Maps

I know what you’re thinking.  Maps?  Do you really think the topic of “maps” is worth writing about?  Yes, I know.  Maps are not an especially exciting subject for most people.  At the very best, a map is a tool for helping people to get from point “A” to point “B.”  But maps, exciting?

I’ve collected maps ever since I was a kid.  For me, maps are more than just a large piece of paper (that you can’t figure out how to fold back up) or a dusty atlas on the bookshelf.  Maps represent a piece of earth, the mystery of distant, exotic places, and the excitement of exploration.  Maps can take you places you’ve never been, or hope to go some day.

As they became more popular, personal computers added a whole new dimension to mapping.  Street atlases on compact disk allow you to search for any location in the United States and find it in seconds.  Topographical maps let you view the “lay of the land” without leaving your house.  Trying to find an old friend?  No problem.  Hop on the information superhighway, locate an address, and off you go.  Want to see what your neighborhood looks like from an airplane or satellite?  That, too, can be found on the Internet.

One of the most amazing technologies to come along in recent years is GPS—the “Global Positioning System.”  (The company I work for—Rockwell Collins—helped pioneer GPS technology.)  The GPS system uses a network of satellites stationed above the earth to locate the exact position of individuals on the earth’s surface.  To use the system, one needs a GPS receiver.  The good news is that these little handheld units can be had for under $100.  I spent a little more and bought a GPS receiver that has full mapping capability—that is, I can download fully detailed maps to the unit and use it to navigate wherever I desire in North America.  (Theoretically, I’ll never be lost again.  I hope.)

The advent of inexpensive GPS receivers has spawned a sort of subculture—the hobby of “geocaching.”  In short, geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt.  Thousands of individuals around the globe have hidden small containers called “caches” so others can find them.  The idea is to get the coordinates of a particular cache off the Internet, punch them into your GPS, and try to find the cache’s hiding place.  It’s not as easy as it sounds.  Once you do locate it, you take the small prize hidden inside, replace it with a small prize that you brought with you, and sign the log book in the container to record your visit.  There are probably dozens of caches hidden just in your local area.  I, for one, am going to check a few of these out when the weather warms a little.

So you see, maps can be fun and exciting.  Just think of the map located in your car’s glove box or on your bookshelf as little pieces of the world, just waiting to be explored.  Who knows what kind of treasures you may find? 

Advertisement