Walmart discontinued RandMcNally Atlas w/store locations?

I love my old RM atlas that I found in a Wang Mart bargain bin about 14 years ago for about $2. Figured I could use it for something. We refer to it all the time! This one does not have any Wang Mart locations marked on it like the other member mentioned; must be too old. Covers are falling off but we keep taping them back on.

TripleE wrote:
f you are an FMCA member you can order their atlas. I really like it as it has Walmarts, Sams Club, Cracker Barrel, Flying J, Pilot, and Love's indicated. It also indicates campgrounds.

Going to the POI Factory web page -> we're able to download databases for our Garmin navigator that include the nationwide locations for Walmart, Sams Club, Cracker Barrel, Flying J, Pilot, Loves, Rite-Aid, veterinary hospitals, emergency care facilities, hospitals, all kinds of campsites, lakes, propane suppliers, museums, wildlife preserves, restaurants, dump stations, Walgreens, rest areas, grocery stores, Camping Worlds, etc..

None of the above requires cell tower access and nicely compliments hard copy atlases for RV travels all over the U.S. and Canada.

If you are an FMCA member you can order their atlas. I really like it as it has Walmarts, Sams Club, Cracker Barrel, Flying J, Pilot, and Love's indicated. It also indicates campgrounds.

We use a GPS when we travel but it doesn't always go the way I want to go. There is no "go around the big city" setting. Using fastest or shortest will generally take you right through town so I use the atlas to figure the route I want. The GPS eventually catches up with us

Atlee wrote:
I would never only rely on my phone for vital info. It's pretty good in the east, but out in the west there are too many dead spots. And even in the east, if you're in the Appalachian Mountains, there can be dead spots.

I agree 1000% !!!

Plus - and I'm really in the minority on this - what happens when the "big Murphy's Law" hits, and that is ... if I'm ever out on the open road in our RV when the Internet in all of, or part of, the U.S. goes down? Best case - only the cell tower based channel of the Internet goes down, worst case - both the cell tower based and satellite based channels of the Internet go down.

Chaos like we've never experienced in this country ... and if this happens I hope my RV tanks that should be full are full, my RV tanks that should be empty are empty, ... and that I don't need the Internet to find our way to some place insulated from the mess until they get the Internet back up. :E

Be very wise in what you're relying on and what you're not relying on.

You would have to pry paper maps from my navigator's cold dead hand.
I use my Garmin a lot when driving, but my navigator (wife) is always double checking with the Atlas and/or state road maps.

I'm 10 younger than you, and my wife is younger than I am.

I would never only rely on my phone for vital info. It's pretty good in the east, but out in the west there are too many dead spots. And even in the east, if you're in the Appalachian Mountains, there can be dead spots.

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
79 years old and the grandkids talked me into smartphones --- confusing, then wonderful! I threw away all my old atlas and paper maps. Also the yellow pages. It's hard, but necessary to keep up w/ technology.

The only atlases we use are a set of Benchmark atlases - one whole atlas for each state - so detail is incredible.

We do not like to assume that access to the cellular system will be available when we travel - and many times it isn't. So along with the hardcopy Benchmark atlases, we use a satellite based Garmin navigator unit to help guide us around. We load up huge and updated databases (700K to 800K locations) in the Garmin unit before each RV trip - including all Walmart store locations, plus a whole lot more. The updated master map stored in our Garmin navigator includes the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

As to my original post, walmart still does the walmart atlas, i.e., the one with a list, with locations, of all walmarts. I finally found them at my Walmart neighborhood market.

Must be time for a new one. It has been at least 5 years. Still using an old MS S&Ts. Much better than any paper map & no need to be connected. If only there was a new version of that.

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
79 years old and the grandkids talked me into smartphones --- confusing, then wonderful! I threw away all my old atlas and paper maps. Also the yellow pages. It's hard, but necessary to keep up w/ technology.

You can do that if you want, but I never will.

I am a watermen, and much of my life I had a nametag that said "Navigator". We now travel with a GPS for the driver, a smartphone running as internet link and a laptop running the last and final copy of Street Atlas. But, on the library shelf behind the driver are a set of guide books and they are all on top of a McNally Street Atlas.

Why?
Because when things go wrong (and they will - Murphy was an optimist) the paper still does and always will work.

We make very good use of the technology, but I will never trust it. I am not that much behind you in years, but there are some hard won lessons dealt by lightning and other things that I am not about to forget.

Matt

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
79 years old and the grandkids talked me into smartphones --- confusing, then wonderful! I threw away all my old atlas and paper maps. Also the yellow pages. It's hard, but necessary to keep up w/ technology.

Well "Old Man":), I'm 77 but still use my maps except for my GPS. What ya gonna do when the EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) hits and your Electronics are useless? My BAD, your vehicle and mine will not run either unless we have an real old vehicle.
PS, just messin' with ya.