Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Adventures Of Driving With Mapsco Maps

By Marci Glover


Who doesn't love a road trip! Say, for example, you need to get from northern California to southeast Texas. If you are on your own and plan to come back right away, you would probably choose to fly. It takes seven hours and costs around five hundred dollars, probably less. The down side of this way is that you will have one or more plane changes along the way. Seven hours becomes one very long day! But what if you drove? Another option is to grab a handful of Mapsco maps and drive.

Leaving the Bay Area and proceeding by car to somewhere like Houston on the Gulf coast of Texas would take just over a day, providing you drive around the clock and don't make any stops. This is clearly impractical. Take time and enjoy driving through the "extra" states of Arizona and New Mexico.

The southern route involves driving due south to San Diego and staying as close to the border with Mexico as the highways will allow, driving through southern Arizona and New Mexico. Proceed east from El Paso, driving across Texas on the north side of San Antonio until you get to your destination. There is another option that you may wish to consider that avoids El Paso, which is uncomfortably close to Juarez, Mexico, a city widely known for being extremely unsafe for females.

The northern approach involves veering eastward around Buttonwillow, maintaining a steady course through the northernmost third of Arizona, proceeding through Albuquercue, taking care not to emulate Bugs Bunny and making the wrong turn. Meander gently in a broad arc toward the Texas Gulf Coast. Taking a wider arc will bring you through Dallas.

The estimated driving time does not take into account stops for meals, potty breaks, staying overnight or sightseeing. The decision how many overnight stops to make will depend mostly on how many young children and/or pets will be accompanying you. Remember also to incorporate a minimum of 15-minute rest stops to get out of the car, stretch your legs, get some fresh air and make sure you stay awake. Highways can be hypnotic, especially when the sun is blaring down on the road ahead and in your eyes.

If you are the only driver, you will take longer to get there than if you have someone with whom you can drive in shifts. You want to take your time and enjoy the journey, anyway. This isn't a race.

Another decision over which you are in control is whether or not to drive after dark. If your eyesight isn't that hot, you will want to stop for the night sooner rather than later. On the other hand, by the time you get into the hot, southern states, you may be better off traveling at night, when it is cooler.

Setting out early, before sunrise, means that you have more daylight hours to explore when you do stop for the night. Take photos and make sure you have enough memory space in your camera or cell phone. Be safe. Have fun!




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment