Growing up, maps could always be found, slightly torn and badly folded on the floors of most cars. I always liked looking at these maps on long car trips. I loved finding the exact spot we were going and tracing the route with my finger.

The Rand McNally road atlas, shoved under the seat, was a thing of magic. I couldn’t believe they could fit an entire country into a small bound book.

I now know that the torn map and the dog eared atlas are destined to become oddities of a bygone era. How do I know this? Because in the past week my 80 year old mother called me to say she got a “roadmap” installed in her car and my nine year old told me to get a GPS as I desperately searched for the latest birthday party located in a suburban maze.

I have also been thinking about maps or the lack of one lately because my mapless nephew is coming to visit. He is driving from Detroit, Michigan. The first time he came to my house without a parent in tow, my home was just a landing place for a cross country odyssey. The next time it was a launching point for a bachelor’s night out on the town. For both trips, including the drive across the U.S., he didn’t use a map. He was happy to wander about with a vague sense of his ultimate destination. This was beyond my understanding, but I liked his spirit of adventure. Now, like me, he doesn’t get lost. Electronic maps are on his phone, in his car and he is focused on getting to my house in the shortest time possible. I admire that old desire of his to discover by happenstance. I also admire his newfound focus. I do hope though he takes a sidetrip and I know just what site he should use: Wayfaring.

I am fond of the imaginative people who create maps on wayfaring. This site features creative maps with directions to North Dakota Coffee Houses, Clubbin in SF and a Painting Tour of the North End of New Bedford, MA. I didn’t even know New Bedford had 22 galleries. I want to go to Ma’s Donuts first-donuts and art, beats that old standby crackers and cheese anytime. Google and Yahoo may give great directions, but Wayfaring captures the spirit of traveling, just like my old atlas did on long car trips. Sometimes, I wish I could bind a few Wayfaring maps up in a book and just pick a page or two to follow.

Despite the prevalence of electronic maps, there is still a need for a map in my car. It is just of San Francisco, my adopted home town. It is laminated and with a quick glance I can be on my way. Another nephew is on a trip around the world. I wonder if he even thought to bring a map for the countries he is planning on traveling through? I doubt it. Why when the world is now on your phone?