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Here in the United Kingdom, we have a great and venerable institution known as the Ordnance Survey. It is the national mapping agency for Great Britain and is one of the world’s largest producers of maps. We?ve no need for a Lewis or a Clark here; our maps are so detailed it is said that if a person stands still for long enough, he or she will appear on an OS map as, say, a place of interest or a high point.
The OS makes maps of exquisite detail and accuracy. To get around the country you need nothing more.
At least, that?s how it used to be.
The Lost Road Atlas
In a land as vast and unknowable as the United States, I am prepared to bet that, just like in the UK, somewhere in the bowels of your car or your barn, there may be such a symbol of the great days of true motoring. Hidden away like the Dead Sea Scrolls at the back of your trunk, or under the back seat, you might well discover a dog-eared paper road atlas. Technophobes will be familiar with this archaic form of direction finding, often used with limited or varied success by your father back in the day when the family vacation by automobile was something of an exciting and mysterious lottery.
Technophiles will not understand this reliance on map reading skills when there is a perfectly adequate device on the dashboard ready to do all the hard work for you. The automotive satellite navigation system or GPS ? like sliced bread, the Ford Mustang, and Penelop...