Best way to create map route directions for group drive
 

I'm trying to create a PCA group drive and wanted to see what experiences/best practices you might have for mapping out directions, saving the drive map for future use, and enabling everyone to load them on their phones ahead of the event?

I have gone into Google maps and can establish a route and forwarded the drive to my email which gives me a link. I cannot seem to save it for future reference or use it to modify and save into a new map. I noticed when I pull up the route on my iPad or phone, Google reestablishes the routes between the waypoints due to traffic, construction, etc.

What apps/tools do you guys use and what works best for your local drives?

I have Microsoft streets & trips that i save the route on and can send to an email as a picture.

Our PCA region uses the Ridewith GPS app for our coffee runs. This may be what you are looking for. That link also provides the details on how it is used.

Google Maps.

This. You sketch out the route on the map, it creates a turn by turn file for a gps along with a cuesheet.

In Northern Arkansas, Porsche Palooza does it for everyone. The maps are on the web site, and one just clicks the ling on their web site, and you have a route for the drive. It works great, and it is all Google Maps.

Thanks, Paul. I'll give this a look

Thanks Glen. Site looks very cool and I like the way they saved the various map routes. I'll be in OKC the end of September and will look to see if you guys have a gathering (Jon from Ann Arbor)

I'm going to have to check that out. I find myself planning a lot of group drives, and I have been nothing but frustrated with Google Maps. Sometimes it is simply "too smart", or "too active".

An example of "too smart" that I run up against the most is the fact that it "knows" current road conditions, construction, etc. Which is all well and good, unless I'm planning a summer drive, and I'm doing the route planning in January. A couple of our favorite, most scenic mountain passes get closed seasonally, so the damn Google Maps program will not allow me to plan a route over them when they are closed. I cannot find a way to tell it I won't be driving until, say, June, so it will allow me to show a route on a road that will be open by then.

I have found a way to assign a date, but then it shuts down other features, like adding way points. Being that I'm planning car club or motorcycle routes, I'm not interested in the shortest, most efficient way to get there. I want the "long way", the "scenic route". Assigning a date and adding way points appear to be mutually exclusive, or at least I cannot figure out how to do this.

I have found I can "cheat" it by telling it I'm on a bicycle, or that I'm on foot. Which is kind of o.k. - the route and mileage are not affected, but the travel times get all screwed up. It gets frustrating. I'll have to try this other program.

Our region uses that also. Works great and you can download the route ahead of time and it will still give you turn by turn directions even if you arent in cell coverage range. (we need that when we head up into the mountains)

I liked the way it was done before all this GPS stuff was available. There was a rally I did for its 5 year run with my brother, organized by a high school teacher with a yen for old cars, had a very groovy old Alpina race car. Norm made up these little books, with a photocopy of a map, rally notes, where to turn, what to look out for, literary sounding titles for each section.

Thing I liked about it is that after the run, you have this map of a most excellent route to Chico, or from Emerald Bay to Loon Lake, or Cal Neva Casino to Quincy, Markleeville to Mt Rose, that sort of thing.


Like this, which I found not too long ago actually.
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