By the time you read this, I will be in my car on the road.  I'm visiting some relatives outside of Illinos, so I have a few roadmaps with me.

 

In the days of Google Maps, and GPS systems, I'm a bit of a throwback when it comes to roadmaps.  Whenever I plan a vacation, I usually look over the maps of each state for which I plan to travel and check out some of the out of the way areas, as well as the main routes for getting to where ever I'm going.  By the time I get into my car, I have the routes and possible detours etched in my brain but I will have the maps handy just in case. 

 

I will admit in my earlier years that I would be like many men and try to get where I was going as fast as possible, to "make time."  Since then, I've taken up the philosophy that the journey is just as important as the destination.

 

Back in the 1950's the Soviet Union, which had tried to do as much as possible to keep most of their empire secret, was amazed that they could go to any gas station in the U.S. and find detailed maps of just about everywhere.

 

To me, road maps and atlases get my imagination going, as it shows the potential of getting from one place to the other and what could lie ahead at the next destination.