Directions

Garmins, Tom Toms, Magellans.. Do you really need one? Having a GPS is definitely useful at times, but besides the fact that phone GPS's are soon going to outdate Garmins, I just see GPS's as another thing to carry around.

I would rather look up directions beforehand; yes, this sometimes takes longer if you can't find the right road, but you know the area better if you always look it up beforehand because you can add a small amount of new information to the map you already have in your head. Eventually, you end up having a pretty large map in your head- instead of blindly following arrows. It's like dialing in a phone number instead of just pressing SEND on your cell phone. Then when your cell phone or GPS is out of battery, you aren't completely screwed.

I just love the thrill of thinking I'm lost and yet forging a successful route in spite of it! Today I was on my way home from a friend's house and took a different road than normal. I quickly realized why I've never taken that route before. In minutes I was in downtown DC, driving right past the Washington Memorial. The last time I've been close to that was in the summer, when I was on foot with no idea of which roads were around me.

Route 50 quickly dissipated into Constitution Ave, which forked into Pennsylvania, then Louisiana. I decided to follow another car that seemed to know where it was going when I got to the fork. I ended up going in circles in front of Union Station. I recognized it, but had only ever been there via Metro. Finally, I found my way out and just happened to see the sign for North Capitol Street. This was some pretty wild luck- I only know North Capitol because I use it to get to work on the weekends. After that I was home free.