We don't need GPS

In past years, we shipped the convertible to Florida. This year, partly because of weather (the car was snowed-in in Otis) and partly because Richard and Barry found us great deals on car rentals, we decided to rent. Barry’s suggestion of a convertible, was outvoted by Christina exercising her 51% vote. Instead, we rented a little Mustang. In the end we both agreed that this was quite a comedown from having our own car to drive.

Barry also suggested we get the Hertz version of GPS – at $12 per day. We were outraged! $12 per day-- we’re not idiots! We can read a map! After all, this was the Florida coast--one side is water. How far wrong could we go?

Well, it didn’t take long to get lost for the first time. The five mile trip from the airport to the Breakers - WITH a map and written directions. We only had one turn to make and we missed it – twice! The signs were misleading, but still it’s a big ocean. Then, Saturday, we went to an Art Show at Delray Beach (awful). All we needed to do was follow the Ocean (A1A) to Atlantic Avenue and make a right! We were doing fine, cruising along with map in hand. “That’s right”, said Chris, “here’s Lake Worth Drive, we’re right on track, Atlantic is just a little further”. See how well we’re doing; we don’t need GPS, the map is just fine!

BIG MISTAKE!

As we were watching for the Atlantic Avenue turnoff to Delray Beach, we saw an exit we didn’t recognize - Jog Road. So we pulled over to check the map. We had somehow made a complete circle and were heading BACK TO THE BREAKERS! We’d crossed a bridge to the mainland and gone three quarters of the way back to the Hotel WITHOUT REALIZING IT!

At this point Barry’s suggestion of buying a portable GPS unit seemed like sound advice—unfortunately, too late!