I got tired of the suction-cup GPS mount that came stock with my Garmin 205W. The GPS was exposed to the sun on the windshield and the temperatures where we’ve been this summer worried me that the unit might be getting too much heat. I went on-line and found a nifty little dash mount which I ordered from Amazon last week.

The mount attaches itself to the dash with an adhesive and its footprint is very small which allows us to put it almost anywhere there is a small vacant spot. I chose to attach it to the spot just above the On-Star panel (which we never use) in the SUV. This location is also convenient because it puts the GPS in closer proximity to the passenger if Verna (or myself) need to assist with navigation.

Another plus to the dash mount is that the power cord can be coiled up and isn’t flopping around in the drivers visual field of regard. I kept the suction cup mount in case we need to use the GPS in Verna’s Convertible or if we’re renting a truck or RV.

Click on the image to enlarge.

About a year ago, we rented a trailer from Cruise America and took a trip up the California coastline as far as Monterey and came back down US 101 through Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. We visited several missions and stayed at RV parks along the way.

When were camping at Paso Robles, I took a pair of images for a possible 3D picture of the rented trailer. I found those pictures in an archive and decided to combine them into a 3D image this evening. Click on the image to enlarge - you will need your pair of 3D glasses to see the stereo effect.

Of course, if you don’t have your 3D glasses, you can view the 2D image here.

When we were in Wickenburg, AZ a couple of weeks ago, we visited the old western downtown area. The storefronts and the general appearance of the town are in the 1880s western architectural style.

The bronze sculpture in front of the Desert Caballeros Western Museum is called “Thanks for the Rain” and depicts an old cowpoke kneeling in front of his horse.

I captured a pair of images which I later merged into the 3D image. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized 3D image. If you don’t have your free pair of 3D glasses, you can see the 2D version here.

Not an April Fool’s Day joke - Google® Maps, as of April 1, 2010, offers street view in red/cyan 3D anaglyph images. The feature is user selectable with an alternate action icon wearing a pair of 3D glasses. I discovered the feature while I was looking for a vacation destination. The image below (click image to view a larger version) is a street shot near the Torrance Courthouse.

If I were to assess a five-star rating to the GARMIN nüvi 205W GPS unit that we took on our vacation, I would give it a 3½ star rating. Our vacation route took us a distance of over 700 miles, starting from Carson, California (where we picked up the 24 foot travel trailer).

Our first stop was in Buellton, north of Santa Barbara. After exiting US Highway 101, the GPS gave us flawless directions to our first waypoint. Yours truly, made a wrong turn off the highway, but the GPS recalculated and we were quickly on a bee line for the RV park.

The next morning we continued northbound on 101 to San Luis Obispo where we made a left turn to head over to the coastline at Morro Bay. I had the GPS programmed to take us to the RV park at Morro Dunes. When we got there, the GPS wanted me to overshoot the campground entrance by only a couple hundred yards, but it wasn’t exactly at the entrance like the night before. We pulled into the park and backed the trailer into our assigned spot.

The weather at the beach was cold. (Where is that global warming when you need it?) After walking around the area, Verna decided she needed some sweatpants or something since all she had with her were dresses and shorts. “No problem,” I said, “we can look up shopping on the GPS.” I confidently loaded a shopping>sporting goods ‘point of interest’ into the destination queue and off we went.

We headed down a frontage road by State Route 1. The GPS kept telling us to turn left, which was impossible due to the seven-foot chain link fence between the frontage road and the highway. When we were finally able to go left, the GPS directed us into a housing tract and pronounced arriving at destination in front of a house on a cul de sac (*FROWN*).

It was at this point, Verna says that I started arguing with the female voice - a habit that continued the rest of the vacation until I finally muted the bitch voice function. During the misguided adventure, we passed a surf shop and stopped there to get the garment for Verna on our way back to the RV park.

The next morning, we went into town to get some things and to refuel. I used the map function just to know where the main drags were - they’re highlighted differently than side streets. That worked out pretty well - we got our stuff and fueled up all in the same place. Back at the campground, we hitched up the trailer and headed up SR 1 toward Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey. An Arduous haul with the rig, for sure, but the scenery is breathtaking and well worth the drive. The map in the GPS display showed the bends in the road before we got there - that was pretty cool.

Heading for the next RV park, in Aromas, California, near Hwy 101 again, the GPS got us to the wrong place - my fault - I entered the wrong address and it correctly took us there. When I entered the correct address, then it took us to the wrong place, about ¾ mile south of the real place it turns out. I called the RV park on the wireless and got verbal directions. I presume it’s an error in the map database since Google Earth also showed me the same (wrong) place.

To make a long story even longer, I could describe the rest of our drive in detail, but the GPS acted as advertised, guiding us to a supermarket, to get gas, to the next campground in Paso Robles, and the last day to our home in southwestern L.A. County.

Overall I’m pleased with the new toy. I will have to assume there are bugs in the database here and there, and plan accordingly, when we take our next drive.

Just in time for the Summer vacation! The new GARMIN nüvi GPS system. It’s a good medium entry level navigation system with enough features to be helpful, and simple enough for a neophyte to use. It worked right out of the box with a brilliant display, spoken directions and a 3D perspective map.

Actual GPS Image - click to enlarge. We’ll be using this for our trip - real soon now . . .

Elsewhere on this website, I have a countdown to retirement page that features a big animated cartoonish clock and a decrementing countdown timer.

This morning at 08:55:56 the timer hit the following milestone:

Today, my lucky number is ‘4.’