| If you like to travel and explore, there are many ways | | | | just about everything. In fact, the Web seems to have |
| to go about it. You can, for example, book a trip to | | | | given birth to a whole subculture of folks who delight in |
| some faraway exotic place and enjoy whatever | | | | either praising things into high heaven or ripping them to |
| comes your way. I've done that many times and | | | | shreds. This means grossly exaggerated positive or |
| almost always had a good time. I also like to just hop | | | | negative opinions that don't help at all. |
| into my car and drive and see places. I've driven | | | | What I found is that it is actually possible to find |
| across the country several times and never tire of the | | | | websites that have actual reviews and not just ads, |
| sights and beauty of our great nation. | | | | and where the reviews all have substance and then |
| However, if I could wish for one thing, it would be more | | | | some. One site I found was so detailed that a review |
| straightforward, unbiased information about the places I | | | | on a market told you about the owners, what special |
| am going to see. Sure, there are travel guides and | | | | cheeses they have, and what wine selections are best |
| glossy brochures, but for the most part they are | | | | there. It even included pictures of the layout. Or I picked |
| advertising. Traveling and visiting places can be | | | | a town or village and saw what they had to say about |
| expensive, and I'd like to know the real scoop - what | | | | a certain cottage or inn. Instead of a general |
| real people have to say about a place. Well, the other | | | | description, a good review-based website walks you |
| day I was looking for information on Door County, a | | | | through the facility, pictures and all, and describes |
| place that I'm thinking of visiting on a future trip. If you | | | | everything in an informative conversational style. By |
| haven't heard of Door County, it's in Wisconsin and | | | | the time you get there, you already know the place. |
| covers a gorgeous peninsula in Lake Michigan. It's also | | | | Same for activities. If you golf, there should be detailed |
| one of the nation's most popular vacation spots. | | | | course descriptions as well as advice. If you plan a |
| What I was looking for was more than just the usual | | | | sailing cruise based on a review website, you should |
| Chamber of Commerce website or what I could find | | | | already know what to expect before you even get |
| on a search engine. I wanted to see actual reviews of | | | | there. |
| Door County restaurants, lodging, shopping, events, and | | | | If you're really lucky, detailed, helpful reviews and |
| activities. I cannot emphasize enough the difference | | | | descriptions are not all that's available. Innovative, |
| between a real, detailed review and an advertisement. | | | | progressive web designers may even add videos and |
| Ads can certainly be a good thing, but they are | | | | podcasts, all neatly organized in a common format. In |
| designed to entice you to go to a place and buy | | | | some categories you may find dozens of videos, all |
| something. Once you get there, the restaurant may not | | | | using a common interface. This way you cannot only |
| be at all what you thought it would be, or the hotel or | | | | read about places, but also see them in video. |
| lodge is next to a highway, which the ad, of course, | | | | As far as I am concerned, review-based travel and |
| never tells you. An event or attraction might be run | | | | tourism sites provide the best information. This is what |
| down or closed, or it's terrific - you just don't know. | | | | travel guides should be like. If you plan a vacation to |
| Reviews tell you about such stuff so you know what | | | | Door County WI, or any other place for that matter, |
| to expect. To me, that's invaluable information. | | | | skip the usual promotional websites and check out one |
| Not all reviews are the same, of course. In this day | | | | with reviews instead. It's better, more useful |
| and age, you can find online "reviews" and opinions on | | | | information. |