Great Tools and Apps for Summer Vacation

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I’m lucky, I recently got back from a fabulous 11 days in Hawaii.  While we didn’t turn on the TV once and tried to only check email a few times a day (6 hour time difference from the East Coast helped out a bit), technology still played a role in our vacation.  Since you’ve probably already planned your vacation using sites and apps like TripAdvisor, Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, Hotels.com, and others, I’m going to focus this blog post on technology to use while on the road.

1. The iPad

I have to put this first because it is our be-all and end-all device for media consumption and entertainment.  The long battery life was put to the test with our 11 hour flight from Newark to Honolulu.  Before leaving I downloaded TV shows (thanks Disney for those free 1st episodes!), rented movies, purchased books (for the family on both iBooks and Kindle), and loaded up the games.  All of which were readily consumed, taking turns of course, by the whole family on the plane.  Once on the ground, it served primarily as a gaming, reading (although not in the sun), and web browsing device.  We did stream one show from Netflix as our only “TV” on the Islands.  We have the WiFi version so the iPad mostly stayed in the room and safe, but we did bring the Sprint Overdrive MiFi device to create a wireless hotspot when we needed coverage.  On the go, I mostly used the apps on my iPhone.

2.  Trip Journal

One thing I forgot to buy before leaving is a travel journal to record our memories and favorite places.  This is something I like to do so that later I can recommend restaurants and remember those special moments that can’t be captured just in photos.  Luckily, they have an app for that.  I downloaded Trip Journal for the iPhone.  The cool thing about this app is that you can set waypoints via GPS and add notes and photos (taken from the iPhone camera).  Sometimes I got caught up in the moment (imagine that!) and forgot to record a stop but for the most part, I was able to capture our stops and create a journal entry to record our thoughts and impressions.  When I got back, I have a few options to export this information.  Pros of this app:  ability to record trip on the go, utilizes GPS to create trip stops.  Cons:  doesn’t sync between devices (iPad/iPhone), export to Facebook didn’t work for me, export to Google Earth is cool but you have to be a little techy to really get value out of it, wish GPS brought up locations to choose from (a la Foursquare vs entering names each time), wish you could export to a text file or create something printable.

3.  Google Maps

With two smartphones in the car, plus a pretty good map reader (hooray for those years working at AAA), we didn’t bother with a GPS in our rental cars.  While the GPS turn-by-turn voice directions on my husband’s Sprint Palm Pre is definitely superior, it was also very unreliable.  Google Maps, while slow, is extremely helpful in finding out where you are and how to get from point A to point B via car, foot, or mass transit.  I used to get very frustrated trying to get directions to a location from where I was (Google not being known for the best User Interface), but then I discovered that instead of dropping pins or trying to figure out the address where I was, I could just start typing Current Location and there you go.

4. Foursquare

This may not provide a lot of value to travelers but it is fun to let your friends back home know where you are.  The post to Twitter and Facebook capabilities make this simpler.  Plus you never know who might be nearby or what specials you’ll discover.  And all those check ins did earn me a few more badges.

5.  Hear Planet

If you are going somewhere near major tourist attractions, check out the Hear Planet app (iPhone).  It provides audio guided tours to major attractions around the globe.

6.  Destination Apps

Make sure you do searches for applications specific to your destination.  I was able to find apps for Volcano National Park, Driving Maui, Aloha Hawaii and many more.  Chances are wherever you are going, there is an app for that.  There are countless paid and free apps for Disney, National Parks, City Guides, and so much more.

7.  Local Apps

You never know what you are going to need until you need it.  How about a 24 hour pharmacy, ATM, hospital, gas, dry cleaner… There are many apps out there that answer this call.  Check out Where, Around Me, Vicinity, and others.  Of course, tapping your Twitter or other social network is also a great way to find out the true local hotspots.

8.  KodakGallery.com

When you come back home with all those fabulous vacation photos, what do you do with them? Some use Flickr (and thanks because that was a great way to research what hotels really look like), but I prefer KodakGallery.com.  I’ve been using it for years to share photos privately with my family and friends that live far away.  Because of this, my entire library of digital photos is backed up there and every couple of years, I purchase an archive disc just in case.  Other family members use KodakGallery also, allowing me to purchase copies of their photos or use them to create family photo albums.  After a special trip, I like to create a photo book of pictures just from that trip.  I am able to choose the cover, page background, choose different layouts per page, write captions, and easily edit and preview.  These have become treasured family keepsakes and for those of us that don’t scrapbook, an easy way to record special memories.

What technology devices & applications have you used on your summer vacation?

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