I still want a map. Batteries not needed. And if, as a tourist, I don't need to pull out my smartphone to get my bearings and become target for that smartphone.
Opinion,observations and thoughts about Maps and Atlases...
Adma and WKL: Good link and interesting thoughts from Michael Brick...
I am a road map collector myself but not a member of the Road Map Collectors group and I agree
that a good detailed map is every bit as good as having a GPS unit if you need to navigate to
any definite place...Some companies produce good local road atlases - like the Hagstrom's group
that are primarily for the New York City region that are very useful-and are better then a folded
map depending on how much you need to refer to them...
I had a feeling that technology would reduce the amount of State Official road maps over time but
what was not mentioned was that states are different in how their maps are produced in terms of
how often or how available they are...
States like Missouri would produce a road map each year - and more recently every two years-but
in states like New York they were produced sporadically and were not easy by any means to get...
I am a stickler for detail and I feel that two of the better State Official road maps were produced
by New Jersey (not easy to get) and Maryland (somewhat easy in MD) that showed good detail
of their populous areas-including transit options...
I remember at one time that you could obtain Canadian road maps at Canada's Consulate in NYC
at their Tourist unit - that has since closed or restricted access in more recent years...
Ontario and Quebec both have perhaps Canada's best Official Maps and I also recall that cities
like Montreal and Winnipeg have produced good local road maps in the past - I also will mention
the first Toronto map that I ever got which was a 1973 Metro Official version...
Canadian pay maps are also very good- I like MapArt and some older Rolph-McNally maps of
cities in particular...
In closing I feel that there will always be maps provided that there are people that want to
use them no matter what technology like GPS units can provide...
I remember when one could get a FREE road map of Ontario or Toronto at a gasoline station. Of course, that was when there was NO self serve stations as well.
WKL and Everyone: That change from Free to Fee occurred during the course of the 70s and since I did not mention gas station maps at all a favorite Canadian series of mine
was the Imperial Oil/Esso maps primarily from the late 50s thru the early 70s - they had detail like showing all rail routes...I have at least one of each of their Provincial issues...
I want to further mention that I keep/collect maps primarily to use and refer to and not to just keep mint or unused...
There are map collectors that collect Offcial State/Provincial maps and/or Gas Station maps and favor one type or the other...
I have a cross section of both types depending on how often I use them and the detail that they have...
Many Gas Station maps were produced under contract by map-making firms like Gousha and the General Drafting Company thinking of two off hand...
Those companies also sell pay maps on their own...
I will add that I do not want or need every map out there - as an example I know of collectors seeking to collect Official maps for all N.A. jurisdictions
by year and I keep more variations of places that I will use or visit - such as having more variations of both types of New York State maps then California
being a good example...
In closing with one of my prime interests being North American geography map collecting is a interesting hobby...
