My Family Travels | Latest Articles
Article
11 Places In Virginia To Enjoy Breakfast With A Million-Dollar View This Fall

Breakfast tastes better when there is a view. Not just any view, but the kind that makes you put your fork down and stare for a minute.

Read More    10 min read

Article
California’s 1897 Railroad Shops Still Use the Machinery That Kept Steam Locomotives Running More Than a Century Ago

Coal smoke, warm oil, and dry oak leaves hang in the air of a California train museum that has been busy since the 1890s. Walking into the old buildings, leather belts turn overhead...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This New Missouri Sushi Spot Is All-You-Can-Eat, From Wild Rolls To Hibachi

This is not the place to order one roll and call it a night. This new Missouri sushi spot is all about trying a little bit of everything, from simple classics to big specialty...

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 California Museums So Weirdly Specific You’ll Wonder Who Started Collecting This Stuff

Glowing signs, crocheted poodles, and a 256-pound wooden yo-yo have all been driven past on California highways, and every single time the same question comes up: who decided this...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Powerful 17-Acre Sculpture Park in Alabama Changes Everyone Who Visits

A sculpture can be beautiful. A name can be heartbreaking. Put both in the same place and the meaning changes. This Alabama park...

Read More    6 min read

Article
We Ranked 10 Of The Top Steakhouses In Minnesota And Here’s Who Made The Cut

Ranking steakhouses always invites disagreement, yet narrowing down an entire state to just ten still forces some genuinely hard choices along the way.

Read More    8 min read

Article
At This Oklahoma Family Farm You Sleep In A Covered Wagon With A Real Bed Inside

Somewhere along a stretch of south Oklahoma road, past the strip malls and the grain silos, there's a farm where the overnight guests sleep inside covered wagons with actual mattresses,...

Read More    7 min read

Article
California Built a Bathhouse for 10,000 People, Then Fire Left Its Massive Concrete Ruins Beside the Pacific

Concrete walls filled with green water sit below a California coastal path, waves smashing against rocks just beyond, gulls hanging in the wind like they are on strings. Walking...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Hilarious Indiana Wiener Dog Race Is the Ultimate Autumn Spectacle You Can’t Miss

There is no elegant way for a dachshund to run. That is the first thing to appreciate. The body stays low. The ears flap.

Read More    6 min read

Article
Hidden Beneath A West Virginia Hillside Lies The Cold War Radio Bunker That Would Have Warned The Nation

Some places don't shout for attention. They sit quietly off a country road, waiting for curious folks to wander in and discover just how much history one patch of ground can hold.

Read More    10 min read

Article
This Hidden Gem Indiana Bead Shop Has Everything a Jewelry Maker Could Dream Of

One bead is never one bead. It is the start of a problem. You find the perfect blue. Then you need a different blue.

Read More    6 min read

Article
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.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Might Be The Best Brisket We’ve Found While Exploring Virginia Backroads

Brisket is the kind of meat that separates serious barbecue joints from the rest. It takes hours of patience, the right wood, and a pitmaster who knows when to pull it. Some of...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This North Carolina Lunch Counter Opened in 1923, and Its Pork Chop Sandwich Became Part of Mayberry History

Pork chop sandwiches have been sliding across a North Carolina lunch counter since 1923, long before anyone thought to call the place a landmark. Tourists photograph the sign,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
More Than 75 Classic And Celebrity Cars Fill This Missouri Route 66 Museum

One minute you are staring at a polished classic, and the next you are pointing at a car you swear you have seen on screen before.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Ohio Burger Counter Opened in 1928, Long Before Fast-Food Chains Took Over America

I pulled into Lima on a gray Thursday with no real plan except lunch, and a friend told me I had to find the place with the little cherub on the sign. That turned out to be Kewpee...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Middle-Of-Nowhere West Texas Diner Has Pancakes So Good They Are A Local Legend

A diner in the middle of nowhere. A pancake that people cannot stop talking about. That is the story here. This West Texas...

Read More    7 min read

Article
An Oil Baron Built This Oklahoma Prairie Mansion And Its Rooms Still Look Lived In

Somewhere north of the wheat fields in Oklahoma, a limestone villa sits on a rise of prairie grass like it wandered off from Florence and never found its way home. I expected a...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This South Carolina Drive-In Became Famous for an “A-Plenty” Plate That Practically Buries the Meal Under the Sides

Hiding your sandwich under a mountain of fries and onion rings sounds like an exaggeration. Then the neon sign appears over a building that has been feeding a South Carolina town...

Read More    6 min read

Article
An Ohio Flood Started This Tiny Hamburger Wagon in 1913, and People Never Stopped Coming Back

White paint and red wheels mark a little cart parked beside an Ohio building, and the line still forms every morning. Word of it reached me through a friend, who described it as...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Once The Richest Little Town In America, This West Virginia Main Street Still Shows Its Gilded Bones

Sometimes the smallest dots on a West Virginia map hold the biggest surprises. Pull off the highway with a hungry stomach and a wandering mind, and you might stumble onto a quiet...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Missouri Coffee Shop Took Over A Former School Library And Serves Pulled-Pork Frites On Lunch Trays

Apparently, the school library serves pulled pork now. This Missouri coffee shop took over a former elementary school library and turned it into a laid-back spot for coffee, breakfast,...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This High-Tech Oregon University Is One of the Best Value Colleges in the State

Tuition rarely stretches this far without sacrificing quality somewhere along the way. One university in Oregon manages to avoid that tradeoff entirely.

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Oklahoma Wildlife Hospital Nurses Injured Hawks Back To Health And Opens Its Doors For Tours

Down a gravel-edged country lane in Oklahoma sits a cluster of low buildings and wire enclosures that most drivers would blow right past. I expected a shed, a few cages, maybe...

Read More    8 min read

Article
Seven West Virginia Small-Town Soda Fountains & Ice Cream Shops Where A Scoop Still Costs Almost Nothing

Some of the sweetest memories in West Virginia hide behind screen doors on quiet main streets, where the whir of an old fountain and the clink of a metal spoon still cost next...

Read More    5 min read

Article
The Most Stunning White-Sand Beach In Texas Isn’t Where Most People Expect

When you think of Texas beaches, you probably picture something a little more rugged. But this spot is different. Soft white...

Read More    7 min read

Article
You climb a lighthouse and spot ships from the top at this Ohio spot in Marblehead

Some places sneak up on you in the best way. You pull into a quiet parking lot expecting a quick photo, and instead you end up climbing a tower, watching waves smash into rocks,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Downtown Tulsa Church Hides Carved Wheat And A 255-Foot Tower You Can Tour For Free

Some buildings in Oklahoma sneak up on you. You turn a corner downtown expecting brick and parking meters, and instead there's a limestone tower pointing straight up like it wants...

Read More    9 min read

Article
Booths Of 1950s Furniture And Old Signs Sprawl Across This Enormous Oklahoma Vintage Store

Some Oklahoma buildings look like nothing from the parking lot, and then you walk in and lose track of two hours. That happened to me at a warehouse-sized shop off a busy expressway,...

Read More    9 min read

Article
The Only Sod House Left In Oklahoma Has Stood Near Aline Since 1894

Some of the best stops in Oklahoma announce themselves with nothing more than a small highway sign and a gravel parking lot. You slow down out of curiosity, pay a few dollars at...

Read More    6 min read

Article
You Can Sleep In A Real Caboose At Stone Run Station In Flatwoods, West Virginia

Some of the best stays in West Virginia aren't fancy hotels with fancy prices. Sometimes it's a little converted train caboose sitting right next to real railroad tracks, waiting...

Read More    6 min read

Article
These 7 Small West Virginia Towns Each Hide A Story That Quietly Shaped The State’s History

Some of the best places in West Virginia never shout for attention. They sit quietly along rivers and mountain roads, looking ordinary at first glance, until you notice the old...

Read More    5 min read

Article
The Colorful Mexican Restaurant In Texas That Serves Handmade Tortillas Worth The Drive

A tortilla made by hand is a different thing entirely. It is soft, warm, and slightly imperfect in the best way. This Texas...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Missouri Italian Market Has Been Handcrafting Salami And Other Cured Meats Since 1902

There are not many food shops where the recipes have been hanging around for more than a century. This Missouri Italian market has been making cured meats since 1902, and salami...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Oklahoma Scoop Shop Makes Every Flavor In Small Batches And Serves Six In One Flight

Some of the best food in Oklahoma hides behind a plain storefront on a busy street, and you drive past it a hundred times before someone finally drags you inside. That was the...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This West Virginia Pottery Studio Still Shapes Every Piece By Hand The Way It Did In The 1930s

Some places make you slow down and remember how things used to be made, back when a pair of skilled hands mattered more than a machine. Tucked along the Ohio River in West Virginia,...

Read More    9 min read

Article
Mounds Rise From The Grass At This Oklahoma Site Where A Whole Civilization Once Traded And Built

Some places in Oklahoma don't announce themselves at all. You turn off a two-lane road, park on gravel, walk out into a field of tall grass, and slowly realize the gentle green...

Read More    7 min read

Article
Thousands Of Vintage Finds Fill This Texas Warehouse Where No Two Visits Look The Same

You could visit this Texas warehouse every weekend and never see the same thing twice. That is not an exaggeration. The inventory...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Missouri Country Market Has One Of The State’s Largest Bulk-Food Sections And A Bakery Full Of Homemade Treats

A pantry restock can get serious fast when the bulk-food section seems to keep going. This Missouri country market is known for a huge selection of baking supplies, spices, grains,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
11 New Jersey Spots Locals Would Rather Keep To Themselves

The best discoveries rarely come with giant billboards pointing the way. Sometimes they are down a quiet road, behind a garden...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This West Virginia Ice Cream Stand Draws Lines So Long It Became A Summer Ritual

Some places don't need flashy signs to earn a following. Tucked along a quiet street in West Virginia sits a little ice cream shop where the lines stretch and stretch, and nobody...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Huge Italian Festival Is Taking Over A New Jersey Town For Four Days

Clear the calendar and maybe leave a little extra room for dinner. One town is about to spend four days celebrating Italian...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Indiana Craft Shop Is Packed With Everything Creative Minds Could Want

The porch lies. It looks like an ordinary old house. Then the door opens. Paper everywhere.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Small Indiana Bakery Mills Its Own Flour and Was Just Ranked No. 1 in the State

The mill is doing the quiet work. The oven gets all the attention. That seems fair. This Indiana bakery takes organic wheat,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This New Missouri Gelato Shop Is Filled With Italian Pastries And Sandwiches On House-Made Bread

Gelato might get you through the door, but the pastry case makes it hard to leave quickly. This new Missouri shop packs in Italian sweets, fresh bread, panini, sandwiches, and...

Read More    6 min read

Article
We Ranked 11 Of The Texas Gulf Coast’s Best Seafood Restaurants And Here Are The Results

The Texas Gulf Coast has no shortage of seafood restaurants. Some are tourist traps. Some are hidden gems. Some are legends.

Read More    10 min read

Article
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.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Missouri Orchard Packs Apple Picking, A Bakery, A Corn Maze, And Pumpkin-Patch Fun Into One Stop

You might come for the apples and realize pretty quickly that leaving early is not happening. This Missouri orchard packs...

Read More    7 min read

Article
New Jersey Has A Farm Bakery With More Than 20 Kinds Of Pies

Choosing pie should not require this much concentration, yet here we are. This New Jersey farm bakery says it makes more than...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Historic New Hampshire Park Offers Miles of Coastal Trails and Most People Keep Coming Back For More

A park that offers ocean views, forest paths, and a bit of history all in one place is hard to find. This New Hampshire spot has all three, and it keeps people coming back season...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This New Jersey Diner Serves Its Famous Buttermilk Pancakes All Day Long

Pancakes after lunch? Absolutely. Breakfast does not need to know what time it is.

Read More    6 min read

Article
Maryland Has a Farmers Market That Can Make Waking Up Early on a Weekend Feel Completely Reasonable

Waking up early on a weekend usually feels like a mistake. But some places make the alarm worth it. This Maryland farmers market...

Read More    7 min read

Article
We Found An Authentic New York Pizza Slice Right Here In Oregon

New York pizza rarely survives the trip anywhere else fully intact, yet somehow one slice here closes that gap completely. The...

Read More    6 min read

Article
You Can Observe Tens Of Thousands Of Migrating Waterfowl At This Peaceful New Hampshire Coastal Refuge

Migration season turns this New Hampshire coastal refuge into one of the best wildlife viewing spots in the region. Tens of thousands of waterfowl pass through every fall, using...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Little West Virginia Spring Pours Free Mineral Water Folks Fill Their Jugs With To Take Home

Somewhere in the folds of West Virginia's rolling hills, there's a tap that flows all day long with clean mineral water, and it won't cost you a single penny. I'd driven past the...

Read More    10 min read

Article
Bring Your Own Horse To Ride The Scenic Trails At This Historic New Jersey Farm

Horseback riding gets a lot more memorable when the trail runs through a historic farm with fields, woods, and plenty of room to slow down.

Read More    6 min read

Article
An Ohio Canal Port Boomed in the 1800s, Then a Flood and the Railroad Nearly Erased Its Prosperity

A quiet brick-lined street holds the bones of a wheat port that once hummed with canal boats and boot traffic. Almost two hundred years ago, this spot in Ohio was a busy stop on...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Alabama Market Imports Authentic Frozen Pierogi and Specialty Eastern Treats

The freezer door is doing the talking. Open it and there are pierogi. Open the next one and there are pelmeni. Turn around...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Oregon Farm Lets You Pick Apples Without Turning It Into an All-Day Trip

Some farms turn a quick apple run into an unplanned all-day event. This one refuses to let that happen. Rows sit close together here, no map needed to move between varieties. Baskets...

Read More    7 min read

Article
The Wild New Hampshire County Seeing A Massive Spike In Black Bear Sightings This Fall

Fall in the north country brings shorter days, cooler air, and a lot more bear activity than usual. This New Hampshire county has seen a sharp increase in black bear sightings...

Read More    8 min read