AAA Maps, Guide and Tour Books, and TripTiks - "Travels Without Charlie"

Just this week we decided it was time to plan a trip to California. We have been there several times over the years, but this time will be different. We are going to drive. I've always wanted to drive around the country and visit as many states as possible. The thought of having an RV sounded really cool - but very impractical - for us. Neither of us can imagine driving anything bigger than our Forester, but like the idea of our own house in wheels. We've been up and done the eastern seaboard so many times, and back and forth from the Midwest. The idea reminded me of the book I wrote after our grandson visited us from California. And after we looked at the google maps planned route from DC to LA, the idea is quite daunting - but we are filled with anticipation! So what did I do? I've been a AAA member for almost 40 years, so I decided to order up a trip tik, get a hard copy map of the USA, and selected a few tour books. I know it's all on line, but I like having a hard copy map in the car when we are on trips. We have no time limit, nor a specific plan along the way. It will be a completely "unplanned" trip - except for having the goal of reaching LA and returning back home on a different path. So it's time to get the almost one year old Subaru Forester geared up for the long haul. We can't wait! It's like "Travels with Charlie" without Charlie! 

AAA Maps and TripTiks

We just returned from a roadtrip to Wisconsin to visit friends and colleagues. We lived there thirty years before moving to DC ten years ago this month! As long as we are able to, my husband and I really enjoy the ride. In the old days, I would always get the AAA TripTiks, tour guide books, and maps before we started out. We often wonder how we ever got anywhere without GPS Systems. We stopped for breakfast in Buckeystown near Frederick Maryland on the first day. I noticed a AAA store, and we decided to stop to get a hard copy map of the east and Midwest. Sometimes I just like to see the route in a larger version from a small phone screen, especially when we are trying to decide where we might want to stop for the night along the way. Once inside the store, I was amazed by the size of the place and the number of people working there. Granted, it was a car repair shop and store combined, but it was really busy! If you get there after hours you can swipe your membership card at the entrance and there is a vestibule where you can get a map out of a vending machine. But I went inside and got what I needed. There is a big retail side of the place with luggage and all things travel related, a place for airline tickets and international tours, and of course TripTiks. I also just downloaded the AAA app that I need to explore. The problem is is that I am not even sure we even need AAA anymore given Google maps and our subaru safety buttons and vehicle aids. But I still use it for hotel discounts and once in awhile for flowers, and of course for flat tires a few times. For whatever reason I just renewed membership for another year. It just seemed like the thing to do. 

Google Maps, Waze, Apple, or Car Wayfinders?

The last fifty miles can be torture, unless of course, you like to travel at 3 AM. Add the holiday traffic to the mix, and things get even dicier. But now we have all kinds of gadgets to help us navigate around congested areas - or do we? Our new Subaru Forester has a navigation system that has a lot of drawbacks. But having a map shown at all times is a good thing. My favorite source is google maps because we are used to it, and it usually works the best. Then we noticed the Waze app whenever there was a traffic accident. I read the reviews and they were mixed. But how many interruptions do we need to hear all at once? We haven't used Apple maps since they were scorned the first time out. Supposedly there are improvements. All I can say is the car system tried to take us off the freeway off a ramp and then make a u turn back on to it whenever there was congestion; Google maps sent us in the completely opposite direction when we turned off to find our hotel; we didn't bother with Waze or Apple. I still have an old hard copy map of our route from DC to Florida and back that I sometimes pull out to get the big picture. We were just happy to see all the familiar sites as we finally approached our home town, without incident and in good time. I don't know how we ever managed before!