of them.

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This Oklahoma Wetland Has Nine Observation Decks Over Marshes Where Wild Alligators Live

Stepping onto the first viewing platform, the world seems to open up. A vast maze of marshes, ponds, and bayous stretches ahead, a landscape that feels more Louisiana than Oklahoma.

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This West Virginia Mine Tour Takes You 1,500 Feet Underground And Is Led By Retired Miners

You have to be tough to go down into a mine, but you only have to be curious to take this tour. The cart rattles as it carries you deep into the hillside.

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You Could Get Lost For Hours Digging Through This Massive Hidden Indoor Marketplace In Indiana

My friend found a lamp. I found a box of baseball cards. Neither of us came looking for either one. That is the problem with...

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9 Unusual Museums in Indiana Dedicated to the Weirdest Things Imaginable

Who wakes up one morning and decides to collect 1,000 tiny Statues of Liberty? Apparently, someone in Indiana did. That is...

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People Travel Across Texas To Spend The Day At This Flea Market That’s Practically A Pilgrimage

Going to a flea market for one specific thing is adorable optimism, especially when the place is large enough to turn browsing into most of the day.

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This Oklahoma Cajun Kitchen Turns Turducken Into A Gravy-Soaked Po’ Boy

A Cajun kitchen in Oklahoma is serving a po' boy that redefines what a sandwich can be. It starts with turducken, a deboned chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey.

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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 Tiny Missouri Cafe Serves Handmade Pierogi Beside Bowls Of Hearty Polish Stew

A tiny storefront in Missouri is serving some of the most authentic Polish food you will find this side of the Atlantic. The...

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This New Jersey Pizzeria Combines Classic Italian And Pakistani Flavors In Every Slice

You know how most pizza places play it safe? This one said "nah." A husband-and-wife team from Pakistani and Brooklyn backgrounds threw the rulebook out the window.

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This Roadhouse BBQ Joint In Manchester Has Been A New Hampshire Secret Since 1999

Hickory smoke drifted out of that barn-red building in New Hampshire and made the decision for me before I even reached the door. I had turned onto a side street expecting nothing,...

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This New Jersey Ice Cream Parlor Serves Generous Scoops At Prices That Feel Like A Steal

You walk up, order a scoop, and then do a double take when they hand you the cone. Because wow. That is this place. The portions...

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The 10 Most Breathtaking Lakes In Maryland Are Worth Seeing At Least Once in Your Lifetime

Maryland may not be the first state people associate with dramatic lakes, which makes discovering just how many scenic ones are hiding around the state considerably more fun.

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That Legendary Oregon Chicken Fried Steak You’ve Been Searching For Is Served Right Here

You've searched high and low for that perfect chicken fried steak - the one you've been dreaming about. The crispy, golden crust, the tender meat inside, the rich gravy that ties...

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This Oklahoma Barbecue Joint Calls Its Giant Brisket-Loaded Potato A Buzzard Egg

A giant baked potato loaded with a half-pound of smoked brisket and crowned with a blanket of melted cheese is not a side dish. It is a meal that demands attention and a sturdy...

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9 Areas In New Hampshire Where Timber Rattlesnakes Have Been Documented

Timber rattlesnakes are critically endangered in New England, clinging to sun-warmed ledges and boulder fields that most hikers walk right past without noticing.

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These West Virginia Attractions Sound Fake, But They Are Completely Real

Some road trips hand you exactly what you expected, and others hand you a giant metal teapot sitting beside a highway ramp. I...

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This New Jersey Italian Restaurant Takes Chicken Parm To A Seriously Delicious Level

Okay, picture this. A cart rolls up to your table with a chicken parm that is about to become the highlight of your week. They...

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This Pennsylvania Lake Is So Clear, Your Kayak Looks Like It’s Floating on Glass

That water sat so still and so clear that the sky reflected right on the surface, and my kayak looked like it was hovering an inch above nothing. Tiny silver fish flicked past...

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This Old-Fashioned Alabama General Store Still Feels Like A Step Back In Time

The ice cream was not on the list. Neither was the pottery. The only reason for stopping was a piece of hardware, and somehow...

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Oregon Locals Brave Outrageous Morning Lines For This Diner’s Legendary Brunch And Never Regret It

The alarm goes off before the sun even thinks about rising, and you still beat the crowd - just barely. That's the ritual at this Oregon diner, where the wait for brunch has become...

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This Hidden New Hampshire Gorge Carves A Narrow Slip Through Ancient Bedrock With Stunning Potholes And Cascades

I almost drove past the little brown sign on a back road in New Hampshire, and I am so glad I hit the brakes. The parking lot sits across the street from the water, so you hear...

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9 Areas In New Hampshire With The Highest Reported Tick Population This Summer

That warm morning when the air smells like pine sap and salt water at the same time, that is how summer hits me in New Hampshire every year. I love how quickly the scenery shifts...

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This Maryland Gift Shop Has Gourmet Food, Unique Finds, and a Free Petting Zoo Out Back

A gift shop becomes much harder to leave when the shelves are full of gourmet sauces, home decor, jewelry, toys, seasonal finds, and there are actual animals waiting outside.

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