It’s time to ready the family truckster and hit the road. And we’ve got some apps to ease your travel angst.

Best Road Trip Ever
The app-eal: It highlights the coolest offbeat spots along your route.
Helpful factor: Among the 7,000+ locations, pit stops like Route 66 landmark Snuffy’s Grill make Mom and Dad the best tour guides ever.
Who’s driving: Front-seat passengers.
Works on: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
Cost: $4

GasBuddy
The app-eal: Find service stations with the cheapest gas for miles.
Helpful factor: Save money. Upgrade to a motel with HBO. Need we say more?
Who’s driving: Front-seat passengers.
Works on: iOS, Android, and Windows devices.
Cost: Free

Family Car Games
The app-eal: One hundred activities entertain on long stretches of interstate.
Helpful factor: The alphabet and license plate games will eventually play out. Arm yourself.
Who’s driving: Backseat passengers.
Works on: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
Cost: $2

Bartleby’s Book of Buttons Vol. 1: the Far Away Island
The app-eal: Buttons, switches, and sliders, oh my.
Fun factor: The interactive puzzles that kids need to solve before moving on with the story are ideal for readers, amusing for everyone.
Who’s driving: Backseat passengers.
Works on: iPad.
Cost: Free

Faces iMake
The app-eal: Choose from hundreds of items like food, utensils, tools, toys, and candy for eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
Fun factor: Thousands of combinations make it a time-passer of cross-country proportions.
Who’s driving: Backseat passengers.
Works on: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
Cost: $1-$2

Road-Trip-Bingo
The app-eal: Watch for signs, animals, and types of cars to get the heralded five in a row.
Fun factor: Roll down the windows and be prepared to hear squeals of “Bingo!”
Who’s driving: Backseat passengers.
Works on: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
Cost: $1-$2

	Getting there is half the battle. We’ve found games and gear to get little ones from point A to point B — as well as more ideas on where point B should be.

WAVE
Flag Festival
What: Drop by the Victorian-style street fair for face painting, carnival games, and a high-flying performance by Funicular Aerial Circus.
Why: Dress pooches in stars and stripes for the pet parade.
When: Sat. Fair, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; pet parade registration, 1 p.m.; parade, 2 p.m.
Where: Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St. (215-686-1252). Admission is free.

CREATE
Art in the Open Family Day
What: Experiment with watercolors, make a journal, and do other crafty projects.
Why: Campfire charcoal and other outdoorsy mediums are a welcome break from crayons.
When: Sat., 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: East side of the Schuylkill Banks, at Martin Luther King Dr., below the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Participation is free.

PUTT
Fore the Planet
What: Learn about environmental issues while playing a round of indoor mini golf at the new exhibit.
Why: Get the scoop on evolution and extinction even if you don’t get a hole in one.
When: Thru Sept. 25. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: The Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. (215-299-1000). Adults and children 13 and up, $12; children, $10; under 3, free.

Photo: Image Source / Getty Images