OK, maybe 'Art' is the wrong description.

Where has it gone?
Travelers now have use of affordable GPS units with 'puter maps loaded giving restaurant, sleeping, recreation and so much more information, all while on-the-fly. Less thought and planning needed.

Maybe less-than-accurate paper maps are now adequate for journeys into unknown lands.
Maybe maps aren't needed at all.
No need to carry a sextant.
Has the compass gone the way of the rotary dial phone?
Has map plotting gone the way of 30w oil?
Maybe call a friend back home on your Sat phone and ask him/her whether you should take the right or left fork?
Is becoming lost now a warranty issue?

I agree that color is more nifty than B&W, but are we losing something else in the process?

And of course no longer a need to travel by the stars and the sun either. Progress...

Until your GPS quits...

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

dear lone rider...

how i miss the days when we used to sit in our cave and plan our anual mamot hunt, my wife used to pick bugs out of my hair ...not really...
we hear it all the time in all aspects of life... it is the human nature to look back at the past and remeber how good it was (was it?).
on 1991 i had a six month enfild trip in india, i had a 1:4mil scale map, now one of the great advice you hear every where is -ask the locals- not really highly recomended in india, try navagaiting through the traffic of delhi mombay or even smaller city around that region...
the gps is just a tool like your bike ecu or phone or t.v... and the list relly go on...and on.
i am practicing heavy equipment agricalture mechanic for more then 20 years, the elctronics began replacing the mechanical devices on the early 90s and every body said it is not reliable and to coplicated and that nobody will know how to fix it, guess what... they where all wrong, by the way i see pepole say that about the can bus systm on the bmw, well in few years all the bikes will be can bus... and pepole will say how good where the old bikes...
regarding navagation, inorder to navagate really good you need a 1:20,000
topo map, now try to imagine buying one and useing it for every trip, and yes in know you can do a good trip nava.. on a 1:2mil road map, but on a moderen trip, i use the map to plan the route and the gps to exacute it...while all the time remembering the bigger map in mind...
a lot of pepole are finding it relly hard using a map, including my better half, and turn by turn instractions from a gps is a great help for them, and i dont mean crossing the sahara or the gobi, i mean on daily base...
gps dosent eliminate the map and the compass it just complete them.

ah that was longer ten i intended, anyway have fun and keep your eyes on the view...or was it on the road...
sorry for the spelling mistakes
guy

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love to all

www.guyandmarie.com

My post was only meant to relative towards navigation, which I truly enjoy. There's a simple challenge in it that is enjoyed....by some travelers.

No, I have no wish to sharpen my spearhead after a day's hunt.

i am really sorry if was misunderstood i love navigate, i love being out there, and nothing is more fun for me then being in the desert, i was just adding an opinion, nothing against no one...
and the mamoot wasnt really that good...

guy

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love to all

www.guyandmarie.com

I understood you.