AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

No problem, was fun to relive as I wrote it up. Pretty much anywhere below the snow line is going to look like those pics (my guess) if you get out there soon enough. Lewis and Clark NF has downloadable Motor Vehicle Use Maps, and those will get you a bunch of the trails! Go now, go!

Thanks man, appreciate the envy (since I often feel it as well reading other trip reports). I hear you on getting out with local groups - that's hard in my local area as well, which is why my trips so far this year have all been 2000+ mile trips - gotta go where the weather allows and where friends are!

We do a good bunch of our trips 2-up as well (heck, I did a 1-up to DV in April), though after going with others, I find myself looking for that more and more - for the added insurance.

 

OK, since this comes up regularly and is daunting for many, I set about writing up my process (not to be confused with the right process). I decided to split it into two parts - the first covering how to build a route, and the second walking through how to use that generated route when you're on an adventure (i.e. offline). Part 1 is posted - check it out. I'm working on formatting for TW as well, though that's turning out to be tricky since BBCode is a bit limited...

How-to: Planning a Trip/Route Part 1 (with Google Earth, GPX, KML, and more)

(and now on TW, though I still recommend the original due to better formatting:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-planning-a-trip-route-with-google-earth-gpx-kml-and-more.553715/)​

Edit: and here's part 2 for easy reference:
How-to: Planning a Trip/Route Part 2 (Taking the GPX on the Road)

 

wow man. i gotta show you how I build routes. Much much faster and easier.

 

FTFY

 

Well that write up made me glad I usually just tag along for trips instead of plan em haha. Still thorough, but not something I have any patience for

 

idk..you've seen my last two. Especially the most recent. Pretty detailed.

 

That trip truly was perfect, and by the seat of my pants is how I live so well within my comfort zone haha

 

Old school for sure

 

I carry a paper map, and have like half of the maps necessary on my phone haha. I don't like having things running in the cab while I'm driving, GPS and maps especially

 

The other side of the same coin is shown when efforts to promote trip planning and to teach trip planning skills is greeted with a response that demonstrates anxiety towards uses of newer technologies and their application.

 

I'm down to learn, as always. Let's do it, I'd love to integrate something new into my process.

hahaha, I must say - I also like the tag-along trips!

It's been interesting to see how route planning has changed for me in the last year. We used to do much less planning, but at the same time, we were much closer to home. As the trips have become 2500 mile journeys to places unknown, packed into five days, with a hard deadline to be home (to pick up the kiddo), it's become important to have a sense of when we'll be where. I still do love the weekend trips though - where we head east or north and see what comes our way.

I'm with you 100% on this. I think I have yet to "plan" a camp site, even though I try to note them if I see them on a route. It is much more common that as I'm on a trip, I see a place that would be great for camping, and I mark it for later/next time (if there ever is a next time!)

LOL. Look at the old guy telling the young guns to be open and embrace tech . But yeah, if I've learned anything over the 20 years I designed, built, and delivered the most popular piece of software in the world - if you aren't willing to learn and adapt, well... just look at what happened to Lotus 1-2-3.

Totally. Actually, I rarely look at the maps once they are generated. @mrs.turbodb is the navigator and she loves this stuff; along with having all kinds of books with background info that she reads to me as we go, navigating makes her feel much more "involved" in the trip, rather than just a bored passenger - and it's nice for me to know that she's able to look around for re-routes, etc. if we run into a roadblock.

Plus, having her happy on a trip is a positive for me!

 

Right!

I'm happy to sit down and plan a route on paper or whatever but I know I'm bad at adhering to anything (not to mention unexpected closures and changes made on the fly) and I truly expect no one else to adhere either, so a vague idea of what we might wanna cover is usually just as useful in my eyes. I had bad anxiety as a kid from having things planned out so I just don't plan anything anymore

 

I've been meaning to do a write up or video of how I do it. Just not the time for it. But will share how I do it. Its a much faster process to get the main route down. Then I draw in some things like you here and there and add way points as needed. Of course...as we found out last time, that doesn't always mean shit haha but i found it fun to hit a snag and then use the gps maps to find a new route(s). Was fun.

I wish Devin would be more into like that. She kind of is, but really doesn't seem to care about and just likes looking out the window. Which is good for me too haha

 

I still miss lotus. Maybe it'll make a comeback some day.

And I still dutifully pack the paper maps but hardly ever look at them when we are out in the wild.

 

No, we took care of Lotus when we released Excel 95, and put the nail in the coffin with 2007. Was definitely interesting in those competitive years though. I had a whole team of people working on Lotus compete...until it didn't matter anymore.

 

Yeah, I'd love to learn your shortcuts. I was jazzed to find the "get directions" in GE when I found that - it speeds things up significantly. If I can go even faster than that, that would be sweet!

And Devin looking out the window is great. That woman has spotted more wildlife than the rest of the group combined, even in the few trips I've been on!

 

Yeah I'll do a similar write up. Though probably won't do that as in depth as you

she is a wildlife spotted machine. Gotta take her hunting haha

 

Well, since there was absolutely no reaction to part 1 , I wasn't sure I'd even post Part 2.

Here it is, all formatted for TW this time:
How-to: Planning a Trip/Route Part 2 (Taking the GPX on the Road)
or, on AdventureTaco, where the formatting's a bit nicer

​

 

That combover and suspenders tho. I need to up my game....