Clockwise from top left: My Shot Lists app; Attractions and Oddities GPS guide; Bracketron Universal Cup-iT Cup Holder Mount; GasBuddy.com app; Roadfood.com
An ever-growing number of road-trip-related apps, websites and gadgets help make plotting a summer adventure almost as fun as the journey itself. Whether you're bound for the ocean, mountains or desert, here are some high-tech ways to ease your expedition.
Take the scenic route
Find the prettiest, most historic or quirkiest way between points A and B with byways.org, the website of the National Scenic Byways Program. Including breathtaking sunset locations, Civil War battlefields and architectural wonders, the site offers easy browsing by state, region and activity. Enable it to recognize your location and it serves up the best drives nearby.
Other sites for inspiration include travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips and roadtripusa.com.
MyWeather.com website
Boost your GPS
Never miss another Paul Bunyan statue, jackalope or plaster dinosaur with the aid of Attractions and Oddities ($20), a GPS guide available for direct download to Garmin devices at roadsideamerica.com/gps.
This compilation of offbeat Americana puts locations, directions, hours and phone numbers for more than 5,000 attractions in all 50 states at your fingertips. It also provides precise routing that makes it easy to cruise to giant beetles, alligator farms or old Route 66.
Keep it in reach
Stop fumbling while driving. The Bracketron Universal Cup-iT Cup Holder Mount ($11, amazon.com) fits into most vehicles' cup holders. Its arm holds your phone or GPS device aloft and keeps it stable for easier viewing.
Anticipate the weather
Know exactly what type of day you're driving into (or hiking, riding or climbing through after you park) with the help of MyWeather.com and its free Android and iPhone apps. Pinpoint weather by ZIP code, landmark, city and more; store favorite locations along your route for easy reference; peruse forecast maps; and send weather-emergency alerts to your phone.
For heads-up information, try the iMapWeather Radio app for iPhone from Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. ($10). It offers location-based voice alerts and real-time video of weather emergencies so you can make an informed decision if floods, tornadoes or other storms stand between you and your destination.
Know where to eat
Find some of the most memorable eateries along America's highways and back roads by searching the 1,500-plus options collected by the nomadic eating team at Roadfood.com. Search by state, find regional cuisine or follow food routes such as the Memphis Barbecue Loop or Oregon Coast Seafood Markets.
Camp Finder app for iPhone.
Find lodging
Smartphone apps Hotels Near Me (free, Android phones) and hotels.com (free, iPhone) use the GPS inside your phone to consult their hotel databases and round up lodgings in your proximity. Camp Finder ($2, iPhone) does the same for campsites.
Fill 'er up
Find the best deals on gas wherever you roam with the help of GasBuddy.com and its free apps for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone and BlackBerry. Turn to autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx for local gas prices and to estimate the cost of your road trip. Drive an electric car? Find an ever-growing list of charging stations at carstations.com.
Collect memories
Head home without missing key photo ops with the help of My Shot Lists ($1, iPhone). It provides checklists of images to help you fully capture a sense of place at a variety of destinations. Once you've identified a subject, PhotoCaddy ($4, iPhone) offers advice for camera settings and helpful hints from fellow photographers to frame it just right.
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