Is there any websites that allows you to set points on a map for directions? I am going to make a drive tomorrow from a house we are looking at down to where my wife works. It can be quite a long drive so trying to figure out the shortest route. GPS will just route me to a specific route. I have mapped it already using Google Maps, and if need be can print the map and highlight. Just want something to quickly reference while on the road. Can't find my Hagstrom since I haven't used it in years and most of our stuff is packed away in the rental house.

Well I actually found my Hagstrom, but only for my county in CT. The route will cross over into NY, which I have no idea where my Hagstrom is for that. I will just substitute with some screenshots of Google Maps. It's not as involved once over the border.

Sign into Google Maps on your computer, won't work on mobile. Enter your A and B points and route it.

When the route options come up, you can move them around as you so fit. Once done, send it to your phone.

KOT

Well screw that... should've tested it before posting. I just assumed that it would sent the customized route to your phone. Nope, just a link for your A and B points and it's own routing.

KOT

You could always add Stops in Google Maps by using a pin drop. And move them in the proper order.

KOT

I used an app called Navionics when I drove a friend's boat from Milwaukee to Port Washington. It ha a free 15 day trial, so it could be used for the trip if you won't stay longer.

My iPhone and Nissan Navigation like to argue about which way to go.

Garmin is useless.

Driving through Salt Lake, were I to have followed it's directions, I would get off I-15, go four or five blocks on some side streets, then get back on I-15, then get off and go another 4 or 5 blocks on side streets, then get back on I-15.

I turned the damn GPS off until we were well south of the area.


Carry my ancient Rand McNally and it seems to work all the time....

This thread reminded me of when a group of us were at dinner once and the topic of conversation turned to how we got places before GPS. Something was said about how you had to get a map out and plot your course before you started on your trip, and one youngster, I believe our own Brendon, jumped in, "Oh yeah, you had to go to Map Quest and put in where you were going and print off the directions before you left home"

The Garmin might have been showing you the shortest route, timewise, but a mess to drive. I sometimes see things like that around downtown Los Angeles.

goldenz, when you say GPS, do you mean google maps? Or? When you say shortest, do you mean timewise or distancewise? When I was driving in downtown Los Angeles last night at 5 PM, the shortest route most anywhere was my route, except walking.

I've used google maps enough over the last few years to trust it to take me the shortest route timewise, even though it's taken me off the freeways and onto surface streets. On the other hand, I've discovered some killer surface streets nearly paralleling the freeways and also nearly empty for miles, right near downtown LA!

Figure out what your GPS is really doing and decide how much to trust it. Otherwise a paper map is all you need.

A paper map is challenging when you have almost 50 miles of back roads while driving the majority of it while dark out. I made the trip early this morning with printed copies of my Hagstrom and highlighted the route so I could at least try and take a quick peak. Had Google Maps open on my phone for real time map view to follow where I was as well.

I learned that this route will NEVER work. The route I took yesterday was easier, but still a good 45 miles and an hour and a quarter in. Any traffic backups and that changes :-(

Thats pretty funny. I lived in Chicago until i was 30 (1975-2005). I got my license at 16 so i had been driving for a while before mapquest became part of our lives. I used to have 3 maps in my car. 1 small fold out map of Illinois for any time i left Chicago. 1 cool little flip book cook county (Chicago) map book and the big giant book for cross country road trips.

After driving in Chicago for a year i knew where everything was. It was rare that i didn't know a street and whenever that happened i knew it was the south east side of Chicago where i never went. With an address and street name i could find anything.

I remember getting my first car with a built in compass. In Chicago you can easily figure out north south east and west but in the suburbs it was harder because of the sub division layouts. The compass was my first crutch. Then it was mapquest or google maps and finally my first iPhone. I don't even own a map now.

I used to get super frustrated with people who couldn't read maps. I would be driving and they would be trying to read the map and i would always have to pull over and read it myself. Now i am the WORST navigator. I use GPS to get home from the local grocery store even though i have lived here over a year now. I have zero sense of direction. I just rely on GPS. I would be in big trouble without it.

Side note...anyone remember when mapquest had a lot of errors? That was always fun!

Hell Google maps has had lots of errors.

One OLD Garmin GPS error I experience:

When arriving at Oak Island I drive over a bridge that crosses over the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) and Yacht Drive, which is on the island AND under that same bridge.

The Garmin announces "Turn right onto Yacht Drive" then recalculates as I fail to drive off the side of the bridge, plummeting to a fiery death....