Almost a year ago, an uber ambitious group of Superoos were selected to become the first ever Destination Guroos.  These busy Trekaroo contributors continue to help grow Trekaroo by making it relevant to locals, wherever you call home.  As volunteers, they have worked hard adding new content to the site, securing lots of fun activities for Superoos (and for their own families), and have helped write numerous submissions for this blog that highlight seasonal, local, and perfectly awesome activities to do with your family around the country.

And Trekaroo is continuing to grow…

In addition to the Guroos selected in early 2011, five new Guroos have been added to the pack.  The following  nine ladies are the go-tos in their particular region.  Let’s get to know them a bit better.

Southern & Central California

Sharlene Earnshaw (doubletheadventure) joined Trekaroo in 2009; she has five-year-old twins.

Sharlene does double duty here at Trekaroo as both a co-SoCal destination Guroo with Michelle McCoy (below), and also as the Blog Editor in Chief.  She spends countless hours adding site content, writing posts, setting up Superoo visits across the country, editing blogs and still somehow manages to be super mom to five-year-old twins!  She travels extensively and shares her advice with the masses here on Trekaroo.  I am tired just thinking about all she has to do!

Favorite traveling tip:  “Travel with your kids while they are young and travel often. The more often you get your kids out there, the easier it will become. The first five years of a child’s life are when they are making all those important brain cells and every educational travel experience is worth months of time stuck behind a desk in school.”

Dream vacation destination:  “Any National Park. I love being outside with my family and enjoying the beauty of America”

Best thing about being a guroo: “I love California with a passion and being able to grow Trekaroo’s Southern California coverage is a total blast! It has led me to vacation in my own neck of the woods more often, something I might not have otherwise thought to do.”

 Sharlene’s contributions to the Trekaroo blog are too many to mention here.  A few blog highlights include 15 National Park adventures, the helpful Best CA Tidepools for kids ,and Best Zoos in the West.  Check out Sharlene’s passport to see where she’s been.

Michelle McCoy (mcfam) joined Trekaroo in 2010; she has four kids between two and ten.

 Michelle stays extremely busy with Sharlene filling out the dense and active Southern & Central California destination on Trekaroo.  She is in charge of tons of major tourist attractions, yet prides herself on working to get every single activity, restaurant and hotel on the Trekaroo map.  She has reviewed over 300 activities on Trekaroo to date– really!

Favorite traveling tip:  “Take baby powder to the beach: sand falls off wet skin when covered in baby powder!  Yes, I have very white kids afterwards, but the sand is mostly gone.”

Dream vacation destination:  “A quiet beach in Hawaii under a gentle sun.  Quiet is key!”

Best thing about being a guroo: “Being a Guroo has put me in situations that I never dreamed I’d be in, such as attending a LA blog event dressed in 60s clothes while chatting up with other bloggers… or competing in a challenging race in San Antonio with Sharlene while meeting fabulous tour guides and staff in that beautiful city.”

See where Michelle & family have been and get her inside scoop.  Read her blog articles as they are packed full of awesome SoCal fun including the top ten holiday events, and great summer packages for SoCal beach destinations.  Michelle has a slew of fabulously helpful lists, notably the free & fun activities in LA & Orange County that I have personally used over and over!

Have a question about traveling in SoCal?? Ask the guroos!!

Texas

Heather Reed (slofamilylife) joined Trekaroo in 2009; she has four children under the age of seven.

Heather’s contributions to Trekaroo are honest and full of practical tips and information.  A mom to four kids, one of whom is special needs, Heather provides a unique and helpful voice for families traveling with specific challenges and concerns.

Why you should love Texas:  “As a newbie to Texas myself, it’s like an entire region opened up to us.  I love that Texas is rich in culture and art, has an amazing array of family activities, and some of the best resorts in the nation!”

Dream vacation destination:  “An around the world trip stopping specifically in Thailand, Barcelona, Switzerland, Rome, Venice, and Italy.  Oh, and I would absolutely LOVE to walk in Jesus’ footsteps in the middle east!”

Heather’s blog contributions are all incredibly helpful:  Check out her post on traveling with special needs children, the best river rafting trips with kids, and how to pack for a road trip. View Heather’s passport to see the latest spots she has reviewed.

Have a question about traveling in Texas?? Ask the guroo!!

Florida

Lisa Marie Leihy (cavalletta) joined Trekaroo in 2008; she has one six-year old daughter.

Lisa Marie was one of the original Superoos and has continued to provide excellent content, reviews and tips over the past few years.   Her excellent writing and enthusiasm shines in Sunny Florida as she works hard to uncover all of the awesome attractions in her home state.

Favorite Vacation Destination: “Springtime in Florida cannot be beat!  The dogwoods and azaleas are in bloom and the fresh fruits and vegetables are at their peak!  Chefs across the state create amazing dishes featuring these goodies, sand sculpting contests can be found along the beautiful coastline and art festivals are ideal places to see the world from another perspective.”

Favorite tip for traveling with kids: “Make a list, check it twice and remember that vacations are about having fun together as a family. Let the little things go and just have fun!”

Lisa Marie’s passport is full  of helpful reviews and lists including fun spots for animal lovers and Kid Friendly Museum exhibits in Tampa Bay.   An article on visiting the Everglades with Kids, or an all-inclusive Cancun trip are just two great samples of her great blog contributions.

Have a question about traveling in Florida?? Ask the guroo!

New England

Michelle Brennan (meb123) joined Trekaroo in 2009; she has three kids ages 6-9.

 Michelle is one of the brand new Guroos and is full of excitement.  She covers the great New England states that are rich in history, culture and fun family activities.  She was picked to be the Guroo for this destination because of her excellent writing, committment to the site and love of travel.   

Why you should love New England: “New England is diverse and encompassing. There is everything from mountains to shore.”

Travel Philosophy: “Take [kids] places where they can get out and explore. The world is full of things to learn about. “

Fun Fact: While RVing at Glacier and Yellowstone, Michelle “found out something about our youngest that we would not have expected. She loves to track animals by their footprints and poop. Who would have guessed we had a budding animal scientist on our hands??”

Michelle’s blog submissions have just begun, but she has already shared a few gems: Read about her family vacation in New Hampshire, or find out the behind the scenes details of a performance of the Nutcracker.  Read her permanent reviews on Trekaroo for her coverage of New England.

Have a question about traveling in New England??  Ask the guroo!!

Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware

Beth Keklak (BAT) joined Trekaroo in 2009; she has three kids ages 7-10.

Beth describes her family as energetic, adventurous and easy-going and it is evident in her contributions that she and her family rarely take a breath from travel & fun opportunities.  Beth was chosen this year as a Guroo because of her great dedication and professional involvement with the site, and has already began the fun and intense work of adding content and activities in her three Eastern states. 

What you should know about New Jersey (Beth’s home state): “We aren’t what you see in all those reality TV shows!”

Favorite tip for traveling with kids: “Pack plenty of patience and plan for the unexpected.”

Dream vacation: “Australia”

Travel Philosophy: “We have never taken a “relaxing” vacation at an all inclusive resort that includes a lot of down time.  When we travel, we like to explore areas to the fullest extent we can in the time we have!”

Explore with Beth’s family by heading to her reviews on Trekaroo.  If you are  headed to Atlantic City, be sure to check out her list on the top destinations for kids, and while you have New Jersey on your mind, be sure to read her blog about the best holiday activities in the area.

Have a question about traveling in PA, NJ or DE??  Ask the guroo!!

Utah

Ann Anderson (akeisel) joined Trekaroo in 2011; she has three children.

Ann started off with Trekaroo this year and was immediately noticed as a great writer, passionate traveler and go getter!  In her short time with Trekaroo she already has over 140 reviews under her belt.  She was a natural choice for the new Utah Guroo because of her wit, enthusiasum and dedication to the families on Trekaroo. 

Favorite tip for traveling with kids: “Start travelling with your babies early; by the time they’re 3, they’ll know the drill.”

Best thing about being a guroo: The name of course. I often request that my kiddos refer to me as Mommy Guroo – it’s so empowering!

Funny travel story: Ann’s personal drive to experience everything any family would enjoy while on assignment was tested while riding the huge canyon swing 1000 feet above the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs, CO.  She says that she “climbed aboard the ride with my 10 year old, buckled up, shut my eyes and immediately starting screaming when the ride operator pushed “go”!  I screamed so loud that the poor operator shut the ride off after only 2 swings out across the river. I’m sure I still hold the prize for biggest wimp on that canyon swing.”

Check out Ann’s passport full of helpful reviews.  She has a fantastic list covering Utah’s National Parks  and recently shared a helpful and inviting post on visiting National Parks in the off season.

Have a question about traveling in Utah??  Ask the guroo!

Northern California

Tina Buell (imsnow) joined Trekaroo in 2011; she has one three year old son.

Tina and Kristine (below) share the Northern California region.  Tina is a single mom to an adorable little boy and loves that writing and adding content for Trekaroo gives her the opportunity to not sacrifice her desire to travel with her son.  She was an obvious choice for the NorCal co-guroo spot as she has shown nothing but enthusiasm and committment to be as involved as she possibly can at any given moment; Trekaroo appreciates her efforts.

Favorite vacation destination: “Vienna, Austria”

 Why Northern California rocks:  “Northern California is a very diverse terrain with activities ranging from ski level to sea level.”

Favorite tip for traveling with kids: Just “don’t be scared to do it. It’s always worth it.”

Tina loves sharing reviews on Trekaroo.  A great year round resource she has written is the Top Berkley Activities for Kids, and the holiday list for the top Christmas activities in NorCal.

Kristine Dworkin (kristined) joined Trekaroo in 2009 ; she has two children.

Kristine is another new addition to the Guroo team and brings with her a great sense of fun mixed in with some incredibly practical and helpful tips.  She is also the mom to a special needs child and writes from a perspective encouraging to so many Americans whose children’s needs are diverse and unique.  She and Tina stay busy filling out the Northern California section of Trekaroo.

Favorite vacation destination:  “The Big Island, Hawaii”

Favorite tip for traveling with kids: “Pack snacks and always have something to do on hand!  When all else fails, whip out your iPhone!”

Funny travel story:  “I took my kids to the Wicked Plants Exhibit in Golden Gate Park… My daughter, who was 9 at the time, read things like choking and rash on the plants signs and loudly exclaimed, ‘Oh my god, Mommy, are you trying to kill us?’”

Kristine’s family travels & reviews are helpful and full of tips.   She has already written a few blog posts, including a helpful and poignant look at explaining Veteran’s Day to kids. 

Have a question about traveling in NorCal??  Ask the guroos!!

Last week, the Disneyland Resort opened two highly anticipated new rides, The Little Mermaid- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and Star Tours- The Adventures Continue with fan fare and ceremony that only Disney can provide. It had been three years since the Disneyland Resort had last launched a new ride so I knew they would have something special up their sleeves.  Once again, Disney exceeded my expectations and gave us plenty to get excited about for the Summer of 2011 and beyond. Here is the lowdown on what’s new and exciting at the Disneyland Resort:

The Little Mermaid- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Who better to perform at the grand opening than the voice of the Little Mermaid herself, Jodi Benson?  Her live rendition of Part of Your World was flawless, and yes, a tear or two may have trickled down my cheek during the performance.  Diehard Ariel fans lined up at the Disney California Adventure gates at 2AM just to be amongst the first to climb aboard a clamshell and be part of her world. The ride itself is reminiscent of the classic rides in Fantasyland, but is taken to another level thanks to today’s technology.  Classic songs such as Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl are brought to life with nearly 200 incredible  Audio-Animatronics figures that seem to give life and emotion to the characters.  The ride is appropriate for all ages but may be most popular with young kids and parents who grew up watching the movie.

Attention East Coasters- Fear not, the Little Mermaid ride will be coming to the Magic Kingdom as well!

Read my full review of the new Little Mermaid ride.

Still to come at Disney California Adventure

Anyone who has visited the park lately knows that it is currently one big construction zone.  This summer in addition to the new Little Mermaid ride, the park will also open Goofy’s Sky School on July 1st, a retooled and more Disneyfied version of the old Mulholland Madness ride, as well as Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, Paradise Garden Grill and Bayside Brews, a beer and pretzel stand.

The biggest news is the current construction of Cars Land, a themed area filled with rides, restaurants, and attractions themed after Radiator Springs in the popular Cars movie franchise.  It has recently been announced that this new area of the park will open the summer of 2012, probably to even more fanfare than this months new rides!

Star Tours- The Adventures Continue

Photo Courtesy Disneyland Resort

When the original Star Tours launched, George Lucas had  only produced three Star Wars movies.  Now there are six.  In an effort to keep up with the times, both cinematically and technologically, Disneyland updated the ride to create an experience that truly does feel like it came from a galaxy far, far away. The new Star Tours features amazing 3D technology and 54 different versions of the ride, ensuring riders will have a different experience every time they board the simulator.  Kids will love the adventure and fast pace of the ride (though not really scary) and if they are lucky, they might even get to be the spy on board!

Attention East Coasters- The same version of the ride opened up at Walt Disney World a few weeks ago.

Read my full review of the new Star Tours ride.

Mickey’s Soundsational Parade

Nobody does a parade quite like Disney and this year’s new addition is no exception.  Mickey’s Soundsational Parade celebrates the diversity and  rhythm of Disney music in an uptempo celebratory atmosphere.  No Disney parade is complete without an appearance by the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse, who kicks up the parade in a cheerful style.  New favorites such a Rapunzel and Princess Tiana makes appearances, as well as classics like Peter Pan and The Three Caballeros. If you want a front row view be sure to line up on Main Street early. We saw families camped out on the curb nearly two hours ahead of time!

The Disneyland Hotel’s exciting remodel

I have three words for you: Monorail pool slide. While the entire remodel of the Disneyland Hotel has yet to be completed, I am very impressed with what has already been finished, including the newly updated and incredibly fun pool area. For the past few years, The Grand Californian seemed to hold the distinction of being “the” place to stay at the Disneyland Resort, but I have a feeling the Disneyland Hotel will be giving her sister property a serious run for her money.  The property embraces its mid-century architecture with nostalgia based Disney style and updated rooms.  For those looking for an over the top Disney experience, 5 massive themed suites (Big Thunder Railroad, Adventureland, Mickey Mouse, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Fairy Tale Suite) are available if you can handle hefty price tag, approximately $3000 per night.  After touring the rooms (except the Fairy Tale Suite which was occupied), I can tell you that they are incredibly detailed, one of a kind, and worthy of your most special occasion. For the record, the Mickey Mouse Penthouse is my favorite.

- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -

Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

The Liberty Bell. Our nation’s capital. The Golden Gate Bridge.  These are the type of landmarks families build their vacations around.  This summer Twizzlers (yes, the red twisty candy we all know and love) is encouraging families to take their own landmark vacations during their Twizzler Landmark Summer promotion.

Build your own landmark itinerary

Trekaroo always encourages families to travel, so teaming with Twizzlers in an effort to get more families to take the Great American Roadtrip was a no brainer. Twizzlers has tools on their site to help families to plan their own trip as well as helpful travel tips.

Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways

Twizzlers knows that you love a good giveaway so they have made sure families have multiple opportunities to win all summer long.  You can enter daily to win prizes such as a GPS, digital camera, national parks guidebooks, and the grand prize- a vacation to your favorite American Landmark!

Of course, Trekaroo had to get in on the giveaway action as well, so stay tuned as we give away fabulous Twizzler prize packs to 10 lucky Trekaroo families throughout the summer (psst- our first giveaway will be here on the blog on May 30th).

Cruisin’ in the Twizzlermobile

This summer, keep your eyes peeled for a super cool minivan decked out with a Twizzlers wrap cruising down the interstate.  Ten lucky bloggers ( including Superoos MamaCheaps and Minnemom)  have been chosen to travel to landmarks around the country, starting in  Rhode Island and ending in Seattle. Each family will take a 5 day road trip to a famous landmark and chronicle the journey on their blogs as well as the Twizzler website. I am thrilled to announce that my family is one of the lucky families!!!

My family will start in Orange County, CA and head up the California Coast (one of our country’s finest natural landmarks) to the Golden Gate Bridge. We are very excited for our road trip, especially since we haven’t been to San Francisco since we moved from Northern California almost 3 years ago. Of course, we are also excited about the massive supply of Twizzlers which will be accompanying us along the way.  I am still trying to convince my husband to walk around the streets San Francisco in a suit made of Twizzlers.  If you see us on the road, flag us down and I will throw some Twizzlers your way!

Follow that Twizzlermobile!

We encourage you to follow all of the bloggers as they take the mighty Twizzlermobile across the country.  As each blogger completes their leg of the journey, Trekaroo will be sharing a road trip itinerary which takes families to the featured destination each bloggers is visiting. We hope these will encourage you to make your own family road trip plans.

The journey kicks off in a few days as we follow Audrey Mc Clelland of MomGenerations.com and her family as they leave Rhode Island for Washington DC.

Let the Landmark Summer begin!

Disclosure: I have been chosen as one of the Twizzlers Traveling Families.  My trip (gas, hotel, food, and incidentals) is being paid for by Twizzlers. I have received no other compensation and opinions stated are entirely my own.

- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -

Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

My absolute least favorite part of traveling with kids is dealing with mealtime.  Anybody who has eaten dinner in public with two preschoolers can understand my pain.  Kids can be loud, squirrely, and often have the table manners of a caveman.  It is easy to find a family friendly spot close to home because I am familiar with the area and I know what sort of food and atmosphere the restaurant provides, but when we are traveling to a new destination, I feel like we are at the mercy of whatever chain restaurant is off the interstate.

In an effort to help families travel better and enjoy their public mealtimes more, Trekaroo is excited to announce the recent launch of our Restaurant Review section.  With help from our fabulous Trekaroo members, we have no doubt that this new section will be as helpful to parents as the activity and hotel review sections have been.  We hope that you will share your favorite local dining spots as well as restaurants that your family loved (or didn’t love) while on vacation.

Sign in to Trekaroo and Start writing reviews of kid-friendly restaurants.

Details important to families

In addition to sharing a review of their restaurant experience, Trekaroo families will be able to specify which price category the restaurant fits under and what type of food it serves.  Additionally, they can mark which amenities the establishment offers such as:

Trekaroo is growing.  And I can’t keep up.  So we’re handing the keys over to you.  Emerging from our Superoos in 2010 were a few exceptional families who seemed to have the inside scoop about everything in their area.  We’ve invited them to take on the important new role of Destination Guroo.

This year, we’re committed to making Trekaroo relevant to your everyday.  Many Trekaroo families have already been sharing about their favorite local spots for families. From unique playgrounds, to the best kid-friendly restaurants, to the best events your town has to offer.  Our new Destination Guroos will be helping to organize and spotlight what’s most seasonally relevant and exciting.  They’ll be working closely with the 2011 Superoos to uncover new attractions, exciting events, and family-friendly gems in their destination.

I am very excited to introduce you to our first five pioneering Destination Guroos…

---

Sharlene Earnshaw and Michelle McCoy

Destination Guroos for Southern and Central California

Sharlene (DoubleAdventure) requires little introduction.  She has been the editor-in-chief of this blog for over 6 months and has done a phenomenal job featuring the interesting tips you’ve been sharing on Trekaroo.  We’re blessed to have her on our team.  Partnering with Sharlene is Michelle McCoy (McFam).  Michelle joined Trekaroo running 90 miles per hour.  In the short time she’s been part of Trekaroo, she quickly became one of our top reviewers.  Her prolific writing overflows with insight.  She seems to know California like the back of her hand.

---

Nikki Stoddart

Destination Guroo for Northern California

Nikki Stoddart (Family VonWang) caught our attention right away when she starting sharing her reviews on Trekaroo.  Her reviews are always filled with helpful tips and a touch of wit.  Nikki is definitely one of those brave moms who hasn’t let having kids stop her from wandering near home and further afield.  It’s no wonder that she was our first pick for being the Northern California Guroo.

---

Heather Reed

Destination Guroo for Texas

Heather Reed (slofamilylife) and her family just returned to Texas where her husband grew up. Heather is constantly exploring with her family.  She writes about what parents really want to know about each hotel or attraction.  Her fun loving family also brings the unique perspective of a family traveling with a child with special needs.

---

Jennifer Close

Destination Guroo for Northern Florida and Gulf Coast

Jennifer Close (JenC17) has been one of Trekaroo’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders from the start.  She’s written prolifically on Trekaroo, but also on her two successful blogs Two Kids and A Map and Pensacola With Kids. With her extensive knowledge of the Gulf Coast and the Northern FL area, we are pleased to have her onboard.  We have always valued the thoughtful tips she offers about exploring with kids.

---

Lisa Marie Leihy

Destination Guroo for Southern Florida

Lisa Marie (Cavalletta) represented Trekaroo on one of our very first Superoo assignments and her professionalism and wonderful writing impressed us from the start.  I am confident that her enthusiasm for helping other families discover is going to allow families to unearth hidden gems in the sunshine state.

---

Throughout this year, Trekaroo will be on the lookout for other very special families to be the Guroos of other destinations.  If you think a Trekaroo family has the enthusiasm and chops for this role, I’d love to hear from you.

LiLing Pang (Travelpangs)

CEO & Co-founder, Trekaroo