The Map that made me a roadgeek

[noelbotevera]

For me, it would be the 2009 Pennsylvania State Atlas, made by American Map Company or something. It's still somewhat interesting, as it shows I-99 still incomplete between Tyrone and State College, as well as PA 60 between I-80 and US 22/US 30. I store the map in a cardboard box in the dining room, and it's in reasonable shape.

[dcharlie]

My dad was in the Wis State Patrol.  He used to get these huge maps of Wisconsin from the weigh scales that the DOT would publish marking construction zones, and roads closed for their construction along with the associated detours.  That did it for me.  I wish I still had some of them.  I used to draw on them as well as Rand McNally Road atlases, making my own roads, long before I knew I wasn't the only weird person in the world who did such things...

[zzyzx]

By the time I was 4, I could read road signs and knew how to get to most of the places around town.  So for my 5th birthday, I received a Rand McNally atlas of eastern CT, and I studied nearly every major route leading from my hometown.  I remember being fascinated by (former) Exit 100 off of I-395, the only 3 digit exit number in the state.  I also remember being fascinated with high exit numbers. Fast forward over 20 years later, to my first multi-day solo road trip to Texas. I finally had a chance to drive past the highest exit number in the U.S, 880 off of I-10.  5 year old me would have been proud.

I'm now 28, and still keep a travel size road atlas in the back of my car just in case.

[jOnstar1979]

Growing up... My family would travel from Michigan to Alabama twice a year. I think one of the first maps that really grabbed my attention and started my world as a roadgeek, would be the official Tennessee state highway map. The north welcome center on I-75 near Jelico always gave them away for free. I'm sure they still do today... but I loved how on the back side it would show most of the interchange designs and exit numbers for all the interstates outside of the major cities. I think I was 5 or 6 years old when I first looked at that map.

Proud moment for me 4 years after that. My stubborn father broke down and finally asked me for directions on how to get off the Beachline near Orlando Airport after going through the same toll booth 3 times. LOL! Don't ask me how... I wasn't driving yet! Sure felt really good as a kid when the old man came to me for help for a state I have never been to before that. Just had my Florida map I picked up in Orlando International out at the right time.