Planning a road trip? Here’s a great way to find out what you might be needing on the way.
On the Way [EDITORS NOTE: Now seems to be called Along 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.
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
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.
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.
Not free anymore! I just looked it up, and it’s now $2.99.