Enriched Routing

[John&Vicki]

How do you choose your routes? Like most, I really like the convenience of route planning apps and GPS's. They're hard to beat when it comes to simplicity and efficiency. They're great at picking the most direct and quickest routes. But...

Most of my travel in my AS is not about getting from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. I'm on the road to experience this amazing continent: adventure, beauty, culture, history, food... The list is endless. And flying along on an interstate is a great way to cover ground - and a sure way to miss a lot.

I happened onto a Ted Talk that discusses this very thing. There's work being done in mapping to find routes based on criteria other than efficiency, things such as beauty and solitude. Very interesting - you can view the talk here:

Daniele Quercia: Happy maps | Talk Video | TED.com

I haven't dug further at this point to see if there is anything commercially available, but I will endeavor more than ever to consider more than just efficiency when I'm planning my routes.

Cheers,
John

[RichP21]

Love the Ted talks and your approach to road travel - it's all in the journey. Please post whatever you learn about mapping out the most scenic routes, etc. Happy and safe travels!

[lsbrodsky]

I have not found anything that routes for leisure and beauty. I use MS Streets, Good Sam, Google Maps, and Garmin Basemap on my PC. After the route is mapped I play around and drag the route the way I want to go, especially after looking at Google maps and Google Earth. It is time consuming but it is the fun part of trip planning. Once I get the final route set in Garmin Basemap, I upload it to my Garmin RV 760, which is what I use in the truck on the actual trip. This whole process is a lot of fun for me.
Larry

[dkottum]

Having a destination in mind, we decide what we want to see and do on the trip. Time is usually not a factor, so we may veer off course hundreds of miles. Then the course is often adjusted to avoid severe weather.

Some interesting people and places were not on the map, we just happened on them. There is a sameness in America today. Same store chains, same franchise restaurants, same theme parks. We use them, but not if can discover something different.

Enjoy the journey.

[Msmoto]

As I usually am taking photos of where I am going, I use the Interstate system, yet will also go for some "shortcuts" on less traveled roads.

One of the issues off the Interstate is the fuel mileage will drop by 10% or more, as traveling on the roads which go through towns involves slowing, stopping, etc., the killer for full mileage.

So, I pick my stops, usually with the internet, searching out the sites to see, head for them and in between may travel up to 700 miles in one day over 14 hours. I enjoy stopping and resting often, so while I am "on the road" for 14 hours, i may be resting or enjoying the attractions 3 or more hours during the trip.

I have found some of the attractions listed by Apps, or other "tourist" websites are often quite disappointing, so, once again, I like to do some research before heading out.