Knowing your way around

[The Stig]

How well do you know your way around the biggest cities nearest your location?

Can you navigate your way through them either by memory or with the aid of a paper map?

Should you have to get off the highway, do you know some of the larger streets in that town? Do you know where the bad parts of town are?

Those of us that travel a fair amount have a big advantage should we find ourselves in a neighboring big city. Being able to avoid traffic snarls, or respond to a closed highway could come in handy.

The ability to navigate through the larger towns can be useful say during an evacuation or if some odd set of circumstances puts you there.

[LUNCHBOX]

I'm not set up to bad on this one, nearest for me is Cincinnati. IMO the whole city is a stinkhole. Lucky thing is you can avoid it by going around. If you had to enter it you can still navigate it ok. Streets run with the highway which makes it a little easier I would suggest that you pick up maps of you surrounding areas.

[izzyscout21]

I only have to worry about KNoxville. Luckily, Knoxville isn't overly large or complicated, but does have an overabundance of stupid people. The added bonus is that one can totally bypass the city via backroads should the need arise.

[bacpacker]

Very important question Stig. One I think everyone should give serious thought to.

Like Izzy, Maryville is the closest city of any size around me. It's small and very easy to navigate around if needed. A big plus for me, during the time I ran our local EmComm group we helped out with lots of nicycle rides over the years. These were typically on backroads around the town and out into the boonies. I can use this knowledge to get around using multiple routes. I also took the opportunity to Recon these areas for whatever I could think of, food, water, rouyrd to BO into the mountiansd, etc.
Knoxville is the largest town in this area. I grew up there and lived or worked all over the town, which is spread out a lot for the population they have. I used to work at a TV repiar shop back years ago and did service calls. I can navigate my way around most anywhere in town to most anywhere else by multiple routes. I also got to learn the3 areas you want to stay away from. Cesspools are best avoided.

[bigpaul]

yes, not a problem as i lived in the city for 43 years and know every street and back alley, i now live in the country, small town pop1,306!

[izzyscout21]

yes, not a problem as i lived in the city for 43 years and know every street and back alley, i now live in the country, small town pop1,306!

sounds nice. what area of the county are you in Bigpaul?

[realist]

Big cities are evil that is why I try to stay away from them. However when I go to visit my friends who may live there or my son in San Diego I know multiple routes home if needed. I love paper maps it always amazes me how people get lost even with a GPS. Maps will generally always get you there and the batteries do not go bad......

[Stormfeather]

Im with ya on this one Realist, Im a firm believer in paper maps along with a Thomas Guide for wherever I am going, they never fail and the work when batteries go bad!

[dragon5126]

paper maps can lie but never need batteries... I'm fortunate in that in my youth I used to drive truck in the region I live in so I'm covered, and both the spouse and I have careers that require a substantial amount of driving the region currently, so road knowledge isn't an issue. Trying to teach the offspring to payattention to where they are and how they got there has always been a priority for us as well.

[dpwill99]

Simple answer- Anchorage is the closest city to me and in ANY problem scenario if I happened to be stuck there the only answer is get the hell out. There are only 2 roads that go in and out of Anchorage and the city is going to be a deathtrap to stay in. I used to spend a lot of time there and I had multiple ways out planned, some including railroad bridges and places I could cross rivers on foot if need be.