It's also a good idea to set specific periods of time when you will check your smartphone, if you do decide to bring it along with you on vacation but not necessarily carry it, so you don't feel any temptation to continually check for new messages or updates. For example, if you need to check your e-mail or messages, for work reasons or otherwise, simply schedule 15 or 20 minutes of phone time at, say, noon and 6 PM each day. That way, you can still check your e-mail to make sure there aren't any fires that need extinguishing, but you're still in control of the time and duration that you're "connected."

(Note: If you're traveling outside of your local area or country, you may want to disable your cell phone's roaming ability, or the ability to jump on other cellular networks when your carrier's main network is out of range, to save on roaming charges.)

Now that you've come to terms with creating some distance from your smartphone, you need to determine if there are other gadgets you can vacation without. Once again, I'd say the less technology, the better. But maybe you want to bring that iPad along so you can watch movies on the plane or read e-books while baking in the sun. Or you want to bring along your laptop so you can search for the best restaurants or attractions in a specific area.

That's all fine and good...as long as you don't let that gadget suck you back into the e-abyss. If the point of your vacation is to disconnect, then you'd do wise to avoid any gadget that might allow you to quickly check your Twitter stream or Facebook account, etc. And remember, you can always read a book with, you know, paper pages. And most hotels are packed with pamphlets and other materials highlighting local activities and points of interest. Some hotels even provide concierge services designed to help you find your way around.