If we are travelling to a different state for a vacation, I do a posting on Craigslist for that particular state indicating what kind of information I am looking for (kid-friendly beaches, places to visit etc.)   Getting emails from locals is so helpful b/c doing research on the internet can become overwhelming.  I did this for our upcoming trip to southern Florida and I got some fabulous tips that I didn't find online....plus locals were very nice about wanting to help too!