Ready to Travel

Part of getting ready to travel is stocking your phone with apps for the journey. This includes all the practical apps, for airlines, hotels, restaurants, and maps; but also some apps for fun and local interest. Here are a few favorites for my annual wildflower expedition to the deserts of Southern California with my folks.

One is the Anza-Borrego Wildflower app (efMer). The app provides a database of desert flowers organized by color, making it a great field guide. I use the Google version, but an iPhone version is also available. Some of the flowers are endemic to Anza-Borrego area, but I can typically find flowers for any of the deserts we visit. You can choose between a scientific view, full guide, compact guide, or flower only. Click on a photo to toggle between the flower and the whole plant. This is definitely worth checking out if you love desert plants!

Find and identify wildflowers in the California deserts

Another is the Palm Springs Modern app (Desert Publications, Inc.). The app is huge (the database requires 241 MB) and available for a modest fee. It provides self-guided tours of over 80 mid-century landmarks in Palm Springs. They are arranged into three regions, provide history about the architect and architecture, maps, and interesting detail. You can sort by interests such as architect or region, and you can follow one of their tours or design a custom tour of your own. If you love the clean, hip lines of mid-century architect and have space on your phone, this app is for you. It is available in Google or iPhone versions.

Learn about mid-century architectural treasures in Palm Springs

A recent discovery is the AllTrails app (AllTrails, Inc.), recommended by my friend and hiking buddy, Leslie (see Wildcat Canyon Regional Park and Redwood Regional Park). You can search for trails in an area, learn how difficult they are, mark them as favorites, view them on a topographical map, and drill to find the details. You can read comments from others, upload photos, check in, and make trail recommendations. If you like to hike while travelling, this is an app for you! It too is available in Google and iPhone versions.

Take a hike and see the native habitat while you travel

Do you have any favorite travel apps?