My Family Travels | Latest Articles
Article
The Homemade Pies At This Spot In California Are So Heavenly, They Deserve A Journey Of Their Own

When pie is this good, the drive starts feeling less like effort and more like part of the reward. This California spot has the kind of homemade pies that instantly make a dessert...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Cozy Texas Restaurant That Feels Like A Home Away From Home

You know the kind of place where people do not even look at the menu anymore. Regulars talk about spots like this all across Texas, usually with a smile and a specific dish in...

Read More    7 min read

Article
The Easy Oregon Hike Where You Can Check Four Massive Waterfalls Off Your Bucket List In One Afternoon

Who knew you could knock four massive waterfalls off your bucket list without breaking a sweat? This Oregon hike somehow packs all that jaw-dropping water drama into just a single...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Oklahoma Architectural Masterpiece Feels Like It Belongs In Another World

You’re driving through Oklahoma City expecting the usual strip malls and fast food signs, and then out of nowhere something catches your eye and makes you slow down. A building...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Gorgeous Ohio Town Officially Known As The Antique Capital Of The Region

Treasure hunters usually need a few stops before a day trip starts feeling successful, but this Ohio town gets there almost immediately. Officially known as the antique capital...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Underrated New Jersey Trail Hides A Roaring Water Phenomenon In A Lush Forest Ravine

New Jersey has plenty of trails, but this one feels like nature decided to throw in a surprise party. You’re walking along,...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Remote Indiana Peninsula Offers Primitive Camping on a Turquoise Reservoir

I still remember the first time I pulled off Tower Ridge Road and stepped into this wilderness area near Bloomington. The air smelled like damp earth and pine, and the only sounds...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Historic Virginia Estate Is The Only Home In The USA Recognized As UNESCO World Heritage Site

Some places just stop you in your tracks, and this spot is absolutely one of them. Perched on a mountain just outside Charlottesville, this iconic estate is the only private home...

Read More    7 min read

Article
The Historic Pennsylvania Country Market Locals Love As Their Go-To Comfort Food Institution

Some places do not stay beloved for years unless they are doing something very right. This historic Pennsylvania country market has that kind of staying power, because locals do...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Texas Thrift Giant Some Shoppers Swear By And Others Are Turning Away From

People either love it or avoid it completely, and there is rarely anything in between. Conversations about places like this pop up all over Texas, especially among regular thrift...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Oceanfront Escape Lets You Fall Asleep to Waves and Wake Up to Whales on the Oregon Coast

This oceanfront getaway on the Oregon Coast instantly felt like hitting the pause button on life. Falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing is somehow more relaxing than I...

Read More    6 min read

Article
9 Stunning Waterfront Dining Experiences You’ll Only Find In Oklahoma

I used to think waterfront dining meant ocean views and coastal cities. Oklahoma was not exactly on my radar for that kind of experience.

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Easygoing Alabama Spot Serves Seafood That Locals Claim Is Hard To Beat

Why do locals keep coming back to this Alabama seafood spot when they have plenty of other places to choose from? The answer starts getting obvious the second the food hits the...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Underrated New Jersey Town Is A Secret Most Locals Don’t Even Know Exists

New Jersey has plenty of towns you’ve heard of, but this one feels like it slipped through the cracks on purpose. It’s...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This 5-Mile Indiana Paddle Takes You Through a Flooded Cypress Swamp

I never expected to find something that felt this wild in Indiana. When I first paddled out onto this lake, the sight of bald cypress trees rising straight out of the water stopped...

Read More    7 min read

Article
Washington Has A Radar Detector Rule That Surprises Drivers Immediately

The surprise hits before the road trip really even gets going. Washington has a radar detector rule that catches drivers off guard fast, mostly because it involves one of those...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Vibrant Virginia Marketplace Is A Haven For The Purest Street-Style Flavors

Virginia has no shortage of grocery stores, but every once in a while, a place comes along that makes you rethink what food shopping can actually feel like. Forget sterile aisles...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Ohio Market Is Housing A Hearty Family-Style Feast Inside A Massive Country Store And Bakery

How does a quick country store stop turn into the kind of meal people end up planning their day around? This Ohio market answers that the second you get inside.

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Quiet Texas Town Blends Frontier Charm With Small-Town Treasures And Famous Local Pies

You come for a quick stop, and somehow it turns into hours without noticing. Word about places like this travels quietly through Texas, usually from someone insisting it is worth...

Read More    8 min read

Article
See a 300-Year-Old Sitka Spruce on a 1-Mile Oregon Trail

Walking this one-mile trail in Oregon, I wasn’t expecting to be stopped in my tracks - but then I saw the 300-year-old Sitka spruce. Its massive, twisting branches make you feel...

Read More    7 min read

Article
A Haunted State Pier In Maryland That Locals Won’t Stroll Alone

Why does a simple walk along the water start feeling a lot less casual when a place has a haunted reputation? This Maryland state pier answers that pretty quickly.

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Oklahoma Adventure Lets You Glide Above the Osage Hills Like a Bird

Imagine standing on a wooden platform high above the treetops, the wind picking up, your heart doing something between a drumroll and a full sprint. Below you, the Osage Hills...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Small-Town Restaurant In Montana With Legendary Steaks That Locals Swear Are The Best In The West

Why do locals talk about this Montana steakhouse like it settled the argument a long time ago? The answer gets a lot clearer once dinner hits the table.

Read More    7 min read

Article
This High-End New Jersey Landmark Is A Modern Culinary Masterpiece

They say New Jersey invented the diner, but this spot proves it also mastered fine dining with a wink. Imagine dishes so artful you hesitate to eat them, then cave because they...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Welcoming Buffet In Virginia Serves Hearty Nostalgic Home-Cooked Meals

Somewhere along South Crater Road in Petersburg, Virginia, there is a place that smells like Sunday dinner and feels like a warm hug the moment you walk through the door. Locals...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Hidden Indiana Peak Is the State’s Highest Point, And It Hides a Secret “Highpointer” Mailbox

I never expected Indiana’s highest point to feel like a secret worth keeping. Hoosier Hill sits quietly amid the farmland of Wayne County, easy to miss if you don’t know where...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Pennsylvania Bakery Run In Amish Country Turns Fresh Pies Into A Perfect Road Trip Reason

The second fresh pies enter the road trip conversation, the rest of the plan starts feeling a lot less important. This Pennsylvania bakery run through Amish Country has exactly...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Massive North Carolina Seafood Buffet That Serves A Caribbean-Inspired Feast

Vacation appetite and self-control do not exactly survive long in a place like this. This massive North Carolina seafood buffet comes loaded with the kind of Caribbean-inspired...

Read More    6 min read

Article
Haunted Hotel Stays Across Texas That Guarantee A Night Of Chills

Texas has a way of holding onto its past, and nowhere is that more obvious than in its oldest hotels. Some of these places have seen so much history that the walls seem to hum...

Read More    9 min read

Article
This Oregon Underground Lava Cave Hike Belongs On Your Bucket List

Few hikes in Oregon come with a story as wild as this underground lava cave trail. Walking through the twisting tunnels feels like stepping into another world, where shadows dance...

Read More    7 min read

Article
The Haunting Ruins Of This Legendary Louisiana Theme Park Are Finally Facing A Massive Transformation

An abandoned theme park already sounds eerie enough, but this legendary Louisiana site comes with the kind of reputation that makes the whole place feel even heavier and harder...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Little-Known Multi-Vendor Vintage Store in Oklahoma Keeps Collectors Coming Back for More

I almost didn’t stop the first time I passed it. It looked like just another storefront in Oklahoma, the kind you assume you’ll check out “next time.” Then I walked in,...

Read More    7 min read

Article
Old-Fashioned Georgia Farm Market That Sells Produce Directly From Local Fields

The best farm market stops do not feel staged or polished to death, and that is exactly why this Georgia spot is so easy to love. Everything about it has that fresh-off-the-land...

Read More    9 min read

Article
Why Seniors Are Flocking To This Affordable New Jersey Retirement Haven

So, what’s pulling seniors toward this slice of New Jersey? Imagine swapping traffic for tree-lined streets, and long commutes for leisurely strolls.

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Indiana Bluff Offers a Massive Horseshoe-Bend View of the Ohio River from 300 Feet Up

I have driven a lot of Indiana backroads, but nothing quite prepared me for the first moment I pulled up to this hidden bluffside spot in Leavenworth. Perched roughly 300 feet...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This Kentucky Amish Country Discount Store Feels Like A Massive Treasure Hunt For Bakers

Bakers have a special talent for spotting a good deal from across the room, and this Kentucky Amish Country discount store gives them a lot to lock onto. The place feels less like...

Read More    9 min read

Article
The Chilling Virginia Eatery With a Resident Ghostly Regular

Some restaurants are known for their food. Others are known for their atmosphere. But one Norfolk, Virginia hotspot is equally...

Read More    7 min read

Article
Find Your Next Masterpiece At This Famous 3-Story Antique Emporium In Virginia

Some places just have a pull to them, a kind of magnetic charm that makes you forget you had anywhere else to be. There is a three-story antique emporium in Virginia that has been...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Massive Mennonite Smorgasbord In Pennsylvania Is Truly Worth The Long Road Trip

Skipping lunch starts to feel like a brilliant move when a place like this is waiting at the end of the drive. This massive Mennonite smorgasbord in Pennsylvania has the kind of...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Indiana Forest Is Home to a Tree So Large It Takes Six People to Circle It

I still remember the first time I stepped into this old-growth forest and felt the air shift around me. The canopy closed overhead, the noise of the outside world faded, and suddenly...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Roadside Texas BBQ Joint Serves Loaded Smokehouse Plates That Cover The Whole Tray

You know it is serious when the tray barely has room left once the food hits the table. Spots like this pull in hungry travelers from all over Texas who already expect to leave...

Read More    8 min read

Article
9 Oregon Restaurants So Remote They Turn The Drive Into Part Of The Adventure

Some of the best meals I have ever eaten required a long drive down a winding road first. Oregon has a way of hiding its most memorable restaurants in places that most people would...

Read More    8 min read

Article
This Legendary Oklahoma Onion Burger Joint Serves Burgers That Taste Like Pure Nostalgia

There are burgers, and then there are burgers that stop you mid-bite and make you close your eyes for a second. You know the kind. The...

Read More    7 min read

Article
The End-Of-The-Line New Jersey Coffee Bar That Hides A Breakfast Worth The Trip

Ever ride the train all the way to the end of the line and wonder what’s waiting there? Maybe you expect a sleepy stop, maybe just a quick coffee.

Read More    6 min read

Article
The Indiana Supermarket Stall Serving Up Legendary Syrian Street Food

I never expected to find one of the most memorable meals of my life inside a grocery store in Indianapolis. But that’s exactly what happened the first time I wandered into the...

Read More    6 min read

Article
This High-Flying Virginia Adventure Park Lets You Race Through The Treetops

Forget the beach for a minute. Virginia Beach has a secret that lives above the sand, above the crowds, and way above your comfort zone. I stumbled onto this place and honestly...

Read More    8 min read

Article
The Hidden Spring In Texas With Crystal-Clear Water And A Laid-Back Atmosphere

Clear water like this is not what most people expect to find hidden away in Texas. Hidden spots like this draw visitors from across Texas who are looking for something calm and...

Read More    7 min read

Article
This Hidden Oregon Coffee Lounge Is A Subterranean Escape From The Ordinary

I stumbled upon this Oregon coffee lounge and immediately realized it wasn’t like any café I’d been to before. It’s underground - literally - and somehow manages to feel...

Read More    6 min read

Article
The Enchanted Oklahoma Gift Shop With Magical World of Crystals, Spells and Mystical Treasures

You walk through a door and the whole world shifts. The air feels different, the energy is calmer, and suddenly you forget whatever was stressing you out five minutes ago.

Read More    8 min read

Article
This New Jersey Bar Is Located Inside A Genuine 18th-Century Stagecoach Stop

There are some places you stumble into thinking you already know what to expect, and then the building itself stops you cold. Walking...

Read More    7 min read