On Feb 23, 10:11*am, rb608 wrote:
On Feb 22, 7:27*pm, Ken Fortenberry

wrote:

Anybody on roff have suggestions in the under $300 range ?

I don't have one, but #1 Son has a Garmin Nuvi 255W. *I tried it out a
few trios, & it's pretty cool.

Joe F.

I am a map and compass virtuoso (not a luddite) from many years
leading canoe trips into the backwaters of Northern Canada. I still
navigate through towns by the sun, moon and stars...SWMBO (total city
girl) gets a kick out of how I can glance at the shadows or the phase
of the moon, and tell instantly what direction east is, or what
direction we are headed in the car.

However, because she cannot navigate in HK easily (its a real maze), I
bought her a Garmin Nuvi 255W last summer for about $200, and its a
real toy. Definitely lots of fun gadgets, and you can see when your
ETA is, save locations, see a map from 'windshield view', etc. Lots
there to love for gizmo-heads.

However, last summer I was using it to drive from Maine to the Windsor
Locks, then down to Indiana, and back to Maine (visiting some roffians
along the way). SWMBO called me on my cell phone from South Africa
while I was driving through the wilds of northern Vermont (that alone
was a little mind-boggling) and asked how the GPS was serving me.

I replied: "Oh my god, its excellent!! I know with 100% certainty when
I drive through these little towns which way to go, and I can tell
with absolute confidence that I am on the correct road to get there in
the least amount of time. Its incredible!"

She asked: "So where are you now?"

"I have absolutely no idea" I replied.

And that's the crux of the bisquit. You lose all sense of place when
you use them; instead you rely on the GPS to keep track of your
journey instead of constantly checking landmarks, keeping mental tabs
on surroundings, mapping the 'big picture' in your mind and knowing
where you are on it, etc.

Personally, I can see the allure for those who don;t want to think so
much, but I'd rather not have it with me for most adventures.

--riverman