Archive for October, 2009
When I was growing up, my father embodied the all-American dad archetype. He worked long hours at an automobile factory and took more pride in the front lawn than most actresses do their dental hygiene. Dadâs true character came to the fore during extended road trips to the Hoover Dam, a tourist destination we seemed to visit every summer. The mere thought of asking for directions along the highway would be enough to send him into apoplectic shock.
As a result, we kids would have to keep mum in the backseat, suppressing giggles while dad drove in incessant circles all over the American highway system. These days I wonder about all the time we could have saved with the help of a portable car GPS system. Dad could have avoided the embarrassment of asking for help at a service station, and we would have reached the dam much quicker.
As an avid fisherman, Iâve become confident in my navigational abilities. Depending on the amount of cloud cover overhead on a given night, I can find my way through the water with sureness and efficiency. If the sky happens to be overcast, however, and the telltale constellations are obscured from my view, thereâs little I can do. More than any other single reason, thatâs why I trust a Garmin marine GPS.
Even though I spend most of my time angling near safe, sandy beaches, I also recognize that not everyone has that luxury. Certain lakes and waterways are dangerous to negotiate in the dark, especially if a sharp rock outcropping or a piece of manmade wreckage is jutting out menacingly from the murky deep. GPS technology has the capability to identify such obstacles, alerting the captain of the boat when itâs time to be wary.
Have you ever lost your dog? A few years ago I barrowed a freinds dog to go phesent hunting. Yes it happened. I lost the dog. I was very upset. I looked for Shotsie for more than an hour, in tall swamp grass and thornie bushes and all the time thinking of how I was going to tell my frend that I lost his pride and joy.
I started the long hike back to the car, and feeling quit bad may I add, but to my supprise guess who was laying by the car waiting for me. Yes it was Shotsie. That was a very happy ending to that day, but for some other people, they may have had the opposit result to their experience. Do you think a GPS tracking device would have made a difference?
Today you can buy dog collors that can be tracked with your cell phone. You may have to add some software to your phone, but it may be woth it in the long run. I know people that have spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the well being of a pet, because they become a member of the family, in a sense. Dog collars with the tracking devices in them may well be worth the investment for what some dogs cost.
Ever since buying my first Harley-Davidson a few years ago, Iâve dreamed of the day I could set out across the country with the open road as my only limitation. Thereâs something primal and romantic about leaving home for a few weeks at a time without any particular destination in mind. Iâve decided that I wonât create an itinerary; Iâll base my travel plans on the people I meet along the way.
Preparing for the trip took some time, of course. I wouldnât embark on a serious road trip without doing some logistical homework. First was the matter of budgeting for gas and attaching some large saddlebags to my hog. Then I went online and bought a Magellan motorcycle GPS â itâs just the sort of thing Iâll need to negotiate the back roads of the American Southwest.