Getting directions from Point A to Point B in the 70s never seemed to be an issue. However, looking back through today’s technology, we’ve come a long way! I’m not sure how we got to our destination! 

When our family was planning a summer road trip, Dad would call AAA to order a “trip tik”. He would give the employee our destination, and the route would be highlighted from beginning to end when he picked it up a few days later. It was Dad’s personal map for the trip, complete with a plastic spiral so he could flip the pages over as we got closer to our endpoint. It would stay by the driver’s seat for the duration of the trip. I’m not sure I could read a map today if my life depended on it..lol  

When I was old enough to drive and venture outside of Canfield for a little summer adventure, I would sit with my Dad with paper and pencil, and he would dictate directions to my destination. He was a “turn south” on Main Street kind of person. I was not. I still have no idea which way is north or east. I am a landmark person. I can take a right at the McDonald’s with confidence. 

My Dad had a business friend who owned a big RV. It was awesome! It had beds, a table with seats around it, and was orange, white, and wood paneled on the inside. Occasionally, he would borrow it when our family traveled to Michigan to visit family. I have great memories of that RV! I would wait patiently in the driveway until Dad pulled the beast in. I remember the year Dad hooked up a CB radio next to the huge steering wheel. I don’t recall what his “handle” was, but he heard him talk on it. Maybe he was talking to other drivers, trying to confirm some quick directions to area restaurants or a quick bathroom break?  He had the CB during the “Smokey and the Bandit” movie era, and I thought that was the coolest form of communication on the road! 

My readers from the Youngstown/Cleveland area, do you remember trying to get home from Blossom Music Center after dark? You knew the way you came in, but when you left the venue, the traffic director was waving his light stick in the opposite direction of where you needed to go. I was a complete wreck. Finding a gas station quickly was a priority, so I could ask where to find I-76. Sorry, Mom and Dad, but I’m sure none of us in the car had a completely clear head, either.Yikes.

The early GPSs were like dinosaurs. I remember purchasing my first one when I got my job with Scholastic because I had a large territory of schools to visit. They were cumbersome and kept slipping off the dashboard at unexpected moments. But they usually got me to the right school in time for an appointment.  

It’s crazy to see how far Global Positioning Systems have come in a short period of time. All you need is an address, and you can be on your road trip without asking anyone about intersections, route numbers, or where the Red Barn restaurant is. 

If you’re a GenXer headed out this summer, use Google on your fancy iPhone or Waze on your car apps, but keep it nostalgic and find a picnic area to eat lunch. Unfortunately, I doubt you’ll find a Howard Johnson’s or a Stuckey’s to unwind from driving. Hmm…maybe they should make a comeback! Have fun! Drive safe!