Rest Areas

In reply to Ron.gps's query re:
"Is there a chance that you could make each Rest Area name absolutely unique within the first 35 characters?"

At the moment the possibility is somewhere between slim & none.

There are now more than 1850 entries in the file.
There will be an update this week sometime.
Then we hit the road for a while !

We will be "On the road again" starting tomorrow so making corrections/
additions/deletions to the Rest Areas Combined POI file will be on hold for a while.
Users can continue to send "inputs" to me via e-mail but I won't have the time (and probably inclination) to research them while on travel.
We should be back right after Memorial day !
I'll do my personal research on Rest Areas during our 4500 (or so) mile trip !

MrKenFL

Good for you! Go use that GPS!

We consider your trip "rest area field trials."

I'll be heading to Indiana in about 2 weeks and doing my own "rest area field trials." Actually, my wife is the rest area researcher.

Hi Group,

I tried out the Rest area file on a recent trip from Virginia to NC, mainly along I95 and I64. I used the latest Magellan POI editor to create a custom POI file on an SD card in my Magellan 3225. I set it to announce the areas about 1 mile and 1/4 mile ahead. It worked great, but I also got an additional announcement after I passed each area.

Does anyone know why this would happen? It almost seems that the announcement is independent of direction. I only passed about 6 stops so this wasn't a very comprehensive test.

Anyway, thanks for a very useful tool.

emr

Sometimes the rest areas in the opposite direction from that you are driving will also alert due to their proximity. That is why I have chosen to always include the direction of travel in the name ie: "REST AREA NB I-95 MM65" so you can tell at a quick glance if the rest area is in your direction of travel !

An update to the "Rest Areas Combined" POI file is planned to be uploaded this weekend. There are, at the present time, 36 additional "locations" in the Master file.
If anyone has any additions or corrections for the upcoming update please send them to me via e-mail so I can include them !
Thanks

Don't you think this would be more appropriate in a more general thread? It is, after all, not specific to Magellan.

MrKenFL,
Thanks for your work. I use the file and find it quite helpful. Currently I turn off the alerts on the file and when we need or want a rest area we go to the file and look for the closest one as we are traveling. Works like a top.

I guess the Magellan isn't as smart as I thought.
Is their any way to make a POI directional?

How do you find mile markers in Google earth or mapsource?

You don't. The best you can do is to find exit numbers, which in most states are mile marker numbers. Some states in the northeast list exits by sequincial (sp?) numbers.

I use the following applications or websites to "attempt" to get mile markers for the "Rest Areas Combined" POI file. Interstate are the easiest !

http://www.allstays.com/Special/interstate-exits.htm

http://www.dieselboss.com/restarea.asp

MS Streets & Trips

AAA Website (maps)

I also use Individual State DOT Rest Area websites.
Can be extremely frustrating as "not all states were created equal" - have to hunt in many cases.