I learned to drive back in the stone age when there was no
gps navigation available to the general public.
It was a watershed moment for me when I realized that I could find my way around, that I could
use a map, that making a wrong turn or not being able to immediately find an
address wasn’t the end of the world.
This made me somewhat snooty about gps systems when it started to seem
like everyone was getting one. I thought
it was cheating. I felt that a real
mountain girl would navigate with the aid of the stars, the mossy sides of
trees, a piece of string, and a compass.
When I got my first smart phone it was a while before I
tried the gps nagivation on it. Then it
struck me that not using something I had paid for was sort of dumb. So I tried it out around home where I didn’t
really need it, in order to get familiar with it before it really counted. I was amazed at how helpful and even fun it
was. Ok, I admit it, the crotchedy old
Luddite was hooked. There started to be times when I was really
counting on it being there.
But since the smart phone gps is dependent on data from the
cell towers, it only works where there’s data coverage. Usually that’s plenty for me, but for this
trip I started to think it might not be a bad idea to get a dedicated gps
system that took its data direct from the satellite. The cost has come down so much now that it
wasn’t a hard decision, and I had some credits with a retailer that meant I
could get a good deal on a basic unit. I
picked the Garmin Nuvi 50LM because it had positive user reviews and it was on
sale. Also, Garmin is a respected name,
and I wanted something that worked.
I’ve been using it on this trip and I’m very pleased. Tonight I have to say that getting that thing
was a strategic win. Nuvi got me through
the craziness of Salt Lake City to my destination for the night without a
hitch. I could have used the phone gps
and it probably would have worked, but there really is something to having a
device that does one thing and does it well.
This model has “lane assist,” which guides you into the correct lane on
hairy stretches of freeway. When you are
far from home, tired, and have driven through a bugtastic swarm of some kind of
insect that has smeared the crap out of your windshield, it’s no time to stand
on pride, compasses and string. Could I
make it without the gps? Of course. But boy howdy I’m glad I didn’t have to
tonight. My main concern was getting
reliable guidance when pulling the trailer, which is when I’ll be a lot less
nimble and will need to have a good idea of where I’m going and how to get
there. But it sure came in handy getting
me through what felt like a rat’s nest of merging and splitting lanes and
swooping turns and local drivers who just wanted the lumbering out of towner to
get out of their way! I’ll keep my maps
and I’ll remember that sophisticated technology can crap out on you at any
time, so you need to be prepared to Amish it if necessary. But I’m sold.
Get a Garmin.
Another strategic win:
getting the A/C fixed. I would
have been a sad puppy without it. Stategic
fail: putting the snacks just out of arm
reach of the driver. Other strategic
fail: shuffle on the mp3 player. More
about that tomorrow.
Forgotten stuff: favorite toothbrush, laundry bag, spray for
sore shoulder. The expedition captain
says we will carry on nevertheless.
Maybe it’s a little harder to make 500 miles in a day than I
thought it would be. But I’m going to
get rested up tonight and try to make time tomorrow. NO SNICKERING! I CAN HEAR YOU FROM HERE!
As my dear late friend Randy’s heroine Scarlett O’Hara said,
“Tomorrow is another day.”
This fellow is called Wendover
Will.
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