RV Tech
Is There Anything to Do Here?
By Alan Lidstone
If you look in your Woodall's Campground Directory, you'll find a high level overview of geographic areas and regions at the front of the directory. More detailed information will be found for each state in the Travel Section at the beginning of each state section. This includes a wealth of information by geographic regions within each state, including recreational information, shopping, places to see and things to do, calendar of events, travel information sources, and topography and topography information.
RVers traveling with a notebook computer with trip routing software, such as DeLorme's Street Atlas or Street Atlas Plus, or Microsoft's Streets and Trips, can use Points of Interest (POI) or Find Nearby Places features to locate a RV resorts and campgrounds, gas stations, rest stops, as well as an extensive selection of businesses, services, parks, stadiums and arenas, libraries, and much more.
The Radar feature of DeLorme's Street Atlas, along with the Earthmate LT–20 GPS device allows you to search, locate, and route POIs from the actual location of your RV while driving or set up in an RV site. The Street Atlas Plus provides a nationwide phone directory with approximately 200 million phone numbers that let you look up phone numbers without paying directory fees or asking for a phone directory.
We recommend that RVers traveling with a notebook computer stay at RV resorts and campgrounds that provide Wi–FI access to the Internet. RVers have several Internet options for getting information about just about everything available from any location. Note the actual address and zip code of your RV resort or campground because it's used to determine what information to provide you with.
While most RVers are aware of the information–packed Woodall's website, they may not realize that they can click on the Things to Do button, enter a state, city, and mileage radius and retrieve information about different activities and amenities. The website is currently being upgraded to provide additional information of value to RVers.
Google Local is very easy to use. Power up your notebook computer, access the Internet, and go to www.google.com/local. Type the address of your current location into the left block and click on Search the Map. You will then see your location displayed on a map with a block that allows you to Search Nearby. Enter the name or type of business, such as golf, Burger King, Wal–Mart, steak house, etc. and you will get a list of entries that match your request. Clicking on the entry that best matches your needs will locate it on the map. You can click on the location and get driving directions to the business from your present actual location.
Yahoo Local is similar and also very easy to use. As above, get on the Internet, and go to www.yahoo.com/local. Yahoo lets you enter the search item (restaurant, theater, etc) and your current location. Like Google, you will get a list of businesses and services that met your criteria. Clicking on an entry in the list locates it on the map. You can also get driving directions to the business or activity from your current locations.
Write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the businesses and services you were looking for provided by your trip routing software packages, as well as Google Local and www.yahoo.com/local.
We recommend RVers call the restaurant, store, or business after locating it to confirm that they are open, and that the location on the map is correct. Occasionally, you will encounter businesses that have provided incorrect GPS coordinates which then display an incorrect map location and driving instructions.
Remember, Safety First, and Happy RVing!!!
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