Reader Feeder: Now You Can Blog Too
In case any of you missed it, we started a new feature on CarSpace
last week that lets any member have a free blog
of their very own. When Sylvia first told me about this I thought it was great. Then I went and looked at the features and some of the blogs people have already started, and I got a little nervous. Between the cool page designs, embedded video links and excellent commentary I suddenly realized that all she did was create a bunch of new competition for Karl on Cars!..
How am I supposed to be excited about that?
I guess my spirit of "Maximum Voice through the Internet" has to ultimately win out, and I like the idea of providing anyone with creative skills and an interesting story to tell a place to tell it. You guys should browse through the blogs that have already sprung up over there and let me know if you find any that really impress you. Why? So I can steal their ideas, of course! Leave your comments below or email me the links you like at karloncars@edmunds.com.
- Posted by
- Karl Brauer July 20, 2007, 6:00 AM
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Excellent addition to the Edmunds site! Dunno if I'll start one or not, but more blogs means more connection to people. Can't go wrong there.
My favorite (after browsing for only a few minutes) is this one:
http://www.carspace.com/blogs/AlternateRoute/
I like doing this sometimes too. Bbechtel and I took a roadtrip out to southwest PA to see some wind turbines a couple months back. Instead of taking the PA Turnpike, which would've been the quickest way, we took no less than 15 different roads to get there. About 75% of the time we were on two-lane blacktop winding through hills and farm land. No need for navigation. An occasional glance at the map set us up for the next stretch. What should've been a 6 or 7 hour trip ended up being 10 hours... but who cars? Driving is fun!
I know everytime I go back east I'm amazed (and yes, a little scared) by the random, winding roads that snake through the states. When you're with someone who knows where they are going, of if you have a good map, then there are no worries. But I have this underlying fear on getting lost on those roads and never finding my way back.
But, as you stated, with navigation systems (factory or aftermarket) that nukes the "lost" issue. I'd love to spend several days just wandering around the mountains of PA (my favorite Aunt lives in Tionesta, which is an obscure little town near Oil City and Franklin -- as if those slightly larger PA towns aren't also obscure...).
Haha, I've actually been to Oil City. I believe Penzoil was actually founded there. I saw the small stream that the oil was discovered in. I forget the guy who discovered it though... Drake rings a bell. Oil City is also the district seat for PennDOT district 1-0. And yes, I'm a nerd :-)
Lots of roads in south central PA that are nice and winding. I think the best are up north though. Northern PA is where you want to go for good ol' windiness. Lots of mountainous terrain and twisty roads along scenic look outs and creeks/streams/rivers. Plus the population up there is so sparse that it's not very dangerous. Let me know if you're in the area ;-)
Oh geez, more flic breathed anti-nav talk. Guess who is also guilty of calculator dependency. When I finally got my first cell phone (which I'm still using) I think my favorite thing about it was always having a calculator, which I use to calculate fuel mileage every time I fill up.
That being said, flic is a top notch navigator. I can certainly see why he doesn't think much of navigation systems. I however, am average, and drive all these random places for work and such, and nav would have saved me so much time and aggravation when I *thought* I knew where I was going (nearly always during rush hour).
I have been to Tionesta. Have you guys ever seen the virgin Hemlocks up there? Nothing like those California Redwoods, but still pretty amazing. They are located in obscure regions of the national forest up there. See, we can get even more obscure than Tionesta.
Some of those NorCenPA roads are pretty scary though. Notably the ones where two cars don't fit w/o some soft shoulder action. Not a confidence inspiring maneuver at twice the limit.