Garmin GPS

I've talked about using technology on vacation before, so it should be no surprise that I'm about to do so again.  Things that happen to me on vacation end up reviewed quite frequently, hence today's review.  So, please keep your hands, feet, and all objects inside the review until it comes to a complete stop.  Have a magical day!

A couple years ago, I had a Droid phone, and I loved it.  One of the features that Mark really liked was the turn by turn directions.  Essentially, you could use your Droid as a GPS.  When we upgraded to iPhones, that went away  We actually almost got lost trying to do the same thing with our iPhones.*

By July, it had been a few months since we had my Droid, and we hadn't really taken any long trips.  We had, however, had to use printed out directions a few times, and it didn't really work for us.  As we were choosing our new car, we were prepared to pay for the highest package to get a built in GPS.  When Mark and I realized the GPS was the only feature we wanted from the more expensive package, we decided to just buy a GPS, since it would be a fraction of the cost.

One online review filled trip to Best Buys later, we walked out with a Garmin.**  In September, we traveled to Miami for a wedding and really put the machine through its paces.  I didn't rely on it solely until I had to drive to Florida by myself.

We were scheduled to meet my parents in Florida on Wednesday of this week.  Once I realized I had enough vacation to come down for the duration of my parents' stay, Mark and I began discussing the possibility of me driving down by myself.  I had never driven such a long trip solo.  After much discussion, Mark gave me the okay.  About a week beforehand, I started worrying that I wouldn't be able to do it.

It turns out that I had absolutely no problem making my first big solo trip.***  Part of my success came from the GPS.  Let me tell you how many ways that thing is awesome:

1. It gives you directions.
2. It gives you directions in different accents!  Our GPS is currently British.
3. The screen is large and easy to see.
4. During the day, the background is a light color.  At night, the background is a dark color.  They do an excellent job minimizing the GPS' distraction level.
5. Recalculating!
6. It displays the speed limit, as well as your current speed.  If you are going over the speed limit, the little numbers turn red.  This way, if you get carried away with your speed, the GPS sometimes helps you realize it.
7. When you approach a road change, the GPS warns you and shows you what the lanes will look like.  If there are going to be five lanes, two turning, it shows you!

Having never used another brand of GPS, I'm not sure which of these features is solely a Garmin thing.  I realize they all give directions, but beyond that, I'm not 100% sure.  What I do know is that my Garmin is amazing.  If you don't have one, you should get one.  It takes a bit of time to get used to glancing at an additional item while driving, but it's well worth it.  If you are still using maps and paper directions, think about getting a Garmin; they're great!

*On a completely unrelated note, Mark says I'm a bad navigator.

**I don't know which model it is, as it's in the car right now.  It's got a bigger screen.

***Except for that thing with the big blue truck.  If you're out there, sorry!