I have to admit that before I had a smart phone, I was hesitant to travel or venture anywhere without a good tour guide to help me navigate unfamiliar terrain. Thankfully, my phone has not only helped me to be more adventurous when exploring new restaurants and sites, but in some ways it truly helps me to feel like a local.

Of course, my favorite travel apps are the ones that can save me time and money, which are always on short supply during trips. I want to share with you a few of the best apps to use when planning your next adventure.

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Whether you’re jammed into the 25^th row of a jetliner, sitting in a nice restaurant, or relaxing in your hotel room, there comes a time on every family vacation when you really need your kids to be quiet.

While it’s occasionally fine to let them watch a DVD or play on your iPhone, sometimes it’s good to offer them something a little more low-tech too (as long as it’s quiet, compact, and non-messy).  Here are some of our favorite toys for keeping the peace when traveling with kids:

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Air travel is unpredictable.  Sometimes, against all odds, you manage to get your family packed, dressed, and to the airport the required two hours early, only to find your flight has been delayed.  It’s maddening.

If you’re not careful, you’ll eat all your food, read all your books, and play all your games before you’ve so much as boarded the plane.  Now what?  Here are a handful of things you can do to prepare for this scenario.

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The screen on my iPhone is broken.

OK, you’re saying to yourself. I thought I was reading about car sickness in young children?

Yep. Exactly.

You see, a few weeks ago, Zoe (if you’re a regular reader, you know she’s my very boppy 11 year-old) got car sick. Like she always does. She happened to tell me in time to pull into a parking lot. Which she doesn’t always. Seemed like a great thing. . . except that when I opened the door to get out and hold her hair while she barfed all over the parking lot, my iPhone fell off my lap and onto the hard asphalt.

And now the screen’s broken.

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