In the old days, this meant long tedious hours in the car with nothing to do but play I Spy Something with my Eye.
These days, however, a whole host of gadgets are at our fingertips to woo, mesmerize, comfortize, and otherwise entertain our bored skulls as we tool down the highway.
But what to bring along?
Douglas Rogers, writing for Forbes Traveler, has thoughtfully put together a list of Top Road Trip Gadgets (and, as usual with Forbes Traveler, a slide show to accompany it). Some of the items aren’t too unique–such as a satellite phone, handycam, or laptop computer–while ohers are a bit cooler; a radar detector or satellite phone. What really blew me away, however, were two very cool items.
The first is the Car MD. This nifty little tool “plugs into your car’s computer” and diagnosis any problems with your automobile. It costs $89.99, which is a whole lot cheaper than a mechanic and more honest as well. But is it reliable? Forbes Traveler unfortunately does not provide a hands-on review so you just might have to check it out yourself.
The other cool gadget is the sunglasses with a spy camera (above). Pop one of these on your head, plug the other end into an MP4 player, and then you can record video of everything you come across on your road trip, including, according to Forbes Traveler, that “cute girl in the MG convertible.” Shame on you Forbes!