Oct 20th 2008 08:14 am Before there was TomTom
What a coincidence! I love road maps, too! I have a stash of maps in my pickup truck, the newest of which is about seven years old. You may think highway construction moves at a snail’s pace, but it doesn’t.
Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J
46 Responses to “Before there was TomTom”
Ron in Provo on 20 Oct 2008 at 8:23 am #
Out on the road I find myself having to replace my motor carrier’s atlas every 2 – 3 years. Construction does happen…
Matthew on 20 Oct 2008 at 8:55 am #
Baseball update: The Rays won. They were the better team throughout the season & through most of this series. The Red Sox, true to form, made it an interesting series, but, this time, talent & youth beat experience.
As an old fart, I tend to root for the older teams, in this case, the Phillies, but, as an American Leaguer, I tend to root for the American League team, but, as a traditionalist, I tend to root for the team that plays OUTSIDE on REAL GRASS (and, of course, I’m perpetually ashamed of the d.h. & the wildcard), but I have an abiding admiration for a team that has built itself up &, in a small market, with little public support, & in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, gone from worst to first, so, in sum, I say “GO, RAYS!!”
Sheila in Ohio on 20 Oct 2008 at 9:07 am #
My husband loves maps. His brother is a cartographer. Before we became empty nesters, we would provide our two daughters each with their own set of maps for each car trip, and they would help us navigate. Now when we put our 4 1/2 year old grandson in the back of our car in his booster seat he says “Oh boy, maps!” and grabs the book of county maps from the pocket in front of him. He can’t read, mind you, but it does not matter to him. He has his own set of maps at home with his house, all the grandparents’ homes,, his school and various other points of interest marked. With GPS technology, people are losing their ability to plot a route and follow it. The GPS units (yes, we do have one, we call her Karen and she gets really upset when we deviate from her preferred route. She has been known to say things like “make an immediate U-turn.”) give preference to interstate highways and other high-capacity roads, and we are missing out on the interesting alternate routes. Last weekend we were driving out in the country and were flagged down by a young man in a truck who ventured off the beaten path and was hopelessly lost. We (referring to our book of county maps) led him to the nearest state route, or he might still be driving around in the beautiful fall countryside.
Greg from Robertsdale on 20 Oct 2008 at 9:19 am #
And I thought I was alone in this. Great retro.
Loved the published one today, too. My wife occasionally has to remind me that basso profundo (well, almost… I’ll settle for solidly baritone) travels very well.
Lillian on 20 Oct 2008 at 9:32 am #
I love to dream over the almanac. My husband thinks I’m nuts, but I guess there is no gypsy in him…
Phil in Sugar Land, TX on 20 Oct 2008 at 9:35 am #
I have National Geographic maps stuck up on my cubicle wall under the same general idea. The US/Alaska/Mexico and Hawaii (where I would like to retire but could never afford). When things get tense, I stare at those maps and wish I were somewhere else. Someday I’m going to write a book…
You better put those paper maps in a plastic folder and save them. They’ll be collector’s items soon. The GPS will replace them. Just what you need…another woman telling you where to go.
Speaking of collections, I ran into a couple in LA who were going to a HotWheels convention, carrying their mint collection of HotWheel cars. This year is the 40th anniversary of the advent of HotWheels. As I was on my way to my 40th high school reunion, it seemed like there should be a connection…but I couldn’t find it.
Jim in southwest Illannoy on 20 Oct 2008 at 10:05 am #
Even with a gps and with all the map programs on the Internet, I still keep some semi current maps with me. I’ve found some major errors in the online maps, one of which got us stuck big time. The road used to go through, but over 40 years ago someone put a lake there. On the plus side, I did get to meet some real nice folks including the tow truck driver and the guy who owns the property. A semi with a load of tractors had gotten stuck there a month or so before, and I was stuck in his ruts. Even 4wd couldn’t get us out.
Jim in southwest Illannoy on 20 Oct 2008 at 10:08 am #
Here’s what it looked like during the day. At 11:00 at night we couldn’t see the sign that was high on the left saying “Private Road”.
http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff134/lifestudent55/Salem%202006/?action=view¤t=DSCN0366.jpg
chris on 20 Oct 2008 at 10:27 am #
I’ve never been a fan of road maps. I like the idea of “making my way” from point A to point B. Really, it’s only a matter of knowing direction and general distance. But a few weeks ago, that free spirit burned me.
I had a day off so I was going to drive to point b then to point c and back to point a. A simple triangle. Drive to point B, have a late breakfast, hang out for a few hours…drive to point C, have an early dinner, hang out a few hours, then head home.
The problem was that I hadn’t driven those routes for a long time. I thought points a, b, and c were a lot closer together. I ended up spending 6 hours on the road. Yuck!
Steve in Newport, RI on 20 Oct 2008 at 10:40 am #
Jimmy, I love maps too, but you know what is even better? Google Earth! Road maps with satellite imagery and terrain in 3 dimensions. Every time I plan a ski trip to a new place, I spend hours looking at the terrain in 3-D; deciding what trails look good.
Connie on 20 Oct 2008 at 10:50 am #
In the I-80/I94 corridor between Gary Indiana and just past Chicago Illinois road construction just moves constantly from one end of the strip to the other, every year, all year long.
I think they do it that way just to get a good laugh at all those people in compact cars staring in panic at the semi trucks barreling down on them from all directions.
ursen on 20 Oct 2008 at 10:51 am #
For years carried a well used road atlas next to the drivers seat. Took me from TX to AK and all points in between. I must have covered 35 states or more with that on my own, and a lot of Canada too. And after my wife and I were married we covered a huge chunk of four states with it. Wonder where that dogeared, scribbled, worn, treasure is now?
Susan in NC on 20 Oct 2008 at 10:52 am #
Put me on the list of those who love road maps too. I also love my Tomtom which has gotten me out of some jams. My kids think I’m strange because I like to look at the map in addition to using Tomtom. I just like to have an overview in my head of where I’m going before I get there. I have learned, however, that you can’t completely trust Tomtom. You gotta have a backup! I never thought I needed a GPS until my son got one and we used it on a trip. We got hooked and now don’t know how we ever got along without it! Maps are great for seeing what’s going to be around you as you’re traveling.
sandcastler on 20 Oct 2008 at 11:38 am #
Ah, the joys of refolding a map, seems they were designed too be misfolded. Navigating with an outdated map can be another adventure. Seems that the powers to be love assigning new numbers and letters to old roads, amazing were you can end up, not to mention the spousal abuse one can suffer.
dAVE on 20 Oct 2008 at 11:40 am #
Ah yes, the stash of maps. We have two cars, ergo two stashes, which do not duplicate each other. The family vehicle (mini-van) has maps of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennesee, Georgia and of course Florida. We live in central Indiana, and can only find the Tollway map from the north end of the state in the stash. We’ve only been through each of the above-mentioned states once in the last 10 years, but we save them anyway “just in case”. My work vehicle (pickup truck) has Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and 3 Illinois maps, and one Indiana map from two governors ago. I haven’t driven the truck over 75 miles from the house in over 10 years, why I’ve got so many maps in there is a family mystery, but it has become a tradition for all the kids to collect maps and store them in their cars, too. No one knows why.
Oh yes, and both cars contain the free atlas we got from our insurance agent 15 years ago. It’s always fun to compare the Alaska map to current available roads.
David in Cannock, England on 20 Oct 2008 at 11:57 am #
I’ve never taken to GPS. As a mountaineer by inclination, I’ve learned to convert 2-dimensional maps to 3-dimensional images in my head and love to look at 1:25000 scale maps, plotting routes and places to take photographs. It’s even better to sit somewhere in beautiful countryside and use the map to pick out features.
As far as road maps are concerned, I’m lucky enough to be able to look at one and memorise my route (I can actually see the map in my mind). It’s useful, however to have road maps available in order to avoid problems on the M25 (the highway that goes around London – also known as the world’s biggest car park). Luckily, my wife is an excellent navigator. Mind you, on long journeys, we find that we navigate by the Good Pub Guide!
Jean from Dahlonega GA on 20 Oct 2008 at 12:28 pm #
When our kids were in school we bought a large US map and world map and mounted them on the living room wall under plexiglass. Any time there was a question of “where is…” we would huddle at the maps until the answer was found. Occasionally I would simply trace routed from ‘here’ to ‘there’ for fun. Our kids are better at geography than any of their friends. We still have a couple of old road maps in our cars, but seldom use them because, as others have mentioned, things change. Now-a-days we look up travel directions on MapQuest or Google Maps, print them off, and put them in a notebook we take with us. Not quite as esthetically pleasing, but functional.
As for today’s strip, I, like Arlo and Greg from Robertsdale, have been told that my voice carries farther than I think it does. While I am assured that my singing (in a clear, pleasant alto) is appreciated, I tend to interfere with whatever tv show or ball game is on.
JJ, does this mean that you are a Rawhide fan? Most people only remember Clint Eastwood when they think of Rawhide, but I have always preferred Eric Fleming as Gil Favor, the trail boss. And one cannot speak of Rawhide without mentioning the scene from The Blues Brothers in which the band does a show at a cowboy bar singing only “Stand By Your Man” and the Rawhide theme.
Head ‘em up, Move ‘em out!
td on 20 Oct 2008 at 12:43 pm #
Every spring the wife tries to throw away my roadmap collection. My Uncle Jerry ran an Exxon station and always supplied me with maps, I figured out years later he was giving me the recently outdated ones but as a kid I loved them. I have maps from the late 60′s and 70′s, it’s fun to compare them to current editions.
Last year when I learned our little community of Hopeulikit, Ga, was being dropped from the map I collected a new map from the Ga welcome center every time I crossed the state line. It’s just not the same without us on the map.
War Eagle!
td- AU class of 1987
H C Brown on 20 Oct 2008 at 12:48 pm #
Here’s another vote for maps — I am continually saying “a piece of paper and a ….” rather than all this electronic “stuff” – But hubby loves the built in GPS in his hybrid – Our house numbers were all changed a few years ago to 4 digits for the 9-1-1 call centers (to locate us quickly) – problem is, a lot of the GPS services haven’t updated their data bases and I’ve had some work people assure me they knew exactly where the house is located — and end up arriving 20-30 minutes late for appointments because the GPS took them to the next town down the road – and nowhere near us! I tell people to listen to my directions and don’t listen to the irritating lady in the TomTom! I just hope the fire department doesn’t “hi off to no-where’s-ville”.
f on 20 Oct 2008 at 1:10 pm #
For the past 15 years or so, I’ve kept a framed copy of the Spruce Knob (WV) hiking trail map near my desk wherever I’ve been working. When I need a short break, I look at the map and imagine I’m on one of the trails. It helps a bit.
Steve from Royal Oak on 20 Oct 2008 at 1:14 pm #
I love maps. I love mapquest. I love taking imaginary trips and try to figure out where I would stop to eat and sleep. On very long trips I like to log in my location at each hour. My wife knows me well enough to know that it is a little trick that I play with my mind to keep myself alert. It seems to make the trips a little shorter. I did the same thing when I ran marathons.
A secret pleasure is watching the movie “RV” when Robin Williams tells the navigation system’s female voice where to go.
Google Earth is wonderful too. It used to be you could ask for directions from Detroit to Paris, France and it would have you drive to New York and then swim for thousands of miles before you got back in your car and drove to Paris. I suppose that they were afraid of a lawsuit from someone who took them literally.
itcowboy on 20 Oct 2008 at 1:18 pm #
GPS is very nice but a good map in hand can be a life saver. My family and I were in Chicago this past weekend and I wished for a map several times. The GPS totally lost it’s mind twice and wanted me to drive off over a guardrail to a lower level street. I resisted the urge performed an u-turn (without the GPS telling me too) and made it to the lower level using the ramp. The second time we were in pedestrian mode, trying to find a McDonald’s for the 4 year old. The GPS kept changing the route and direction and we weren’t moving yet. Never fear, the 4 year old eagle eye spotted the golden arches and we were saved from aimlessly walking in circles. Next time I’ll have both the map and GPS I think.
CG from MN on 20 Oct 2008 at 2:10 pm #
In the early days of computer maps, the shortest route might take you though gravel roads
and neighborhoods at slow speed when a short distance away was a direct speedy route.
And of course the road that don’t go through because of RR tracks or streams.
The main highway here is close for 27miles for repaving (That is another story)
Satellite maps make it easier to get around the blockage than the 8 mile each way detour.
But you have to study.
Long ago and far away (When multi-lane highway meant one in each direction) my dad drove from NYC to Boston by compass alone. Don’t remember how long it took but he loved driving.
Then again he was a great raconteur.
Map read is a skill some never acquire. I’m glad someone is passing the love on.
I can easily read maps – my wife cannot- I need them- she can find her way back to a place
having been there once.
CIDU Bill on 20 Oct 2008 at 2:41 pm #
Part of me misses the days when in preparation of a trip, you’d send AAA a post card telling them your origination point and your destination, and two or three weeks later you received a set of maps with your route highlighted. Of course it’s a lot more convenient to be able to get this same information in two or three seconds using Mapquest or Google, but the excitement is lost.
Jan in Kansas on 20 Oct 2008 at 2:45 pm #
As much as I love maps, I have to second the vote for Google Earth, satellite mode – a great way to visit new territory, locations in books we’re reading, revisiting old travel destinations….and perfect timing on the strip! Autumn is always the best time to travel!
Peter B. Steiger on 20 Oct 2008 at 3:08 pm #
Re: today’s strip… Back about a thousand years ago when I was in my last year of high school, my frustration with life greatly increased when my family moved from the big city where I grew up to a small town in rural East Texas where I didn’t know anybody and my bookishness made me stand out like a classroom laser in a darkened optics lab. Compounded with that was the complete lack of neighbors within two decades of my age and 14 acres that were more gopher hole than grass but needed frequent mowing nonetheless.
The one thing I liked about driving that stupid tractor was the fact that the engine was so loud it covered up the nonstop stream of cursing I emitted to blow off steam as I rode along. I’d cuss out the tractor, the holes, my mother and stepfather, country life, and the world in general. All safely masked by the camouflage of the tractor’s roar.
Or so I thought, until many years later when my mother informed me with a chortle how well my voice carried over that engine. Thanks, mom!
billinbossier on 20 Oct 2008 at 4:11 pm #
I have been buying a Road Atlas every year for the past I don’t know how many years. I put the new one in the SUV (not a gas guzzler), bring the old in the house, and take the one in the house to work. Now that people have learned that I have the atlas at my desk, they are constantly dropping by to look up directions to somewhere. While they are looking it up in the Atlas, I plot them a course using either MapQuest or Google Maps. I have even had to look up a couple of places for my boss, who has his own computer, but doesn’t want to be bothered with looking anything up. So, I just added travel consultant to my job description.
Mary in Ohio on 20 Oct 2008 at 4:45 pm #
I too love maps (I have one of the AAA maps of “Navajo Country” that Tony Hillerman refers to his Lt. Joe Leaphorn using). But why is Arlo imagining driving kangaroos in the back of that farm truck?
Jim from Boston on 20 Oct 2008 at 5:56 pm #
I too love road maps. Back in 1977, our honeymoon was a cross-country bicycle trip starting in Los Angeles, originally intending to go to Boston within eight weeks. We started out with a USA road map to guide our overall progress, and in each state we used a state map to guide our daily route. Our plan was to ride at least fifty miles a day and find a place where we could at least take a shower (many cyclists would consider this as luxurious arrangements).
Every time we stopped for a rest or a meal, it became a standing joke that we would bring the map along to see how far we’ve come, and plot our further route. In Colorado we decided that we weren’t making enough progress, so we headed for Washington DC, making it with a few days to spare, and then took a train to Boston.
It was a great way to start married life, since every day we would have to find and set up a homestead for the night in a new environment where we only knew, and could depend on each other. I can remember two distinct times on that trip when either one of us hit low a point, and were buoyed up by the other; me in Kansas and she in Ohio. BTW, we’re still together too.
Finally, I would like to thank the poster to A&J, whose name I can’t remember, who casually mentioned the bikeforums.net website sometime this summer. I have become an active correspondent to that Blog, as Jim from Boston.
How about them Red Sox ;-(
John in LACA on 20 Oct 2008 at 6:22 pm #
Regarding the first panel in the Road Map strip. Wonder if A&J might ever head out for the “sparking sands of [the] diamond deserts”? Thank you Woodie for those wonderful words thought I kinda messed w/ them a wee little bit.
Perhaps even to Coconino County AZ or even Monument Valley?
Bonnie from Gloucester MA on 20 Oct 2008 at 8:25 pm #
I love maps too. Why? Because you can hold ‘em and fold ‘em and write on ‘em and stick them in your carry bag. I use a highlighter to mark the route for various road trips we’ve taken. The map gets ripped and I keep taping them together. It’s a little piece of our travelling history. These days I’ll use MapQuest to help plot the course but I still like to have the paper (or plastic) in my hands. Don’t need or want GPS.
The Rawhide strip reminded me of my father. It was one of his favorite shows. I can picture him laying on the floor in front of the TV watching trail boss Gil Favor barking orders. Wet behind the ears Rowdy Yates (Who knew what a superstar he’d become?!) following along. Crabby head cook Wishbone. And maybe a hapless assistant cook named Mushy?
All is quiet in Boston today ’cause the Red Sox are coming home. Couldn’t capitalize on those loaded bases. At least folks can get back to getting a regular night’s sleep. I think Tampa Bay is gonna go all the way.
CG from MN on 20 Oct 2008 at 8:38 pm #
Mary in Ohio:
Thems hound dawgs.
.
CIDU Bill:
The nice thing about the “Triple A” maps was the tourist traps -ah Attractions on the route were high lighted. And AAA inspected (Association) places to stay were noted.
Jim from NC on 20 Oct 2008 at 9:14 pm #
I’ve seen this issue from “both sides now.” When we were in England from 1976-1979, we purchased the “AA Illustrated Guide to Britain.” It was wonderful and we still like to look through it. We would just get in the car on the weekend, open the Guide and find a small village we wanted to visit. Stay at a B&B over night, and work our way back home the next day. It was an idyllic time before kids and we used the book through England, Scotland, and Wales. Two years ago, my wife’s mother was diagnosed with cancer. My wife has no skills with regard to following maps, remembering directions, etc. I bought her a Garmin for Christmas and it was the best gift I have ever given her. She is truly independent and I now enjoy the occassional Golf Saturday when she can navigate somewhere she and one of her friends want to go. We still go places together, but now she can find her way if she wants or needs to.
Tom in Glendora, CA on 21 Oct 2008 at 12:09 am #
I love maps too. Always have, always will.
If I didn’t, I probably would never have seen this sign.
Not one you see often.
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb300/QAGuy/Kona/Overheadartillery.jpg
But I also love Google Earth too….lets you preview the trip!
Laetitia in Australia on 21 Oct 2008 at 2:30 am #
David in Cannock, England – “As a mountaineer by inclination” – oh dear, was that pun intended?
Mary in Ohio – “But why is Arlo imagining driving kangaroos in the back of that farm truck?” – come visit me and I’ll take you to where you can get up close and personal with tame ‘wild’ roos and wallabies – you’ll find they look nothing like Arlo’s farm dogs.
Here is Australia we have good street maps for various towns with the major producers being Refidex UBD and …Ways (e.g. Melways for Melbourne, Sydways for Sydney and a few years ago the first edition of Brisways for Brisbane came out – not as popular in Brisbane as the locally established Refidex UBD). We also have the various long distance maps, sections of which may be included in the various relevant town map books.
We’re not quite at status of the Ordinance Survey of the UK but that’s probably because a lot of the data is privately owned by the mapping companies, rather than the government. And our postcode system is different from theirs too.
About 5 years ago in Germany we had a hire car for a few days to drive from Augsburg (southern Bavaria near Muenchen) to Fuessen (Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau castles) and back to Muenchen (Munich) where we were going to drop off the car. On our way to the castles we pulled off the main highway into a little town for some lunch. The inbuilt GPS didn’t have that town so it kept saying, “Please return to the planned route,” in a beautifully modulated female voice until we got back to the highway.
In Muenchen it found the various people we were visiting wonderfully – we followed the directions (apart from some obvious short detours for roadworks) and it would finish by saying something like, “You have reached your destination.” Sure enough we’d look out the window and there we were – on the correct side of the road and all.
Here in Australia it pays to have the book or fold up maps where available. A friend was telling how a friend of theirs was trying to get from one small nearby town to a suburb of Mackay. Instead of plotting the easterly direct route (which continued to the highway past the suburb in question) the system wanted to go south-southeast to the highway via another longer road then north up the highway to this suburb. This route would work out at about 100km (60 miles) instead of about 10km.
Ah, fold-up maps – they’ll will tell you everything you need to know except how to fold it back up!
Jim in southwest Illannoy on 21 Oct 2008 at 7:59 am #
Phil in Sugar Land, TX, when I was a kid I used to swipe the maps from Dad’s national Geographic magazines and pore over them, dreaming of travels to places no other American had been. I’d dream of going through jungles and anywhere exotic. Many years later while stationed in the far east in the Air Force I would spend as much time as I could away from Little America, the area right around the US bases. In the Philippines we weren’t fortunate enough to have maps showing the small roads and barrios. When going to visit friends in one of the remote barrios, we’d be driving over dirt roads. Lots of fun.
Fast forward a few years and in Japan my daughter (who was born right before leaving the Philippines) and I would be bicycling with the intent of getting lost. After a few hours we’d find a train station or road sign, dig out the map, all written in Japanese, and find our way back. I had a job that took me to several sites throughout the greater Tokyo-Yokohama-etc area. One of the guys I’d go to these sites with preferred to take back roads. He’s the one who got me to using train stations as reference points, always carrying his map and using it and train stations to find the route he wanted to take. We’d get there about the same time as the teams using the expressways because of not having to fight the heavy traffic, and we’d be more relaxed.
Steve from Royal Oak on 21 Oct 2008 at 8:26 am #
Jim in SW Ill:
That is a neat exercise about getting lost in Japan on purpose. I think learning how to keep your wits about you when you are lost without panicing helps you deal with crisis management. When I have gone to Japan and we decide to go exploring, some people do not even want to leave the hotel. Others are like you and your daughter who go with the flow and figure out their way on their own. Of course I prefer the “explorers” more than the “safe” ones.
I made a wrong turn last month driving late at night when we were on vacation and ended up in a very interesting town in New Jersey. The next morning we decided to have breakfast there, talking with the locals and getting a great history lesson. It was not the vacation that we planned, but it might have been even better.
Tom in IL on 21 Oct 2008 at 9:11 am #
Jim in southwest illannoy-
To quote my brother,”What are ya slowin’ down for, its a truck?” Of course, this is the same brother who, on his honeymoon in Brazil, mistakenly went down a road that led to an army base. Oops! After the soldiers with big guns waved him to go the other way, the language barrier was broken down and he quickly retreated.
Can’t say I’ve ever had a boring trip with him my whole life. Maps for him are merely a suggestion, with endless possibilities. But he’s a go first, then look at the direction kinda guy. Good times, good times.
Tom in IL on 21 Oct 2008 at 9:17 am #
Peter B. Steiger-
BTW- Just shipped my daughter off to Navy basic at Great Lakes Naval Station. I hold tight to what you said about the proud and scared thing. Her letter says its like summer camp. She’s a lot tougher than I thought she was.
She should graduate day before Thanksgiving. I’m told graduation is a sight to not to be missed. Man, we raise them to be good people and when they do, we
Tom in IL on 21 Oct 2008 at 9:19 am #
… worry like heck about ‘em. Such is the life of a parent.
Curmudgeonly professor on 21 Oct 2008 at 10:30 am #
This sounds like a “cartography central”! I, too, have been a map lover for many decades. In college in OH, I taped a state map to my room wall and carefully marked off which routes I had travelled after, say, a trip to an away game or to my future wife’s home. For not having a car, I managed to cover a lot of territory.
Later in life, I had maps of my beloved Canada (as well as USA) taped to walls for dreaming purposes and, occasionally, actual planning purposes for summer driving vacations “before kids”. Wife and I got as far west as somewhat past Revelstoke BC and as far east as Amherst NS and as far north as James Bay ON and Edson AB. We’ve seen only one bear, but several moose and herds of elk (in the western parks).
Nowadays, I enjoy the map contests run out of CA, two in particular: the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” and the “Great Circumglobal”. The former is coming up, while the latter is currently in progress. It is a matter of being able to follow instructions exactly and then answering questions to show that you had the correct routing. I am an extremely careful person when following instructions, but even I do not get all the questions correct. Maybe some of you would enjoy trying it. If so, drop a line to Box 53, La Canada, CA 91012 and ask for info & an entry. You will find that a road atlas comes with the instructions (or a set of miscellaneous world maps with the Circumglobal). I’ve been “into” these for about 25 years now. When the Massacre was 25 years old back in the ’90s, it even got a write-up in the Wall Street Journal!
The Massacre is so-named because the owner will not send out any entry after Fe 14 since they are due back Mr 1, and he figures the player will not have enough time to do a good job in only 2 weeks! He is absolutely correct on that!
The same chap in CA also runs a shorter version in the summer running N-S between central America and the arctic (the Massacre runs E-W between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty)…AND he runs two “Almaniac” contests as well: seeing if the player can find info in the Almanac (not, therefore, based on one’s prior knowledge).
Any of you enjoying a challenge really should get onto these contests; great fun as well as educational. (I have no financial interest in any of these!!)
Jim in southwest Illannoy on 21 Oct 2008 at 12:07 pm #
My hat’s off to your daughter Tom. Sounds like your brother’s a fun guy to travel with.
Steve, I couldn’t understand the ones who wouldn’t get out and see the country because they were afraid they’d get lost. Most of the signs were bilingual, plus we had some pretty decent hand drawn maps from the base. I had to give them a correction once because of a change from after their map had been drawn. In Japan we had some guys from work who would go fishing together at the foot of Mt. Fuji. At first I always took the expressway with the other guys, then I started taking the back roads and saving my toll money, plus seeing better scenery. We were out fishing one time the last weekend of Japan’s tourist season and the toll roads were backed up for kilometers for getting back to town. I got home about an hour before them because there weren’t that many people, including the locals, taking the back roads. We didn’t have any maps from the base showing the back ways to get anywhere because they were trying to keep it simple. Those of us who weren’t afraid to “take the road less traveled” had a lot more fun.
Mary in Ohio on 21 Oct 2008 at 4:31 pm #
Oh, I knowed ‘em uz houn’ dawgs, I uz just funnin’ ol’ Jimmy! (And I suspected that roos would not ride so peacefully in a pickup!
Jim in Illanoy – I loved your photo link to “the road less traveled.”
In fact all you guys are great! I am not much of a traveller (though my ’93 Subaru disintegrated in July, so I may be venturing a bit farther from home now in a newer car, lease miles notwithstanding!) I can enjoy your travels too!
corb on 21 Oct 2008 at 4:59 pm #
First of all….congrats to The Rays.
They were the better team *this time*
Secondly..J.J….is it just my overactive imagination or is Arlo’s road trip “fantasy” laden with manly symbols?Rock formations,cactus,lighthouse, and oh. my..that silo!
Maybe I’ve been spending too much time watching “Dancing With the Stars” and not enough NESN.
CG from MN on 22 Oct 2008 at 11:20 pm #
I know you people remember Saturday Evening Post “Where are you.”
The circle of a highway map. Hardest were the ones with 2 roads and a state park.
Jim in southwest Illannoy on 23 Oct 2008 at 9:28 am #
Mary, I’m glad you liked that. At the time it could have been very stressful having to leave our transport out there overnight. The lady who owned the little B&B we were heading to drove out to pick us up in the middle of the night, then drove me to a tow truck service the next morning. She was surprised we weren’t upset about everything, but for some reason we weren’t. We just missed a few hours at the maple syrup fest we were going to, but my wife had fun visiting with her, and I got to create more stories to tell our grandkids.