Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 366

My own little "Visor" trip

At the end of May, I will be making a trip from my home here in Kansas to Tucson, AZ, where I will be going to college. I will be driving there and as a kind of break between High school and college, I will be going on a little road trip. I will be going the long way to Arizona. I plan on going to Mt. Rushmore first, then I will go west to Seattle, south to San Francisco, Sacramento, and LA, then east over to Phoenix and Tucson.

Anyways, I will, of course, be taking my Visor Platinum (unless I upgrade to the Prism or Pro), my eyemodule2, my Thinmodem, and my Memplug SM. I will also be taking a laptop (kinda old but it works) and my book PC. My question, what else would you recommend for a long road trip like the one I am proposing? I am thinking of getting a wireless module, but what good modules are out there as I hear that some wireless companies have gone under? I don't plan on getting a new wireline modem as it will be good for Montana and South Dakota treks.

Any other advise will also be appreciated.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 284

Re: My own little "Visor" trip

quote:

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Originally posted by volcanopele

Anyways, I will, of course, be taking my Visor Platinum (unless I upgrade to the Prism or Pro), my eyemodule2, my Thinmodem, and my Memplug SM. I will also be taking a laptop (kinda old but it works) and my book PC. My question, what else would you recommend for a long road trip like the one I am proposing? I am thinking of getting a wireless module, but what good modules are out there as I hear that some wireless companies have gone under? I don't plan on getting a new wireline modem as it will be good for Montana and South Dakota treks.

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Umm, how about a riding partner of the appropriate sex?

Hmm, since we seem to be thinking only about tech, how about a GPS or GPS module? Might be kind of interesting to have track logs of your journey, and to set waypoints for anything interesting you may find along the way.

Also, since you're going to be in the Mt. Rushmore area, swing a bit east and pass through the Badlands on your way. Beautiful place, especially in the early morning or late afternoon light. Stop into Wall's Drugs on your way, too. It's a tourist attraction, but still worth the stop.

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 366

Re: Re: My own little "Visor" trip

quote:

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Originally posted by sowens


Umm, how about a riding partner of the appropriate sex?

Hmm, since we seem to be thinking only about tech, how about a GPS or GPS module? Might be kind of interesting to have track logs of your journey, and to set waypoints for anything interesting you may find along the way.

Also, since you're going to be in the Mt. Rushmore area, swing a bit east and pass through the Badlands on your way. Beautiful place, especially in the early morning or late afternoon light. Stop into Wall's Drugs on your way, too. It's a tourist attraction, but still worth the stop.

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No one else I know is going to Arizona except for perhaps one of the cross country runner but I think she decided on Michigan instead.

I forgot about a GPS module. I do have a GPS device but it is not a springboard. Maybe I will get the Nexian Pro.

I have been planning on staying about a day in the Badlands to take pictures and such. My major will be geology after all

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 284

Re: Re: Re: My own little "Visor" trip

quote:

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Originally posted by volcanopele
I forgot about a GPS module. I do have a GPS device but it is not a springboard. Maybe I will get the Nexian Pro.

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

Besides what you mentioned, you might consider...

- a digital recorder so you can capture your deep thoughts as they occur to you. I personally use a seperate cheapo mini-cassette recorder with a small mike clipped near my mouth and dictate all kinds of gibberish!

- A keyboard you can use in the car at rest stops or whatever to capture the above brilliant thoughts so you can re-use the recorder.

- The PowerNapper module to maximize your time in the rest stops!

Of course, for software, I would do a roadmap of some sort- Mapopolis, mapBlast, whatever works for you; a good load of games and stuff to read; and a decent language translator (even if just the dictionary type) (I doubt it will be a major deal, but I have often found mine useful at odd times!)

Driving advice- I do not know the route you are taking, but if you hit Grand Island, then angle northwest from there it is a lot nicer drive than the Interstate or many of the other routes, although the road along northern Nebraska to the Chadron area is pretty cool as well. If you planned on camping on the way up, both routes take you through some good places, as well as several decently priced motels.

Badlands are a MUST, especially for a geo major! Wall Drug is a lot of fun, even as a 'trap'. The Black Hills have hundreds of places to go and things to do- you can even try your luck at gold panning, which would be a great thing for a geo major to try out.

We camped at Custer State Park, fed the burros and chipmunks, did the gorgeous drive through the Iron Horse Road, Sylvan Lake, and the Needles- beautiful place!

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 'braska
Posts: 211

I would agree with Madkins007, going through Grand Island and the Sand Hills is beautiful. The Sand Hills are the largest sand dune formation in the world (or maybe just in the U.S.), and may be of interest to a Geo major. This area will REALLY give you an idea of what the plains looked like before the turn of the century (not this last one, the one before )

If you are looking for more, check out http://www.visitnebraska.org

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 366

If you've already got a GPS, why not just get a Markspace data cable and hook it to your Visor? It'll save you some money (about $100, I think) as well as allow you to have traveling maps on the visor, and the trip computer screen on the GPS at the same time.

The only problem is that my GPS device is fairly old and I don't think it has the interface or the connection to be able to be connected to my Palm via the datacord. I will put that on my list of maybes as far as getting items but first I will want to make sure it can connect. I got this GPS device from my grandfather when he died so I don't have the manual. There is a 4-pin, circular male connection in the back but I thought that was for a backup battery. Is that what is used in a GPS-to-Visor link?

- a digital recorder so you can capture your deep thoughts as they occur to you. I personally use a seperate cheapo mini-cassette recorder with a small mike clipped near my mouth and dictate all kinds of gibberish!

- A keyboard you can use in the car at rest stops or whatever to capture the above brilliant thoughts so you can re-use the recorder.

My dad has a Panasonic Digital Recorder that maybe I can convince him to let me borrow. It's not a module but I like your suggestion of writing them down in the memo pad at rest stops. I have a Stowaway Keyboard so that should work while I am eating at a table.

- The PowerNapper module to maximize your time in the rest stops!

I can think of better ways of spending 100 dollars. I can get one of those thumb boards AND get a few games, for the purposes of this trip.

Of course, for software, I would do a roadmap of some sort- Mapopolis, mapBlast, whatever works for you; a good load of games and stuff to read; and a decent language translator (even if just the dictionary type) (I doubt it will be a major deal, but I have often found mine useful at odd times!)

That I already have. I use Mapopolis. I will likely get the enhanced maps of all the counties that I will either eat lunch in or rest at. As far as language translator, I might get a Spanish language translation program. I lived in Tucson for a couple of months this summer and I also went to Nogales, Mexico on a couple of occasions and it took a lot of getting used to all the Spanish. Then again, I go to a high school where up to 15 lanuages are spoken in the hallways. So I almost need a language translator just getting from class to class (hey I dated a girl last month that spoke primarily Latvian).

Driving advice. . .

I plan on using I-29 up to SE South Dakota, then take I-90 to Rapid City. I am planning on spending a day and a half there, going to Mt. Rushmore and exploring the Badlands. Thanks for tips on places to see.

Here is the list of things in order of importance that I plan to get (Visor-related):
1) Wireless modem of some kind
2) HandyGPS Pro
3) Thumboard
4) ProRecord Digital Voice Recorder
5) MiniJam (maybe but I am thinking of just burning a bunch of CD-Rs)
6) Visor Pro or Prism

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Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Philippines
Posts: 38

hey, volcanopele!

as a geologist i am envious of your upcoming trip. i wish i can go throught that area tooin the future.

take this time also as your last chance to view and appreciate earth's beauty as a semi-layman would. trust me. once you have gone through geomorphology, tectonics, paleontology, petrology, and the other wonderful subjects, you will never look at a landscape the same way again.

it's analogous to the difference between levels a layman appreciates a Van Gogh painting and an art dealer. both appreciate the raw beauty in it but the latter can't help seeing (and thinking of) the style, brushstroke, material, and the like.

have a wonderful trip!

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1062

Interestingly enough I was looking at this site on Mt. Rushmore yesterday.

Also, I would recommend you watch Hitchcock's North by Northwest for some hiking ideas.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 284

quote:

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Originally posted by volcanopele
The only problem is that my GPS device is fairly old and I don't think it has the interface or the connection to be able to be connected to my Palm via the datacord. I will put that on my list of maybes as far as getting items but first I will want to make sure it can connect. I got this GPS device from my grandfather when he died so I don't have the manual. There is a 4-pin, circular male connection in the back but I thought that was for a backup battery. Is that what is used in a GPS-to-Visor link?

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

Volcanopele-

-Powernapper- that was a joke, but the icon did not come up. Dang!

- I-29 to I-90- mental deathtrip! I-29 has some pretty neat stretches, but you have to really love the Loess Hills to appreciate it- and you can't even do that well from the Interstate. The real killer is I-90. It is pretty fast, but is pretty bland- as bad or worse than some stretches of our own I-80 (Which for some odd reason, took probably the dullest possible route through the state there is!)

Unless you plan on stopping at the various sites along the way (Mitchell Corn Palace, Cabela's new store, etc.), I would still recommend the shortcut. The distance you cut off and the improved landscape should pay for the slight loss of speed. When we vacation in the Black Hills area from Omaha we have tried it both ways. We prefer the Grand Island route out.

We do sometimes come back via I-90/I-29- but only if we are planning to stop along the way (I love Cabelas- a huge hunting/fishing/camping store with beautiful stores, and the family loves some of the sights in Sioux Falls- the falls themselves, the Outdoor Campus, the zoo, and Culver's Burgers). Otherwise we come back via Scotts Bluff (due south then back east), or Valentine and the Niobrara River Valley (due east in Nebraska, then south)- this is another gorgeous drive for anyone planning on visiting the area.

- Good luck! Let me know if there is anything I can help with about the Omaha/Council Bluffs area.