Paper maps vs phone maps for a cross-country trip I took last spring...

I had to choose between a $15 Rand McNally atlas and just using my phone for a 3,000 mile run from Atlanta to Portland. Picked the atlas and got lost twice in Wyoming, but honestly I remember every little town I passed through now. Anyone else find that getting lost on purpose with paper maps makes a trip stick with you better?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellymurphy14d ago

You said "getting lost on purpose with paper maps makes a trip stick with you better" and I'm curious if that stuck feeling was worth the stress of being actually lost in Wyoming with no cell service lol. Did you ever pull over and just stare at the atlas for twenty minutes trying to figure out where you were, or was that part of the charm?

richard_mason14d ago

Kelly, you hit the nail on the head with that "stare at the atlas for twenty minutes" part. I've absolutely done that, pulled over on a dirt road with the engine running and the map spread across the steering wheel, trying to make sense of a tiny squiggly line. It was stressful in the moment, I won't lie, especially with the sun starting to go down and no gas station in sight. But that feeling of finally figuring it out, of seeing the road match the paper, made the whole trip feel like an adventure instead of just a drive. I'd rather be slightly panicked for a little while than have everything perfectly planned out and forgettable. So yeah, the charm was real, but so was the stress, and I think both are what make a trip stick.