Do You Trekaroo?

Last year I was blessed enough to be searching through the blog of a friend when I stumbled upon her post about Trekaroo. At the time, I'll be perfectly honest here, the thing that attracted me most about what she'd written was that there would be an Amazon gift card involved for people who were able to contribute lots of good reviews. That was enough for me!

Writing has been a huge passion for me since I was about 6 years old, so I knew I'd be able to post the reviews up with no problem. What I wasn't expecting though, was that I'd come to love and depend upon this website for hints about my everyday excursions with the kids, and especially when it came to traveling out-of-town or even out-of-state with them.

The thing about Trekaroo that sets them apart from other travel sites is that they are geared specifically for families with children, especially young children. Any mother who has had a bad 'surprise' experience at the zoo, the park, even the doctor's office - you know exactly what I mean when I say there are some things that would be really nice to know ahead of time. Like the fact that you can't fit a stroller into the bathroom at a certain aquarium. Or that there is NO baby changing table at that cute diner you stopped at on the road. (You know, the one that has nothing else around for miiiles.) Or maybe that the theme park you brought your kids to has a lot more walking than you expected and you have to leave the stroller behind (unattended) to get to a lot of the areas.

Think I'm making any of this up? Don't. This is all stuff that has happened to me while traveling on the road since I've had my kids. Long story short: I almost got my stroller removed by security at the aquarium because it was an unattended object. I got to drive allllllll the way home with baby poop down the front of my shirt - and all over the back of my baby - when I discovered that there was no changer in that diner bathroom. And the theme park? Let's just say mommy will never do that one again until both kids are walking. My arms got so tired.

When I have experiences like this I head home and log onto my Trekaroo account to write about what happened to me and read up on what other parents thought of the place. Sometimes I see it there, glaring back at me in black & white (then kick myself for not checking up on it first): "There is NO changing table at this diner!!!!" And sometimes I'm the one spreading the news: "This place is great, but the stroller? Not in the bathroom!" It's a great way for parents to let others know about those uh-oh moments without us all having to go through them!

It's not just for the bad times though... Trekaroo is also great to share about some of the excellent places you've been. The great finds, the super-cheerful librarian, the delicious food, the freebies for kids under a certain age - it's what other moms & dads want to know.

But sites like this only work when readers like you decide to give it a try! Although they are getting hundreds of thousands of site hits each month, there can always be more. Where have you been recently that you had a great experience - or maybe a not-so-great one? 'Trekaroo' about it on trekaroo.com and become part of an awesome travel community for parents in-the-know!

You can connect with Trekaroo on their website, or find them in social media on their Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages!

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post and, as always, my opinions are purely my own.