Chicago, IL

As we get ready to head home I thought I'd share a few things that helped my trip go off without a hitch...

- First and foremost a travel agent. (granted I took mine with me - my mom) but still indispensable to have someone with access to loads of info and deals. (see yesterday's post for contact info if you need a travel agent!)
- iPhone, I set my phone to airplane mode in Dallas, and used it whenever I had wireless access. Which I found a lot of places for free. (see app lists too)
- Rick Steves resources. I have read so many Rick Steves books, listened to podcasts and used his maps. Once we hit each city I had so many extra info that really helped.
-apps on iPhone:
1. Skype - it was so nice to be able to call home, message them and have a contact piece even without access to my regular cell service
2. Everlater - my blog app holds pics, notes, thoughts, tips, etc and when I have Internet it uploads to a central personalized site (where you are probably seeing this now)
3. Rick Steves app - we ended up using RS Podcasts on the trip into each new city for info and several times used his walking tours on there (plus maps) (no Internet required once everything is downloaded)
4. London tube map by bappz. Perfect for navigating London's underground (no Internet required once downloaded)
5. iBooks - great place to store PDFs of maps, ticket confirmations, etc for easy access on the trip.

Seriously I used all of these things but our trip was practically perfection. I'm completely spoiled by land trips now. I didn't quite grasp how much our tour company handles on a trip like this and how little I would want too. Haha it was so lovely to have so many things included with our trip. Ahhhhh I wish I could have my own tour director and driver at home with me laying out wake up times, organizing every detail of my day and then making sure I arrive on time safely where I should be. So without a great plan this trip would not have been as amazing as it has been.

This is the last post as we are leaving for the airport. I will add more pics once we get home.

Arrivederci.