I’ve been using a map for my Minnesota road trip. I love maps but most of all, I trust them. I don’t trust a GPS, especially one of those dashboard talking ones. I don’t trust anyone telling me what to do and where to go; why would I trust a GPS?
I have Google Maps on my phone, and I like it to find nearby coffee shops and for specific street directions once I’m in a town. But for the big picture, I need a literal big picture idea of where I’m going.
Look at all that beautiful land. All those arteries leading to places I’ve not known. I don’t like the tunnel vision of GPS directions. You get your one path, and that’s all you see. When I go somewhere, I need a spatial understanding of where I am. I like to know what’s around me. It’s all about the bigger perspective.
Other things I love about maps:
The cool mileage table.
A list of state parks and their amenities.
The legend and scale.
The list of cities and populations.
Are you old school? Do you still navigate with a paper map?
If You Have Five Seconds to Spare 
Without a GPS or smart phone, my husband and I totally rely on paper maps and a huge Minnesota atlas when we travel. I am like you in that I need to see, on a map, where I am and where I am going.
I love the maps! I like seeing what towns are nearby. I’ve heard of most Minnesota towns but I don’t know where they all are. It’s nice to walk away with that knowledge when looking at a big map!
Funny enough, I don’t. I like paper books (not Kindles, Nooks, etc.) and have a paper calendar, but I really depend on my Maps app on my iPhone. That said, I also like the big picture, so if I’m going somewhere I don’t know, I do look on Mapquest and sometimes print a page to help me navigate. I still have an atlas in my car, but I haven’t used it in a long time. Thanks for pointing out all the neat stuff paper maps have!
I sometimes will still print out directions so I can refer to paper!
Rachel, I am a total old school, big picture kinda gal. I like to see my all options. “A spatial understanding” is exactly right. I was raised by weekend warrior parents who never plotted their course, we just went places that looked interesting on the map. My mother would narrow her eyes, scanning the maps for rivers, elevations, and roads made of gravel and switchbacks. Geography was our guide. Ahhh, the roads not yet taken…
How fun would that be! I would love to just take off and explore a new place without a real plan. That is not my personality at all, but it’s good to get out of your comfort zone!
Thanks for commenting 🙂