Buy a Road Map that Works

In the beginning there were no maps. Explorers set out to survey, sketch, and otherwise render their world. But we no longer have to set out with compass and survey equipment and pack animals. I criss-crossed the U.S. by car in 2007 with a travel nurse and a cat. Our most critical travel item was our road map. It is not one of those dinky ones, no abridged version. It features big pages full of state maps and accompanying pages with blow-ups of major metro areas (a critical feature). It also highlights national and state parks and makes a pretty accurate attempt to even show the actual exit numbers on the major highways.

For a road map with all that plus- you should shop for the ones that offer abbreviated state guides, trivia, and especially interesting the lists of must-see sites and places to eat in each state.