Starting in October of this year, pedestrians in Honolulu, Hawaii can be fined up to $100 if they are caught crossing a street with eyes on their cell phone instead of traffic. Coincidentally (and somewhat ironically), I read this bit of news on my phone, in Hawaii, while I was on vacation last week. However, I wasn’t walking so I can’t claim a trifecta. My first, flippant thought was, “How could anyone have their eyes on their phones while walking around one of the most beautiful places on earth?” In my defense, I was catching up with the news on my phone after a long day of specifically not looking at electronic screens, but it got me to thinking about how invaluable my phone was throughout the trip.

Could you take a vacation without your smartphone?

For those of us whose number one work tool is our phone, the answer is reflexively “Yes!”, but only because we aren’t remembering just how thoroughly indispensable the internet has become to destination vacations. Throughout the nine days we spent traversing the island, GPS, online reviews, local weather forecasts and instant access to just about any fact known to man allowed us to really get the most out of our vacation. And several of us had plenty of quality time with phone screens while standing in line, driving from scenic view to scenic view and staying in touch with friends and family who couldn’t be there with us. Could we have done the same things without the aid of such a device? Sure, but it would require a lot more planning, paper and reliance on human memory. On your next trip, make sure you leverage your technology to maximize your vacation, but don’t forget to observe local laws (and customs!) as it might just cost you more than you planned on spending!

Image courtesy of blackzheep at FreeDigitalPhotos.net