Mapping Your Route: A Better Alternative to Google Maps that Works with Your GPS

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Back in 2011, I wrote about a method of mapping a route using Google Maps, then transferring that route into a file that could be loaded into my GPS.   

The advantage of using Google Maps is that you can drag the route anywhere you want -- away from the mundane roads and the quickest way that Google Maps (and most GPSs) initially take you.  Instead, you can pick the roads and routes you want -- often the ones that are curvy and more interesting.

Like this one:

Or this one:

Unfortunately, the method I found back then of converting the Google Maps route to one for the GPS, utilizing a browser bookmark called GMapToGPX, depended on the then-current Google Maps format.  Google has changed that format, so the conversion of the Google route to a GPS route file doesn't work any more.  It is, as they say, "broken."   

I might add that the new Google Maps format is less intuitive, does not serve the function of showing routes and portions of routes in a blog posting, and is slow.  (Lest you think that the "Return to classic Google Maps" selection you can find by clicking the question mark in the lower right hand corner of the screen makes GMapToGPX work again, it doesn't.)  The Google Maps changes are also the reason why some of my blog postings have maps that don't correspond well to the related text any more. 

And, Google Maps still doesn't export a route file directly to a GPS either. 

There had to be another solution.  I looked a little at the Garmin mapping application called Basecamp.  It is not easy to learn and is much less user friendly than the old Google Maps, so I gave it up after a short, frustrating trial. 


I remembered something, though.  I had compiled an extensive list of GPS Goodies that consisted of file conversions, mapping aids, points of interest, and many other things, so I looked there.  I found a great alternative that works almost exactly like Google Maps, and transfers a route into the appropriate .GPX file in your GPS. 

What is this miracle, you ask? 

It is -- Ta Da:

New Harley-Davidson® Ride Planner.
Powered By H.O.G. ^®

Now before you turn up your nose because it is associated with Harley, wait to see what it can do. 

Their description of the planner:

Your ride, like your chrome, should never be dull.  If you’ve already used Ride Planner, you can access your saved rides anytime.  New features help you dial in the route to make your next ride your best ride.  Enter a starting point to begin.  Add your own favorite stops or let ride planner throw in some suggestions [like these].

• Roads – Great riders know great roads. Here’s where we share them.
• Dealers – Your home away from home. Pick up a t-shirt.
• Hotels – Book a bed to put your boots under.
• Events – This is where you go to find the party.
• Points of Interest (P.O.I.) – Find local attractions, good restaurants, and your next tank of gas.

Read on, please:

They have a very nice help section too, that describes how the routing website works in simple, easy to understand verbiage.  That's ideal for me. 

It can show -- and print -- written maps and directions, and you can add notes to describe the route you worked out.  You can send your route to someone else via. e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter, and you can save that route if you create a H-D profile and log into the site.  You can also make the route private or public. You can even use your smartphone to generate and show the resulting map and route. 

Best of all, you can transfer the route to your GPS either manually or by a direct hookup to your computer.  Even my getting-to-be-ancient Garmin nüvi 765 is supported.  

Lets see how to do it. 

Disclaimer:

All information given here is thought to be correct, however, it is YOUR responsibility to make certain that it works correctly, works with your GPS, works with your computer, and so on and on. 
Routes generated in various ways may cause you to be routed in the wrong direction -- maybe off a cliff.  That, too, is YOUR responsibility. 
Do not fiddle with your GPS while riding. Always stop in a safe place before attempting to manipulate your GPS screen.
There are no warranties on anything here whatsoever, express or implied. 

Most of these instructions are written for the Garmin nüvi 765.  Your GPS may be different. If it is, consult your instruction manual. 

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What you will need:

• A computer with Internet capabilities
• A compatible GPS Product (one that accepts custom routes)
• A USB cable for the GPS

Here is a simple route between two locations (destinations), Easley, SC and Pickens, SC. 

The route above is the one that H-D Ride Planner found, and it is the most direct route between the two cities.

Now, let's modify the route to use a road further east, SC-135, for the first part of the trip.  

Note that there is a little circle on the route where it follows the SC-135 portion.  That is where I dragged the route from the original that had been selected by Ride Planner. 

Next, we'll break for review of a few definitions:

• Route - Shows how to get from one location to another.  (That is what we are creating in today's post.)
• Track - A record of where you’ve been. 
• Waypoint, Placemark, or Point of Interest (POI) - Terms for specific locations that have been marked on your GPS.  H-D also calls some of them "locations." 

Let's go on to the procedure for getting the route into the GPS: 

Plug your Garmin unit into the computer via USB.   Your computer will recognize it as a USB flash drive, and assign a drive letter to it. 

You can export the route two ways, depending on your GPS.

• If yours is one that is supported by the website, then you press the GPS SYNC button near the upper right of the screen, and select Automatic Mode.  It then detects your GPS -- in my case, the Garmin nüvi 765 -- and prompts you to provide a name for the route.  Then it transfers the route into the X:\Garmin\GPX directory, where X is the drive that your computer assigned to the GPS when it was attached via. USB cable.  Garmin Communicator is required for this transfer. 
  Make the route name short and avoid spaces if possible. 
• If your GPS is not supported by the website, then after you press the GPS SYNC button, select Manual Mode instead.  Press SAVE AS GPX FILE.  This then prompts you to provide a name for the route, and creates a GPX file that you can save to your computer, then copy to the same directory as above, X:\Garmin\GPX directory. 
  Make the route name short and avoid spaces if possible.  The file that Ride Planner creates will have an odd name such as hd_1429109793918.GPX, but it will again have the name you gave it here when you Import Route from File, as described below. 
  (You will probably find a file called  "current.GPX" and maybe "position.GPX" already in the same folder.  These are the files that show where you have been since that last time you cleared your tracks.  It does no harm to delete them or move them to your computer if you don't mind not being able to see those tracks on the GPS.  A new version of the files will be generated as soon as you begin moving with the GPS turned on.) 

Use your operating system's procedure to safely remove the Garmin [USB] drive.  Disconnect the GPS from the computer. 


To import the route(s), do the following for Garmin nüvi 765 units:

1. Restart the GPS. 
2. Go to "Tools, My Data, Import Route from File".  A list of routes will appear.  Amongst them will be the one you created, identified by whatever you named the file.  Select it, and press "Import".  The screen will show "Calculating route", and a percent complete, then "Data imported successfully".  Press "OK". 
3. Press "Back" a couple of times until you are at the main screen.  Press "Where To?".  Scroll down and press "Custom Routes".  Your new route will show as one of the items in the list.  Press the one you want. 
   The screen will display the distance and travel time.  Press "Go!". 
4. The GPS will ask you if you want to "Navigate to the start of the route?".  Press "Yes" if you want to do that, but be aware that it will direct you back to the starting point even if you are already beyond it along your route.  If you are already on the route, press "No" and it will start you out from wherever you are on the route.

The route we worked with here has only two locations (destinations), Easley and Pickens.  If the route you created in Ride Planner contains intermediate locations, there will be additional routes to import, with names that are the same as the one you picked, but with a numeral after it.  Say you called the route from Easley to Pickens "Pickens."  If you added another location, then another file would appear called Pickens 2.  You import both of them.  If there are four locations, then there will be three files, the last being Pickens 3, etc. 

To delete routes from your GPS: 

1. Plug your Garmin unit into your computer via USB.   Your computer will recognize it as a USB flash drive, and assign a drive letter to it.  
2. Go into the X:\Garmin\GPX directory and delete the files that you no longer need.  They may have odd filenames.  Look at the date(s) they were created to help you determine which ones you don't need any more.  If you are not sure which files to delete, don't delete them.  Some files may have other uses in the GPS' operation. 
3. Then go to Tools, My Data, Delete Route(s), pick the routes you don't need any more, check them, and then delete them.  
4. The import procedure will also have created Favorites for the locations your route contained.  If you don't want these any more, go to Tools, My Data, Delete Favorite(s), pick the ones you don't need, check them, and delete them. 

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Anomalies:

If you generated one route where you are intentionally coming back the same way or nearly the same way you came, there could be a problem.  That problem is that once you are using the GPS to guide you along the route, it may become confused about which way to tell you to go if you stop or backtrack to see something along the way that you missed.  The GPS may think that you have already completed the "going out" part of the route all the way to the furthest point, and send you back, skipping some of your two-way route. 

Rectify this by creating two separate routes, one to get there, and one to return.  

However, if you are already following a route that uses the same or nearby roads for both the out and the back routes, and you have the above problem, do this:

1. Get yourself back onto the route you desire, 
2. in the direction you want to go, 
3. stop the current GPS route, 
4. reselect the route you were on, and
5. press "Go!"

Do not press "Yes" if the GPS asks if you want to "Navigate to the start of the route?". 

The GPS should now direct you along the route in the desired direction. 

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Well, now you should be able to create a route in H-D Route Planner and transfer it to your GPS.  Pretty slick, don't you think?  Better than the old days of using Google Maps, and trying to get your route into your GPS from there. 

Enjoy your new capabilities, but watch where you are going -- not at the little screen -- when you are riding that scooter of yours: Your GPS can't watch the road for you!

Maybe it is worth considering a Harley the next time you buy a bike -- to help them defray the costs of maintaining their very helpful website!

Other GPS Postings:

• Direction Needed, Now Found
• Direction Needed, Now Found II   This method is now obsolete.  
• Direction Needed, Now Found III 
• GPS Goodies
• Garmin 765 Loss of Power Fix 

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Right Great Ride Routes to Remember

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Back in the middle of August, I was riding around one Saturday, and stopped at the Holly Springs Country Store for a little rest, and to wet my whistle.  As I turned into the driveway, I spotted a young man dribbling motor oil from well above the filler opening, trying to get some to go into the crankcase of his Yamaha V-Star metric cruiser. 

I stopped nearby, took off my gloves and helmet, then walked over to see if I could help him.  He had no funnel, and he was getting more oil on the pavement than into the gizzard of his bike.  I held the bike up straight for him so he could pour more accurately. 

He finished his pouring, and thanked me for helping, then introduced himself as Jay.  As we were talking, I noticed that his license tag was from Florida, and he had some luggage on the tail of the bike. I asked him about his ride today and how long he had been riding. 

He was a talkative guy, and explained the details of how he came to own a motorcycle, and why he was there today.  He said he had become interested in riding some months ago, traded his old car even for the bike, and only then took a class to learn how to ride it.  He said it sat in the garage until he took that class.  That seems smart to me.  That's what I did back in 2007.  Now carless, he rides the scooter wherever he goes if he can't walk there.  He says he has ridden about 4000 miles so far, and had never been on roads that were not flat before this trip.

He related that he had just come down from Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina, about 12 miles from the store.  It is a place I have visited many times before, at Pushpin B (Pushpin A is where the store is located):   

View Larger Map

He said that Sassafras was the last of the highest points in seven states he had visited over a period of a week.  He didn’t have much with him -- a tent, a sleeping bag, and a small clothes bag strapped onto the bike, and he said that he had spent all of $90 on lodging for the week.  

Interesting.  I wondered where these seven peaks are.  

I looked up the Seven Summits Tour on the Internet, but came up with something a lot different: Many people, extreme adventurers, think of climbing to the highest points on the seven continents when they hear about Seven Summits. 

These:

• North America’s Denali,
• South America’s Aconcagua,
• Asia’s Mount Everest,
• Europe’s Mount Elbrus,
• Africa’s Kilimanjaro,
• Australia ‘s Mount Kosciuszko, and
• Antarctica’s Vinson Massif.

For those who are less adventuresome ‑‑ and who have shallower pockets ‑‑ the seven might instead be the highest points in seven southeastern states, listed here with their elevations above sea level: 

• Florida’s Britton Hill (lowest of the seven at 345 ft),
• Alabama’s Mt. Cheaha (2,407 ft),
• Georgia’s Brasstown Bald (4,784 ft),
• South Carolina’s Sassafras Mountain (3,560 ft), 
• North Carolina’s Mount Mitchell (highest point east of the Mississippi at 6,684 ft),
• Tennessee’s Clingmans Dome (second highest of the seven at 6,643 ft), and
• Mississippi’s Woodall Mountain (806 ft).

All of these high points have roads to or nearly to their tops, so you don't have to turn up your pacemaker to get to any of them, and you can leave your hiking boots behind.  For someone who has only previously ridden on flat roads, he has certainly gotten a dose of twisties by now, traveling to these places and in between.  

I have visited Sassafras Mountain many times, and Mount Mitchell is easily accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I have been there twice on the bike. 

This route might be a good way to get to these seven high points in the most expedient way.  

View Larger Map

I calculate about 1450 miles going this way, avoiding most major four-lane highways.  

Anyway, back to talking with Jay. 

I also noticed that his jacket had an embroidered logo, “Florida Free Rides,” so I asked him what that was, thinking maybe it was a biker group.  He explained that he owns a company by that name in Clearwater Beach Florida.  They have a fleet of electric carts that ferry people from hotels to attractions and back for free.  He says he makes his money by selling the advertising space on the sides of the vehicles, and his drivers make theirs through tips from happy riders. 

That is Jay at the back of the cart pictured here:

Jay continued the conversation, recounting some of the places he had been so far on his trip, that he had had trouble finding some of the high points, and his adventure of riding the Tail of the Dragon.  On the latter, he said that he had no trouble going the speed limit there, but others were much faster than he. 

He observed that, "In Florida, you get a ticket if you speed, but in the mountains, your penalty is a trip off the edge of a mountain."  

True enough.  I reminded him that we do use the sides of our tires here in the mountains, contrary to those riders in, say, Florida.  He thought about that for a moment, looked down to examine his tires, and said that he now realized that very fact. 

Here is another, shorter route that takes in the highest point in Kentucky, Black Mountain (4,145 ft), but skips Florida (its high point is only a relative pimple, you know), Alabama, and Mississippi:


View Larger Map

This route is about 628 miles. 


And if you skip Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi, and leave just South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, you get this route:


View Larger Map

420 miles: A long day, but doable for many.


Maybe I could try it some time, or split it into two days to include some signtseeing along the way.

What do you think?  Do you have a Right Great Ride Route to Remember?

Other Info of Interest:

• Southern Six Pack  
• Seven Southern Summits  
• Seven Southern Spring Summits

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Left Handers

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I recently observed some riders on curvy two-lane roads while on vacation with my lovely wife.  Now, we weren't on the bike, you understand.  Instead, we were in the cage pulling our 1967 Apache popup camper behind us.

A shot of our venerable home away from home.

1967?  Yes, we get lots of use out of our purchases.  (I have been a tightwad from shortly after birth, you see.) 

We drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway on US-276, past Caesar's Head and through Brevard North Carolina,
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View Larger Map

then made our way, over the next few days, north to the Skyline Drive where it finally became too foggy to see much of the scenery.

A day in Washington D.C. was nice, as were Williamsburg Virginia and Wilmington North Carolina. 

Anyway, while driving along, we saw quite a number of bikers amongst the traffic, and in particular, I noticed a characteristic of the lines some of the bikers coming the other way used while they were in left-hand curves.  I'd estimate that about fifteen percent of the riders we met on their left-handers made corrections to run wider when they spotted us coming in the cage in the other lane. 

Sometimes this was a subtle correction, other times it was more pronounced, but it was readily observable.

At this juncture, I must assure you, kind reader, that I was not driving over the center line in the car, so it was the bikers who were making the correction based on their judgment of the curve and oncoming vehicles.  These riders apparently made their corrections to avoid their leaning into -- or close to -- the other lane.

Why were they doing this?

Well, when I ride, I try to make it a point to stay to the right of the lane in a left hander until I can see the exit of the curve, at which time I may apex if it is tight enough to do so.  This staying to the right makes the curve less sharp, and gives more clearance between me and oncoming traffic.

There are exceptions, of course.  If there is a patch of sand, or a pothole, or some oil in the wide line, then staying closer to the centerline is just fine -- as long as you don't stray over the painted line with any part of you. 

This didn't seem to be the case for the riders in question.  Maybe they were shying away from a ditch or dropoff, or a mountain wall. I have done that, but crossing -- or leaning -- across the centerline is a very poor last resort.

There might be another reason.  Taking the left turn closer to the centerline makes it, in effect, a tighter curve, increasing the acceleration felt in the seat of the pants.  Maybe they were trying to increase that feel even when the curve wasn't all that tight.  I confess that I have done this on occasion, too.

At any rate, we don't want to be doing what this guy did: 

Yes, he hit the car's mirror.

 How about you?  Do you make a little --or big -- correction on your left handers?

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Take a few minutes today to thank God for our country, for our manifold blessings, and for our freedom.

Freedom from Want
Norman Rockwell, 1943

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Direction Needed, Now Found III

My Christmas present has been very useful in recording my riding routes and in allowing me to devise a route, load it into the device, then follow it along on the road.

In one of my previous GPS posts, I wrote about how to get a route I produced in Google maps into the GPS.  It is a bit cumbersome, but works.

Here is another method of doing the same thing, except starting from MapQuest instead of Google.  MapQuest is not as easy to use as Google because the roads are not as easily seen and identified on the computer screen in MapQuest.  This makes it more difficult to find that special, circuitous route you really want instead of the most direct route MapQuest might select for you.  However, MapQuest makes it easier to get the route into your GPS than Google. 


Recall these definitions:

• Route - Shows how to get from one location to another.
• Track - A record of where you’ve been. 
• Waypoint, Placemark, or Point of Interest (POI) - Terms for specific locations that have been marked on your GPS.

Here are the same two examples as used last time, except starting with MapQuest. 

But first....

Disclaimer: All information given here is thought to be correct, however, it is YOUR responsibility to make certain that they work correctly, work with your GPS, work with your computer, and so on and on.  Routes generated in various ways may cause you to be routed in the wrong direction -- maybe off a cliff.  That, too, is YOUR responsibility.  Do not fiddle with your GPS while riding. Always stop in a safe place before attempting to manipulate your GPS screen. There are no warranties on anything here whatsoever, express or implied.

OK.  Here is how I get my on-line route from MapQuest into the Garmin 765T. 

This is a good example of a simple route between Easley, SC and Rosman, NC, mostly on US-178, one of the favorite motorcycle roads nearby. 



The same as Google, the route above is the one that MapQuest found, and it is the most direct.

Now, let's modify the route to use a road further east, SC-135, for the first part of the trip. However, if you drag the route, MapQuest shows the modified route on the screen and in its printed directions, but does not output the modified route when you transfer the Route to the GPS.  Unfortunate, that. 

Instead, you have to right click a point on the map where you want to route to be, then left click "Directions" on the menu that appears to add that point -- called a Stop -- and revise the route.

The revised route looks thus:




If you make a mistake, you can remove the added Stop, by clicking the X to the right of the Stop just added.

If you want to reorder the stops, left click and drag them to where you want them to be in the list.  See where it says "Drag the Icons to Reorder Your Stops" above?

If you want to save the link to your map, click on "Link" near the top of the menu, then copy the link and paste it where you want it.  This is a good idea, since MapQuest times out if you don't keep working on it. 

If you want to embed the map into a website as I have done in this posting, click on "Send To", then "Your Website", and copy the link and paste it into your website. 


Let's go on to the procedure for getting the map into the GPS as a route. This only works with Garmin GPSs as it uses the Garmin Communicator plugin for your browser. 

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How to do it:

1. In MapQuest, click on "Send To", then "GPS". 
2. Once there, click "Route", enter a filename (fifteen or fewer characters), and checkmark the device you want to download to.  Press "Send". 
3. Use your operating system's procedure to safely remove the Garmin [USB] drive. Disconnect the GPS from the computer. 
4. Restart the GPS. 
5. Go to  "Tools, My Data, Import Route from File".  A list of routes will appear.  Amongst them will be the one you created, identified by the filename you entered above.  Select it, and press "Import".  The screen will show "Calculating route", and a percent complete, then "Data imported successfully".  Press "OK". 
6. Press "Back" a couple of times until you are at the main screen.  Press "Where To?".  Scroll down and press "Custom Routes".  Your new route will show as one of the items in the list -- the one with the name you just entered.  Press it. 
7. The screen will display the distance and travel time.  Press "Go!". 
8. The GPS will ask you if you want to "Navigate to the start of the route?".  Press "Yes" if you want to do that, but be aware that it will direct you back to the starting point even if you are already beyond it along your route.  If you are already on the route, press "No" and it will start you out from wherever you are on the route.

Anomalies:

The route may contain a direction such as "Navigate off road".  This is caused by mislocating a Stop while in MapQuest.  Be careful to place the Stop on the actual road you want.  Enlarge the map view to assist in doing this while generating your route.

The MapQuest-to-Garmin GPS method here generates one route if you enter Stops (Waypoints, POIs) along the way, unlike GMapToGPX used with Google maps that creates a separate route for each pair of Stops.  

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Well, now you should be able to create a route in MapQuest and transfer it to your Garmin GPS.

Remember, watch where you are going -- not at the little screen. 



Previous GPS Postings:

• Direction Needed, Now Found
• Direction Needed, Now Found II
• GPS Goodies

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Direction Needed, Now Found II

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In one of my previous GPS posts, I wrote about a Christmas present from my wife that is quite useful for those of us who have a propensity to get lost, but who won't ask for directions.  I fit in with most men on that last point, I'm told, but technology came to my rescue.

As I related in the first post, it is not immediately evident how to get a special route you work out into the unit so you can follow it in your travels.  Garmin has a program called Mapsource (and later, Basecamp), but my unit didn't come Mapsource, and Basecamp is difficult to learn and clunky.  I searched for an alternative. 

You can enter a route directly into the GPS device, but that method is cumbersome.  Most of us who ride our bikes for pleasure and sightseeing would rather program some circuitous route instead of the most direct, like the GPS always picks. 

You may know that I frequently use Google maps to lay out a route.  There are two examples below.  Google's website seems to be simplest to use for that, especially when you want to alter the route it automatically selects to get you from, one point to another.  I almost always want to do that because I like to devise those circuitous routes. 

I wanted to be able to transfer the Google route into a turn-by-turn guide for the road, but surprisingly, Google does not directly export a file that a GPS can read, so I had to find another way.

But first....

Disclaimer: All information given here is thought to be correct, however, it is YOUR responsibility to make certain that they work correctly, work with your GPS, work with your computer, and so on and on.  Routes generated in various ways may cause you to be routed in the wrong direction -- maybe off a cliff.  That, too, is YOUR responsibility.  Do not fiddle with your GPS while riding. Always stop in a safe place before attempting to manipulate your GPS screen. There are no warranties on anything here whatsoever, express or implied.

OK.  Here is how I get my on-line route from Google maps into the Garmin 765T that I have. 




NOTE:
The method described in this posting no longer works.  Google Maps changed their format in early 2014 and destroyed the functioning of the conversion website referenced here, called GMapToGPX.  See this posting to learn a better method that works.  




This is a good example of a simple route between Easley, SC and Rosman, NC, mostly on US-178, one of the favorite motorcycle roads nearby. 

Click here to view a larger map that you can manipulate and move around in

The route above is the one that Google found, and it is the most direct.

Now, let's modify the route to use a road further east, SC-135, for the first part of the trip.  


View Larger Map

Note that there is a little circle on the route about half way up the SC-135 portion.  That is where I dragged the route from the original that had been selected by Google maps. 

You can try doing that yourself by clicking the "View Larger Map" link beneath either map, holding down the left mouse button, and dragging some part of the route to a different road.  It is quite easy.  That is why I use Google maps most of the time.


Next, we'll break for a few definitions:

• Route - Shows how to get from one location to another.
• Track - A record of where you’ve been. 
• Waypoint, Placemark, or Point of Interest (POI) - Terms for specific locations that have been marked on your GPS.

OK.  Understood.  Let's go on to the procedure for getting the map into the GPS as a route. 


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What you will need:

• A computer with Internet capabilities
• A compatible Garmin GPS Product (one that accepts custom routes)
• A USB cable for the GPS

How to do it:

1. Bookmark the GMapToGPX site as described on its opening page. 
       Firefox: Drag the GMapToGPX link to your browser’s bookmark toolbar.
       Internet Explorer: right-click on the GMapToGPX link and “Add to Favorites”.
   (Do this only once per computer.)
2. Enter your desired Route into Google maps
3. Click on the GMapToGPX bookmark in your toolbar.  A GPX file should be displayed over the map.
   Note: If your route contains more than two pushpins -- say the beginning pushpin, an intermediate destination pushpin, and an ending pushpin -- GMapToGPX will create a route from the first pushpin to the second, from the second to the third, and so on.  If that is what you want, proceed, and treat each route as described below. 
   (If you want to make one long route, there is a procedure for removing intermediate pushpins described later.) 
4. Copy and paste the text into a Notepad or other text editor file on your hard drive and save it as a plain text file with a short filename you can recognize, but with a  “.GPX” extension instead of  ".txt". My route was to Rosman, so I named my file  rosman.gpx.
5. Go back into the file and look for some code like this at the beginning of the file, in particular something like the circled "routeO", as in the top half of this graphic:
   
   Change "routeO" to another short name -- with no spaces -- to be able to identify this route amongst the custom routes that you may already have loaded into your GPS.  For my Rosman route, I changed the line in the file to "Rosman", circled in the second half of the above graphic.
   Save the file again, overwriting the original. 
6. Plug your Garmin unit into the computer via USB.   Your computer will recognize it as a USB flash drive. 
7. Copy the file you just created -- rosman.gpx in my case -- into the X:\Garmin\gpx folder (where "X" is the drive letter your system assigned to the Garmin when you connected it to your computer). 
   (You will probably find a file called  "current.gpx" already in the same folder.  This is the file that shows where you have been since that last time you cleared your tracks.  It does no harm to delete it or move it to your computer if you don't mind not being able to see those tracks on the GPS.  A new version will be generated as soon as you begin moving with the GPS turned on.) 
8. Use your operating system's procedure to safely remove the Garmin [USB] drive. Disconnect the GPS from the computer.  
9. Restart the GPS. 
10. Go to  "Tools, My Data, Import Route from File".  A list of routes will appear.  Amongst them will be the one you created, identified by whatever you replaced "routeO" with -- again in my case "Rosman".  Select it, and press "Import".  The screen will show "Calculating route", and a percent complete, then "Data imported successfully".  Press "OK". 
11. Press "Back" a couple of times until you are at the main screen.  Press "Where To?".  Scroll down and press "Custom Routes".  Your new route will show as one of the items in the list.  Press it. 
    The screen will display the distance and travel time.  press "Go!". 
12. The GPS will ask you if you want to "Navigate to the start of the route?".  Press "Yes" if you want to do that, but be aware that it will direct you back to the starting point even if you are already beyond it along your route.  If you are already on the route, press "No" and it will start you out from wherever you are on the route.

If the route you created in Google maps contains intermediate pushpins (destinations) and you don't want the file generated by GMapToGPX to be broken into several routes, go back and edit the file to remove each of the following crossed-out example sections of code (easy to find because they begin with lines that have no indent compared with the other lines of code):  

   

Anomalies:

There may be several points in the route generated by GMapToGPX that show up as flags along the route display and are announced by "GRTP" with successive numbering as you pass them.  These are essentially meaningless and can be ignored. 

The route may also contain U-turns here and there or have minor errors at changes in direction at some intersections.  This is usually caused by slightly misplaced route adjustments and destination locations you selected in Google maps.  Being careful where you place the pushpins and how you alter the route helps minimize these.  Enlarge the map view to assist in doing this while generating your route.  .

While you are following your route, if it tells you to U-turn or routes you in a direction that you suspect is wrong, many times you can continue the way you think is right and it will allow you to skip the U-turn or minor error in direction. 

If you are generating one route where you are intentionally coming back the same way or nearly the same way you came, the GPS may become confused about which way to tell you to go if you stop or backtrack to see something along the way that you missed.  For example, if you are headed along a road that you will later be taking in the opposite direction for your return, and if you stop along the way, the GPS may think you want to go back already, skipping some of your two-way route. 

Look here: My recent weekend in North Carolina included a route I selected where the road to the furthest point is close to the road back from there, in fact, crossing at a several points. 

View Larger Map
A couple of times, when I had taken a minor detour toward the return side of the route, the GPS thought I wanted to use that return route immediately instead of continuing to the far point and returning from there.  Talk about going in circles!  

Rectify this by creating two separate routes, one to get there, and one to return.  

However, if you are already following a route that uses the same or close-by roads for both the out and the back routes, and you have the above problem, do this:

1. Get yourself back onto the route, 
2. in the direction you want to go, 
3. stop the current GPS route, 
4. reselect the route you were on, and
5. press "Go!"

Do not press "Yes" if the GPS asks if you want to "Navigate to the start of the route?". 

The GPS should now direct you along the route in the desired direction. 

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Well, now you should be able to create a route in Google maps and transfer it to your Garmin GPS.  Pretty easy, don't you think?

Enjoy your new capabilities, but watch where you are going -- not at the little screen -- when you are riding that scooter of yours: Your GPS can't watch the road for you!   

Other GPS Postings:

• Direction Needed, Now Found
• Direction Needed, Now Found II
• Direction Needed, Now Found III 
• GPS Goodies

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Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011, Part II

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Welcome back to the rest of the long holiday weekend.  I hope you are ready for some more riding and fellowship.  If you missed it, you can view Part I here. 


Sunday morning dawns, and after the devotional and breakfast, we assemble for the ride to the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery over in Black Mountain.  Veterans go first, then the rest of us.  Hundreds of bikes are ready to roll the short distance to the cemetery.  We are given a small American Flag to carry with us on the way and to leave on a grave.  People along the route are out waving and showing their patriotic colors.

Photo on Facebook by Rally to Ridgecrest

The mournful sound of a lone bagpiper is heard once the noise of the cycles stops and we walk closer.

Photo by Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper

Photo by Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper

The honor guard salutes our flag, we sing the National Anthem, then Lieutenant General William G. (Jerry) Boykin speaks of the sacrifice these who lay in graves nearby made for our freedom -- some making the ultimate sacrifice of losing their lives.  Every one of them pledged to fight our enemies, both foreign and domestic.  We many times forget how our freedom originated, with a group of wise men over two hundred years ago who penned our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  They were godly men who understood the necessity for the leadership of the new republic to also be moral and godly.  Those brilliant works -- the Constitution and Bill of Rights -- were meant to be the rule of law, unwavering and firm.  The thought that these documents would be bent to suit the whims and vicissitudes of each new generation was inconceivable, but most in leadership today have chosen to trample that vital fact.

A wreath is laid in honor of these man and women.  It carries the following message:

"To the families of the brave men and women who rest here….

"Standing on this hillside we reflect on this sea of green blades of grass and pure white stones that gives witness to the price of freedom. Freedom is NEVER free!

"Every white stone here represents the personal story of someone who thought it worthy to give their life for ours. The story of one who out of duty and honor was prepared to sacrifice themselves for the cause of freedom – for OUR freedom. Freedom is NEVER free!

"They left their dreams behind. They left their families behind. They paid the price for freedom and we are forever in their debt. We must not forget. Freedom is NEVER free!

"Such a sacrifice demands our dedication to live our lives in a way worthy of this sacrifice. This is a sacred objective, but in truth it cannot be accomplished. There is no way to earn the sacrifice of a life for yours – a sacrifice of that magnitude is a gift that cannot be repaid.

"This sacrifice is a reminder to us of the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross and the free gift of His grace that frees us from the penalty of sin. That gift also can never be repaid. All we can do is live a life that shows we understand the high price that has been paid for us. We must live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.

"Today, we gather in front of this memorial to remember the sacrifices, the courage, and the bravery of the men and women who fought and died for this country. And we remember those who serve even today around the world in harm’s way and pray for their protection as they fight for freedom. As we pray for these who have fallen, we also remember those who went to war and are still missing.

"We pray that those who rest here have found peace with their Creator, and we resolve that their sacrifice will always be remembered by a grateful nation.

"May God Bless the Untied States of America.

"The Riders
Rally to Ridgecrest
Memorial Day 2011

"John 15:13 says, 'No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends'". Holman CSB

We sing again, then make our ways over this field, paying our respect to these dead.  We each leave our flag on a grave, then move back to our bikes for the return to the conference center.

There, we assemble for worship, and hear General Boykin speak again.  This time it is that "Freedom is Never Free".  It is hard-won by our men in uniform, and is to be cherished, nurtured, and protected by our entire being, on the battlefield, on the streets, in the voting booth. 

This bike's license tag asks an appropriate question of us:

Perhaps we should ask instead, "Will we remain free?"

On Sunday after lunch, my roommates depart for home.  I had decided a few weeks ago that I would ride home on Monday after a good night's rest, so I will stay one more night.

After they leave, I set out for one more day ride.  This time I follow US-70 again to the east, then go up NC-226, and NC-226Alt (two of the roads I skipped yesterday on the way home), then to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I weave up these roads, explore a little, then decide to check out a road that I know is gravel, but that I have been unable to determine is open to traffic.  Its name is Curtis Creek Road, or Forest Route 482.  I set my GPS to the approximate place where it should intersect the Parkway and go that way.  The Parkway is, again, a good ride, though there is some additional traffic today.

At the appropriate point, I find the start of Curtis Creek Road.  It doesn't look too bad [Come on, Bucky.  Admit it: You really just like to try out gravel roads on your street bike, like these others: Green River Road, Musterground Road, and Toccoa].  The road is a bit contorted as it leads down grade from the Parkway, but the surface is not too bad except for a few sections of loose gravel.  I make steady, if slow, progress.  A fellow on a dirt bike storms past me, his knobbies better gripping the dirt and stone under him much better than my street tires. 

There is a stream -- Curtis Creek -- that parallels the road for quite a ways:

I pull off the road in a seemingly secluded area to take the picture and for a needed break.  As I am working through the necessary business, I hear voices.  Whoa!  Way out here in the middle of nowhere?  Well, now that I pay attention, there are three kids playing in the creek a little upstream from me, and a group of about five walking up the road toward me from the opposite direction.  This is like downtown New York City here.  I pull myself together, put on my gloves, and take off again -- no one being the wiser [I hope]. 

About a quarter mile down the road, I come across the reason for the crowd: a campground.  The Curtis Creek Campground, in fact, about here on the map.  Catchy name, by the way, being next to Curtis Creek.

A little further on, I happen across this scene:

This is another overshot waterwheel; similar to the one I saw a few weeks back while searching for a local tag.  This one is better preserved, and the building is well maintained.  I didn't trace the water source, Newberry Creek, but there must be a dam upstream to provide the head pressure.  I believe this is it: 

Photo by lakejames.tv

I hit pavement to the south, shortly after the waterwheel, and the remainder of the trip back to Ridgecrest is quick and easy.  I feel a bit of regret that this weekend will shortly be coming to a close.  

Anyway, here is the route for today, only about sixty-nine miles: 

View Larger Map

Sunday night finds us in worship again, though the crowd has thinned quite a bit.  Many have already left for home, including my roommates.  Before bed, I pack up my saddlebags, tail bag, and tank bag ready for my trip home.

These bags have served me well on the trips I have taken.  They hold enough clothing for about three days, but nothing much that is bulky.  Everyone else has a pair of jeans, for example, but I just don't have the room, so a pair of Nylon pants must suffice for me.  I also have some items that I usually don't carry on day trips, including an electric tire pump, spare bulbs, a clutch cable, throttle cables, jumper cables, dopp kit, motorcycle cover, and 12 and 120 volt chargers for cell phone and camera batteries. 

As Monday morning dawns, and I take my luggage out to the bike.  I check the tire pressure, oil and coolant levels and give it a general look over.  Everything seems fine.  No parts have fallen off over the course of the weekend despite my rattling over some pretty rough roads.  Nothing seems loose or out of place.  I am a bit concerned about the chain, however.  The jerkiness that its uneven stretch causes can't be good for the sprockets or for the transmission output shaft and bearings.  (The new chain arrived and was installed shortly after the weekend trip.) 

I towel off the seat of dew so I don't get a wet bottom first thing, then dress in some lightweight but long sleeve and long leg synthetic fiber underwear because it is a little cool this morning, then don my back protector, leather suit, and boots.  I have my alarm control, my identification, and my signal whistle around my neck, too.  I slip on my helmet and gloves and motor over to the main building, then eat breakfast.  I don't eat heavily this morning, but the food is again tasty.  Afterward, we go to the auditorium for prayer and final goodbyes.

The scooter guy and a couple who rode their two bikes from over near Walhalla have decided to ride with me on the way home.  I suggest a route that is a combination of freeways and a little stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway to bypass the heavy traffic of Asheville.  The three seem glad to be part of a little group and like my proposed route.  We travel west on I-40, cut off on US-70, then enter the Parkway headed south.  We travel only about eleven miles on the Parkway, but it is a pleasant trip through a tree-lined corridor.  We exit the Parkway near the North Carolina Arboretum, and follow the French Broad River for a mile or so before we turn to get onto the I-26 freeway.    We zip along with traffic there; veer off on US-25 until we turn on SC-11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway.  After a few miles, I leave the others and head south as they continue toward the west, all to our waiting homes, loved ones, and best of all, our own beds. 

My route home: 

View Larger Map

I arrive about 11:30, so the day is still young.

The weekend activities have been inspirational, the fellowship grand, the honor of veterans and service men heartfelt...and the weather has been good for riding ever since Saturday morning, affected, I believe, by quite a number of prayers.  

Nice as it is to get away, getting home is always sweet.  In fact, my sweetie is there waiting for me.  I shrug off my riding suit and other stuff, shower, and sit down to a light lunch she has waiting.  What a girl! 

Cross above Ridgecrest Conference Center

Well, we have covered about 565 miles in total, and I hope you have enjoyed tagging along with me this holiday weekend.  Thanks for traveling these roads, and do remember that freedom is never free.  Here in these United States, that freedom was granted by God, organized by devout leaders, and won by patriots who shed their blood.

So, the next time you meet a veteran or a current service man, let him know that you appreciate his putting himself in harm's way for you and me.  Pray for him, and pray for our freedom, in grave peril today from without and within. 

Links to related postings:

Freedom is Never Free! -- Rally to Ridgecrest, 2011, Part I
Rally to Ridgecrest Facebook Page
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part II, The Ride Up
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part III, Saturday
Memorial Day 2010 Weekend Rally, Part IV, Sunday and the Ride Home




Biography:

Jerry Boykin joined what would become the world's premier Special Operations unit—Delta Force—in 1978. The only promise: "a medal and a body bag." What followed was a .50 caliber round in the chest and a life spent with America's elite forces bringing down warlords and war criminals, despots and dictators.
In Colombia, his task force hunted the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. In Panama, he helped capture the brutal dictator Manuel Noriega, liberating a nation. From Vietnam to Iran to Mogadishu, Lt. General Jerry Boykin's life reads like an action-adventure movie.

Today he is an ordained minister with a passion for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encouraging Christians to become warriors for God's Kingdom.
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