The AARoads Blog

The 2012 Rand McNally is now out and after a somewhat indepth comparison with the 2011 version I found the following modifications:

I’m sure there are a few more miniscule changes here and there, but that is all I could find after going page by page. And on the main U.S. map page, they did recolor the topology and reduce the size of the shields. Other than that, that’s it.

And for the big kicker with the 2012 edition, none of the errors discussed in the 2011 Rand McNally thread on the AARoads Forum were corrected!! So according to the 2012 Rand, I-520 still does not connect with I-20 on the South Carolina side, I-376 is not fully shown along PA 60 (and I-279 still exists from downtown to I-79), I-170 still exists in the Baltimore inset, the ICC is still shown as under construction, etc., etc…

Now I know that some projects, like the ICC, just recently opened within the past few months, but this is suppose to be a 2012 atlas, it should be shown as complete on this edition, not still under construction. Someone in their research department (if one still exists) should have done their homework on projects like that and made sure that if it was fully known as to the approximate date of the road opening that it would be shown as complete on their newer edition. I used to do this as a living so I know what it takes to get the research done on things like this. And even though they probably have no road enthusiasts like us working for them, one would think that there would be a little common sense involved when comparing items under construction in last years edition versus the edition you are working on the get out and seeing what has changed.

It seems to me that the items they did fix are only cosmetic. And as far as each of the state’s population information, the only population they updated was for the state-wide population. Um, Rand McNally, wouldn’t you think that if the entire state had a population change that the largest city in that state would also have a population change??? Really…

And now they have QR codes on every page so you can scan with your iPhone (or whatever) for free travel information, videos and more. I’m sure that the powers-that-be put forth more effort into this aspect of the map than they did for the actual update of the contents within the pages. They made sure that is on each page but they couldn’t do something like update the little pictures they have inserted on each state as well? Come on now. Really??

In short, I am not pleased with this year’s atlas at all. It’s basically a carbon-copy of the 2011 edition with a few cosmetic changes, that’s all. In fact, I plan on doing something I’ve never done with a road atlas until now; I am going to be returning it to Wal-Mart for a refund on Monday. With so few updates and still the same errors as last year, it’s pointless to even make the purchase, unless of course you want to use the QR code functionality.

Since it seems that they have given up in producing a well rounded, up-to-date road atlas, perhaps it’s time for Rand McNally to go way of many states in only producing a new road atlas every two years. Or perhaps it’s time for them to give up all together and sell the company to its competitor (who seem to be gobbling up the rest of the mapping companies anyway).

You know, I use to enjoy the anticipation of buying a new Rand McNally (in late September/early October) and seeing all the changes and updates. Those days are forever gone. Now it comes out way too early (early April) and there are really no changes or updates to discover. Nope, only error after error after error. It’s a real shame. Thanks a lot, Rand, thanks a lot…

Also follow this topic in the 2012 Rand McNally thread over at the AARoads Forum!

some photos from favorite old haunts … northeastern New Mexico, including a trip to Sierra Grande, the tallest mountain in Union County.

Two days of photos – one of just hanging out, the second of actually going somewhere.

Flowers still in bloom in late October at 6800 feet. Someone does one hell of a job with the gardening!

Why has Dale ascended to such magnificent heights atop this flimsy half-a-utility-pole? Because he can.

Iridescent clouds, and a radio assembly on top of Sierra Grande. (Or: a flying saucer comes in for a landing.)

(more…)

Some photos, from a visit to the Laws Railroad Museum, in Bishop, California in October, 2010.

Enthusiasts of railroads, old highways, and the general western frontier experience are strictly obligated to check it out.

the Laws Railroad Museum

this is a photo gallery of their highway sign collection. They mainly focus on the Auto Club of Southern California, as they are the ones who signed the Bishop area between 1913 and 1947 exclusively. Their sign collection concentrates mainly on the 1910s and 1920s, with a couple of 1930s and later items as well.

This is just the left wall of one tiny corner of the museum! An incredible display of highway signs from the 1910s and 1920s. The one on the left says “Indian Picture Rock” – (thanks Jason and Shemp!).

Many guide signs referring to the Bishop area, including Beatty Station from Death Valley (leftmost diamond-shaped sign).

Topping it all off, a Grand Army of the Republic Highway marker, representing US-6 between Provincetown, MA and Long Beach, CA, as was designated in 1952.

(more…)

The first in a series of articles about historic highway signage. We will be featuring many, many more articles, on a great variety of sign-related topics, on the AARoads Shield Gallery.

This Midland Trail overview is made possible by the indispensable research of Devon Mich’l, the foremost authority on Nevada highway signs in general, and especially the Midland Trail. All accurate facts in here are to be credited to Devon. Any misinformation, on the other hand, is certainly due to my oversight!

Overview

The Midland Trail was an unimproved wagon trail dating to the 1860s that crossed central Nevada and served the silver and gold camps of Tonopah and Goldfield in the early 1900s. It was still nothing more than a dirt trail in 1913 when it received its name, Midland Trail, as part of a much longer transcontinental route of that name. It became the first road in Nevada to be federally funded.

In this article, I talk only about the westernmost section of the Midland Trail, from Ely, Nevada (where it met the Lincoln Highway) to its terminus in Los Angeles.

The Automobile Club of Southern California marked the route very well, starting in 1915. With the Midland Trail well marked from Ely, Nevada to Los Angeles, Southern California was now connected to the Lincoln Highway.

A portion of the Midland Trail that survives near Goldfield, Nevada, in condition similar to what was seen in the 1910s. Photo by Devon Mich’l, 2009.

(more…)

fireworks on the fourth of July in Raton, New Mexico – and other odds and ends.

Sunset over highway 64/87.

A few test shots before the last of dusk.

Perfectly clear skies at 6800 feet. 5 1/2 minute exposure.

(more…)

more from my trip to New Mexico, home of thunderstorms and brilliant orange sunsets.

It happens to be raining in sunny Union County.

Fence post, and observer, at sunset.

Orange skies are orange. I had not seen this sort of sunset since just after a thunderstorm in South Dakota in 2006!

(more…)

a visit this 4th of July weekend to sunny Union County, New Mexico. Just a brief dash of a trip: 2500 miles in two days driving, and then two days spent there being lazy and taking pictures of bees.

Sunny Union County is inhabited by huge bees.

Little house on the prairie.

(more…)

For those of us who enjoy armchair sign perusing, Google Street View has added South Africa, just in time for the World Cup.

Happened to check the local Wal-Mart after work today and found the 2011 Rand. Here are some of the changes:

Symbology changes:

• Old style exit numbers have been replaced with a green box with white lettering, just like AAA
• Incorporated and unincorporated places are now differentiated by different town circles. Incorporated places are still the black dot with unincorporated places now being a hollow circle
• Subtle difference in the shields in this edition. Three digit U.S. highway shields look wider now
• Symbology now shown for Historic U.S. 66, The Lincoln Highway, The Lewis & Clark Highway, and The Great Circle Route. The Great River Road symbol has also been improved
• Time zone boundary has been re-symbolized
• Scales for the maps have been changed
• POI’s in city insets such as golf courses are now green instead of red

Some Road Changes (not all) (listed by state):

• AR: U.S. 67 is now shown as complete to AR 226 in Craighead County and U.C. up to AR 230, which is now shown with a shield on the map
• AR: The forever proposed extension of U.S. 270 is finally off the Hot Springs inset
• CA San Diego inset: CA 905 is now shown as complete along the eastern portion west of CA 125.
• CA San Diego inset: Also shown is the completion of CA 52 to CA 67 (though I am not sure if this will be done this year
• IN: U.S. 24 shown as freeway now, but not quite to I-469 near Fort Wayne
• PA: I-99 now shown as complete and also shown in the College State inset

Some other changes include what looks like an improved map base (though it is missing many newly completed alignments). Routes look more authentic to how it is aligned in the real world than they have for the past several years. My first comparison at Alabama showed a difference in the alignment of Alabama 24 from 2010 and 2011. The 2010 edition showed a portion of Alabama 24 as a straight line between Russellville and just west of Moulton where the 2011 edition now shows a more proper alignment (with bends in the alignment). Also, there is more road detail in adjoining states. I noticed that some of the city insets have been shuffled around, such as Flagstaff and Prescott. Their positions have been switched for the 2011 edition, probably for better geographical continuity.

Now onto some of the more notable errors and road completions/roads under construction NOT shown:

• MD: [ERROR] Rand has decided to resurrect I-170 in the Central Baltimore inset!!! (look towards the upper left edge)
• GA and SC: I-520 is still not shown as complete (in either state nor the Augusta inset)
• LA: No new U.C. for Future I-49 north of Shreveport
• IN: [ERROR] U.S. 27 has been once again extended north of Fort Wayne along I-69!!!
• MS: [ERROR] U.S. 98 still goes to Natchez according to Rand
• MO: I-64 is still not shown as being completed as a freeway to I-70
• NC: [ERROR (sort of)] I-295 is shown on the state map now. This is still a Future route and should not be shown
• PA: For all you I-279 fans, it is still intact and I-376 has not taken it over, nor PA 60, unlike the real world…
• WA: The proposed U.S. 395 freeway in Spokane is not shown at all…

My take on this years edition is that while there were some subtle improvements, overall, I am not impressed. The integrity of the atlas has gone by the wayside in my honest opinion. When you have many important road projects that have been completed (i.e. I-520, I-64 as a freeway) and no proper research and/or push to show these improvements is taken to show them on your product, it shows me that profit is the only thing in the masterminds at Rand, and nothing more. Having worked at a couple of mapping companies, it pains me to look at these atlases now days and be disappointed page after page at the lack on integrity on the cartographers part…

I give the mapping industry a few more years before there is only one or two left, and its very unfortunate I already know who those are more than likely going to be…

Anyway, if you see any other improvements, errors, blunders, etc., feel free to post them here!!

Just broke 10000 total photos.

if you’re wondering, the 10000th one is in this set of photos, from the 1967 50th Anniversary edition of Texas Highways magazine.