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Message |
    
Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 453
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:30 am: | 
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Okay friends, I have to level with ya -- I'm a direction dummy! I get lost easily, and when the kids are in the back causing havoc, eyeyiyi! Often I log onto Maqquest or Yahoo Maps for help before taking to the road. Mapquest has gotten me lost more times than helped me, and although Yahoo seems to be better, it's still not always on point. For my birthday this summer, I promised myself a dash board map device where a voice says "go left...stay to the right...you are at your destination", but unitl that time, what sites to use? Are there online sites that are far better than most? |
red
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 5265
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:37 am: |
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I have tried mapquest, yahoo and google. They all seem to give the same directions. No matter which one I use (this is on a daily bases) I get lost. |
Ligeti
Citizen
Username: Ligeti
Post Number: 639
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:48 am: |
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Nothing takes the place of pulling over and checking a folding paper map. No surprise; low tech solutions are almost always more effective.
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Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 455
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:59 am: |
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I'm not only a directions dummy, I'm a map dummy too. Never learned to read one! I think that's more frustrating than having a print out from a website. |
ess
Citizen
Username: Ess
Post Number: 1665
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:49 am: |
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Kibbegirl, I share your pain. I can't read a roadmap, either. And I need to have the directions written down painstakingly.
That said -- I use www.expedia.com or, even better, www.randmcnally.com for driving directions. While most of the websites do seem to offer similar directions (believe me, I comparison shop) I find Mapquest to be somewhat worse than the others (sometimes they will make a minor error, like "north" instead of "south") so I always double check. I think these other two sites are better. |
Strings
Supporter
Username: Blue_eyes
Post Number: 846
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 1:06 pm: |
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I agree with Ligeti that a good old (well, not old b/c roads might be outdated, but you know what I mean) fold out map is best. However, I was once a MapQuest girl, but Google Local stole my heart. I love how you can drag the map to figure out your own alternate ways if needed, and their directions have so far been slightly more accurate than when I used to use mapquest. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13519
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 3:52 pm: |
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You need a patient teacher to show you how to use maps. You should learn this before you use web sites or navigation gadgets, for the same reason we teach kids to do arithmetic by hand before they may rely on calculators.
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13520
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 3:53 pm: |
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For about $10 a year, you can get a maps-only membership to AAA. The benefit is so big, you'd think they'd lose money. They send you all the maps you ask for, and the maps are very good. If you have a regular membership, you may still request maps.
http://www.mapsonus.com is yet another routing site. The maps are not as nice, but the routes can be interesting.
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Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 457
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 6:04 pm: |
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I'd rather have printed out or written directions. I know me and I'm not going to take the time to "learn" to read a map. When I need directions, it's for a reason and I need to concentrate and understand where I'm going. I'm not going to pull off the road with my kids, flip maps back and forth and make a go of it. I get highly anxious and frustrated when I have written directions that aren't working out, so pages of maps would destroy me for sure. I look at a map and I see confusion and frustration. God bless those who can use them. That's why I asked for online direction sites and not maps. |
Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 458
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 6:07 pm: |
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ess, btw, I tried your links and compared them to directions that Yahoo Maps and Mapquest gave me -- and they were great! I was trying to find a location last week and like a fool, used Mapquest and it missed one step in the directions! I called the place and they were able to re-route me, but what a pain. Rand McNally gave me that missing step! Will use next time. Thanks so much! |
ess
Citizen
Username: Ess
Post Number: 1672
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 6:20 pm: |
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My pleasure, Kibbegirl.
Have been turned around way too many times by Mapquest.
Glad to help!  |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 3345
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:17 pm: |
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Getting a second or third opinion is definitely helpful. I use maps for my second opinion, and to further enlighten me about what the routing site has told me, but going to two or three different routing sites might work for those who are map challenged.
I more and more appreciate the fact that on every driving trip during my childhood (and we had many), my father presented both my sister and me with a complete set of road maps for the states we were visiting and showed us how to follow our route. This taught us to read maps and also helped with the "are we there yet?" syndrome. Regrettably, I've not done so well with my own kids, but maybe I'll work harder on it. |
Heather
Citizen
Username: Heater33
Post Number: 40
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:27 pm: |
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I've used switchboard.com to get to specific places. You can download and install a program called google earth. They have great directions and satellite pictures of the route you should take & it's free. http://earth.google.com/ |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13532
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 10:14 pm: |
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If directions are wrong or you make a wrong turn, you need more than the directions. That's why you need a map. Driving while resisting learning to read a map is like wanting to know how to be a CPA without wanting to know how to do arithmetic. Navigating is part of the job. If you skip that, you'll always have difficulty and anxiety.
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peteglider
Citizen
Username: Peteglider
Post Number: 1892
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 12:10 am: |
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mapblast.com was awesome -- great "line drive" maps. then Microsoft bought them, made it part of MSN, and now, it looks they're replacing it. maybe it will emerge again.
/p |
Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 461
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 7:46 am: |
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Tom, I'm not resisting reading a map -- I don't want to learn how to read one -- plain and simple. I know that fact may irk you, but it's true and I've explained why above. Mr. Kibbegirl has a navigation system in his vehicle, so he doesn't bother with maps any more. He can read maps, but he too finds them frustrating. I'm not a trucker and I'm not hauling the kids across the country solo. I just need to figure out how to get to a few locales, not far from home, without drama. I thank you for your desire for me to be map literate, but honey, I need it written down in bold face, and that's a fact. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13535
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 7:56 am: |
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I'm not irked. I'm just describing things as I see them. Sorry my tone came off harsher than I meant.
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Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 1055
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 8:05 am: |
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"but honey, I need it written down in bold face, and that's a fact"
perhaps you should get a chauffeur...
I use google maps for directions. Used to use mapsonus.com, but since I am a google lover, I switched. In additions, you can change to satellite view to get a feel for what the area looks like from above, and as Strings said above, you can drag the map with ease and zoom in and out with ease.
http://maps.google.com |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11173
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 9:26 am: |
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Google maps are pretty good, probably the best. The MSN site has a new beta version of their mapping program running as well and it is a lot like Google maps and directions. None of these services are perfect. A few months ago I had to go to South Brunswick and Google showed a uturn where none exhisted.
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13542
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 9:29 am: |
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google maps' MAPS are the most legible and flexible, but their DIRECTIONS are often bizarre and far from optimal. It advises me to enter the GSP southbound by going north towards Irvington and winding my way through lots of streets in Irvingon and Union.
When in doubt, use two or three routing sites and compare.
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kevin
Supporter
Username: Kevin
Post Number: 674
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Monday, April 10, 2006 - 1:20 pm: |
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I like Microsoft's "Line Drive" maps. You can still get them here:
http://maps.msn.com/(ws1fxd45e4icnczogtnkdgqt)/DirectionsFind.aspx
However, since Google purchased Keyhole and rebranded it Google Earth, Microsoft has really stepped up its game with a new mapping engine. They offer "birds eye" views of many locations and are adding more daily. Some parts of MW/SO are included. You can also view these locations from all sides of the compass.
Can you spot your car parked at the train station?
One word, Awesome!
http://local.live.com/
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Rick B
Citizen
Username: Ruck1977
Post Number: 1061
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - 7:51 am: |
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wow...i am impressed! I can see my house! |
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