DENVER -- Are you starting to think about making summer travel plans? If so, why buy a guidebook and get one person's opinion about where to go, what to do and where to eat when you can get input from thousands of people for free?

Check out the Web site IgoUgo.com, where you can get honest feedback from amateur travel writers everywhere.

Their online travel journals detail everything from what attractions they saw, which restaurants they ate at, what the weather was like and which small neighborhoods they strolled through. They post pictures of their trip so you can see what a place really looks like before you get there. You'll see photos you won't find in any travel guide or post card and typical scenic shots.

If you sign up for free as a member on the site, you can also interact with other travelers by sending them e-mails and asking them questions about a particular journal or photo.

There's a lot of content here, so give yourself time to browse. One reason the site is so robust is that travelers get an incentive to post on the site. The more reviews you give, the more points you get. Writers work their way toward free travel gear or frequent flyer miles by sharing their experiences.

More than 4,000 tourist destinations are featured, and the site is free to use, so what's the harm in browsing? Even if you're not ready to book your travel plans just yet, it's a fun online community to check out, especially for independent travelers.