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Thursday 26 July

What's on the way?

Planning a road trip? Here's a great way to find out what you might be needing on the way.

Including Zombieland.

On the Way App

 

On the Way is a free and handy web-based app allows you to plug in your trip's starting point and end point, so it can finds restaurants, stores, and attractions along your route, using Google Places and Foursquare.

For each point of interest, you can add it to your trip--or just check out how many people are checked in, and browse comments and tips others have left behind. Does that fast food restaurant have a super fast drive-thru or a really nasty bathroom? Is there a local diner that you'd hate to miss? Does that coffee shop have good wi-fi? It totally beats relying on the search function on your car's GPS.

Besides, I just learned that they filmed Zombieland at a wild animal park we would pass on the way to Orlando. Sold!

You can also find camp rounds, wineries, grocery stores, and malls, in case someone forgot their flip-flops. Also, gay bars, should that be on your agenda.

As far as caveats, it would seem helpful if the app included things you might really need, like the next clean gas station or hotel. There's no visible FAQ, so you're basically stuck with whatever pops up, and I had trouble backing up along the route. Still, when you're on a long stretch of empty highway, this could be the way to find just the right place to stop and satisfy some pressing need. Or you know, the desire to check out  Zombieland.~Delilah

Check out what's on your road trip route with the On the Way app, accessible from any phone through your browser.

Find More: Apps apps and more apps, For the Car, Free or close to it, Travel essentials, Websites Worth a Bookmark

2 Comments

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Annie @ PhD in Parenting | July 26, 2012 8:29 AM | Reply

Interesting idea. I wonder how they decide what to include, though. I tried it out for an upcoming 15 hour drive that I have planned and it showed me mostly malls and cheap coffee places, which isn't really what I would value.

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Ticia | July 27, 2012 9:07 AM | Reply

I tried it out a few months ago before driving from Texas to Virginia, and all it came up with was Wal-Mart Supercenters, Chili's, and bars. Not a single thing that was useful.

I wish it had a way to specify what you were looking for, because then it might actually be useful, as it is right now, I found it highly annoying.

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