DennyG

My progress ended rather abruptly shortly after this post. The first problem was in downloading long or maybe complex routes. When I made the earlier posts, I had downloaded some simple test routes to the Garmin. But, when I downloaded some "real" routes, they seemed to vanish. I had spent hours tweaking routes for a multi-week trip that was to start the next day. I panicked and called Garmin immediately. Email wouldn't be fast enough this time. I got plenty of help and attention from the Garmin people but never a completely useful answer. Some routes just took a long time to process, someone in the development side divulged through my contact in the help desk side. Possibly as much as half an hour. I broke off a short piece from the front of my trip and got enough downloaded to get me through a few days as my blood pressure eased back toward normal. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when one of the longer routes suddenly appeared two days later. Apparently "as much as half an hour" was overly optimistic. But there's more going on than just slow processing. Some routes really have disappeared and others have been flattened to nothing more than a start and end point. Route downloading from Mapsource to a Garmin 2360LMT is broken. The handling of successfully downloaded routes may not be broken but it is definitely misguided -- at least for roadies. The first problem I encountered was automatic recalculation. Say you've carefully crafted a route to follow Historic Route 66 through some area. You're part way through when you realize you're low on gas and head off the route a half mile to fill up. Instead of keeping your preplanned route so you could at least visually navigate back to it, my Garmin would automatically recalculate a new route from pump #2 to whatever your next waypoint was. There is no way to disable it and I'm assured by Garmin personnel that every current Garmin model works this way. (I may be wrong in thinking that Madmaps offers preplanned routes of things like Route 66 for Garmin GPS units. I've been meaning to ask them how this affects them assuming they do indeed sell actual routes. Writing this finally prompted met to ask the question but, of course, I don't yet have a response.) A second issue is that the 2360 treats each waypoint as a separate endpoint. To it, a route is nothing more than a list of coordinates with no consideration of how they relate to each other. Only when you pass through Point A (and you must pass pretty much directly through it) does the unit start calculating a path to Point B. And, because of the automatic recalculation, the path isn't calculated from Point A but from your current position. Depending on your speed and the placement of intersections and waypoints, this might have little resemblance to the original path. The treating of each waypoint as a distinct endpoint may be partially responsible for the requirement to manually select your next waypoint whenever you start to navigate a route. At first I thought this was just a silly shortcoming of the unit but I soon realized that it was a real problem. As you tweak a route to follow a specific path, some pretty arbitrary waypoints get inserted. Forcing the path through a semi-randomly selected point on some road yields the desired route segment so that's what you do. That point needs a name and, depending on software, it's probably automatically generated and pretty obscure. So, when the GPS unit asks you to "Select Next Destination" it isn't offering Washington Monument and Mount Rushmore as choices. The choices are more like (real examples) 7592 Old OH-3 and 7946 Old OH-3 and those addresses are not where Uncle Bill and Aunt Sally live they're addresses that were sort of close to some point you clicked on to get the route to go where you wanted. The point is they are pretty much meaningless to you yet you have to tell the GPS unit which one you'd like to go to. I can't speak for all Garmin products but the 2360, which is fairly far up the list, doesn't even give a hint at which ones are closest and that is silly. There are other issues but those are the biggies. They stand out all the more because my previous unit, a Garmin Quest, did all of this just fine. I'd still be using it if current maps were available and I often think it might still be a better choice for me. Admittedly, some of this has the feel of immature software on a fairly new hardware platform but not all of it. That auto-calc thing was very intentional and has been praised by some users. I have a suspicion that making it the only choice simplified some of the software development and still left the vast majority of potential customers happy. While the issues I've described are huge to me and, I've a hunch, to other forum members, they don't matter at all to most GPS users. Most people just want a GPS unit to guide them to the nearest golf course or Starbucks though they are willing to pay extra to have it do that with Darth Vader's voice. I imagine the vast majority of Garmin owners are quite satisfied. Too bad we're in that tiny minority, eh?

I'm only slightly familiar with Google Maps and not at all with their relationship with Garmin so can't comment on that at all. Does Google somehow allow you to download either POIs or routes to a Garmin unit? Regarding incorrect locations, I've encountered quite a few of those in Garmin data over the years. A certain amount are due to outdated maps but some have no obvious explanations at all. The cataloged place just isn't there. There are two Roadside America applications. The one you asked about, for some Garmin units, and one for iPhones. I have both. I don't, however, have an iPhone. I have an iPod touch which I describe as an iPhone without the phone. This app is the cheaper of the two and the more comprehensive, too. But it requires an internet connection to be useful. I think it really just gives streamlined access to the RA website and makes use of location if it can. The Garmin app stands alone which is, in my opinion, basically a good thing but it does rule out getting current information when things are updated at RA.com. It also means that descriptions are more limited. There are also less attractions in the Garmin app than online. Part of the reason for this, according to Doug Kirby of RA, is that only verified attractions with accurate locations are included in the Garmin app where unconfirmed reader tips and such are available online. He also said that they did this because users expect their GPS to give them accurate information. I got a chuckle out of that but will say that the RA information on the Garmin appears to be quite accurate. The Garmin app works in two ways. One is the sounding of an alert when you are within .2 miles of an attraction. I've found no way to adjust this distance though I can turn off the alerts altogether. My unit also does alerts for red light cameras and they was identical to the RA alerts. Both display popups with text way too small for old eyes (and I suspect many younger eyes) to read. The second way is through the normal Garmin search/where to functions. This lets you find things near your current location, a preselected city, and maybe a couple other options. Searches can be filtered by state and by a few categories (e.g., statues, museums). I use the search feature at two times. One is when an alert comes up and I want to find out what the unreadable text referred to. The other is to just check to see what, if anything, is nearby. Long stretches of Kansas two-lane can encourage this sort of curiosity. I don't use the GPS unit it self for advance planning so I'm not sure how or even if the RA app would help with that. I actually have quite a bit to say about Garmin routing but I'll do that in a separate response rather than cluttering up your RA question.

Maybe that recycling of posts is a west coast thing. I didn't find the video I'd originally pointed to but 's one from December that should fill in quite nicely. Plus, while looking for that video, I found truly fascinating one about moving a Mail Pouch sign to the museum. There's some real nice stuff about Harley Warrick, "The Last Mail Pouch Barn Painter", in it, too.

I've sorted out where you are. DeLorme actually has Hot Creek Ranch listed as a "man made landmark". By coincidence, the latest issue of the Lincoln Highway Association magazine, the Forum, arrived today with and article about the Tioga Pass on the Midland Trail which looks to be a hundred miles or so west of where you are currently. You mention that the guide writer stayed at the hotel. I see the hotel described in the guide but didn't see mention of a stay. Is this documented elsewhere or did I just overlook it?

Wow. It just keeps getting better.

Ya gotta move a little quicker, Dave. That post is right at a year old. Progress has continued on this huge project and the current thinking is completion in January. Sorry it's not a movie but there's some recent news here.

I should have known we could count on you to ID the wheels on Jerry's wagon.

I'm confident we will. Seems like it usually takes a few near misses before connecting with someone.

I'd never even heard of Hot Creek Ranch but I sure liked the pictures. Guess I'll have to look deeper into the Midland Trail someday.

I saw your mention of the diagnosis on Facebook but am in the process of catching up with things so will acknowledge it here. That's a great collection of quotes with a real mix of funny ones, uplifting ones, and some that aren't so uplifting. I appreciate you posting them. I'll be watching for news of your visit with the surgeon and hoping for the best.

I'm home and can now add all of the Eastern Mainline and the Northern Connector to the bits of Dixie Highway I've driven. Of course the Dixie has more termini than some roads have intersections so there's still plenty to do. The journal for the nine day trip is here.

Wonderful discovery. Exciting and then some!

I'm three days into a drive north on the Dixie Highway east trunk and will reach the northern endpoint today. The story so far is at: http://www.dennygibson.com/dixienorth2011/

I well remember my one night at the Adobe three years ago. That was also in August and, besides a great room and meal, I got to watch a couple of whales swimming by before I left in the morning. The recommendation was appreciated then and the reminder is appreciated now.

Glad you found some things to see. I couldn't help at all with the Outer Banks and the only thing I wanted to recommend in Albuquerque is Tinkertown which you've already seen. I especially enjoyed the then and now picture between at the earthworks. Looks like that path has seen some traffic over the years. There are three Futuro homes (space ship) near Cincinnati. Wikipedia estimates that there are about 50 left. Sorry I couldn't help with your planning but that won't keep me from asking for help with mine. What days will your New Mexico trip keep you from AoW?

Apparently we both did a little ad libbing and ended up where we didn't plan to be. At least I did. Amarillo was a very close miss but we'll connect someday.

It looks about th same as it did in June. I guess no one wants the section where the big branches start to split off.

On Friday, the Ohio National Road Association and the Historical Society of Vandalia-Butler unveiled a new interpretive sign near the intersection of the National Road and the eastern trunk of the Dixie Highway. I attended the unveiling then followed the DH south to the Ohio River. The journal is here.

Well, I see Dave made my sluggishness harmless. I intended to post that I thought the Ibapah Trading Post sold gas and knew they had a pump then suggest you call. Dave not only said something similar but made the call and provided up to the minute status, too. I assume I can go back to sleep now.

Sorry it took me so long to say welcome but I see Dave has kept us from looking completely oblivious. Sounds like you two have a lot in common and I know your interests overlap those of some of the rest of us, too. Glad you signed up.

It's ALWAYS worthwhile to drive to Cincinnati ... but you guys are close enough to do it another day. Holler when you do and I'll share a pointer or two. For this trip, I think driving US 36 is a fine idea. I had a good time doing it in June. If timing works out, you might try Crabill's Hamburgers in Urbana. It's a Hamburger America Top 100 and right on Thirty-Six.

As Dave says, that's a wonderful itinerary. You must be leaving any minute in order to get it all in and still make the Dream Cruise. I know you'll have a blast on Woodward. As I'm sure you know, the NFL HoF is actually in Canton which is also home to Canton Classic Car Museum and Motorcar Portfolio. They're within a block of each other and might interest a couple of car guys. I'm curious about where you'll be picking up OH-3 and why you chose it. It's more or less the old 3C Highway so has some history but doesn't quite go to either Canton or Akron.

I'm sure it's a rather unimposing sight with no obvious significance. Still, it's good to know it remains standing.

I know this is getting way off topic but that comment about the stone house leading you to the Lincoln Highway was so reminiscent of another roadside story that I'm going to veer away with abandon. Part of the similarity is that both stories involve an aged roadside "attraction" that made a big impression on two serious roadies while I barely noticed it or didn't notice it at all. The other "attraction" is the stone Frederick Turnpike "10 M To B" marker in Ellicott City, Maryland. It seems that I didn't even see the marker when I passed through there in 2006 even though I stopped and walked the streets for awhile. When I learned that two well known road scholars (who earned the title the old fashioned way) credited it with igniting their interest in old roads, I studied pictures I'd taken during my visit and found the marker was actually visible in a couple. I hadn't even noticed the mile marker that Frank X. Brusca and William Least Heat-Moon both credit with getting them started down blue highways.

Overall, I'm not really tired of dirt roads either but I believe I was at that point on that day. I'd started in SLC and was probably just tired in general and not as attentive of roadside goodies as I should be. I may have passed the sign and not seen it or may have even stopped at it and not remember. I was guessing that the sign is on CR-34 where it ends at CR-31. I've attached a map clip that should help. The stone house is somewhere around the red SH at the upper left. At the intersection there, CR-34 is green and CR-31 is blue. Blue indicates "an original 1913-1915 Lincoln Highway alignment". Green indicates "an intermediate Lincoln Highway re-alignment or detour". The black line with dots on it is my GPS track. I was attempting to drive the blue line but missed a couple of sections just in this small area. The missed blue line at the right is the end of the eight mile section you drove and documented in another thread. I also missed about a mile and three quarters at the lower left and instead drove something that apparently never was Lincoln Highway. From there I drove almost due north past the stone house. Depending on where the stop sign is I may have not noticed it, not remembered it, or driven past its back side. As I'm sure you know, that "Day Tripper" tag is based solely on post count. If it was based on post quality, you'd have passed it long ago.