Road Maps
When you set out on vacation or go on just about any long distance trip, its always a good idea to keep a road map of the state you are in with you. This is not a difficult assignment. Most states have visitors welcoming centers where maps are given away for free or sold for a reasonable rate. Also most gas stations and quick marts along highways sell road maps because truckers need them sometimes also. If you know in advance where you will be traveling, you can call the visitors information agency in the state where you will be driving and they will send you lots of information about the state and a map.
The large fold out maps that are the standard for this kind of travel are well known to anyone who has used them on a trip. The incredible amount of detail that is included with maps like this is their strength. But all that detail can also be a weakness because most state road maps are difficult to read or understand so a traveler can use them for planning his or her trip. You do need the details about the roads and the towns along the way. While you no doubt have a plan to stick to the freeway and use the path of least resistance to get to your goal, a map makes it possible for you to make sudden changes of plans should you encounter a road block, an accident or some other delay that you don’t want to wait out.
If you are going to a state that is unfamiliar to you or a part of your home state that you have not traveled in before, it will pay to fold out the map ahead of time to get to know the lay of the land. This is especially important if you are traveling alone so you do not have a rider to help handle the maps and do your navigation for you. The key to being your own navigator is to think ahead because there are aspects about that map that can be pretty maddening.
You don’t have to think very long about the question of what is the most aggravating thing about the conventional road map. They are large and the way they are folded makes them difficult to work with. Once again, if you have a rider along with you, he or she can take the time to figure out how to deal with the maps. But if you are driving alone, do some work ahead of time so you don’t find yourself wrestling with the map as you drive.
Get the map out and fold it open. Find the part of the map that is pertinent to the next leg of the journey. Now fold it so only that section is showing and lay the finished map on the passenger side of the car. Now you are ready to travel because your map is where you want it to be so it can help you out as you continue down the road to your destination.