Whether you’re taking a big family vacation or partaking in a dreaded staycation this summer, it’s a good idea to have a cool-off plan.  What’s a cool-off plan?  It’s a list of things you can do in case of a summer heat wave emergency. 

Trust me, you don’t want to be the one making your own Slip N’ Slide out of garbage bags when the mercury rises. Here are a few things you can do instead to keep your cool.

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My family loves theme parks, but we don’t love them in the summer – it’s too crowded, too hot and too muggy. Come fall, though, it’s a whole different story. This fall, we’ve got a plan: Let’s ride as many cool roller coasters in as many fun places as we can. The kids are up for it, my husband (who’s scared of heights) has offered to hold our stuff while we ride, and we’re hitting the road.

To help me figure out the best coasters in America, I asked the roller coaster expert Big Mike. His thing is traveling the world riding roller coasters, and he’s a contributor to Theme Park Review, the number one theme park website. He’s also a member of the cool and hip new coaster club, Club TPR (complete with coupons for over eighty amusement park discounts). Big Mike’s the man – at least for all things roller coaster-esque. Read More >

If you read my recent post about staying cool in this red-hot summer travel season, you saw my suggestions about heading to waterparks and jungles, planetariums and evening fireworks displays.  But where are the best places to stay cool this summer?  This traveling mom offers some of her favorites.

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The following post is by a special guest blogger:  Sharlene Earnshaw, Trekaroo’s Blog Editor.  Sharlene is a lifelong California girl who loves nothing more than to hike, travel, write, and then travel some more.  Her 3-year old boy/girl twins and loving husband provide all the inspiration she needs to plan one new adventure after another. She is a self proclaimed National Parks nerd and has made it her goal to see every single National Park with her children. She is a dedicated road tripper and spent last summer on a 24 day road trip across the Western US and Canada.  Her favorite travel memory is being greeted by cheers at the top of Inspiration Point in Grand Teton after being told that her toddlers wouldn’t be able to do it.  She graduated from University of California at Davis with a degree in Communications.

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