Do you love Trekaroo and want to see us take off?  We need your support.
Help put a few dollars in our piggybank by starting all your Amazon shopping from this link:

Shop Amazon

Even if you’re just buying grandma a Chia Pet for Christmas, you’ll get the same great prices that Amazon offers.


Holiday Gift Ideas
Hottest Toys and Gadgets for Kids
Hottest Gadgets and Gifts for Mom and Dad


Trekaroo also has a new Travel Store powered by Amazon, so you get our selection of the best travel products on the market for families plus Amazon’s awesome deals.

That time of the year is coming up soon!  Trekaroo will be selecting our 2009 Superoos in December – that’s just a couple months away.  So, if there is any doubt if you are a Trekaroo mom or dad who has demonstrated Superoo abilities this year?  Then it’s time to step up.

Wait?  Don’t you not know what a Superoo is?  Wonder no longer…

Trekaroo Superoos are parents with unique characteristics who are able to see the humor amidst the challenges of traveling with their offspring. In fact, they thrive best when exploring and trail blazing with their pack. They are our biggest contributors and eager to help. Superoos inspire other family travelers through the stories they tell, the tips they share, and their insightful recommendations.  Each year, the Superoo council selects moms and dads from the Trekaroo community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. These select few are the go-to folks for travel advice and demonstrate wisdom and travel savvy that separate them from the rest.

Superoos get special Superoo privileges.

Intrigued?  Find out more about how to become a Superoo

If you think you’ve run of of ways to prove your Superoo abilities?  No way!

Did you know we added restaurants as a category under activities, you have even more to review.  Add photos, answer questions.  You can even create a list out of all the reviews you’ve already written. Just select a theme for your list and off you go.

Here’s another idea, get other families going by sending messages and compliments!  There are so many ways to prove your Superoo abilities!

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

Elementary school aged kids are eager explorers and discovering San Francisco with them is a total blast.  Kids at this age are great communicators, able to follow a tour, are interested in history, and are strong enough to do what may be more demanding physically.  If you are coming to San Francisco with a child who is in elementary school, here are some must see attractions listed in order of importance.

2. Alcatraz
Pier 33 (on Embarcadero and Bay St)
Hornblower Alcatraz Landing San Francisco, California

Alcatraz is the infamous maximum security prison where Al Capone, Bird Man and others spent the last days of their lives. Also featured in the movie The Rock, Alcatraz is a place where kids will be introduced to the bizarre stories that make up the mystique of this island. Elementary school aged kids will also love the ferry ride to the island with beautiful views of San Francisco. But the night tour is probably a little too scary for young kids.

3. California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive
San Francisco, California

This brand new home of the California Academy of Sciences is one of the most celebrated green buildings in the country with it’s novel living roof. It’s a must see building, but the exhibits are also exciting for kids and adults alike. Explore the 4 story rain forest, see stars in the planetarium, and get up close to over 40,000 animals.

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Today, we filed our taxes and I’ve come to question whether our government is serious about encouraging entrepreneurship.  As parents and entrepreneurs, it’s unfortunate that our tax laws do nothing to encourage entrepreneurship among hardworking moms and dads like ourselves.

Let me elaborate…

Trekaroo is a bootstrapped startup.  When Brennan, Esther and I started Trekaroo, we decided that we’d bootstrap it instead of raising large amounts of angel funding and venture capital.  We all feel passionately about what we are building in Trekaroo and are willing to put in sweat equity for no income.  However, to do what we do, we’ve had to pay for some childcare.  Childcare in the bay area can easily add up to over $2000 a month for two kids.  Well, there is this wonderful tax deduction that working dual income families can take advantage of call the Child and Dependent Care Credit.  However, I was so disappointed to learn this week that the law states that in order to take advantage of this credit, both mom and dad need to have made income in the year they want to claim that credit.  Furthermore, the size of the credit is measured as a percentage of your income (35%)). As an entrepreneurial mom and dad duo, we’re in tough luck under this tax law.  While we badly need the tax credit considering our minuscule income for 2008, we really can’t benefit from the credit at all.  Since neither of us received any income from Trekaroo, we do not even qualify for the tax credit.  Secondly,  35% of our total income would barely cover what we’ve had to pay for childcare.

So, I ask, why does the tax law not seek to encourage the entrepreneurial endeavors of moms and dads? If congress wants to encourage entrepreneurship, bootstrapping visionaries like ourselves should be given even more tax breaks.

Tax Girl critises this tax law for other reasons: The Child and Dependet Care Credit Sucks