jcorenman

Oh good, maybe we'll have a red car to run point. We'll be the white car in the back, watching your six.

It would be awesome if you could join us Thurs eve, but either way we look forward to seeing you.

928 at last

Always nice to have the AWACS unit out in front......

Adamant1971

Hey Rob, are you going to Alcoa?

AO

Happy to be point. Could use a collection to fund the legal defense initiative I will need to mount.

BTW, if anyone needs a lawyer near Robinsville, NC, Zeyland McKinney did a fine job for me. No appearance, no points. Just $500 lighter in my wallet.

928 at last

Had to reschedule my plans for the end of the month due to work demands.....not happy.....nonetheless...
I will be in Alcoa the Thurs. night. 928 willing....

928 at last

Is there an easy way to download this route into Garmin??

Adamant1971

Edit:

I was able to build Andrew's route in my Navigon app on the iPhone fairly easily using the map coordinates and selecting "shortest route" in the preferences. I can email a link to anyone who wants it, just PM me an email address. It may work with Garmin as well since Garmin owns Navigon.

You can also save the google maps as an kml file and that will open with the iPhone app "GPS KIT" but its more of a hikers GPS, not turn by turn. There are utilities out there to convert xml data for regular GPS units. http://www.routeconverter.de/downloads/en

928 at last

I'll start playing with it...worst case..manual input....

Adamant1971

Navigon app link.

navigonusa-tn://route/?target=address//USA-TN/TN%2037701/Alcoa/Corporate%20Pl/206/-83.98625/35.78228&target=coordinate//-84.186333/35.481289&target=coordinate//-84.277687/35.359367&target=coordinate//-83.828262/35.334873&target=coordinate//-82.954308/35.549149&target=coordinate//-82.870338/35.749779&target=coordinate//-82.594574/36.016258&target=coordinate//-82.306549/36.040810&target=coordinate//-82.128448/36.062489&target=address//USA-NC/NC%2028604/Banner%20Elk/Tynecastle%20Hwy/1615/-81.86008/36.14493

AO

Just a word on relying on the GPS... a couple of times it has led us down some "Delivernce-esq" roads at the beginning of the route complete with banjo music. It's hard to tell sometimes from Google maps what the best road is.

After you get on the Cherohala, you're pretty much good to go. For me, the best part of the drive is between waypoints F and G. The hill climb and the descent are truly epic! THe last time, however, we got stuck behind a gravel truck. We tried to pull over to let it get ahead of us, and we still caught up to it in a few minutes.

Adamant1971

I should be rolling into Alcoa just after 7pm.

Passing through Detroit shortly before 10 in the morning.

I can be reached by email adam.henderson@me.com or by text at 905-464-2353

jcorenman

That depends on what you mean by "easy". AO's route is for Google maps, and GMaps doesn't support routes- it only transfers a single destination, no more kmz files, etc.
Mapquest, however, does support exporting routes to Garmin (and some others).

So, step 1: Transfer AO's waypoints to Mapquest. I did that, here's the link: http://mapq.st/13R1JGJ

Open that link, it will show the route. Plug in your GPS, and make sure that "Garmin Communicator" is installed. If you are not sure, click this link: http://software.garmin.com/gcp.html If you've got it, it will tell you, and if not then there will be a link to install it.

Now click on the "Send" button at the top of the map, to the right. Select "Garmin GPS", make sure "route" is selected, and give it a snazzy name like "Banner Elk from Alcoa, AO route", click the green "Send" button. Make sure it says "Success" or "Groovy" or something.

The next step is to spend half a day trying to find the frigging route in your Garmin, then finally give up and get them on the phone to learn that you have a model which won't import routes. ...
Here's the list of models which can receive routes:
http://support.garmin.com/support/se...00000000000%7D
(Note that when it says "series", the "0" as the next-to-last character can be any digit, e.g. nuvi 2597 is part of the "2507 series").

So buy a new Garmin, do the "Send" thing again, and Shazam!! There it is, in "Trip Planner" (or "Routes" on some models). Piece of cake, what could be simpler?

Note that with some models you need to first go to "My Data" or "User Data" and import routes, others automatically import routes.
More info from this link:
https://support.garmin.com/support/s...00000000000%7D

Now some important caveats: First, I transferred AO's waypoints by hand, I think I did it correctly but you never know... So check it yourself.

Also understand that these are just points, and different devices will route you differently between the points. For example, where the route crosses I-26 (between G and H), Google takes you a mile north on 352 to meet 19W, while Mapquest heads up the freeway ten miles and gets off onto TN-395 and goes a whole different direction.

Be not concerned, however, because your Garmin will go yet another way. Our Garmin chose a route close to Google's route, just crossed the freeway on a different road to 19W. Exciting stuff, just be sure to listen for banjos.

And also understand that smart-phone app's are just about useless for this stuff, because they depend on cell data service to load maps. You may be able to pre-cache the data, and Navigon may have stored maps, I don't know. What I do know is that there isn't squat for cell service in most of this area, and particularly not the bits where you want to be careful about navigation.

(Anybody want to buy a year-old Garmin 2460LMT? I'm serious, lifetime maps and traffic, does almost everything you could want. A great deal for $125. Here's a link to the specs: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-t...prod87052.html)

Strat_928

From Virginia you can come in many ways, but last time I took US 29 south form Charlottesville for some nice easy crusin' at 70-75mph with a lot less traffic than 95 or 81. Then cut off at Gretna and go all the way to NC on US 221. As you near NC the rest of the way to Boone and Blowing Rock it gets great! Not too far out of the way either. Easy to GPS but there are a few turns so best to map it out ahead of time.

Adamant1971

Entering the data in navigon on my iPhone took all of 10minutes, selected shortest route and it matches Andrews 100%. The app is $80 and is a full featured turn by turn GPS with map updates easily anytime your on wifi. My garmin went to the wife's car and I never looked back.

Highly recommended, all maps are in the app. No data usage like most iPhone GPS apps.

Then click on my link earlier in the thread and your done.

Plus you can use the app on multiple device and iPad's. I'm using icloud now as well, so all my data is instantly on my wife phone and my ipad. Make a route on one and its on all devices, history etc.

outbackgeorgia

It looks like neither of your routes follow the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it is difficult to tell from the maps.
I plan to run the BRP from Balsam (Waynesville) to at least Asheville, may go even further. It can be slow, but there is no better scenery than the BRP. May follow it farther, depends on time.
Am at Indy 500 this weekend but will finalize the route next week from the Atlanta northern suburbs to SITM. At least one other 928 is planning to meet up for the run.
I wil post a route as soon as I can.
Dave