on maps and plans

mapquest
Tom-Tom
directions from friends
directions from shopkeepers/gas station attendants
a 10-year old trucker's atlas
roadsigns
directions from park rangers


Over the course of this month's adventure I've had to rely on each of the above to move the adventure forward. Stop for a minute and review the list. Which do you think was the least reliable? Most interesting? Which do you suppose I came to rely on?

Yea... TomTom... pretty useless. Turns out he works best for navigating around cities. There were plenty of them on the trip, so I suppose he earned his keep. On the highways, though, what a mess. Most days his directions added 2+ hours to the estimated travel time. Thankfully we didn't often listen to him.

Mapquest was pretty good. Generally accurate and efficient. Until we came to roadblocks, detours, or police obstructions. Then, we were in danger of being hopelessly lost. In fact, one such episode forced us 15 miles out of our way before we could find another source.

The most interesting navigational aids were, of course, the people. Friends, shopkeepers, and park rangers all directed us on our journey. Some friends are very good at directions. Others are a little too familiar with their home-territory to effectively direct strangers around. Park Rangers do tend to prefer the scenic detours, but their advice was definitely worth taking.

By far, the most valuable navi we had with us was the trucker's atlas. This wonderful tool was loaned to me by a friend literally at the last moment. I am ashamed to admit that I hadn't had one. I figured we had Tom-Tom, phones, and mapquest, plus a feminine willingness to ask for directions. Surely our vacation-inspired gregariousness coupled with modern technological advances would be more than adequate. Nothing to worry about. Maps were for grandpas and backpackers. We'd be fine.

HA! Lesson learned. Sometimes, the old-fashioned way really is the best.