(no subject)
Aug. 5th, 2018 12:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolariI've mapped out some small segments of the Oregon Trail in "fine" detail. But due to Google Map's limitations, I've gotten a little frustrated with it.
While I like using the Mapquest App for roadtripping over Google Maps, Google Maps is better at path-making. But it has a major failing: It only allows ten redirects/destinations per map. When you're working at a really tight level of path-making, this means the max path Google Maps will make can be only a few miles long. And I'm going to be doing a few thousand miles of this. I run into this problem with my normal roadtripping, but I can at keep the number of redirects and destinations down to specific things I want to see. In this case, I'm redirecting every few hundred feet.
So I decided to see how the National Parks Auto Trail is set up. The website has the list and it is a very "coarse" trail. Lots of freeway usage, doesn't follow the trail very closely at all, and seems more interested in "Get you to the next attraction quickly." While this is fine for family vacationers and getting stuff done in limited time, I want to really follow the trail as closely as possible. This means I'm willing to (gently) drive on dirt county roads as long as (1) it's close to the trail and (2) allows me to drive through without u-turning.
I was kind of resigning myself to having 100 or so Google Map segments I'd need to import into Mapquest (I have a year to work on the routing, I can do it), when I remembered the National Historic Trails had a phone app with the Auto Route on it. I figured it would be good for planning stops, at least. But once I loaded the app routing I found out it was a medium-level route! It's MUCH tighter than the website routing, but still not super tight. It does get "distracted" because other trails cross nearby and it directs you to THEIR attractions as well, but those are easily skipped.
What I'll likely do is use the NHT app as a base, but hew a little closer to the trail when I can. I get the idea the app plays it safe in some spots (maybe no dirt roads), but if the trail goes too far off course, and there's a closer non-private thru-road, I'll use that instead. Looks like this Oregon Trail thing is gonna happen!
While I like using the Mapquest App for roadtripping over Google Maps, Google Maps is better at path-making. But it has a major failing: It only allows ten redirects/destinations per map. When you're working at a really tight level of path-making, this means the max path Google Maps will make can be only a few miles long. And I'm going to be doing a few thousand miles of this. I run into this problem with my normal roadtripping, but I can at keep the number of redirects and destinations down to specific things I want to see. In this case, I'm redirecting every few hundred feet.
So I decided to see how the National Parks Auto Trail is set up. The website has the list and it is a very "coarse" trail. Lots of freeway usage, doesn't follow the trail very closely at all, and seems more interested in "Get you to the next attraction quickly." While this is fine for family vacationers and getting stuff done in limited time, I want to really follow the trail as closely as possible. This means I'm willing to (gently) drive on dirt county roads as long as (1) it's close to the trail and (2) allows me to drive through without u-turning.
I was kind of resigning myself to having 100 or so Google Map segments I'd need to import into Mapquest (I have a year to work on the routing, I can do it), when I remembered the National Historic Trails had a phone app with the Auto Route on it. I figured it would be good for planning stops, at least. But once I loaded the app routing I found out it was a medium-level route! It's MUCH tighter than the website routing, but still not super tight. It does get "distracted" because other trails cross nearby and it directs you to THEIR attractions as well, but those are easily skipped.
What I'll likely do is use the NHT app as a base, but hew a little closer to the trail when I can. I get the idea the app plays it safe in some spots (maybe no dirt roads), but if the trail goes too far off course, and there's a closer non-private thru-road, I'll use that instead. Looks like this Oregon Trail thing is gonna happen!
