Dec 30 - San Antonio to Balmorhea TX using GPS

Some people have asked me about the GPS, so here is "GPS 101" for them. If you already use a GPS, you know all of this already.

I rely heavily on the GPS, because missing an intersection in the motorhome is a real pain. It can't be backed up while towing a car because the car's front wheels turn sideways and the steering mechanism can be seriously damaged. So it is necessary to go around the block if there is one, or find a big parking lot, or disconnect the car, turn the rig around, and reconnect.

I am using a Garmin Streetpilot 2610 which I purchased in 2005. It is a great navigational instrument, with many options for screen displays. It is mounted on the dashboard just above the steering wheel so I can glance at it and still be watching the road. The screen has a brilliant yellow background which can be seen even in direct sunlight. And it gives audible directions such as "In 0.6 miles turn left." If you get off the route, it will recalculate and modify the route to your destination. Here is the information being displayed as we drove west from San Antonio to Balmorhea, Texas, on Interstate 10:

Speed was 65.4 mph, a normal cruising speed on highways when traffic allows. (I took the picture with one eye on the road and the other on the camera viewfinder.)

322 miles to the next turn, which was the exit for our destination of Balmorhea. (I-10 goes across the widest part of Texas, and we eventually drove all 880 miles of it.)

The second 322 is the distance to the final destination, and would have been 342 if we had to go 20 miles after leaving I-10.

Arrival time at the final destination is estimated at 2:23pm. These estimates are generally pretty good but, of course, don't include time for fuel and rest spots. I usually add an hour on a typical driving day of 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and about 350 miles.

The elevation here in central Texas was 1601 feet above see level. In Louisiana we had been very close to sea level. By the time we got to Balmorhea we were at 3319 ft. (Each year as we drive south and then west from Michigan, elev 600 ft., we are climbing to an elevation of around 5000 ft. in the high plains. We are also generally fighting headwinds, and the fuel economy is noticeably worse than on the return trip to Michigan, around 6.5 mpg westbound and 7.5 eastbound.)

"I-10 W to Exit 212 I-10 W" is the verbal description of what is going on at that moment.

As much as I like the Streetpilot, it's main disadvantage is that it must be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket. So last year I bought a second GPS for use in the Suzuki for local drives, as well as hiking or biking. It is a Garmin Nuvi 750 with rechargeable internal batteries. It attaches with a suction cup to the windshield, and can be quickly removed and pocketed when the car is parked. I am also very pleased with this.

The screen gives verbal instructions at the top - "Continue on Hwy 17," and the final destination is where the finish line flag is. In this case we were going to McDonald Observatory south of Balmorhea. Arrival time was estimated at 11:47 AM, and the next turn was in 25 miles. More information, similar to the Streetpilot, is viewed by tapping certain points on the screen

I'll tell more about Balmorhea and the Observatory in the next posts.