Text 28285, 113 rader
Skriven 2015-06-17 10:01:00 av NANCY BACKUS (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av SEAN DENNIS
Ärende: Re: wanderings 773
==========================
-=> Quoting Sean Dennis to Nancy Backus on 06-14-15  02:59 <=-

 NB>> It probably helps that I have a pretty good sense of direction,
 NB>> generally, and don't mind the occasional inadvertant exploration... ;)
 NB>> I've found some really good routes that way...  :)

 SD> I have an excellent sense of direction once I can find where North is,
 SD> I can generally keep track.  

For that, having a clue where east and west are helps... ;)  On a clear
day, that is usually not too much of a problem... ;)

 SD> Out here, though, it can be -very- tricky
 SD> on some of the highways and byways.  

Yeah, twisty-turnies can wreak havoc with sense of direction... I
remember coming out at a turn, and thinking it was 180 from what the
signage was telling me... a good look at the map showed me where my
inner locator had been twisted... ;)

 SD> I used to be that way in Atlanta too but I've long since lost my
 SD> sense of direction since I've not been there in six years. 

Landmarks also help in knowing where you are and where you are
headed....  ;)  

 SD> The GPS is good, but I do like to keep a new(ish)
 SD> Rand-McNally Road Atlas (large print, please; I hate having to get my
 SD> reading glasses out when I'm wearing my driving glasses) at my side.

That's a minimum requirement... I prefer having regional maps or city
maps to get the finer details...  :)

 SD> That being said, when I travel alone, I prefer to keep the GPS up and
 SD> running.  I have to stop at least every two hours now to stretch and
 SD> one thing that is -very- good about having a GPS is being able to load
 SD> maps of convienience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, et cetera
 SD> directly into the GPS that allows me to glance and see if there's
 SD> something I need coming up.  Around here, I have Shell gas stations,
 SD> Kroger grocery stores, Walmart stores, and McDonald's locations loaded
 SD> up.   

Ah, well... I tend not to stop except for gas, and take care of other
needs at the same time... And, whenever possible, figuring out where the
gas stations are is part of the trip planning...  :)

 NB>> My usual travel kit:  cheese sticks, grapes, pretzels... and a good
 NB>> map...  :)

 SD> I like to carry a small cooler filled with bottled water and an
 SD> insulated bag filled with snacks such as what you listed.  I also enjoy
 SD> having gum to chew; it helps relieve stress and keeps my hunger at bay
 SD> while traveling. 

Gum just makes me hungrier... I nibble on the snacks, just enough to
keep me from dropping my sugars too low, or dehydrating... 

 SD> Something else I like to have: an amateur radio with me.  That is good
 SD> for me since I can contact people along the route if I have questions
 SD> or what-not.  I used to have a CB radio also, but now that the airwaves
 SD> are filled with filth, I don't bother anymore.

That's something I don't have... either sort...  I do have my cell phone
with me, and usually nowadays there's signal... 

 SD> Something I'd love to have if I ever made a coast-to-coast trip is a
 SD> satellite radio so I can listen to music and talk radio (I'm an Art
 SD> Bell fan).  I find if I can keep my mind occupied on the road ahead and
 SD> my ears listening to something interesting, I'm much less likely to get
 SD> drowsy and will make my stops.

I usually have a mix of CDs (used to be cassettes) of music for when I
can't get public radio (preferably classical music there, though talk is
fine until it gets annoying) or get tired of it...  :) 

 SD> There's also an interesting device I'd like to get: it looks like a
 SD> behind-the-ear hearing aid...but it's not.  What it does is if your
 SD> head tilts beyond a certain degree forwards or backwards, the device
 SD> emits a loud tone to wake you up instantly. 

I don't think I'd like that device... but then I've not had any need of
it, thankfully...  I periodically do some neck twists and turns to get
the kinks out, that would probably set off the device unnecessarily...

 SD> I've not come to that yet
 SD> but if I decide to drive out West to visit friends, I'd like to get
 SD> that.  Highway hypnosis comes easier as I get older, sadly.

Straight highways across the desert are sleep-producing, for sure, I've
been told... I generally try to route my trips for more interesting
driving with a minimum of stress... so, for instance, up to the Pond, I
take Rt 3 instead of I81...  and I'll only take the Thruway or other
toll roads if they truly are the most efficient way to go and there's no
viable alternative... for example, I do take the NYS Thruway from
Syracuse to Albany, since Rt 20 is a royal pain to drive through that
section... but from Rochester, I'll take Rt 104 and then angle down to
the far side of Syracuse...  :)

If I were inclined to stop for food along the way, that opens a lot more
possibilities of good food...  ;)

 SD> ... Staring into a dragon's jaws, one quickly learns wisdom.

But it may well be too late, since you are probably dinner... or at
least a snack...  (G)

ttyl        neb

... The first consideration is that our meals be fun as well as fuel.

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