On Thursday, August 15, 2019 at 5:03:05 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/15/2019 3:52 PM, wrote:

All the 'tough' guys say they don't need electronic assistance and all they need is a glance at a paper map once in a while. Sure that is possible but electronic assistance makes it a hell more convenient. First time in the US, mid 80's, I drove form NYC to LA only using a Rand Mcnally atlas; one page per state. It was possible but it took me quite a while to get out of NYC. Last time a got a Garmin with my rental and driving was much more relaxing.

It's certainly more relaxing, especially in a city situation. But I like
checking maps in less stressful situations because they give me context
and a sense of where I actually am. I can spot the towns along the way,
better plan my rest stops, and sometimes find attractions along the way.

One example: My wife was driving, towing our camping trailer, as we
headed north in Michigan toward the Upper Peninsula. I had the map and
was searching for state parks where we might camp. Only on examining the
map did I realize that it would make sense to visit Mackinac Island -
that it was near enough to where we'd be stopping for the night. We were
able to get a last-minute hotel room for two nights, take the ferry to
the island, and had a fine time walking and cycling there before heading
further north.

The GPS never tells me "What's that lake over there? Or that mountain in
the distance? Is there a nice country road parallel to this freeway?"
etc. So I think it's best to have both.

--
- Frank Krygowski

When I plan a bicycle ride and use Google Maps to do that I can switch to satellite view, zoom in and then get a street view of the road. I can then follow that street view and see exactly what's along my planned route. Not only that there is a side bar on Google Maps that has icons for all sorts of things that I might be interested in such as restaurants, coffee, bed & breakfasts, hotels, banks, groceries, hospitals and so on. Plus it even tells me the traffic volume I can expect in the area. Another feature that's great about these electronic mapping programs is that they're often a lot more up to date than a paper map is plus if they route has been uploaded to a smart phone or is on a device that fits on your bike, the information is right at your fingertips and is easily accessible even if it's raining and/or very windy. You might not like these electronic maps but many find them much more convenient and useful than a paper map. YMMV and most likely does.

Cheers