The Map Geek Blog

Sep 15, 2020 at 9:50 AM in In the News

When you think about back to school for you or your children (or other kids in general) what kind of images pop into your head? Maybe you remember wearing a crisp new outfit the first day of school. Or maybe you’re thinking about

how it felt to lift your leg high and take that first big step back onto the school bus. Perhaps you recall the excitement of seeing friends again or the flip side of that when you felt butterflies in your stomach as you ventured out into a whole different world after enjoying the long break of a summer vacation. This year is different for most – for parents and children – although many of these same images are conjured up. Maybe some are thinking about sitting at their newly-acquired desk at home with their freshly-cleaned computer ready to lead them into the world of virtual learning. Either way, back to school is still an important time, a mile marker that allows one and all to hit the reset button and embark upon new adventures.

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Aug 24, 2020 at 11:30 AM in In the News

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of a mask is as follows: a covering used to hide or disguise your face. A covering used to protect your face or cover your mouth.

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Aug 11, 2020 at 9:40 AM in Explore

What a summer it has been! Back in the spring when the shutdown first began many people in the hospitality business were panicked about the prospects of a slim summer season. And now, look at how it has panned out. Our mountain and beach towns are booming, our national parks are overflowing with visitors, there’s nary an RV or camper available to rent, many choose to bike, kayak, SUP and other outfitters for fun outdoor toys have sold out and our scenic byways are packed with road trippers. Thank goodness the country has not run out of ice cream!

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Jul 23, 2020 at 9:30 AM in Explore

Have you been to the drive-ins yet this summer? I’m not just talking about a regular drive-in where you sit in your car and watch a classic showing of “ET” or “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” No, the trend these days during these COVID-19 times is to go and be a part of the show. You can go to a country music concert as in the case of one of the many listed in this Billboard story (which also includes rock and other genres), groove to an electronic music and light show by Mark Rebillet or hear some good stand up comedy like some folks recently did when they attended Jim Gaffigan’s first drive-in stand up show. With your car or flatbed pickup, you have more opportunities than ever to show your enthusiasm–think flashing lights, gyrating windshield wipers and a cacophony of horn tooting. Of course you can also shout, clap, sway and sing along to your heart’s delight whether sitting within the comfy interior of your vehicle or lounging on the hood of your rig. It sounds like a blast and it’s not just happening at old drive-ins; all kinds of parking lots and fields are being converted into showplaces all over the country, allowing for lots of social-distancing fun on these warm summer nights. In Paris, they’ve even created a movie theater where you can watch a film on a boat floating on the river Seine. Not surprisingly, it’s called a float-in instead of a drive-in. Mais oui!

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Jun 5, 2020 at 10:20 AM in Explore

Have you noticed how maps have taken on new significance during COVID-19? Just think of how many times you’ve consulted a map to see which continents, countries, states and cities are affected by this novel coronavirus? Maybe you’ve even looked at a map of your county to check its numbers. You can easily zoom in on one on your handheld device or trace its parameters with your finger in your local newspaper. No matter how you do your map reading, the Map Geek bets that you’ve consulted more maps in recent months than you did in the period leading up to the onslaught of this outbreak. Yes, indeed– the Map Geek is not happy to see how this virus has shaken our world to its core but she is delighted that maps have become such a valuable tool in helping people to better chart and understand this disease.

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