This past summer, I played with my GPS while on our vacation, driving from middle Tennessee to central Florida--about a 15 hour drive, one way. On the return trip, we got stuck in a massive, miles long traffic jam south of Atlanta, GA, on I-75.

I used a combination of my handheld GPS (Lowrance GM100), a travel atlas (Georgia has atrocious highway maps), and reading highway signs to navigate off of the Interstate system & onto local roads and state & local highways.

I zoomed out to a view that encompassed the area, set a couple of waypoints by "guesstimating" the location (I was pretty close), & told my wife when to turn. We arrived right where we wanted, with no difficulty, & a whole lot more fun than had we been on the Interstate, traffic jam or not.

My GPS has a decent map database built into it; I would not have one that doesn't have a map capability. I can get software to add detail, but haven't yet. Other makes (DeLorme, & maybe Magellan) work with PC mapping software.

But, while they're desirable, & make it much more versatile, it's quite possible to achieve your goal with just the GPS & a map (or just a map...but I had a compass, too...) <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Check out the Geocaching web page, particularly the forums. They'll offer much advice, & geocaching is a great way to learn to use your new toy...er, ah, tool!

David