Maps and Streets

[AlmostThere]

I think that's the name of the software mentioned from time to time here, right? I'm assuming it's similar to putting in a start and finish address into Google Maps and getting a route mapped out?
Ok, now my question; is there any software that you can put in the start and destination addresses/or town names, and it will tell you different routes PLUS what to see along the way? Just wondering? How do you gals find out what's to see along your travel routes?

[mitch5252]

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Do you think you mean Microsoft's Streets and Trips? If so, I LOVE that program. It's my favorite.

Do you have a GPS? Those things are wonderful and you can download so many interesting locations into them...

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[VickieP]

Yeah, what Mitch said plus there is http://www.mapquest.com and if you are a member of Good Sam's Club you can go on their website and map a route that also shows campgrounds, Camping World locations, low bridge clearance, etc.

[mitch5252]

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This is a nifty POI (Points of Interest) file that I downloaded into my Nuvi (Garmin GPS) from poifactory.com:

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Offbeat Tourist Attractions - US File

Submitted by bobkz on Thu, 04/05/2007 - 11:33am.
Login or register to download files

Last updated 07/02/2009
Raw file: All_States_Offbeat_Tourist_Attractions.csv (236.34 KB)

Includes 2851 locations in the following areas:

United States: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY - some may be in: DC, MEX, ON, QC (near a border)

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[AlmostThere]

AS I'm now "officially, seriously" looking for an RV, I'm asking the newbie questions on some things that are new since the last time I've RVed. GPS units for starters. I have one that came already built in my car and don't really like it in that it just tells me to turn left or right in X amount of distance. No street names or Exit numbers spoken. It does show them on the screen but it's distracting as I have to take my eyes off the road to study it and generally by that time I've passed my exit, etc. It also doesn't say which lane I should be in. I've heard there are units that have these features. Anyone have one?

I'm trying to figure out if Streets and Trips has advantages over, say, Mapquest as I can do Mapquest on my iPhone. ARe they similar?

ON EDIT:
Oh, morning, Mitch! We posted at the same time! Thanks for the site, I'll check it out.

[mitch5252]

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Here's a cool thing I learned about Streets & Trips not too long ago...

I, for one, HATE driving through St. Louis, trailer or no trailer. It's awful. So, let's say I'm going somewhere that S&T routes me through St. Louis. YUCK. All I have to do is draw a rectangle over the area I want to avoid (size/shape is MY choice) and designate it as an "AVOID" area. Here is a comparison, before the AVOID area and after adding the AVOID area (you can see the AVOID area in the second pic - it's the light tan area right over downtown St. Louis)...

Obviously, the blue line is my route, and the re-routing (pic #2) still kept me on the interstates.

Also, you can click on your route (it changes color from blue to a lighter blue-green). When it's the blue-green color, you can click and drag on any part of the route and drag it to wherever you want. The route will recalculate to/through where you dragged...

Cool, eh?

Like I said - I LOVE S&T!




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[mtngal]

Lenora, re: gps......there are many, many fancy ones out there with tons of information, BUT for me, I have Tom-Tom One...it's compact, sometimes I keep it in cup holder, the voice is easy to understand, the map is CLEAR and I can see it with no problems AND it tells me which lane to mover into with an early warning BEFORE a turn and then again AT the turn. The only draw back is NOT saying the name of the street to turn onto. Finally, the price is right at $150 or probably even lower now.

Good luck and have fun shopping for your rv!!!!

[mitch5252]

Here's a link for Garmin Nuvi model comparison. Certain models do announce the street name for upcoming turns. Others (the lower end models), just say something like "left turn in 500 feet".

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134

I have no experience with an iPHone, but I would think planning and plotting a 5,000 miles trip on an itty-bitty screen would be a bit daunting (at least for me...). So, I guess it would depend on what you want to accomplish with a GPS. When the all-girl Westward Ho trip was in the planning stages, I used S&T for the entire thing. It's so easy to change routes and destinations - just a couple of clicks. And right-click and you find all, for instance, campgrounds, either along the entire route, or within a user-defined distance around a given location. Many categories to 'find' - restaurants, broken down by ethnicity, churches, gas stations, etc. The pics below show the Westward Ho entire route, and then a zoom in on Laramie, Wyoming, which you can do with just a click and drag. I imagine that would be difficult on an iPhone screen? The little numbered, yellow boxes on the pic on the left are stops that I "forced" the program to make in order to get the route I wanted. The red squares are campgrounds that we might want to stay at. Zoomed in, there is an address and phone number available, mostly all built into the S&T program...

[mitch5252]

Lenora, re: gps......there are many, many fancy ones out there with tons of information, BUT for me, I have Tom-Tom One...it's compact, sometimes I keep it in cup holder, the voice is easy to understand, the map is CLEAR and I can see it with no problems AND it tells me which lane to mover into with an early warning BEFORE a turn and then again AT the turn. The only draw back is NOT saying the name of the street to turn onto. Finally, the price is right at $150 or probably even lower now.

Good luck and have fun shopping for your rv!!!!

I bought a Garmin Nuvi 750 last fall for $300. My girlfriend went to buy the same one about 3 months later...down to $200. Another friend went to buy one about 2 months ago, and he found it discontinued (but he found it for $180)...Grrrrrrrrr....

[VickieP]

Mitch, forgive me for having a CRS morning, my questions are,,,, You're talking about looking at this on your puter, right? Do you plan it out and then print each day's travels and things to see? I suppose if that is so, then you could make any changes in plans the night before printing the next day's map? If you don't mind, what's the approx. cost of that and how often do you think you would need to purchase another updated one, as things shut down, open up, change, etc? Hep me, sista

[mitch5252]

Mitch, forgive me for having a CRS morning, my questions are,,,, You're talking about looking at this on your puter, right? Do you plan it out and then print each day's travels and things to see? I suppose if that is so, then you could make any changes in plans the night before printing the next day's map? If you don't mind, what's the approx. cost of that and how often do you think you would need to purchase another updated one, as things shut down, open up, change, etc? Hep me, sista

What I've done for our 3 recent big trips (2 with trailer, 1 without)...I plan the route in Streets and Trips. Look around S&T for campgrounds, based on the pretty dang accurate 50 mph average while towing. I then take a peek at the Trailer Life Directory Mapping Program looking for campgrounds different than S&T. Then we hit the road (with laptop). The nice thing about the Westward Ho Trip, was that my girlfriend could either drive OR work the computer and I would do the opposite. Worked out great. Yup, we made changes as the trip progressed (mainly in this case due to weather that SUCKED...). Anyway, it's not so easy when I'm with George - he can't do computer stuff anymore, and he doesn't drive, either. So, all that presents its own special challenges.

I just checked Sam's Club for Streets & Trips 2009 - it's $28. I have the 2007 version, so at that price, I think I'll pick up the '09 version. That's the price WITHOUT the GPS. They have one that comes with a GPS, I believe. I have updated versions about every 18-24 months. I guess this is only relevant if you have a laptop you can bring with you. I, being the geek that I am, could not travel without a laptop! I don't print anything out, although I did buy a small, cheap printer for travel...never brought it - PITA!

Hope this helps. Now let me ask you a question - what's a CRS?

[VickieP]

It's a terminal disease that I suffer from very often, Can't Remember S__t!

[OutandAbout]

Thanks for the info Mitch. I will check into it this weekend. I have never used a GPS, just relied on maps, mapquest, etc. The whole system seems quite doable for a non techie like me. I feel a new motto coming on Have GPS/laptop Will Travel

Lenora, you are starting already. Not only looking for the new RV, but also the toys to play with.

linda

[AlmostThere]

Oh, good! Vicki asked all my questions for me! Well, not all. Does one need an internet connection to use the S & T software? I can see my "want" list expanding. First a GPS, now a laptop! As for a printer, I think I'd probably write it all down as it would be cheaper. Time will tell.

Linda, a good GPS will be a must for me or I'd probably get on a highway that goes in circles and couldn't figure how to get off or it would take me 100 miles out of my way. Might be fun to be lost, though. I spend most of my time that way.

Mitch, since you can copy and paste directions from your S & T software, perhaps I'll save my money and just have you post a snapshot of my route!!

[Cedar518]

All this is good info,.... special thanks to Mitch for such detailed posts. Two years ago I caravanned with friends from Maine back to NY,... they led because they had S&T and laptop. Like you described, one drove, one had computer,.... what a great setup it was. If I venture into unfamiliar areas outside the North Country again i'll get the software and gps.... have the laptop .