In an era of digital aids to travel, I am an old fashioned throwback to an earlier time. I am talking about using paper maps to plan and use during my trips. An item that you could get at almost any corner gas station, paper maps have given way to cell phones and other digital mapping devices. While these devices are convenient they do have their drawbacks.
In May when my wife and I were traveling to Minneapolis to visit our son and in-laws we tried using our “smart” phones to guide us. For the most part they worked well, however we went in and out of cell tower coverage in rural Iowa and a couple of times when we reestablished connection we were instructed to turn at the wrong intersections. While I do enjoy seeing small towns and cow pastures, that was not part of our objective on this particular trip and added a good bit of time to our already long trip.
While folding and unfolding paper maps can be a hassle, you have your route right there and available at all times. However, that is not the main reason I like using them. Before most pleasure trips I will study my paper map to see where I am going, what else might be worth seeing between here and my ultimate destination, and what roads do I want to use. An example would be a trip to see the beautiful Missouri Capitol Building in Jefferson City.
The fastest way to get there from my home in St. Louis is by taking Interstate 70 to Kingdom City and then South on US 54 to Jefferson City. You’ll see a lot of farmland at 70 miles an hour but not really much else. Pulling out the map you will find two East/West state highways, one on the North side of the Missouri River, highway 94 to US 54 and then South, across the Missouri River bridge and the other, highway 100 to US 50 on the South side of the river. These routes are not as fast as the Interstate but travel through communities and allow you to experience more of the sights and feel of Missouri.
Once I decide on a route, I look to see what might be nearby along the way that could add interest to the trip. One possibility is to visit some of the many wineries nestled along either side of the Missouri River. I then go to Google maps to identify the various businesses and look at their websites to see hours of operation and features like if they offer tours of their winery, tasting rooms, gift shops or other things that might interest me.
After I take my trip I have used another paper map to journal my trip by using a fine tip highlighter to mark the roads I used and circle places I may want to remember to go back to. By doing this I am able to see where I have been, how I got there and where else I haven’t explored, yet!
If you belong to AAA you can get your Missouri map free just by stopping by your AAA office or you can stop by any Missouri welcome center and pick up a free state map. You can use the link below to request a free map from the state of Missouri.
https://www.modot.org/form/request-more-
While you’re getting your map don’t forget to get a second map to journal your travels.
Start using those paper maps to enrich your traveling and sightseeing adventures in the GREAT state of Missouri. Tell me about your favorite Missouri destination(s) at Leo@Leokelley.com.
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