Online maps and travel guides

[markopolo]

If you know of or can recommend any online maps or travel guides post them here.

I'll start this with a few that I came across recently.

Here's a map collection:
http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/index.htm

and a large pdf from NationalAtlas.gov (right click save as.........)
http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/imag ... genref.pdf

NationalAtlas.gov has a map maker here:
http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp

Here's an interesting United States Climate Page
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/USclimate/states.fast.html

[markopolo]

From Jardinier - two links:

Interstate Forecast

and

Interstate-Guide Sitemap

From their website:
Our mission is to catalog every Interstate highway within the Eisenhower Interstate System. We break down each route into an individual guide to include facts, figures, photographs, and basic information.

[markopolo]

Lots of Washington State Department of Transportation webcams here:

http://wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/

and webcams from the State of California's web site:

http://video.dot.ca.gov/

[markopolo]

Nevada Department of Transportation Traveler Information

http://www.nevadadot.com/traveler/

[markopolo]

Here's a Google map with more than 12,000 RV Parks / Campgrounds

http://www.maprvs.com/

[markopolo]

Here’s a great site to give you latitude / longitude co-ordinates to input in your GPS.

(right mouse click, open in new window - if you want to keep Class B Forum open)

http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic

You can get the coordinates for a particular beach in a County in Oregon for example.

Here’s another interesting link for mapping coordinates:
http://geonames.nga.mil/ggmaviewer/

[Whiskyecho]

So many good references "out there" - I like to use MS S&T (on both my desktop and laptop) for trip planning. It's probably a matter of using whatever one is comfortable using.

Although the recent "high gas prices" haven't deterred me from traveling, knowing where to save a few bucks is certainly welcome. I used a "msn" site on my August cross-country trip (then again in October) - they've a new "beta" version here:

(http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstationsbeta.aspx )

For instance, instead of filling up in Flagstaff or Williams I continued on to Kingman - where gas was (relatively) inexpensive.

[burkettwh]

Don't forget to mention Good Sams Club website at http://www.goodsamclub.com/DefaultMember.aspx if you are a member.

Bb

[garmp]

Thanks for the wealth of information, Nice references. Have been to a couple of site that list thing we would like to see, waterfalls, covered bridges, etc and list them by county. I am looking for maps showing roads, cities/towns, and counties so I can find and plot such sights. Really like Google maps and searched to find a way to overlay county lines with no success, so I though I'd throw this out here to find out what the wise forum users here know.

thanks

[Mike]

Do you have a GPS unit?
I got a Garmin nuvi not long after the Roadtrek, and then found out about a website
called www.POI-Factory.com which has a wealth of POI (points of interest) files which
can be uploaded to the GPS unit, and then selected from the "Where to?" screen when
traveling.
There are covered bridge, waterfalls, oddball tourist attractions, and a cacophony of
other POIs available for free. These files are compiled and (mostly) maintained by the
author who may have had an interest in the particular type of attraction.
I have covered bridges, offbeat attractions, and more than a few others loaded up in
my Garmin, as well as many files with truck stops, Walmarts, and other commercial
locations and useful travel related places.

Check it out. GPS rocks when you're traveling. I never thought I'd get one, but I saw one
on sale at Walmart a year ago, bought it, and am glad I did. Haven't looked back and travel
is a lot easier with it.

Sorry, I have no idea how to overlay county lines on Google Maps, so I can't be much help there.

[Davydd]

I'm using my iPhone more and more. There are several apps that list campgrounds and locate them by referencing Google Maps as the background. RVCamping.com is one, AllStays is another and CampWhere locates public campgrounds be they national, state, county or municipal. There are apps to locate gas stations, coffee, dump stations, rest stops, restaurants, retail, etc. with maps and directions. They are good on a small iPhone screen and great on the larger iPad screen.

Yesterday I bought the iPhone/iPad Tom Tom GPS app with its own built in apps for $39 on sale. My first impressions is it is better than my Garmin Nuvi. It does turn by turn voice direction with 3D or 2D maps, lanes, street names, etc. For $10 I'll get a clip holder to put the iPhone on my windshield (illegal in Minnesota) or dash board. It works on a large screen iPad but you need a GPS 3G enabled iPad to actually use it driving. The Tom Tom does not need a cellular connection. It works off satellite GPS same as Garmin Nuvi and Tom Tom boxes do. You can also get similar iPhone apps from Navigon, Garmin and Magellan. I chose the Tom Tom after a little bit of cursory research. The cost was right since the normal price is $59. Since I downloaded it to my iTunes account I have the Tom Tom app on two iPhones and two iPads right now all for the one $39 price.

All these apps have replaced all paper. We still travel with a Rand MacNally map book and will stop and pick up state maps when available but most of our trip planning had been through the Garmin Nuvi and sometimes with Google Maps Directions or MapQuest when stopped with a wifi connection on the internet with our iPads. By next spring when we head out again I hope the new iPad 3 is available. If so I will definitely get the 3G GPS enabled model. I don't need the 3G but do want the GPS part.

[Mike]

That's a good idea also. These tablet computers and smartphones can do a lot of the same stuff we used to do
with paper maps, and then with a standalone GPS unit. If you're already a smartphone/tablet pc owner/user,
and you have an ISP for them, then that's probably the most sensible way to go, since you've probably already got
all the hardware you'd need to get some great GPS related apps like davydd mentioned.
Maybe one advantage of the standalone GPS unit might be the cost. After an initial one time purchase price,
which can be on average between $79 - $200 for a decent unit, there aren't really any further costs except perhaps
a map update once in a while, although I'm working off the 2 year old Navteq map that came as an initial free update,
and it is still fairly up to date. I find out of date places or features very rarely when traveling.

If you with go an IPad for example, they might be more expensive up front with no contract and then pay as you go,
or they might be a bit cheaper with a contract, but you're on the hook for monthly fees for maybe 2 years or more.
Unless you only use your tablet/IPad/smartphone at a public wifi hotspot, which would also work.

[Davydd]

You don't need a cellular service or connection to use the GPS apps like the Tom Tom I mentioned on an iPad or an iPhone. So, if you have a smartphone already for numerous other reasons, adding a GPS app to it is cheaper than buying a standalone unit. You can use them on an iPad with the giant 10" screen without need to subscribe to a 3G service. The problem is right now GPS enabled service comes only with the 3G model iPads.

This is the Tom Tom GPS app I bought: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tomtom-u ... 75661?mt=8

Here are some other GPS apps similar to Tom Tom that I don't have that you may be interested in.

Navigon: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/navigon- ... 06742?mt=8

Garmin: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garmin-s ... 62555?mt=8

Magellan: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/magellan ... 45236?mt=8

Here is an interesting free GPS app but requires a 3G service connection so probably would not be as good in non-cellular rural areas:

Waze: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/waze-gps ... 29106?mt=8

The reference apps I use that need a wifi or 3G connection to view the underlying Google Map are these:

This is the Allstays Camp & RV app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/camp-rv- ... 20516?mt=8

This is the RVParking.com app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rv-parks ... 37320?mt=8

This is the Camp Where app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/campwher ... ?l=es&mt=8

This is the Woodall's app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/woodalls ... 68562?mt=8

You can go to the developer's websites from these references. I haven't bothered to check but there should be Android versions as well.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Davydd

You don't need a cellular service or connection to use the GPS apps like the Tom Tom I mentioned on an iPad or an iPhone. So, if you have a smartphone already for numerous other reasons, adding a GPS app to it is cheaper than buying a standalone unit. You can use them on an iPad with the giant 10" screen without need to subscribe to a 3G service. The problem is right now GPS enabled service comes only with the 3G model iPads.

Here is an interesting free GPS app but requires a 3G service connection so probably would not be as good in non-cellular rural areas:

So, how much does a 3G model iPad and a 3G service connection cost?
Less than a one time $100 Garmin?

[Davydd]

Mike,

That's not the point. I already pointed out you don't need a 3G service connection to use an iPad as a GPS unit. The extra price is $129 but there are literally thousands of apps that use the GPS capability. You don't decide to buy an iPad or a Garmin. But if you own the iPad or a smartphone there is no longer much need, if any, to buy a Garmin. The standalone GPS units are going to fast become dinosaurs since Smartphones will prove more capable to deliver the same information and from what I can tell, much better now. That's why the standalone units have come down drastically in price this past year. They are on their last stand. Smartphones have so much more capability and versatility. One thing that is becoming more popular is to buy a used Smartphone cheap, not have a cellular contract for voice phone and just use it similar to using an iPod Touch.

[Mike]

Gotcha. Admit it. You're "brandwashed" by Apple.
Ok, so you're navigating through a big city, with lane changes coming up, and you need your pricey
(but superior technology) smartphone to guide you effortlessly through it all, turn by turn, with brilliant
visual 3D on screen graphics and voice commands. Just as you reach a critical maneuver, the phone rings,
and it's one of your grandkids. Might be nice to have a separate standalone dinosaur on the dash then,
hmmmmm?

How many people buy iPads or any tablet computer for that matter without an accompanying ISP service to
go with them? Not many, I'd wager. But doubtless there are some.
Most of the price deals on them require you to sign contracts that tether you to whoever gives you the best
deal on the toy, so you can go and sit at Starbucks or the wifi cafe with it. Then the issue is coverage areas,
and monthly "tethering" charges or plans, but that's another story altogether.

It is my feeling that not everyone can afford to walk into the Apple store and slap down $500-$1000 for a new
toy every time Steve Jobs (RIP) has a dream and comes up with a new "next greatest Apple thingy" sales pitch
for the masses. Particularly when there are more "frugal" alternatives available.
Peace.

[Davydd]

For one, I seldom ever get phone calls from anyone other than my wife and she is usually in the seat next to me. Anyway on the AT&T network you can talk and use your iPhone at the same time. Not exactly true on VerizonWireless I have to admit.

Like I said twice, with the iPad you do not have an "ISP service". You do not need to subscribe to 3G to use GPS apps as I mentioned. If you do want to subscribe to a 3G service it is a non-contract pay only when you need or desire it. Since I am at home I have a separate wifi through cable so my iPhones and iPads use that 9 months out of the year.

I am familiar with Apple because that is what I use, but the same came be said with the many Android devices out there. If you are traveling without a smartphone be it Apple or Android I think in this day and age you are passing up a lot of useful information. The concept of using apps instead of going on the internet with a browser to hone in on the exact information you need and seek is a major plus. That is what you get with smartphones and tablets.

What's more frugal when you can get much more capable smartphones for free or $50 compared to a one function GPS device like a Garmin?

[Mike]

I will admit, lately I've been researching tablet computers, thinking instead of replacing this little netbook
with a laptop, one of them might do instead. We replaced our old IBM Thinkpad with a new HP entertainment
model with an I5 supercharged chipset, and it's really nice. Got it at Walmart back in March. Great price.
But, as I begin to think my netbook is getting slower and slower, I thought maybe I'd like to try "geeky" for a
change, and have started looking at tablets.
Besides the obvious "choix de jour", the iPads, what else is out there that might do the trick for an old
Microsoft enabled dinosaur like me?
Price, performance, lightweight, battery life, and possibly with detachable peripheral options (keyboards? mouse?).
My wife prefers mice(?) and doesn't like touchpads or touch screens (but could probably figure it out if push came
to shove).
This might be a good separate thread for the "techy" or "general" forum. "What tablet computers do people use and prefer and why?"

[Davydd]

It could change in the future but right now there is simply no equal to the Apple iPad no matter how one desires to justify it. Usually that justification is, "It does what I need it to do" meaning really that's all it does but I can live with it because I don't know any better. Apple simply created the genre and how a tablet should function after everyone else fumbled with tablet ideas for a decade. It is that simple and everyone else is just behind still catching up. Apple even gave everyone a strong hint of the future when they introduced the iPhone in 2007, another game changer. Think about how people clung to the Blackberry concepts and where Blackberry is today. Get the hint?

The mouse is a proxy to the finger as is a touchpad. First on computers we had keyboards and everything had to be inputted by typing commands. Then the mouse made pointing an easier function than typing. The touch of the finger simply eliminates the "middle man" so to speak and gets us back to square one when we used to write and draw directly on paper. Tablet touch screens are not modified computer touch screen actions for a mouse as Windows attempted. Tablets are redefining the interaction with swipes, multi-finger gestures, double tapping, etc. or more than a click of a mouse could achieve.

[Mike]

Doesn't it get covered with fingerprints?
I don't usually buy cutting edge, and with some of the glitches I've read that some of the Apple stuff seems to
have, I'm not sure I'd be willing to commit to that brand right away, considering the premium pricing.
And from what I've read, the iPad is just a larger iPhone. Perhaps I don't understand the technology well enough,
to make that judgment yet. I rarely buy something that I don't fully understand (except my Roadtrek ),
and as you said, aren't really sure what it can do for me. If it needs an expensive data plan and a 3G roaming
wireless cell tower signal to really exploit it's full capabilities, then it's probably not for me. If I can connect
it to my home wireless router and use wifi when I'm on the road, it might be a possibility. If it is lightweight,
inexpensive, easy to understand, secure, and has a battery that lasts longer than 6 hours/day or will still hold
a full charge 1 year after I buy it, that might convince me. I can do all of that with a laptop, for about US$800.

I may wait for some of the other brands to drop in price a bit more, which I'm sure will happen. I found at
least one website that showed iPad sales dropped from almost 97% market share in 2010 to closer to 75% as
the others decided to follow suit and jump in. I think the Apple market is almost like a cult. And it seems like
many people either love it, or couldn't care less about it. Unsurprisingly, many people just don't do "trendy".
So, I don't think they are invincible. I would never underestimate the capabilities of my competitors in
the consumer discretionary business. As you pointed out, look at Blackberry.

And, since you brought it up, Blackberry's problems have little to do with Apple, but more with tablets. They have
recently run into some troubles with their management team and that's the real root cause for them. Don't let the
Playbook fiasco give you a false sense of security. It was a mistake born out of panic and got them away from their core business which is, simple email pushing over cell networks. Another thought. Don't you think a lot of the Apple "mystique"
was directly related to the iconic Steve Jobs (RIP), and is now largely gone, after his untimely passing? I wonder who
will be selling the Apple flavored Koolaid now, and will the poor soul who draws that follow up act, ever be as charismatic
as his or her predecessor? Once the mourning period is done, after the New year I'd guess, it will be interesting to see
what they can come up with to top their last product which was an iPad/iPhone update? with a wonky battery? unlike
the cellular reception problems with the last iPhone? Sorry, I'm just trying to recall what I've read about their products
lately, and these 2 issues stood out in my rapidly failing memory. Their last quarterly report was stunning, however.