Pledge to Our Readers:
We cover destinations that we know well. My writers and I are passionate travelers and spend tremendous effort planning trips that excite us and our readers.
My writers and I are committed to not using AI in lieu of fact-checking and research. AI is often wrong in my own trip planning. Our writers have visited the locations they write about, often many times. This is how we can provide the important ”I’ve been there” perspective.
When we fact-check an attraction, we pull information from its website (known as a primary source), not a secondary source like a visitor bureau site. A seasoned editor updates and fact-checks most articles annually.
Photos have not been altered outside of cropping or straightening. Know that you are looking at what we saw and experienced.
We, the writers at Carful of Kids Travel and I travel constantly, visiting new destinations. If you are reading a hotel, resort or even cruise review, you can know that we stayed there. Our writers have traveled professionally for decades. I personally have stayed in thousands of hotel rooms over the years.
Catherine Parker is the founder and publisher of Carful of Kids Travel. It started in 2012 and has blossomed over the years. With three kids in an overpacked SUV, she traveled across North America and eventually saw all 50 states with her kids before the oldest graduated from high school.
Catherine knows family travel. From the planning to the packing to the driving, she helps readers plan their best trip ever. By exploring together, they can fall in love with the pulse of urban cities like Los Angeles and New York City.
For those who yearn for family time in the great outdoors, Carful of Kids Travel publishes extensive information about National Parks. She has explored 41 of the 63 National Parks of the United States and has updated articles for U.S. News and World Report, covering Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks.
Carful of Kids Media Kit & Rate Card
Catherine Parker is a syndication partner with MSN with an average of 15,000 views a month and 1,000 followers. Videos shared on MSN can reach an audience of 1 million with an average of 10,000 active views a month.
The Resort and Travel Reviews with Catherine Parker on YouTube averages about 8,000 monthly views, logging 325 watch hours for the same period.
Carful of Kids Travel produces and distributes a monthly newsletter to its 500+ subscribers.
Catherine Parker’s Media Kit
Carful of Kid Family Travel Rate Card
Carful of Kids Social Accounts and Newsletter
The Carful of Kids’ social followers represent 75% of 25 to 44-year-olds, with 50% having a net worth of $1M to $2M. Follow Catherine and the Carful of Kids on your favorite social platform.
Catherine’s Story
Family Travel Expert Catherine Parker offers insight to help parents find destinations families will rave about for years. Since she’s driven across North America with three kids, she knows traveling with kids can be messy.
During college, she merged her passions for good words and great buildings by studying English Literature and Architecture. While working part-time as a preschool teacher, she funded her travel expenses and learned how kids think.
Since Catherine’s secret obsession is dessert, she worked in a French bakery when she graduated from college. It wasn’t long before that fresh degree burned in her hands, so Catherine moved to Austin, Texas, to use her architecture background.
Working with a group of designers in an Interior Design Showroom, Catherine learned the difference between a Chesterfield and a Camelback. Until adventure called again. Beating the odds, she landed a highly coveted job at American Airlines as a flight attendant. Next Catherine loaded up a storage unit and moved to New York City.
For the next 22 months, Catherine alternated between landing in every major North American airport and exploring every neighborhood in New York City. Both experiences proved invaluable since she lived in the most expensive urban area in the U.S. on $19,000 a year.
Moving West
After a particularly hard winter, the West Coast called and Catherine transferred to San Francisco. For the next nine months, she hopped up and down the West Coast, passing out cocktails and skiing down mountains. Until the one morning that changed the world.
On September 11, Catherine lost her former roommate aboard the jet that flew into the World Trade Center’s South Tower. Unable to continue in the new security climate with a broken heart, Catherine relented and resigned the next month.
Logging Miles
In the following year, Catherine got married, had a baby and took her first trip as a family traveler. With a carful of gear, she took one tiny baby to the beach.
As the years passed the babies accumulated, now three in total. Catherine wanted to show her kids their world. So early on she decided to drive through North America. To date, Catherine has logged 70,000 miles behind the wheel driving across the lower 48 and six Canadian provinces.
Her motto, Can I drive there? And so far the answer has been yes. Until one day when Catherine and her kids got caught up in an international car theft ring. Out of a paroled, paid parking lot she lost her car and the majority of their belongings in Montreal, Canada. Stolen, in broad daylight.
In the ensuing hours, Catherine used a foreign language from high school to make a police report while she and the officers enjoyed the Canada Day fireworks pop overhead. The next morning, she gathered their remaining belongings and loaded up a rental car to bid Montreal adieu.
Throughout the ordeal, her kids aged 6, 10 and 11, never cried, whined or complained. And they even had fun as they raced through a French-Canadian Target replacing their stolen items to continue on their three-week itinerary exploring the East Coast and the Canadian Maritimes. Officially, they were offline for eight hours because of the alleged car theft.
Her car was never recovered and reportedly made its way to West Africa for its second life as a taxi. Her insurance company gave her a souvenir. A high-risk designation that she wears as a badge of honor.
Catherine seamlessly blended 25 years of experience starting with teaching preschoolers to working in a professional kitchen. Then transitioned to fine furniture and interior design to follow up in aviation. She just followed her passion hoping one day it would meld into the perfect career.
It did.
Where To Find Catherine’s Work
Find her work in books, she contributed to Compass–The Onboard Magazine of Holland America Line and Disney Cruise Line Wonder Onboard Guide. RedTri.com named her site as one of the family travel blogs you need to bookmark now.
Catherine also contributes to print magazines like Parents and Chicago’s Suburban Parent. She is a regular contributor to the magazine, East Wilco Insider and Taylor 76574, as a feature writer.
Catherine has visited 42 of the 63 big national parks.
