Alright so I need to find a new route home from work that doesn’t involve rt 66 or the toll road.
Naturally I try mapquest, which only seems to provide one set of directions. So then I try about a dozen other map services, and all of them suggest that I use rt 66 (which I can’t because of HOV).
Needless to say, this is very frustrating. Are there any mapquest-like internet sites out there that provide more then one set of directions?
You could try planning a route to some intermediate point well off the highway, and then plot another route from there to your destination.
Failing that, do it manually!
Maps on Us allows extra mapping options such as “avoid major highways,” “favor major highways,” “fastest route,” and “shortest route.” (From the home page, select More Map Drawing Options, then select the Directions tab. You can also enter intermediate destinations that will ensure that you avoid certain routes (as Colophon sugested). (Each time you select an intermediate destination, it automatically opens up a new intermediate, so you are not limited to the initial intermediate.)
Maps On Us has a few bugs, (they used to try to drive me over a cliff onto the nearby freeway instead of sending me down to the exit a half-mile away), but they have been getting better.
I also recommend simply going to Rand McNally or Hammond or Gupta and getting an old-fashinoned printed map that lets you “zoom in” and “zoom out” without any software delays. I use the electronic maps for quick directions to known locations, but nothing beats actually studying a real map to know where actual locations and routes can be found. (If you are forced off your daily route by an accident ahead, how do you find your way to your destination if you only have the “trip tick” instructions off an electronic map?)
Thanks for the advice all.
I would just study a map, but I need the directions for the ride home, and my map is at home…
