Note: New Jersey law requires the wearing of a PFD from November 1 through May 1.

Navigation

Do you have a cell phone? You'll probably want to bring it along, and it probably has GPS. This can be very handy out in the wilds of New Jersey. Even if your phone doesn't have GPS, it can triangulate off nearby cell towers and give you a general location.

The cheapest way to use your GPS is to install Google Earth on your phone. That will give you a bird's-eye view of where you are, and a compass. Pretty basic, but it's free. If you want more, you can get a mapping app. I use OsmAnd on Android. The advantage of this is that it can record your trip. Later, you can see how far you went, etc. If you're like me, you'll forget to turn it off and record your drive home too.

Like most phone apps, OsmAnd's user interface is like some sort of puzzle game. The trip recording function is actually a plugin. Figure it all out before you go out, and you won't end up wanting to throw your phone in the water. I've actually used OsmAnd for years, but the developer keeps making unnecessary changes, so every few months you get to re-learn it.


All maps are now snapshots of one master map. You can now navigate the website by zooming, dragging, and clicking on the maps.

Then I went nuts, and added a ton of markers for things that look promising on Google Earth. Now it's a bigger mess than it ever was.

I also figured out how to draw the county borders on the maps.

The Google Maps API leaves much to be desired. In fact, the whole thing reeks of typical Google arrogance and stupidity. After messing around with it a while, finding out what doesn't work and what you can do, I eventually cobbled together a decent interface. Google needs to fire a lot of PhDs and hire some people with brains.