It’s Wednesday, time for the whirlwind trip around the web for tips, gear and other information to spruce up your family vacation:

• Any parent knows that clean bathrooms are hard to find. Yes, we’ve been down the potty road before with the list of 10+ super-cool bathrooms around the world, but this time TechieDiva comes through with something more practical: a web address that you can go to from your cellphone to find the nearest bathrooms that are (presumably) clean. Bonus? You can find info on changing stations as well (because as we know all too well, not all bathroom are thusly equipped…)
• Fodor’s has a great article on crowded destinations to avoid this summer – we love heat but we hate it when it’s caused by the million other people who’ve decided to vacation with us. Steer clear of these spots until their offseasons, and check the list of alternatives for a family vacation that will have you relaxing in relative peace.
• Ever since the iPod came out, it seems like every company and their mother is releasing a product with a play on the name; it can get a little boring. But we totally appreciate the Quikpod, which is sort of a tripod – which existed long before the iPod. Check out the L.A. Times blurb on this very nifty camera accessory that will save you from sheepishly asking strangers, “Do you mind taking a picture of us?”
• While eating from a street cart vendor can seem the total antithesis of luxury, there’s one thing it can offer – authenticity. And while we love luxury and pampering on our family vacations, a taste of the real is always a good way to introduce the kids – and yourself – to a destination or culture. Follow this link to New York Magazine’s feature on The Concrete Elite – the best street cart food to be found throughout the 5 boroughs. (Yes, there is more to see than just Manhattan…)
• Like the concept of private jet ownership plans but not ready for the large cash outlay? JumpJet has some of the most inexpensive membership fees we’ve come across. There are, of course, more restrictions for the least costly plans, and we noticed there was no mention of food, but for the sake of convenience and avoiding the increasingly awful commercial airlines, this could be a good way to fly. Also, they actually have a family plan, which of course is right up our alley… (Thanks to Paul over at A Luxury Travel Blog for the heads up on this one…)

NetJets plane, copyright NetJets Inc.

From the folks at Gadling, we’ve learned that NetJets has hooked up with several top-notch restaurants around the world to offer the best gourmet meals on its flights. Meals will be cooked at the restaurant, boxed and reheated to be served to you in style as you flit about. If you’re a NetJets owner, you’ll get even more value now: although you do pay extra for those meals, they’ll certainly beat anything you’ll get on a commercial flight.

Monday’s NY Times ran an article about One Sky, a company that runs a private jet membership program in which members can either prepay for their flying or pay as they go. While the prices might still be considered steep by some – a one-way from Newark to Tampa in a light jet started at around $5300 – they certainly beat the costs associated with owning your own jet.

The charter airplane market isn’t exactly new, but One Sky is making it easier to get a slightly deeper discount by allowing people to reserve an “empty leg” – a return trip for a plane that’s only been reserved one-way, similar to a cruise’s repositioning trip. Their website has an easy search engine allowing you to look up available empty legs. We won’t go into all the nuts and bolts here – the article sums it up quite nicely and One Sky’s website is very simple to use – but we thought it was worth a mention. At the prices you might pay for the whole family to fly anyhow, the comfort and convenience of a private jet could well be worth the higher price tag. If you’ve flown with One Sky, let us know what you think…