I’m lost.

[953 nut 58,217]

 

 Adventure calls, on Read a Road Map Day, April 5, we look back at travel before technology took over. Kids today have never mastered the fine art of refolding a road map or deciphering the road map’s idiosyncrasies. And, who can forget the AAA Trip-Ticket driving directions.

Today, technological advancements have made life a lot easier to navigate, both literally and figuratively. If you want to visit a place that you’ve never been to before or you don’t know exactly how to get to a spot in the city, fret not. Pull up your GPS (Global Positioning System) on your smartphone and you are good to go. However, in the days of yore, which in all fairness was not that long ago, people employed a paper road map’s aid to help themselves in understanding their routes. The same goes for the U.S. military, too, until they upgraded to GPS and, thus, recorded the first instance of a GPS being used in the country.

 

 

[WHX?? 50,852]

Cleaned out the bike tour pak and found no less than three road atlases and maps. 

54 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

on your smartphone

Until no service or dead batteries...One doesn't have to "subscribe"  to  a paper map. 

Heading over to Pullstart's we found a much better route that GPS Karen didn't come up with. 

On that way back she really made us take it in the shorts thru Chi town. 

[953 nut 58,217]

Our GPS and I have been known to fight it out several times. There are little two lane roads I've found in various places that have no traffic and parallel congested Interstates. 

[ri702bill 9,050]

GPS, aka Going Postal Soon, can be wrong. Case in point - in Providence a few years back, they moved Rt 195 from in front of the hurricane barrier to behind it - ramps & all.

For a year or so, the GPS would show you in the river!! AND have an audible re-directing fit!!!

[Ed Kennell 40,673]

I like to use the "Shortest Distance" mode on my GPS.   Except that trip to a baseball tournament on Kentucky when GPS Charmaine took me down a dirt road that forded a stream a couple times.  I backtracked when the third ford was about a 3 ft drop into the creek and a muddy bank on the other side.   I think we could have made it, but Mrs. K had all ready jumped out and was giving me a couple new names

[WHX?? 50,852]

17 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

Going Postal Soon

[squonk 42,750]

Yup GPS around a city is a hoot. And the first time I went to the Big Show I turned off of Brysonia Rd onto Narrows Rd. and the GPS showed the road ended! Then there was the time it took me down a logging rd. when I was going to look at a tractor. The guy with the tractor said "everybody's GPS does that! 

[953 nut 58,217]

1 hour ago, Ed Kennell said:

use the "Shortest Distance" mode on my GPS. 

A friend let his Garmin take us from a perfectly good four lane divided highway onto a two lane that narrowed down to a one lane paved before becoming an unpaved trail headed up a mountainside. A few hundred feet up the mountainside there was a large stone outcropping with a spring running across it which was so slippery that he lost traction and ended up with a front wheel in the left side ditch and a rear wheel in the right side ditch. Had to walk out a half mile or so to get phone service.

The tow truck operator who freed the truck from the ditches said he should give out Garmins as Christmas gifts, they are great for business. He said the unpaved road we were on did come out on the other side of that mountain but he didn't know of anyone who had made all the way unless they were riding a mule.

[MainelyWheelhorse 1,071]

An alternative to GPS/Maps here is the Maine possibly New England way of navigating. @ebinmaine, @JCM, and the other Maine Members feel free to chime in. The Maine way of navigating usually is turning left, right, etc... by a landmark like an old dead tree, rotted out car, or other semi permanent object that may or may not still be physically there. This way is especially fun if you have never been to a place before.

[EB-80/8inPA 1,798]

12 hours ago, WHX?? said:

GPS Karen

Lolz.  In her early days as a navigator, she directed more than a few people to do things like drive off of cliffs.  Tragic really.

Edited April 5 by EB-80/8inPA
Suspicious content

[stevasaurus 23,106]

This reminded me of an old episode of "F" Troupe.  Captain Willten Parmeter had just received a new map of the teritory that was as big as a bed sheet.  He spent the entire show trying to fold it back up after opening it.  He never figured it out, so he ordered the directions (from the Army) that gave instructions on how to fold up the map.  The problem was, once he got the map folded, the instructions were as large as the map...and so, he never got the instruction folded up.  

 

[Beap52 1,215]

Our kids only rely on their phones for directions.  Last summer while we were following them towards the "Field of Dreams" location where the movie was made in Iowa. We were down to traveling on gravel roads.  When we travel as a family, I routinely show our 9 and ten year old grand children were we are on a paper map.

 

I picked up my new 2025 Rand McNally Road Atlas from State Farm before we left on the trip to help with disaster relief in North Carolina.  We deviated, to the Googler's angst, and it continued offering alternative routes.  When we got closer to our destination, the driver followed the Googler's route and here we were at ten o-clock at night on a winding twisty two lane road. Following the map, we would have continued on 4 lane roads.  On return trip, we followed the map. 

 

Also, on return trip, the other driver was resting in the back of the van and one of the college students sat up front to keep me company.  The student was asking about the route as her phone directed us elsewhere.  I suggested she look at the atlas.  As we drove, I was able to predict what landmarks and highways we were to cross-(I had studied the map before I drove.)  Later when we stopped I showed her the map of Nashville and the route we took--she was absolutely lost as to what she was looking at. 

 

I've been known to draw out on paper detailing my own version of a map.  I'm not against electronic maps, especially with up to date heads up on road construction and obstacles,  but I like having a hard copy within arm's reach.

 

 

[ebinmaine 70,984]

6 hours ago, MainelyWheelhorse said:

An alternative to GPS/Maps here is the Maine possibly New England way of navigating. @ebinmaine, @JCM, and the other Maine Members feel free to chime in. The Maine way of navigating usually is turning left, right, etc... by a landmark like an old dead tree, rotted out car, or other semi permanent object that may or may not still be physically there. This way is especially fun if you have never been to a place before.

 

 

 

There are two options for giving directions. 

1. Route numbers. 

2. "Oak Tree directions".

 

 

I was once told by a Local to "turn where the church was".... WAS!!!!

Another Local told me that church had burned..... over 20 years prior!!!

 

 

[953 nut 58,217]

37 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I was once told by a Local to "turn where the church was".... WAS!!!!

Another Local told me that church had burned..... over 20 years prior!!!

About fifty years back I was on my way to pick up a project car in Texas. All I knew was that the guy lived near a small town which I managed to locate on the map. When I arrived in that town and asked for further directions I was told that his road was a ways further down the main road and then turn right three miles before you get to the next town. I feared that I would have to drive to that town and then double back three miles. What he forgot to tell me was that there was a sign at the intersection showing the three mile distance to the next town.          

After Hurricane Andrew there were no road signs and a lot of "landmarks" in Homestead were gone. The National Guardsmen who were directing traffic were from out of state and had no idea where anything was. Several times I had people pull into my driveway seeking directions while I was making repairs to my house. 

[Achto 28,891]

8 hours ago, MainelyWheelhorse said:

An alternative to GPS/Maps here is the Maine possibly New England way of navigating.

 

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

I was once told by a Local to "turn where the church was".... WAS!!!!

 

I used to drive wrecker back in the late 80's early 90's, way before GPS. Directions in Wisconsin were quite interesting as well. "Get on 21, follow that until you get to Krentz's, turn left there and follow that road until you get to where that big yellow barn was, There is a road to the left there but don't turn there, keep going till you find that big oak with a rock in front, turn right there and we're the second house on the right." 

[ebinmaine 70,984]

3 minutes ago, Achto said:

until you get to Krentz's

 

My own deed has a former owner's name... instead of a landmark. 

 

[MainelyWheelhorse 1,071]

4 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

 

There are two options for giving directions. 

1. Route numbers. 

2. "Oak Tree directions".

 

 

I was once told by a Local to "turn where the church was".... WAS!!!!

Another Local told me that church had burned..... over 20 years prior!!!

 

 

@ebinmaine I’ve had that happen before too. My uncle have a wood lot and to navigate my family uses those type of directions to get around there. For example, on a turn, here is an old red bucket you’re supposed to turn by, only it has rusted away.

 

2 hours ago, Achto said:

 

 

I used to drive wrecker back in the late 80's early 90's, way before GPS. Directions in Wisconsin were quite interesting as well. "Get on 21, follow that until you get to Krentz's, turn left there and follow that road until you get to where that big yellow barn was, There is a road to the left there but don't turn there, keep going till you find that big oak with a rock in front, turn right there and we're the second house on the right." 

@Achto It must be a rural thing. I don’t know the name of some roads around here but I know the landmarks.

[squonk 42,750]

15 hours ago, stevasaurus said:

This reminded me of an old episode of "F" Troupe.  Captain William Parmeter had just received a new map of the teritory that was as big as a bed sheet.  He spent the entire show trying to fold it back up after opening it.  He never figured it out, so he ordered the directions (from the Army) that gave instructions on how to fold up the map.  The problem was, once he got the map folded, the instructions were as large as the map...and so, he never got the instruction folded up.  

 

How many times was he distracted by Wrangler Jane? 

[squonk 42,750]

If the late Waldo  and I used a GPS to find the BBQ joint that one night in PA, we would have ended up in Iowa!

[953 nut 58,217]

29 minutes ago, squonk said:

If the late Waldo  and I used a GPS to find the BBQ joint that one night in PA, we would have ended up in Iowa!

It was near the "Dollar General" store,              you just had to figure out which Dollar General it was.      

[Ed Kennell 40,673]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

which Dollar General

[squonk 42,750]

1 hour ago, Ed Kennell said:

"We're right across the street from the Dollar General"  "Which Dollar General? I've passed 5 of them!"  "I don't know which one. Just drive until you see one!" 

[Wayne0 986]

21 hours ago, stevasaurus said:

This reminded me of an old episode of "F" Troupe.  Captain William Parmeter had just received a new map of the teritory that was as big as a bed sheet.  He spent the entire show trying to fold it back up after opening it.  He never figured it out, so he ordered the directions (from the Army) that gave instructions on how to fold up the map.  The problem was, once he got the map folded, the instructions were as large as the map...and so, he never got the instruction folded up.  

 

AND Chief Wild Eagle gave directions "Turn left at the rock that looks looks a bear then turn right at the bear that looks like a rock"

[rjg854 11,927]

I was lost, but now I'm found. 

[Beap52 1,215]

42 minutes ago, rjg854 said:

I was lost, but now I'm found. 

twas blind but now I see.   

 

written by John Newton in 1772