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Conquering Roadways in Caroline County

by Chad Dean

lthough the practice of trips of my own. After one excursion that planning new
embarking on a leisurely took me from Maryland to Tennessee to excursions to
Sunday drive or youthful Florida and back, I began wondering if log ever since.
Aroad trip has existed for there was a way to document, at the very
My wife thinks
generations, a website now allows least, the interstate routes I had traveled
I am crazy. She
modern driving enthusiasts to take such in my lifetime. The Internet was still
not so playfully accuses me of going out
pursuits to extremes. Travelmapping. fairly new and clunky then to the extent
of the way to “get new roads” on trips
net provides users with the opportunity that even basic black and white outline
even when I am not attempting to do so.
to document their travels on the maps of states, let alone highways, were
She encourages me to pursue the hobby
following types of highways: interstates, hard to come by. Alternately, I considered
by myself or with our dogs. It might be
U.S. numbered systems, national using a highlighter to mark my roads
boring for her or most others to just ride,
park loops, historic decommissioned state by state on a road atlas but could
but not me. Not only do I enjoy the thrill
byways, numbered state roads, named not do that either: the small text and
of “clinching” as well as the leisurely
freeways, major parkways, and even compact pages proved unsatisfactory
sightseeing of nothing in particular, I
select international routes. Not only for that purpose, not to mention the
am also convinced that with each outing
does Travelmapping provide beginning fact that perennial highway construction
I will find something on one of these
points, end points, and intersections for would render this option obsolete on
obscure roads that I never knew was
all of the above categories, the service an almost yearly basis. About fi ve years
there. Even capturing a bucolic nature
also compiles a plethora of statistics, later, however, I noticed that Wikipedia
scene with my camera or a light-hearted
progress maps, and rankings for all was rapidly growing and becoming ever
Snapchat moment to share would be

registered members. This information is more locally specific. Users were adding

sufficient. On more than one occasion,

available completely free of charge, as the national and state highways within
on my own or with my family, it should
site was developed by, is maintained by, the respective borders to each county
be noted, my study of maps has proven
and continues to be constantly expanded page. Curious as to where the editors
invaluable when choosing alternate
by volunteer programmers who refer to were confirming this information, I
routes to avoid accidents, road closures,
the hobby of purposely driving roads to googled until I landed on several web
or other unforeseen delays. Th is internal
completion as highway clinching. sites dedicated to the study of even the
knowledge is especially helpful when
most inconsequential of roads. One such
You might be wondering how I there is no cell phone coverage and thus
resource made reference to an early

discovered such an affi nity group. My no traffic apps on which to rely.
version of Travelmapping, and as a result,
passion for mapping actually predates
I have been documenting my travels and While most Caroline County residents
mainstream Internet access by a couple
will not take roads trips as seriously as,
decades. Growing up on a farm outside
say, retired Arlington, Virginia, attorney
of Ridgely, I was a regular shotgun
Oscar Voss, who leads all Travelmappers
companion as my father drove to pick
with over 269,000 unique highway
up tractor parts or livestock throughout
miles driven, ways nonetheless exist
the Mid-Atlantic and Canada. Whether
to participate locally. There are 27
it was because he legitimately did not
numbered state highways that traverse
want to take his eyes off the road or
the county, either in part or in full; the
was already familiar with the directions
coordinates of each are provided turn
but did not want to hear constant
by turn on Travelmapping.net. Since
flow of consciousness chatter from
there are close to 500 Maryland roads
an inquisitive young mind is of little
displayed there, I have saved you the
consequence -- he handed over the Rand
legwork of clicking on every single one
McNally atlas and told me to plot the
of them should you desire to drive the
best course to our intended destination.
Caroline County routes before your
So began my love affair with maps.

newfound addiction subsequently takes
Soon after I was old enough to acquire a you into adjacent jurisdictions. Without

driver’s license, I started planning road further ado:
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