How to create Nuvi 350 Rest Area alerts to work along route in travel direction?

Yes there is a way but...

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/13824

I also wanted to know if the rest area was on my side of the expressway and here is how I solved it. I downloaded the combined Rest Area file and then created 5 individual CSX files, titled "Northbound, Southbound, Eastbound, Westbound, and Both". I then sorted the combined Rest area file by interstate number and determined the direction for each of the points (I sometimes used Google Earth). I then copied each into the respective file and loaded all 5 individual files to the GPS. I also used the TTSVoiceEditor program to give the announcement warning e.g. "Rest Area Ahead Northbound" when I'm 15000 feet away (almost 3 miles). That way, I can decide if anyone needs to "rest" in advance of the exit.

You do this procedure every month when MrKen uploads the update file?

I though the label MrKen has on the Rest Areas Combined already included the NB SB EB WB tags.

The file already contains NB, SB, EB, WB, turnout only. Its very descriptive.

Yes, you are right, it was a lot of work. But I found that the descriptions in the Combined file were good in a file format but they didn't help me while I was driving and had to reach over and try to read the screen. I really wanted to only get alerts in the direction I was traveling or get an alert announcement that told me the direction. That way I wouldn't have to take my eyes off the road (especially in heavy traffic). So I came up with the idea of creating the 5 different files with different names and then creating different alert messages (using the VoiceEditor) that relates to each of the file names.

And yes, because the effort of creating the files was a lot of work, I don't go through the trouble everytime there is a new download available. I've only done it a couple of times and haven't run across many times where a rest area was added or closed from my separate files. And for the very few that are, it seemed like a good tradeoff for getting an announcement of the direction of travel.

That way, I can know when to ask if anyone needs to "rest" before I get to the rest area and find it is on the other side. Also, because the various files are by direction, I can use the GoTo feature to check for a rest area that is down the road and determine if we can wait or need to make a stop at a local fast food joint.

Good discussion. This is very creative. I was hoping for a simple solution that would eliminate the annoying alerts from the rest areas in the opposite direction.

I didn't think about it until your post and gave it a look. I used my home computer with excel 2003, the work computer has excel 2007, both have same filtering function.

Sorted and pasted EB/WB, WB/EB, NB/SB, and SB/NB to separate file, e.g. Rest Areas Both. Had to do all four because the file has some POIs reversed.

Then sorted and pasted NB, SB, EB, and WB to separate files, e.g. Rest Areas NB.

In all I was able to break out the main file to 5 files in 5 minutes.

It originally took me a lot longer than that, since I was experimenting with the idea of separating files that someone took a long time to combine in the first place. But the result was exactly what I wanted - to be advised if the rest area is on my side of the expressway.

And when I saw info on the POI-FACTORY as to how to make my own voice announcement based on the file name, I knew I had what I wanted.

And since the 5 separate files were mine, I have added those rest areas along various state routes that I travel. These are typically along 2 lane roads so I've placed them in the COMMON or BOTH file.