While nearly everyone these days relies on some form of electronic map and GPS directions, there's clearly still a place for paper maps as a planning guide and companion on the road, which explains the persistence of the long-running Rand McNally Road Atlas, which has just published its 101st edition in a series dating back to when long-distance highways were a new-fangled invention.
While GPS directions can't be beat for up-to-date routing, including delays, detours and diversions, only a paper map can give you the big-picture overview and show you all the possible alternatives and additional attractions. Maps also help you understand the history and development of areas along rivers, railroads and mountains.
The new atlas, in the usual 11 x 15½-inch format as well as a few variants, has updates where road numbers and interchanges have changed, new roads added, and even updated names, as in the case of a number of U.S. military installations that have shed their Confederate-general names.
Along with the release of the Atlas, Rand McNally offered some interesting statistics gathered by Nationwide Travel Insurance. The new survey shows 91% of those surveyed have plans to travel domestically in 2024, with a road trip by car the most likely. 30% have confirmed road trip plans, and 60% are likely to make plans.
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