i-Zoom / E-Zpass

We took a monster road trip over the summer. Our trip took us into PA, WV, NY, CT, NH, ME, OH and IN. As we started charting out our trip, we noticed that much of the trip was going to be on toll roads.

Since we don't have toll roads in our area, we didn't have an E-Zpass. Knowing that we were going to hit a bunch of tolls on the trip, we decided to get a pass. What a great thing!

Even if you only make a few trips a year into toll areas, it is worth it in my opinion. Since we live in Indiana, we purchased our pass via that i-Zoom website (https://www.getizoom.com/index.jsp). Even though most of the Northeastern state toll roads have different pass names, all of the tolls we encounter from Illinois to Maine are compatible with the E-Zpass system.

Magellan RoadMate 2200T

If you happen to own a Magellan RoadMate 2200T, make sure to get the recent 1.72 firmware update. What a cool update from the original version. With this update, you can now participate in geocaching. Additionally, Magellan also added a really cool feature that can be used if your vehicle breaks down. With a press of a button, the system will tell you your exact location (including zip code), and mileage to the nearest freeway exit (ahead of / and behind your current position). Thankfully our car didn't breakdown, but we did use this feature in conjunction with my cell phone's Internet browser to locate the closest Starbucks.

Magellan also recently released the Magellan RoadMate 2200T / Crossover upgrade. This software upgrade allows a person to use the GPS for non road navigation (hikes, boating, etc). I believe that this might be a North America only option, but it may be worth checking into.

Atlanta / Stone Mountain

Recently got back from a great trip to Atlanta. While we were in the area we decided to hike up Stone Mountain. What a great hike for the entire family. Make sure to wear good shoes or boots and to bring pleanty of water!

We also visited the Georgia Aquarium. This is definately a must see. In addition to what many would consider the main attaction ("With 4,574 square feet of viewing windows, a 100-foot-long underwater tunnel, 185 tons of acrylic windows and the second largest viewing window in the world at 23 feet tall by 61 feet wide and 2 feet thick, visitors will have multiple opportunities to view all of these magnificent animals."), the aquarium also offers multiple hands on experiences and other unique displays.

On the fence about renting a GPS?

Check out this GPS blog post:
http://www.blakeschwendiman.com/blook/2007/07/gps.html

* - TripGadgets.com does not rent equipment.

GPS Article on RoadTripAmerica.com

Road Trip America recently featured my GPS article "How to Choose the Right GPS System". If you are considering the purchase or rental of a GPS receiver, hopefully this article can be of benefit to you.

Chicago

Our Chicago 2006 trip was a blast. We ate at Ed Debevic's, visited the Museum Science & Industry, the Field Museum, and visited with Family and friends. If you visit the Museum of Science & Industry, be sure bring an extra $5.00 to make your own Gravitron at the ToyMaker 3000. This neat display has you follow along the assembly process as your customized toy is being built.

The GPS came in very handy. Navigating was a breeze; however, we did learn a few things about GPS receivers on this trip.
1) The GPS receiver didn't really like the business district of Chicago. It seemed to get "lost" in the tall buildings.
2) The "Shortest Distance" option should probably be avoided in densely populated cities. Not only did it take us to our destination via city streets, it took us into some areas of town we didn't originally intend to visit.

Road Trip Planner

If you are looking to take a road trip that is little longer than your average week long trip, you should read Live Your Road Trip Dream. Live Your Road Trip Dream is a how-to-guide that includes step-by-step information on planning the trip you've always wanted to take, but didn't know how to make a reality. Learn how to take an extended trip for the cost of staying home, written by Carol and Phil White. You can find out more information at http://www.roadtripdream.com.