Welcome to 
Do you ever sit at home racking your brain, trying to figure out what fun activity or event to attend with the kids? I know I do! Before the “blog age”, I used to wonder the internet aimlessly, looking for things to do, lost in a world of infinite information. Nowadays, I have my go to list of sites to read to keep me up to date with new family friendly activity information. For all things Southern California, I often turn to Daytripping Mom. Aracely, the writer behind Daytrippingmom.com is always sharing discounts, giveaway, free museum days, and endless activity ideas with her readers. Besides being a great site for locals, I think her site is a valuable resource for families planning on visiting Southern California as well. Here are some recent examples of why I think her site is so great:
- After reading her post on where to see the Rose Parade Floats up close after the parade, I have marked in on my calendar for next year.
- She is always putting together these great lists or free museum days or discounted fun attractions like this one about free and cheap things to do around Southern California.
- There always seems to be some sort of giveaway going on like tickets to Elmo’s Birthday Party at the Discovery Science Center or tickets to Sealife Aquarium.
If you live, love, or visit Southern California, add Daytripping Mom to your blogroll. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Stay tuned for a great Huntington Beach themed Monday Madness which will be co-hosted by the OC expert herself, Daytripping Mom…
Do you have an outing that you would like to spotlight this week?
Perhaps its a post about a vacation you just took or a day trip that you think our readers should know about. Or maybe its a post about the vacation you are currently planning and going to book through Trekaroo! Link up something fresh from your blog using the Mr Linky below.
PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Step 1: Pick a recent post (past couple of days)
Step 2: Under “Name” write: “Title of your blog post (blog name)” – blog name in parenthesis
Under “url” paste: the link to your blog post (not your home page)
Step 3: Grab the Spotlight Thursday image and link to this post so your readers can see who else is playing along this week.
We want to be sure that everyone who participates in Spotlight Thursdays gets their moment in the spotlight so blogs that don’t link back will unfortunately have to be removed.
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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
Trekaroo knows how hard bloggers work at researching, composing and promoting their posts. I am constantly finding new travel information and ideas on amazing blogs throughout the cyberworld. In an effort to bring all this great information to our readers while providing bloggers with a new platform to show off their work, we are launching Spotlight Thursdays. We want people to link their travel or activity posts to the Trekaroo Blog once a week so our readers can get a chance to see what they are all about while discovering new ways to spend their quality time with their children. Posts can be about anything from a grand tour of Europe to a day at the local zoo. Not a travel blogger? No problem! Just make sure your post is activity related and we are happy to have you join in the fun! For more details on how to join in on the fun, click here.
And now, for our very first Spotlight Thursday…
Today’s Trekaroo spotlight is on trains. Did you know that this Saturday, May 8th, is National Train Day? Traintastic events will be happening all over the country and if your kids love trains as much as mine do, you will certainly want to get onboard! FREE events are occurring in Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles. Each event will have train equipment displays, model train displays, the AmtraKids Depot, and the National Park Service Trails and Rails Exhibit along with music and regional exhibitions. Check out the National Train Day website for more details.
Do you have an outing that you would like to spotlight this week? Perhaps its a post about a vacation you just took or a day trip that you think our readers should know about. Or maybe its a post on trains in honor of National Train Day! Spotlight your posts here by following the instructions here and filling out the Mr. Linky Form below.
Let’s see where the spotlight shines this week!
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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 | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
In celebration of Trekaroo’s launch in North Carolina, the Trekaroo KidsMobile is making a stop in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Trekaroo families love visiting Charlotte because there is an abundance of kid-friendly activities. Within a short drive, there are hiking trails galore. If you’re staying in the city, you’ll also find some world class museums that your kids will love. Trekaroo Families who live in Charlotte or have visited with their kids pitched in with their recommendations. Here’s a list of what our community recommended as the Best Activities for Kids in the Piedmont Triangle.
For our KidsMobile’s stop in Charlotte, we welcomed on board some local blogging moms and dads to give us the local scoop on what’s great for kids around Charlotte.
First up, Angela shares with us an excellent list of her family’s favorite Places to Hike with Kids Around Charlotte, North Carolina. Her family loves exploring outdoors. She is the mom behind Roses and Brambles where she shares amusing stories about their family’s adventures and misadventures in the daily life of growing and exploring together.
Jody knows how to make a dollar stretch! Here’s her list of Cheap Things to Do in Charlotte, NC with kids. After living abroad for a few years, she returned to settle in Charlotte with her family. Jody keeps the blog Charlotte on the Cheap where she complies a fantastic list of free or almost free events around Charlotte for children and adults.
Spencer Spellman is a travel journalist base out of Greenville South Carolina. He brings us a list of Kid-friendly Hotels in Charlotte, NC. Spencer is the go-to guy for tips on traveling around North and South Carolina and you can get his in depth travel advice on Carolina Nomad as well as on Uptake and Nile Guide.
Richard is a dad to 3 teens. Check out what he recommends as Fun for Dudes, Both Kids and Bigs Near Charlotte, NC. Richard is one of the dads behind A Dude’s Guide where he shares parenting tips from a Dad’s perspective. As a stay-at-home dad, he provides tips on fatherhood with a dose of humor in hopes of sparing other dudes the bewilderment he experienced as a first time dad.
Other Resources for the Piedmont Triangle, North Carolina
- All 273 Activities for Kids in and around the Piedmont Triangle (Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh)
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around the Piedmont Triangle (Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh)
- Snow Tubing and Sledding Hills in North Carolina by thelees3
Next stop, Orlando, Florida – Disney Fans and Non-Disney Fans, jump on board the KidsMobile!
The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while
1) expressing their unique point of view
2) getting a web of link exchanges.
Join us for one of our next stopovers.
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LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TX | VA | WA
The Trekaroo KidsMobile just climbed from sea level to the mile high city of:
Denver, Colorado
Who would have known that Denver is a city that is full of indoor water parks? Who would have thought that local families love having a fiesta good time at one local Mexican restaurant called Casa Bonita? These were some of my favorite surprises found in the recommendations that local travel savvy Colorado moms are sharing with the rest of us on Trekaroo. Jump on board the KidsMobile – the locals are taking our families on a tour of Denver. They’ll even tell you where the locals frequent on the weekends when they head up to the mountains.
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Trekaroo families have been voting for their favorite kid-friendly activities in and around San Diego for a couple of months. We’ve tallied their votes for 2009 and here’s the line up!
Top Activities for Kids in Denver, CO – voted by Trekaroo parents
First up, Kara gives her stamp of approval to what she considers the Top 5 Museums for Kids in Denver. When Kara gives her thumbs up, we all take note because she is one of three founders and travel writers for The Vacation Gals. Their site is chock full of great tips on favorite destinations for family trips, girlfriend getaways and romantic escapes. Kara is a wonderful story-teller and she’ll get you ready to jump on the next plane and head to whatever destination she’s writing about.
Fiona, better known as the witty mom behind her blog Bantering Blonde, brings us her Five Favorite Indoor Water Parks In the Denver Area. Only a local mom would know that Denver is a city that abounds in indoor water parks. Fiona is an active mom of 3 who is also the founder of Mom Active. A site that inspires women to be positive role models in their family. If you’re having one of those days, hop on over to Bantering Blonde and you’ll be sure that Fiona will have you chuckling about your life as a mom in no time at all.
Suzanne has the local scoop on the Top 5 Places to eat with your Kids in Denver. She is the mom extraordinaire to 7 kids (yes! That’s right – 7.) She tells her tales of life as a mom of a blended family on her blog Crunchy Green Mom. She is your go-to mom for what’s fun to do on a budget or for free in Denver.
If you’re visiting Denver with your kids for a weekend, kick start your itinerary with Lori’s recommendations of How to spend a day or weekend with kids in Denver. Lori is the mom behind WeeblesWobblog where she blogs about open adoption, parenting, mindful living, politics, 1970s trivia and much more. She’s lived in Japan and Syria and having kids has not stopped them from traveling. With their kids, they’ve traveled all across the US and to Costa Rica.
Our Family’s Staycation Experiences in Colorado is brought to you by Jillian, the mom of 3 who authors the blog Is dis normal or dysfunctional, She’s got a wonderful collection of stories that any mom can relate to. Her casual and open writing is a pleasure to read. Jillian has been writing offline for many years and started writing online in 2009. Since then she’s been featured in both travel and parenting online websites like Parenting.com, Blogher.com and many many more.
Other Resources for Denver, CO
- All 104 Activities for Kids in and around Denver, CO
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around Denver, CO
- Ski Resorts in Colorado with Daycare and Kid Programs – TravelPangs
- Sledding and Tubing Hills in Colorado – TravelPangs
- Wintertime Day Trips from Colorado Springs – Gretchen
Next stop, Charlotte, North Carolina (that’s right, the launch of North Carolina is coming soon)
The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while
1) expressing their unique point of view
2) getting a web of link exchanges.
Join us for one of our next stopovers.
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LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NY | PA | TX | VA | WA
Over the mountains and through the hills, over the plains and through the desserts….the KidsMobile pulls into
San Diego, CA
Whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall, San Diego is a wonderful destination in any season! Home to Legoland, the world famous San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and a good many warm sandy beaches, San Diego is definitely one of my favorite vacation spots in the US. Why? Well, the weather is gorgeous, the people are laid back, the outdoor recreation is wonderful, the town is manageable, traffic is tolerable, and it’s situated close enough to Disneyland to the north and Mexico to the south. Alone or combined with a side trip in either direction makes for a spectacular family vacation.
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Trekaroo families have been voting for their favorite kid-friendly activities and hotels in and around San Diego. We’ve tallied their votes for 2009 and here’s the line up!
Top Activities for Kids in San Diego, CA – voted by parents
Top Kid-friendly Hotels in San Diego, CA – voted by parents
Living in San Diego leaves local families little excuse to stay home. These moms bring you their personal recommendations of the best places to take kids in their hometown. Want the local scoop? Here it is!
Bridget Smith, the author of The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook not only shared with us her Top Tips for a Legoland Adventure with Toddler and Preschoolers, but now gives us some great ideas about Fun Things to Do After Visiting Legoland, California. Bridget spent countless hours in Legoland one year and made more than full use of their family’s season pass to bring us the blow-by-blow of making the most of your visit to Legoland. Follow their family’s other adventures on her blog: Family Adventure Guidebooks
The Q Family isn’t local but lives to travel. If you have 5 days to spend in San Diego, here’s their list of the Must See Attractions with Kids in San Diego. This is a family who’s constantly on the go! The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog chronicles their adventures with wonderful photos, fun stories and helpful tips.
Balboa Park is a wonderful urban park that families love. But when hunger strikes, Carolina has a list of Kid-friendly Dining in Balboa Park. She is the mom behind the blog Kids Go West. As a public school teacher, mom and freelance travel writer, she shares her insider tips on all the totally awesome places to go with kids in her home state of California. Bookmark her blog if you’re heading to California.
Rockinmama loves to mix fun and learning. She recommends these 5 Fun and Educational Kid Activities in San Diego. On her blog Rockin Mama, she writes with great humor about pregnancy. She also write prolifically about parent-friendly products. If you’re looking for the inside scoop on new products for parents out there, this rockin mama’s got it.
Ciao Bambino brings us San Diego: Favorite Family Hotels . Ciao Bambino is a one of Trekaroo’s favorite partners because we share a common passion – inspiring families to travel. Ciao Bambino provides tips and advice around all things related to traveling with kids and is a guide to the best kid-friendly hotels.
Sarah Wyles runs Toddler’s Travels – a local baby equipment rental company for visiting families. Naturally, she’s a guru on Fun Activities for Toddlers in San Diego. Instead of lugging all those bulky items on the plane, rent it when you arrive from Toddler’s Travels.
Colleen of TravelMamas has the scoop on the 5 Best Family-friendly Restaurants in San Diego County. Her blog, Travelmamas, gives tell-it-like-it-is tips about traveling with kids. Relying on her own family’s experience as well as the advice from other traveling parents and experts, she gives loads of practical advice on traveling well with kids.
La Jolla is one of the most beautiful suburbs of San Diego and La Jolla Mom shares with us her list of Things to Do in La Jolla With Kids. Her blog La Jolla Mom has become a meeting place of sorts for local moms looking to connect. Her Family Fun section is full of popular and off the beaten path places to go with kids. Hop on over and see why La Jolla is a town you must stop at when visiting San Diego.
Other Resources for San Diego, CA
- All 104 Activities for kids in the San Diego County
- Kid-friendly hotels in and around San Diego County
Which Hotels came up at the top?
Top Activities for Kids in San Diego, CA – voted by parents
Next stop, Denver, CO (that’s right, the launch of Colorado is coming soon)
The Trekaroo KidsMobile is a blog carnival with a twist. It’s designed to provide a unique opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while
1) expressing their unique point of view
2) getting a web of link exchanges.
Join us for one of our next stopovers.
*****
LiLing Pang is a contributing author on Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | FL | HI | MA | NY | PA | TX | VA and now IL WA, and DC
