Best POI's for newbie

Wal-Marts?

Darren - can you be more specific about your question? A POI is simply the exact location of something you want to be able to find with your GPS.

So, the best POI's are a person, are simply those things that person wants to be able to find. For example, if you travel a lot and you have a specific brand of gasoline you prefer, you might want to have POIs for all the gas stations you are interested in - even the best GPS doesn't have every location of every place of business or interest. Or, maybe you are golfer and you might want the location of all golf courses in a location where you are going to visit. Etc, etc.

Sorry, my bad.

I meant, what are the best POI files that I should download and add to my GPS.

Darren

Darren,

You still didn't answer the question. Here's an example of why you might want a POI file. I travel quite a bit, and when I do, I have a preference to stop at Cracker Barrel to eat. Consequently, I have downloaded all the Cracker Barrel locations to the SD card in my Nuvi 350. Now, when I'm on the road, the Nuvi will beep at me and tell me that I'm close to one of the Cracker Barrel places contained in the POI file. If you tend to run red lights, you might want to download all the red light camera locations for the city you live in. Your GPS will warn you as you approach one of those intersections. Hope this helps...........

To me, it would be the PAINTBALL sites, For a Pilot it might be the Airports, I load different sites at different times.
I download any that I might use someday, Then load them when I need them. Next weekend I will be taking the RV out on a road trip, so Wal-Marts, and State Parks will be in my GPS.
It all depends on you.

Sorry I'm not that specific but I am new to all this.

I not sure what I am looking for. I was hoping someone could help me with the most populat POI's so once I master that then I can start looking at more specific POI's.

I have a motorcycle trip from Oregon to San Diego so I am trying to get a handle on what my Garmin can do in the mean time.

Thanks for all your help.

Darren

Maybe what's already installed in your Garmin will suffice for you. Then again, maybe you're interested in something specific or out of the ordinary like...copper mine museums or since you are taking a bike trip, maybe you'd want all of the bike shops (of what make you ride) along your route from Oregon to So Cal. Maybe you only want to eat at the "crazy one eyed man's sleepin' dog restaurant". Then you might want to collect/or make your own Point Of Interest file that contains whatever it is you'd like to have handy for your trip or daily convenience. For example, say you like Starbucks, but they go up so fast there is no way that what comes loaded on your gps unit is current. So, you either find and collect the POI file for Starbucks or you gather the information and write your own (and then share them here). If you want to undertake something huge, then there are resources available here that will help with that too.
You'll get the hang of it, and there are plenty of people here that will gladly help you out. Keep asking the questions, and have fun.

Darren,
How do you get your POI's to prompt you when you are approaching them? What do I have to do to get mine to act like this..
Thank You
NickJr

Darren,
For this beginner, would you kindly show the steps for adding, for example, Italian food restraunts in the Hillsboro, Florida area so I can be prompted as I approach them.
Richard
rm289b@cox.net