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Add baked goods to the long, long list of things Montana does right. You’ll find perfectly baked bread and sweet treats all over the state, and Missoula in particular seems to be a mecca for scrumptious pastries. But if the Black Cat Bake Shop isn’t the best one in America, it’s most certainly a top contender. Black Cat Bake Shop is located at 2000 West Broadway Avenue. Amber E / Yelp The bake shop got its start over 15 years ago when native Montanan, Christy Wich, moved back from Vermont with her husband, Jack....

Bowpicker Fish & Chips is a unique hidden gem eatery that serves the most amazing fish and chips out of a vintage boat in Astoria. If you like fish and chips, you’re sure to fall in love with one-of-a-kind food stand in Oregon — it’s downright mouthwatering. Located in Astoria, Bowpicker Fish & Chips is a charming little boat that serves some of the best fish and chips in all of Oregon....

That time of the year is approaching, where children all over the world make their wish list to Santa. Who can forget the feeling of unwrapping a gift under the tree that holds the toy you’ve been wanting all year? It was a pretty magical experience and now you can take a trip down memory lane by visiting the World’s Largest Toy Museum in Branson. The World’s Largest Toy Museum has over 1 million toys on display that date as far back as the 1700s....

If you’ve never taken an afternoon to hike through High Cliff State Park, you’re missing one of the most interesting, diverse and gorgeous parks in the state. On a recent Saturday beautiful Saturday afternoon, the park was not at all crowded – we met less than a dozen different hikers along the paths. The park is one of the best, up-close ways to view the magnificent Niagara Escarpment that begins here in Wisconsin and stretches all the way out to – you guessed it – the Niagara Falls....

If your experience was anything like mine, you enjoyed all the perks of going to a small high school in Georgia. Everyone knows each other, including your parents and teachers, (which was not always a good thing), and Friday night football was a must! Here are 10 things you just know to be true if you went to a small high school in Georgia: You knew everyone’s first and last name…since Kindergarten....

If you want to be in all the action, but yet not stay in a typical hotel, this is the place for you. This guest house, located directly behind the popular Yakuza Lounge restaurant in NE Portland, is the perfect jumping off point for your next staycation or when out-of-town guests come to visit. The beautiful Japanese garden at the Kuza Garden Cabin is one of the best parts about it....

Hoping for a Hawaiian vacation? I’ve found one, right here in New Jersey. A hidden gem, this spot may not offer gourmet dining, but it does offer a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s unassuming on the outside, but the inside is a kitschy little slice of paradise. The decor and atmosphere are sure to transport you straight to the tropics. Welcome to Lee’s Hawaiian Islander, a quirky cocktail lounge serving up Chinese and Polynesian cuisine....

You may need a map to get to this hidden park, but once you get there, you will bask in its off-the-beaten path glory. Completely hidden from street view, the park is literally hiding in plain sight downtown. In fact, if you didn’t know it was there you might just pass it by. Joseph Readdy / Flickr Located on SW Harrison Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues, the park is only accessible by pedestrian walkway....

While Hawaii certainly does not have a shortage of pristine, white sand beaches or man-made, oceanfront pools for us to choose from, occasionally we crave something a little more adventurous – like swimming holes, waterfalls, and ocean-fed tide pools. In honor of the perfect summer spent in the water, we’re talking about one of the best summer swimming spots in Hawaii: Shark’s Cove. Located on Oahu’s north shore, Sharks Cove is known for its crystalline water, impressive sea life, and positively enchanting tide pools....

Nearly every town in our state has an interesting name but here are 10 that especially awesome: Humptulips Flickr / auvet Grays Harbor County. Skamokawa Flickr / sbeebe Wahkiakum County. Ilwaco Flickr / goblinbox Pacific County. Kahlotus Flickr / rustejunk Franklin County. Welcome Flickr / rwoan Whatcom County. Chewelah Flickr / edsuom Stevens County. Medical Lake Flickr / markdavis Spokane County. Tokeland Flickr / maurag Pacific County. Nooksack Flickr / patrickmcnally Whatcom County....

There’s no shortage of relaxing retreats in Montana—after all, The Last Best Place is where many people come to escape reality. And there just happens to be a little piece of paradise located a few feet away from the banks of the Yellowstone River in the peaceful little town of Emigrant. Its name, Paradise Gateway, is very appropriate. Check out this little known bed and breakfast in Montana. Paradise Gateway Facebook Paradise Gateway is owned by the Reed family, and they work hard to ensure their guests have a relaxing experience....

Wyoming is home to many natural hot springs but there are only a few of them where you can actually soak in the warm rejuvenating water. This hot spring off the beaten path is the perfect destination for some R&R. This hidden hot spring in Wyoming will take you away from it all. Google Maps Granite Hot Springs is located deep in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the Gros Ventre Mountains on Granite Creek Road in Pinedale....

Walk through the front doors of Hinkle’s Pharmacy in Columbia and you just might feel as though you’ve entered a bygone era. Pick up your prescriptions or spend some time browsing the eclectic items of the pharmacy’s gift shop. But, don’t leave without stopping at this old-fashioned restaurant in Pennsylvania that just might be the centerpiece of this quaint pharmacy. Sat on the corner of Locust and Third Streets in Columbia, Hinkle’s Pharmacy - at first glance - looks like a traditional pharmacy....

Pies require a certain delicacy only professionals have. The filling has to be the perfect level of sweetness, with a crust that melts in your mouth. So unless you or someone you know is a pastry chef, you probably reserve pie eating for holidays or dining out. But fear not! This little shop has the pies you’ve been looking for. Michele’s Pies in Norwalk is the ultimate pie shop. Jose C....

Utah is a state full of odd names (Koosharem, La Verkin, Toquerville?) and names impossible for outsiders to pronounce (Tooele, I’m looking at you). We do have some towns here that have pretty names — names that make you want to visit. Here are 15 of the towns in Utah that were named with beauty in mind. Annabella Ken Lund/flickr This town is named for Ann S. Roberts and Isabella Dalton, two of the first women settlers....

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to swing through the trees? We have the perfect place for your next adventure. The Red Ore Zip Tour at Red Mountain Park in Birmingham is not just a canopy walk, it’s an entire treetop adventure. The park sprawls over 1,500 acres of lush Red Mountain scenery, with trails overlooking the city, natural landscapes, and ruins of old mining sites. On the Red Ore Zip Tour guests swing 40 feet above Red Mountain, flying from tree house to tree house to the next over a sky bridge, cable swing, and seven zip lines....

The Boxyard is a brand new micromall that just opened up on 3rd and Frankfort Street in Downtown Tulsa. And it’s not just any ordinary shopping mall – it’s made from repurposed shipping containers. Check out this cool, new urban concept in Tulsa: The Boxyard in downtown Tulsa is a community of shops made from converted shipping containers…39 to be exact. tulsaboxyard/Facebook The whole center is just one shipping container on top of another…and it’s pretty cool!...

Michigan has changed tremendously over the years. Its landscape has transformed from mostly agricultural, to industrial, to experiencing unprecedented population decline, leading to many cities shrinking before our eyes. Still, many our our major cities maintain the same essence. Their iconic buildings, institutions, and character are the same as they were 80-plus years ago. Here, we take a look at four major Michigan cities: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Lansing....

Oklahomans (and visitors) know the state is full of strange and interesting town names. From Slaughterville to Cookietown to Slapout, we have our fair share of unusual town names. In case you haven’t stumbled upon some of them, take a look at these 10 in the Sooner State: Hooker - It’s a location not a vocation, so get your mind out of the gutter. As if the town name isn’t bad enough, the baseball team is called the Horny Toads....

Nothing ends the day perfectly like a stunning sunset. Don’t you agree? Sunsets truly do create gorgeous paintings in the sky! Here are 10 stunning sunsets in North Dakota that would definitely end any day perfectly. This sunset outside of Crystal Springs, North Dakota is beyond BEAUTIFUL! flickr/Dawn Hopkins What a BEAUTIFUL way to end the day in Riverdale, North Dakota! flickr/Andrew Filer This sunset provides such a relaxing winter view of the Little Muddy River below Cow Creek near Williston, North Dakota....