Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Adventures Of Driving With Mapsco Maps

By Marci Glover


Who doesn't love a road trip! Say, for example, you need to get from northern California to southeast Texas. If you are on your own and plan to come back right away, you would probably choose to fly. It takes seven hours and costs around five hundred dollars, probably less. The down side of this way is that you will have one or more plane changes along the way. Seven hours becomes one very long day! But what if you drove? Another option is to grab a handful of Mapsco maps and drive.

Driving from Northern California to just southwest of Dallas, Texas, takes between 27 and 28 hours, depending on the route that you take. The distance is between 1,800 and 2,000 miles. In addition to getting to see more of California and Texas than you would on an airplane, you also have the privilege of driving through the states of Arizona and New Mexico.

Taking the southern route, you drive south to Los Angeles and hug the Mexican border as best you can until you touch the border at Ciudad Juarez. From there, cut across the state, passing north of San Antonio, until you reach your destination in Temple, Texas. On the other hand, giving Juarez a wide berth might be a good idea. The city is notorious for female homicides.

The northern approach involves veering eastward around Buttonwillow, maintaining a steady course through the northernmost third of Arizona, proceeding through Albuquercue, taking care not to emulate Bugs Bunny and making the wrong turn. Meander gently in a broad arc toward the Texas Gulf Coast. Taking a wider arc will bring you through Dallas.

Take time to enjoy the journey. Plan to spend at least one night in each of the four states. You can even dog leg into Nevada. Stop for meals at local, independently-owned cafes instead of global fast-food outlets. Have picnics at lunch time. Above all, take at least a quarter of an hour out of every two hours to take a break from driving. It is also a good idea to stay hydrated. It is surprising how a small decrease in fluid intake can lead to a huge reduction in brain function.

If possible, bring at least one other qualified driver along with you. Apart from being able to keep you company, and awake, they can also take turns driving. This seems like a good place to mention you should make yourself familiar with motoring laws in each state you pass through. For instance, California allows rolling stops at red lights when turning right, others leap at the chance to catch California drivers unaware and make this maneuver illegal.

Another decision over which you are in control is whether or not to drive after dark. If your eyesight isn't that hot, you will want to stop for the night sooner rather than later. On the other hand, by the time you get into the hot, southern states, you may be better off traveling at night, when it is cooler.

The advantage of leaving early in the morning, while it is still dark, is when you do set up camp for the night there will be plenty of daylight left to enjoy it. Plan ahead. Drive safely. Enjoy your journey.




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