Copyright: © 2003 Rand McNally & Company


Welcome
	Welcome to Trip Tutor To begin, click on a button to display  a list of topics. Send maps  to your Palm™ handheld


Welcome
	Using the Guides   Using Trip Guide, Profile Guide and Explorer Guide   Using RoadSense   Using Getaways


Welcome
	Working with the map   Moving around the map   Finding places   Zooming in and out   Using Map labels   Showing and hiding map detail   Viewing detailed city maps   Displaying travel information


Welcome
	Planning a basic trip   Planning overview   Using Plan Trip   Using Modify Trip   Using Trip Markers   Calculating the trip route   Working with the itinerary   Adding flight information    Exporting City Centers maps to the Palm™ handheld


Welcome
	Fine tuning your trip   Modifying trip information   Adjusting trip settings   Checking the route for problems   Changing end-of-day locations   Adding exit information    Adding attractions and accommodations   Comparing routes   Creating a travel notebook


Using Trip Guide, Explorer Guide, and Profile Guide

The Trailer Life RV Campground Finder Guides help you plan a trip and explore travel destinations. Each Guide takes you through part of the trip planning process one step at a time. To choose a Guide, select Guides on the Help menu.

The buttons below appear on the Guides screen. Click on a button to find out about each of the Guides.


Trip Guide

To plan a basic trip, select Guides|Trip Guide on the Help menu. Trip Guide will lead you through entering an origin and destination, adding stopovers, selecting the scenic, quickest or shortest route, specifying the starting and ending dates of your trip, and plotting the route on the map.


Profile Guide

To set up a personal travel profile, select Guides|Profile Guide on the Help menu. A Personal Profile contains information about your driving and route preferences, attractions you'd like to see displayed on the map, and your hometown or other location frequently used as your trip origin. When you apply a Personal Profile to your trip, The application uses these settings to calculate your travel time, end-of-day stops, and so on. You may want to create several profiles—one for vacations and one for business trips, for example.


Explorer Guide

To use the Explorer Guide, select Guides|Explorer Guide on the Help menu. With Explorer Guide you can:

•	Find out about attractions in a specific region or near a particular city

•	Start the Getaways feature and select from over 100 Getaway tours

•	Explore over 80 scenic tours all around the U.S.


Using RoadSense

After you create a route, RoadSense can analyze your trip segment-by-segment, alerting you or routing you around a variety of factors that affect your comfort, safety, and schedule.

RoadSense can analyze the following factors:

• Congested metropolitan areas	• Mountain passes
• Steep grades	• Long, isolated segments
• Toll roads	• Construction delays (requires an Internet connection)
• Tunnels and bridges	• Closed roads (requires an Internet connection)
• Ferries
Click on a topic below to learn more about analyzing your trip with RoadSense.

  Turning RoadSense On and Off

  Setting RoadSense Preferences

  Reading RoadSense Results


Turning RoadSense On and Off

RoadSense will start automatically the first time you calculate a route. If you do not want RoadSense to run automatically each time you calculate, simply remove the check from the option box on the first RoadSense screen.

You can run RoadSense on a route at any time simply by clicking the RoadSense button on the Itinerary.


Setting RoadSense Preferences

RoadSense can route you around construction, road closures and other problems. It can also warn you about possible road hazards and delays.

Click on the buttons below to view the RoadSense options you can choose.

Construction and closed roads On the second RoadSense screen, tell RoadSense if you want to use Internet information to check for construction and road closures on your route.
Routing preferences On the third RoadSense screen, you can select a number of road conditions you want to check for.
You can choose whether RoadSense will try to route around any road conditions it finds or simply display them on the map.


Routing Preferences

Place a check mark next to any of the road conditions you want the application to check for.


Construction and Closed Roads

To get up-to-date construction and road closure information for your RoadSense analysis, you must download the data from the Internet.


Reading RoadSense Results

There are three ways to review your RoadSense results: on the map, in the Itinerary, or in the RoadSense report.

Click on the buttons below to view examples of RoadSense results.

On the map  Any problems that RoadSense finds are marked along your route. Roll your cursor over a marked area to read about the problem. If RoadSense changes your route, the old route is shown in blue.
In the Itinerary Problems that RoadSense finds along your route are marked in the Itinerary.
In the RoadSense report RoadSense provide a report with details on all of the problems it finds. Press the RoadSense button on the Itinerary at any time to review this report.


On the map

Pass your cursor over the orange segments to find out about the problems RoadSense has found. If RoadSense reroutes you, the original route is shown in blue.


In the itinerary

Your itinerary includes advisories about road problems RoadSense has found.


In the RoadSense report

The RoadSense report lists all the road problems along your route and describes any action RoadSense has taken. You can review the report at any time by clicking the RoadSense button on the itinerary.


Using Getaways

The Getaways feature lets you choose from over 100 pre-planned tours that last from a day to a weekend. There are two ways to start Getaways:

•	Click the Guides button and select Explorer Guide on the Guides screen. This will allow you to explore scenic tours as well as Getaways.

•	Select Getaways on the Trip menu.

Click on a topic below to learn more about using Getaways.

Selecting a Getaway   Reviewing a Getaway   Saving Getaway Information


Selecting a Getaway

After reading the Getaways Welcome screen, you go to the second Getaways screen, where you select a Getaway to review.

	First, select the types of Getaways you want to view. You can select Weekend Getaways, Day Trips, or both. If you want to find Getaways in a specific area, you can select a location from the Near drop-down list.
	In the Getaways list, select the Getaway you want to review. Then proceed to the next screen to read about the Getaway.


Reviewing a Getaway
	On the third Getaways screen the title of the selected Getaway appears, followed by each of the stops in the tour. Click on the title of the Getaway to read an overview of the tour. Click on a stop to read a specific description. When you click on a stop, its location is also indicated on a small map.


Saving Getaway Information

There are three ways to save and use Getaways information. Once you have selected a Getaway, you have these options:

	You can print the complete Getaway narrative.
	You can place labels for all of the tour stops on the map. Then click on the map labels and use the drop-down menu to determine if a stop should be an origin, destination, or stopover. This is a good way to include Getaway stops in an existing trip.
	You can make the Getaway into a complete trip. Once the application has calculated the trip, go to the Modify Trip dialog box to make any changes.


Moving around the map

While you’re planning your trip, you may need to reposition the map. You can reposition the map using the scroll bars or the Navigation Tool. Using the Scroll Bars To reposition the map using the scroll bars, click one of the arrows to move the map a little, or click on the bars to move the map a lot.
Using the Navigation Tool The Navigation Tool allows you to move in any direction, including diagonally. The center of the Navigation Tool lets you zoom in and out. • To display the Navigation Tool, from the View menu, choose Navigation Tool. • Click a segment of the Navigation Tool to move in that direction. Tip: You can also use the arrow keys to scroll the map.


Finding a location or region
Finding places in Trailer Life RV Campground Finder

Trailer Life RV Campground Finder is not just for trip planning; it can also be used to help you locate specific locations, accommodations, or attractions quickly. Click the Find a Campground button on the main screen, then use one of the three tabs to find the location you want.

Click on a topic below to learn more about finding places.

  Finding a named location

  Finding an address

  Finding accommodation and attraction listings


Finding a named location
The Name tab of the Find dialog box can help you quickly locate a place on the map.  1. Enter the name of the place you want to find. 2. Trailer Life RV Campground Finder searches for exact matches and displays them. If it cannot find an exact match, the closest matches are displayed. 4. Select a location from the list and click the Show on Map button to see the location on the map.


Finding an address
The Address tab of the Find dialog box lets you search for addresses in any of the application's detailed city maps. 1. Enter the exact street address you want to find in the address fields. 2. Click the Find Now button. The application searches for exact matches and displays them. If it cannot find an exact match, the closest matches are displayed. 3. Select an address from the list and click the Show on Map button to see the location on the map.


Finding accommodation and attraction listings
The Category/Area tab of the Find dialog box lets you search for hotels, restaurants and attractions near a location you specify. Follow these steps to find the locations you want:    Specify the search area     Select and specify categories     Use the search results


Specify the search area

Choose one of the radio buttons to specify the location you want to search near.

•	Use the button on the left to choose from a list of locations you previously found.

•	Use the button on the right to choose a new location.

In the Search within field, specify the number of miles you want to search around the specified location.


Select and specify categories

	Place a check next to each category you want to search. Place a check mark in the Display more specific selections box if you want to make further selections for categories displayed in blue. For example, you can specify a price range and types of cuisines for restaurants.


Use the search results

	Select a location in the Results list. Check KidStops to show only locations that are interesting to children or offer children's rates. Check Rainy Day Attractions if you want the list to show only indoor attractions, Once you select a location you can: • Press More Info to read about the location • Press Add as Stopover to add the location to your trip. • Press Show on Map to display the location on the map.


Zooming in and out

You can show more map detail by zooming in on a portion of the map. There are different methods for zooming depending on what you wish to see. One way to change the zoom level is to use the Zoom tool at the bottom of the main Trailer Life RV Campground Finder screen. To zoom in, click the plus (+) button; to zoom out, click the minus (-) button. Or, move the slide to the right or left. Click on a topic below to learn more about other zoom methods.
  Double-clicking

Zooms in and centers on a location.

  Zoom Route

Zooms in on the route you’ve built.

  Area Zoom

Zooms in on an area you define by dragging your mouse.


Double-clicking

You can quickly zoom in on an area by double-clicking on the map.

Try it! Double click on Butte to zoom in on it.


Double-clicking

You can quickly zoom in on an area by double-clicking on the map.

Try it! Double click on Butte to zoom in on it.


Double-clicking

You can quickly zoom in on an area by double-clicking on the map.


Zoom Route
Zoom Route will zoom you to a view of your entire route.  Click on the Zoom Route menu item to see how zooming works.


Zoom Route
Zoom Route will zoom you to a view of your entire route.  Click on the Zoom Route menu item to see how zooming works.


Area Zoom

To use area zoom:

1.	Click and hold the left mouse button, then drag your mouse pointer diagonally over the area you want to see.

2.	Release the mouse button; the application zooms in on the area you defined.


Locations

Type a location. A location can be a city, town, or attraction. The application lists the matches it finds. Click one to select it.


Locations

The closest matching locations are shown here. Exact matches are highlighted. Click on an item in the list to select it.


Zoom in to this location

When this box is checked, a zoomed view of the location is displayed when you click the Show button.


Open new window

When this box is checked, the application shows the specified location in a new window when you click the Show button.


Origin

The Origin button is available only when a route has been built. Click this button to zoom in on the origin point of the route.


Destination

The Destination button is available only when a route has been built. Click this button to zoom in on the destination point of the route.


Cancel

Click the Cancel button to close the Zoom Location dialog box without changing the display.


Help

Click the Help button for a description of  the Find Location dialog box.


Show

Click the Show button to see the location you typed.


Map symbols and labels
Using Map labels

Roads, towns, and attractions are identified on the map with a set of symbols and labels.

Symbols are used to mark the location of a town or attraction on the map. When you click on a symbol, the label is displayed.

Labels show you the names of roads, towns and attractions. When you click on a label, the application displays a menu of choices that pertain to that label.	Click on a topic below to learn more about roads, towns, and attractions.   Roads   Towns   Attractions


Roads
The road label menu lets you select road segments you want the application to avoid and segments you prefer the application to use while planning your route. This feature is helpful if you know of road construction or other events that make a segment less desirable for travel. To select a road segment you want to avoid or you prefer: 1. Display the road label menu by clicking on the road segment. 2. Select either Avoid Segment or Prefer Segment to display the corresponding dialog box. 3. In the dialog box, select the beginning and ending points of the segment. Note that the designations "From" and "To" are arbitrary; they do not need to match the direction in which you are traveling. 4. Click OK.


Towns
The town label menu lets you set the town as the origin, destination, or stopover for your trip. This is one method for planning trips. In addition, you can zoom in on the town and look at nearby attractions. Some town label menus may have one additional choice. If the application has detailed information about the location, the Location Info menu choice is shown. When you select Location Info, the application displays a description of the location.


Attractions
Like the town label menu, the attraction label menu lets you set the attraction as the origin, destination, or stopover for your trip, zoom in on the attraction, and look at other attractions that may be nearby. The Location Info menu choice on the attraction label menu displays a description of the attraction.


Showing and hiding map detail

Trailer Life RV Campground Finder can display all kinds of map details from coastlines to colleges. To help you find what you're looking for, you can customize the map to show the details that interest you.

Attractions
To select which types of attractions you want displayed on the map, click the Map Options button. Select the attraction categories you want to appear by clicking the check box next to the item.

Map Elements
Map elements are details you're used to seeing on paper maps, such as roads, mountain ranges, state boundaries, etc. To select which types of map elements you want to see, click the View menu and select Map Elements.

Scale, Legend, and Navigation Tool
Buttons for displaying the Scale, Legend, and Navigation Tool are on the Map Tools toolbar, which can be displayed by clicking the hammer button at the bottom of the screen.


Viewing detailed city maps

Note: Make sure that the application CD is in the drive before displaying a detailed city map.	Trailer Life RV Campground Finder includes detailed, street-level maps for most major metropolitan areas. Cities for which maps are available have a border around them as shown in the illustration at left.  To view the detailed city map for an area, zoom in on the city until the street-level data appears.


Displaying travel information

Trailer Life RV Campground Finder contains a wealth of travel information to help you fill in the important details of your trip. For example, you can find border crossing regulations, airline phone numbers, and car rental information. There's even a travel checklist to assist you in planning for your trip.

To access travel information, click the Tools menu and select State Information or Travel Information.


Planning overview

Once you understand the basics of working with the map, you're ready to start using the trip planning tools. Because each person has different needs and computer skills, the application provides four methods for planning trips: Trip Guide, Plan Trip, Modify Trip, and Trip Markers. Trip Guide was covered in the Using the Guides part of this tutorial. This part of the tutorial shows you how to enter key trip information using each of the remaining methods so you can choose the method that best meets your needs. Click on a topic below to learn more about other trip planning methods.   Using Plan Trip   Using Modify Trip   Using Trip Markers


Using Plan Trip

Plan Trip is a tool for quickly creating a basic trip. With Plan Trip, you can enter all of the key trip information on one main screen. To start Plan Trip, click the Plan Trip button on the main screen. This illustration shows the layout of the Plan Trip dialog box. As you can see, the Plan Trip dialog box has four main areas. To illustrate how to use Plan Trip, we'll plan a round trip from Chicago, Illinois to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Click on an area of the dialog box to see how to complete it for this trip.


Step 1:  Entering the Origin and Destination

The origin for our trip is Chicago, Illinois. In the Origin area of the dialog box, we have typed CHICAGO, IL. The application lists the matches it finds and highlights Chicago. Click the Confirm button to select it. Repeat for our destination, Yellowstone National Park.

If the application cannot find an exact match, it displays the closest matches. You can then select the location you want from the list.


Step 2:  Selecting the Trip Type and entering the Duration

The next step is to choose our trip type: one way or round trip. We have selected round trip.

Later, we can use the Modify Trip dialog box to enter a length of stay for our destination if we have planned a round trip.


Step 3:  Entering stopovers

The third step in planning this trip is to enter stops we want to make on the way there and on the way back. For our example, let's say we want to see Mount Rushmore on the way there.

In the Stops on the Way There area, we have typed MOUNT RUSHMORE, selected it from the list below, and clicked the Confirm button to place it in the list.

Follow the same steps to enter Stops on the Way Back. You can enter a length of stay for any stopover in the Modify Trip dialog box.


Step 4:  Finishing the trip
At this point, we can calculate our basic trip by clicking the Calculate Route button. The trip will then appear on the map, with an itinerary.
Instead of calculating, we can also click the Modify Trip button to go to the Modify Trip dialog box. In Modify Trip we can add refinements to our trip, such as adjusting the timing and driving speeds for the trip, adding, deleting, and reordering stopovers, scheduling breaks at exits with selected services, and more. Once we have finished these adjustments, we can calculate the trip in the Modify Trip dialog box.


Using Modify Trip

The Modify Trip dialog box lets you change the trip information you provided about your trip. If you are planning a new trip, you can also enter the trip information directly into the Modify Trip dialog box. To see the Modify Trip dialog box, click the Modify Trip button on the main screen. The Modify Trip dialog box has seven main buttons. To illustrate how to use each setting, we'll plan a one-way trip from San Francisco, California to Seattle, Washington. Click on a button to see how to complete the setting for this trip.


Entering the Origin and Destination

The origin for our trip is San Francisco, California and our destination is Seattle, Washington. We have entered this information in the boxes. The application lists the matches it finds and highlights our origin and destination. If the application cannot find an exact match, it displays the closest matches. You can then select the origin and destination you want from the list.


Entering stopovers

The next step is to enter stopovers. For our example, let's say we want to stop over in Medford, Oregon. In the Stopovers area, we have typed MEDFORD, OR and selected it from the list below. Now we can specify a duration for our stopover by clicking the Length of Stay button.


Choosing route types

Next, we'll enter our routing preferences. The application can build a trip using the quickest, shortest, or most scenic routes. We can enter different choices for the two parts of our trip. To change a route type, click on the route you want to change, then click Quickest, Shortest, or Scenic. We have chosen the quickest route to Medford and the scenic route to Seattle.


Setting trip dates

Next, we'll set the dates of our trip. The application can then build a trip itinerary showing each day's travel activity. For our example trip, we've set the start date at June 5 and the end date at June 13.


Setting driving speeds

Now, let's enter the driving speeds we want the application to use when calculating our trip. For this trip, we'll use the default driving speeds for Interstates, U.S. Highways, and State Roads of 65, 45, and 35 miles per hour, respectively.


Planning costs

To complete the trip plan, we'll enter our cost information so the application can estimate our total costs. As shown here, we've entered costs for lodging, food, fuel, and so on. This information appears on the Costs page of the Itinerary.


Pit stops

To complete the trip plan, we'll set up regular driving breaks. Here we have told the application to give us a 20 minute break every 2 hours during our trip. For every break, the application will show an exit on the Directions page of the Itinerary. We can also specify the types of services we would like available at the exits. For more information about exit information, see Adding exit information.

Now all that's left to do is to calculate the trip route by clicking the Calculate Route button.


Using Trip Markers

Trip Markers let you work directly with the map to plan trips. There are three markers: Origin (green), Destination (pink), and Stopover (blue). To display the markers, click the Trip Markers button, located at the bottom of the main Trailer Life RV Campground Finder screen. To plan a trip, place the cursor over a marker, then click and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the marker to a location on the map and release the mouse button. Once the markers are in place, the program will automatically calculate the trip route.	Tips: To make placing markers easier, zoom in on the area where the marker is to be placed. If your trip includes stopovers, you can avoid having the application calculate your trip before you mark your stopovers by placing the origin marker first, then the stopover marker(s), then the destination marker. Note: You cannot place trip markers on a detailed city (street) map. To set an origin, destination, or stopover on a detailed city map, click on the location to display the label. Click on the label to display the label menu, then select origin, destination, or stopover.


Calculating the trip route

Once you have entered all of the necessary information, you are ready to calculate the route. To calculate the route, simply click on the Calculate Route button at the bottom of the dialog box. Or, click the Trip menu and select Calculate.

When the application finishes calculating the route, it displays the trip itinerary and highlights the route on the map.

 Click here to learn more about the trip itinerary.


Working with the itinerary

The trip itinerary provides a wealth of information about your trip and allows you to easily modify your trip. At the top of the itinerary is a summary of your trip statistics as shown in the example below. Beneath the summary are three buttons: Directions, Reservations, and Costs. When you click one of these buttons, the corresponding information is displayed.

Click a button below to learn more about that part of the itinerary.


Note to help author:  the secondary topics that go with Working with the itinerary are in the file ITIN.DOC. I couldn't get the file to compile correctly with the topics here. The Directions topic kept getting a non-scrolling region.


Adding flight information

Trailer Life RV Campground Finder can make planning any trip easier—even when your trip includes a flight. Just click the Routing Preferences button on the Detailed Trip Settings dialog box, select a trip segment, then select Flight as your route type.

If you've made flight reservations through your travel agent or airline, you can enter the reservation details on the itinerary by clicking the Reservations button. On the Reservations tab, select Add a Flight Reservation, then click the Add button to open the Flight Details dialog box.


Using StreetFinder for the Palm ORganizer
Using City Centers Maps for the Palm™ Handheld

Trailer Life RV Campground Finder comes with the StreetFinder® City Centers application, which allows you to download maps of the center of 35 major cities and view them on your Palm Computing organizer.  The application consists of a desktop interface, which allows you to select the cities that you want to download to your Palm organizer, and the application and map files that you install on your Palm organizer.
To install the City Centers application on your Palm organizer: 1. On the Palm OS® Maps menu, select Launch City Centers Maps. 2. When the City Centers desktop interface launches, the City Centers application is automatically placed in your HotSync® queue and will be installed on your Palm organizer the next time you perform a HotSync operation. 3. See the Help menu within the City Centers desktop interface for instructions on downloading maps to your Palm organizer and using the City Centers application on the Palm organizer.


Modifying trip information

Once you have a basic trip planned, you may want to modify some of the information about your trip. With Trailer Life RV Campground Finder, you can easily fine tune your trip as your needs change. For example, you may want to add stops or attractions, reschedule the trip dates, or change end-of-day accommodations.

Click on a topic below to learn about modifying trip information.

  Adjusting trip settings

  Checking the route for problems

  Changing end-of-day locations

  Adding exit information

  Adding attractions and accommodations


Adjusting trip settings

 Any trip information you enter using the Plan Trip dialog box or Trip Markers is stored in the Modify Trip dialog box. You can change the information shown in the list below using the buttons on the Modify Trip dialog box. (To access the Modify Trip dialog box, click the Modify Trip button on the main screen.)


Checking the route for problems

You can use the RoadSense feature to check your route for possible delays, detours, and hazards, and route around them if you wish. RoadSense checks your route for the factors you choose then shows any problems it has found on your map and in your itinerary. For more detailed information about RoadSense, see the RoadSense topic in the Guides section of this tutorial.


Changing end-of-day locations

These small purple flags show where your trip ends each day. Trailer Life RV Campground Finder places these flags along the route automatically.

You can use the End of Day Stopovers dialog box to specify where you would like to stop. To open this dialog box, go to the Origin/Destination screen in Modify Trip and click the End of Day Choices button. Tip: To increase the list of end-of-day choices, increase the search area.


Adding exit information

You can set regular driving breaks and specify the types of services you would like available when you stop. Trailer Life RV Campground Finder will show you exits that fit the criteria you specify and incorporate the ones you select into your itinerary. To set up exits and breaks, click the Trip menu, select Modify Trip, and then select Pitstops.

Setting Driving Breaks
The top portion of the dialog box lets you set driving breaks. In this example, the application will plan a 20-minute break every two hours during the trip.

Specifying Exit Services

In the lower portion of the dialog box, you can tell the application to drive a number of extra minutes if necessary to find an exit with the services you specify. To choose the services you want, click the Select Exit Services button. In the Exit Services dialog box, check off the types of services you would like the application to find when selecting exits for your breaks.


Adding attractions and accommodations

Discovering Our Heritage Downhill Skiing National Parks Camping Playing Tennis and Golf A Day in the Outdoors High Adventure Urban Attractions Trying Your Luck Fun for Kids Airports Military Bases Colleges and Universities Hotels Restaurants Vacation Cities	Attractions are places of interest and travel activities that you can explore or add to your trip. The application provides you with detailed information about each attraction, including phone numbers, open dates, and descriptions. Many of the attractions also include photos to help you visualize the area better. Click on a topic below to learn more about adding attractions.   Explorer Guide   The Find dialog   Map Labels   Itinerary


Explorer Guide
	The Explorer Guide lets you explore attractions, scenic tours and getaways. To use the Explorer Guide, select the Help menu, then select Guides|Explorer Guide.

When you select attractions in the Explorer Guide, you will identify a city or region you want to explore, the types of attractions that most interest you, and when you will be traveling. Next, the Explorer Guide will show you a list of attractions near the location you specified. You can find out more about each attraction listed by clicking on the More Info button, or click the Add button to add the attraction to your trip.


The Find dialog box
	You can locate a hotel, restaurant or attractions using the Category/Area tab of the Find dialog box. Use the Location Info button to read about a location. When you find a location you want to add to your trip, click the Add as Stopover button.


Map Labels
	You can use map labels to add an attraction to a trip as a stopover or to search for nearby attractions. Click the label to display the label menu. To add the location as a stopover, select Add As Stopover.  To find nearby attractions, select Nearby to display the Category/Area tab of the Find dialog box.


Itinerary

The Along the Way button at the bottom of the Directions page of the itinerary lets you explore and add hotels and attractions to your itinerary. Highlight a road segment, then click the Along the Way button to see a list of hotels and attractions near that road segment.


Comparing routes

Can't decide whether to take the quickest, shortest, or scenic route? Let Trailer Life RV Campground Finder show you two routes side by side. Start by creating your first route. Next, click the Trip menu and select Compare Routes. The Compare Trip dialog box shows you the original route type and lets you select a new route type for the comparison. When you click OK, the application calculates the second route and displays each route in a separate window.

You can see the difference in the example below. This trip is from Chicago, Illinois to Minneapolis, Minnesota. When the Quickest route type is selected, the application routes you on the most direct road, which goes through Madison, Wisconsin. When the Scenic route type is selected, Trailer Life RV Campground Finder routes you along the Mississippi River.


Creating a travel notebook

The Notebook lets you save links to maps and articles so you can recall the information with a few clicks of the mouse. You can organize your information by creating a separate Notebook for each trip. To display an item in your notebook, click the item, then click the Show button. Click on a topic below to learn more about using the Notebook.   Creating a new notebook   Adding a map to the notebook   Adding an article to the notebook


Creating a new notebook

1.	Click the Notebook button at the bottom of the main screen and select Show notebook. The default notebook is displayed.

2.	On the notebook screen, Click the New button, enter a name for the notebook, and click the Save button. The default notebook is replaced by your new notebook.


Adding a map to the notebook

1.	Display the map you want to add to your notebook.

2.	Click the Notebook button and select Add to notebook.

3.	In the Add Map dialog box, type a name for this map. Click OK. The map name is displayed in your notebook.


Adding an article to the notebook

1.	Display the article you want to save to your notebook.

2.	Click the Notebook button at the bottom of the article and select Add to notebook.

3.	The Add Article dialog box is displayed with a default name for this article. You may keep this name or type a new name. When you're finished, click OK. The article name is displayed in your notebook.


Directions

The Directions page provides written driving instructions you can follow on your trip. When you click a line on the Directions page, the corresponding road is highlighted on the map. When you double-click a line, the map zooms in on the segment.

To learn more about the Directions page, click a number on the screen below.


Road

Shows which road to take.


Direction

Indicates which direction to travel on this road.


Miles

Indicates the number of miles you will travel on this road.


Time

Shows you what time you can expect to begin traveling on this road.


Distance

Shows the cumulative distance traveled as of this point in the trip.


Atlas Page

Indicates the Rand McNally atlas page on which you can find this road. You can specify which Atlas edition you are using by clicking the Tools menu and selecting Program Options.


End of Day

Helps you find places to stay near the stopping points in your itinerary.


Along the Way

Lets you explore and add hotels and attractions to your itinerary. Highlight a road segment, then click the Along the Way button to see a list of hotels and attractions near that road segment.


RV

Opens the RV Planner dialog box, where you can search for campgrounds, exits with RV services, attractions along your route, and more.


RoadSense

Opens a dialog box from which you can run the RoadSense feature, review the RoadSense report, or delete the current RoadSense information.


Reservations

The Reservations page lets you add flight, car, and hotel reservations to your trip. If you already have your reservations, you can enter the information here to include it with your itinerary. Or, you can make your reservations using the online reservation services.

To learn more about the Reservations page, click a number on the screen below.


Add a Reservation

Click one of these lines to add a flight, car, or hotel reservation to the Reservations page.


Date

The reservation date is shown here.


Reservation details

Details about the reservation are shown here.


Edit

Lets you change the reservation details. Highlight the reservation you want to change, then click the Edit button.


Add

Lets you add reservation details. Highlight one of the three "Add a reservation" lines at the top of the page, then click the Add button.


Delete

Lets you delete a reservation. Highlight the reservation you want to delete, then click the Delete button.


Costs

The Costs page summarizes your travel budget and expenses to date. (To enter a trip budget, click the Trip menu, select Settings, then select Costs.)

To learn more about the Costs page, click a number on the screen below.


Cost Summary

Totals your trip costs based on the estimates you have entered in the Modify Trip Costs screen and the number of days and miles you are traveling. The first three lines show the difference between your target trip budget and the totalled costs.


Edit

Lets you edit the costs for a specific day. Costs for each day are listed separately. Hiighlight a cost, then click the Edit button to change it


Compare

Lets you make changes to a trip and see the difference the changes make in your costs. For example, changing to a scenic, but longer, route would increase your Fuel costs.