Is anyone else as fascinated by GPS as I am? The ability for a computer to read inputs from a few satellites and come up with a 3D location within three feet just never ceases to amaze me.

So what does everyone do with GPS and their MINI that isn't the usual "Turn left in 500 feet" rigmarole?

Do you:

- Purposefully get lost or take unfamiliar roads just because you know your GPS will get you back home?

- Utilize the map on roads like the Dragon to know exactly what kinds of curves are coming up?

- Go geocaching or do any other GPS related fun activities?

- Map where exactly you've gone and the routes you've taken to show off where your MINI has motored?

I ask the last one because I'm working on some software to do exactly that... and want to make sure I'm not insane... (I'm hoping to map every last mile the MINI travels!)

Greetings from 34° 11' 59.73", -82° 9' 52.78"

 

I'm still just amazing it can get me from point a to point b without getting lost. I have no sense of direction!

 

Here's a pic of my GPS with the 'where have I been' tracking turned on. It shows me in the infield of Texas Motor Speedway (Nascar oval), just after I had the MINI on the track during a charity event...

 

I've used it at the Dragon to see through the rock face so I knew what the next turn looked like, but the trees kept getting in the way of the satellite signal and it was spotty at times. I drove 3 miles one time when the unit thought that I was either driving on the river or through the forest.

 

geocaching is loads of fun. It is in the mid 90's daily here now, so it is a bit too warm sometimes, but I try to go when I can. Did I meet you at the geocaching m&g at the dragon?

Agranger - how do you turn that feature on?

 

It's on my Garmin Nuvi 700-series. Go into settings for the map and turn on the 'show route' or 'show path' feature... I can't remember the exact verbage.

 

Geocaching is a great way to "get lost" and discover new roads and forgotten places... just don't get overly concerned about keeping your MINI clean- some of the best caches are at the end of the dusty trail.

 

I like the speed display on the GPS -- it seems to be more accurate than the speedo, and I don't have parallax issues looking at it.

Tracking is also fun, as are the trip numbers -- did I really go that fast?

 

Actually, the standard non-WAAS assisted GPS is accurate to 3 meters (10 ft), but that's still pretty cool...

 

My girlfriend and I go out just about every weekend and just "get lost" with the GPS. We find some awesome things and some great resturants this way in some small towns.

Here is our latest adventure and I'll update it more as we complete our quests.
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