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Getting Lost With GPS — On Purpose

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I am a huge fan of my handheld Garmin GPS unit. I like that I can use it on my bicycle as easily as in my car. I like that I can use it to find places near me when I am travelling in unfamiliar places — think hotels, restaurants, attractions, shopping, etc. I like that I can mark places I have been and then easily find my way back to them. But mostly I like that it allows me to be a discoverer, to explore, to get lost …. wait a minute, to get lost??? Yes, get lost on purpose, and that is what I think is the best thing about GPS from a touring perspective. Here is how it works.

Let’s say I am travelling from Peterborough, Ontario to Niagara Falls, Ontario — a distance of roughly 265.1251 km. I don’t need a GPS for this, because I can travel on well-signed 4+ lane highways all the way. It goes like this:

1. Get the Tim’s Iced Cap
2. Set the car on cruise control
3. Crank up the tunes …
4. and presto — in approximately 2.5 hours (depending of course, on the time of day) I am there.

Efficient, but incredibly boring. More importantly, by travelling Highways 115, 401, 403 and QEW, I am missing out on some great parts of Ontario to explore. Roads that take me through rural communities, past historic sites, road side fruit and vegetable stands, past wineries, etc., etc., etc. Like the man or woman said … “It’s about the journey as much as the destination”.

Before GPS, if I wanted to enjoy the journey by exploring the backroads, I would need a bunch of maps and the ability to communicate with my map challenged navigator(s) while trying to determine, after numerous twist and turns, where I am, which direction I am heading and how far it is to Niagara Falls …”Dad, this is really fun, but will we get there before midnight?”.

Now with GPS, just before I get the Iced Cap, I mark our final location in Niagara Falls and activate the route planning feature. Of course, it directs me to take Highways 115, 401, 403 and the QEW. But here is the really neat part. If I don’t follow this route, the GPS continues to plot a new route from whereever I happen to be, tells me how far it is to Niagara Falls and provides the estimated time of arrival. So, now I can explore by turning off Highway 115 and follow roads I don’t know or interesting signs to see where they take me. I get lost, but with the confidence that I am never really lost because the trusty GPS is keeping track of where I am and showing me how to get to my final destination.

So, the beauty of GPS units for destination areas that offer great touring opportunities, is that they allow explorers on wheels — car, motorcycle, bicycle — to truly explore as much as they want within the time that they have and still find their way back or to their final destination. It’s a safety net that permits exploring.

Now, here is the real point of this post. At least one destination (I am sure there are others) gets it and is using GPS to enhance visitors’ touring experiences. The Fleurieu Peninsula region of South Australia is now offering self-guided GPS tours through the rental of GPS units at their visitor centres. Brilliant!