As the author of a column that reviews apps, I research and download dozens of obscure, potentially useful applications onto my iPhone in the hopes of finding something that could be beneficial to my readers. Unfortunately, this leaves me with a folder of apps that I never use.

They sit and take up space and data on my phone. Many of the apps I find are interesting in concept, but lack daily-life application. Weotta was one of those apps.

The idea behind Weotta is fascinating: it finds your locations and shows you what restaurants, parks, museums, theaters, or any other attractions are near you. After 17 years of living in Harford County, though, the app showed me very little that I didn’t already know.

The app served its function, though. A few weekends ago, I found myself in Charlotte, North Carolina with two and a half hours to kill before my flight. That’s when I remembered to download Weotta for free from the App Store.

I whipped open the app and began searching. You can filter the app by whatever you’re interested in doing. You can find activities, attractions, coffee shops, cheap or free things to do, dog-friendly activities, rainy-day activities, sporting attractions, and more.

If that’s not enough, each of those categories can be filtered down to subcategories. For example, under the category “Attractions” you can find subcategories including “visit local landmarks,” “go to a museum,” “do something touristy,” or “hangout at the park.”

While in Charlotte (in the 60-degree January weather), I chose the “hangout at the park” subcategory. Weotta then brought up dozens of recommendations of parks to explore. The app automatically sorted the parks by their distance from my current location. I ended up at a park full of playgrounds, athletic fields, and walking trails where many people were walking their dogs, all surrounding a huge pond.

Each attraction listed on Weotta includes pictures, ratings, and reviews. It additionally includes contact information, directions, the link to the attraction’s website, the attraction’s hours, and the menu for attractions that include food.

You’ll see a description of the attraction, a “Things to Know” section, and how formal or casual the setting is. Basically, Weotta tells you everything that you would need to know, and probably more.

After you select where you wish to visit, you can rate the attraction, save it so that you remember it for future visits, or share it on Facebook.

While it’s tough to find an application from Weotta in good old HarCo, its uses are infinite when you travel. Whether you go to Baltimore, North Carolina, or Spain, you’re bound to find something to keep you busy.

Lauren Glase is the Media Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.