If you’re a Northwest parent and you’re looking for fun places to go this summer with your kids, I recommend visiting Cascadia Kids for ideas and inspirations. Lora Shinn, the founder of this family travel blog, is a Seattle-based freelance writer who loves family travel.

But family travel articles are hard to publish, so she started this blog for the love of it and to help out the rest of us who have no family travel publications to turn to. (Of course the beauty of a blog is that it's up-to-the-minute up to date).

Why “Cascadia” and not “Northwest”? Besides recommending areas in Washington and Oregon, she also covers southern B.C., the Lower Mainland, an area not nearly enough Northwest families think to visit. Well written and meticulously accurate, this blog is a great resource for Northwest regional parents. Check out her recommendations.

Another blog I learned about recently is The Fun Parent, a blog started by a mom who wants to pass on her recommendations for fun things to do with your kids (especially helpful when your brain has gone on auto pilot). This blog is aimed at the younger set, 8 and under, and is geared for anyone caring for kids.