Back in the day, long before the internet or cell phones, planning a trip across country or a few states over,one had to depend on the latest maps and not much else. As a child, stuffed in back of the car with my brothers on the way to Florida, I was fascinated with the colored lines my father drew that traversed the map grids as it advanced down through Tennessee and Georgia on the way to the warm beaches of Miami.
The internet has changed all that. With a few clicks you can not only route your trip but also discover what the best restaurants or lodging is in any city that you plan to drive through.

One such source is HowStuffWorks.com‘s Travel Guides. Pick your city of destination and in a few clicks you will be able to discover it’s highlights, read articles on must-see spots and plan your days so your vacation is rich with new experiences instead of tales of being lost or horror stories about bad restaurants and lodging.

“Travel destinations are the stuff of daydreams. On a boring day, it’s refreshing to picture yourself somewhere exotic. Once you have that destination in mind, the itch to travel isn’t going to leave you! Even if you know where you want to go, do you know what to do once you’re there? City guides, articles and videos in the HowStuffWorks Destinations section will give you some ideas for your ultimate vacation.”

Personally, I remain nostalgic for the colored line traveling the length of a wrinkled map.