My C-Max is American and not Canadian

[Laurel]

Every time we go into the States to shop (we are 4 kilometers from the border) voice commands for points of interest works like magic.  Today we were down in Bellingham and I could get the system to recognize everywhere I wanted to go i.e. Costco, Lowe's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Edaleen Dairy etc. etc.  At home it is a different story and I wind up screaming in frustration as the system recognizes maybe a half of what I input.  So I conclude that TIP is American and not Canadian LOL.  I know the real reason is that all the maps obviously are US focused but it sure is frustrating to buy in Canada and drive in Canada and have this situation.  Tomorrow I am headed up to Heffley Lake north of Kamloops (about 400 kilometers from home) and TIP better not get me lost as I am driving on my own to a cabin to read and meditate.

[Bruce Z]

Have a great trip Laurel, TIP should be able to find Heffley Lake. Weather here in the loops is about 30 degrees and supposed to cool a little bit the next few days but mid 20 to mid 30s is perfect weather in my mind to be heading to the lake.

 

Cheers,

 

Bruce

[Laurel]

Thanks Bruce!  I am looking forward to some time on my own.  We just sold our townhouse and bought a house, and the move was chaotic.  Hubby is happy to stay home with the dog and veg out in front of the big screen.  Normally Tinker, the dog, would go with me but she is aging and on day 2 in our new house she ran away when I was letting her out for a pee a 5 in the morning.  I was barefoot and in my pj's and she bolted toward the US border and I couldn't catch her.  Had to get a search party to find her.  So taking her to Heffley Lake might totally discombobulate her again.  I hope for high temperatures as I need that to motivate me to jump into the cold lake.  I assume Heffley Lake is likely to be pretty cold since it is a trout fishing lake.  I can hardly wait to hit the road tomorrow.

[obob]

FYI

 

Without researching it to get exact understanding, there are only a couple of map data bases and pretty much all the GPS vendors use one of these two.  I assume the data base for places is similar.  And I suspect that the two companies are neither American nor Canadian.

 

OK I did some research

 

from http://www.gps-forums.net/companies-provide-gps-map-data-t37163.html

 

Garmin and Magellan use NavTeq, TomTom has been using TeleAtlas but I
think they've also been looking at NavTeq.

 

> Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the accuracy of the POIs from

> Garmin vs. Magellan, for instance?

They both get the map data from NavTeq, but there are additional
sources for POIs and they differ somewhat in deciding what types of
locations to include.

 

 

 

Note

 

navteq is owned by Nokia but it used to be based in US.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navteq

 

Tele Atllas is Netherland   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele_Atlas

[Laurel]

Hey Bruce, Tip found Heffley Lake with only one little glitch when we turned off the Yellowhead Hwy. I was told to make a u turn as it didn't seem to recognize the road to Sun Peaks.  Wow, wow, wow is it ever beautiful at Sun Peaks.  I thought I had arrived in Switzerland.  It was stunningly gorgeous.  I rode up the chair lift and had a few butterflies in my stomach heading up that mountain with the bar holding me in.  The Todd Mountain Thoroughbred Farm was spectacular--rolling hills with mares and babies out.  I am so glad I took the trip.  I will be back next year.

[Bruce Z]

Ah yes Sunpeaks the undiscovered Whistler. Probably the best mountain in BC to ski at and in the summer the alpine blossom festival is amazing. So much to do in such a beautiful setting. I'm glad you found it and hope your trip next year is great. I love living in the interior of BC with family in Vancouver it is great to visit them but I truly love coming home.

 

Cheers,

 

Bruce

[Laurel]

I think it is so much prettier than the Whistler countryside.  It kept going through my mind, "why didn't they have the winter Olympics here?"  I was so shocked to find it so beautiful as I have passed through Kamloops many times and find it a bit bleak and too desert like for me.  So to discover such beauty so close to Kamloops blew me away.  One thing that was disconcerting around Kamloops freeways was all the big semi trucks lugging it slowly up the grades and other drivers running up my ass when I got locked behind the big rigs as the traffic in the fast lane was too busy to move over. I felt a bit scared at times.  Those new speed limits are crazy in my opinion.  On the way up, I was doing 120 k and I was being left in the dust by most so they must have doing 140 and better.

[Bruce Z]

I think the new speed limits just encourages people to go faster. I do think 120 is good on the highway but it needs to be enforced better so you don't get all the others doing 140 which is not safe. I don't follow to many big trucks as the Cmax has the power to pull into the fast lane and zoom on by. That is why I love the Cmax so much - fuel saving when you want and power when you need it. It is funny how we can find different things beautiful as I look around kamloops and love the look, I can appreciate the Sunpeaks beauty but will come home to the desert any day.

 

Cheers,

 

Bruce

[Laurel]

I just got home and feel very overwhelmed by my trip back on the Coq.  I saw one example of road rage happening in the Merritt area with one guy pulling a trailer and the other in a Lexus car.  They played their games at high speed--well over 130.  Then traffic got fairly heavy and on one long grade going downhill I was surrounded by traffic all going very fast and I felt that I had to keep up or I would cause an accident at that point.  I was gripping the wheel and when I looked at the dash I was doing 140 K and felt sick to my stomach as I was still being passed by the majority.  Once the maniacs got by I slowed it down to 110 K and never went above that again.  On my 4 hours trip up and back, I did not see one police car.  Many of my friends are like you Bruce they love terrain around Kamloops.  I took a good long look today and I have to say it has a real charm.

[C-MaxSea]

Thanks Laurel, thanks Bruce, we are definitely putting Sunpeaks & Kamloops on our hit list, hopefully near term.

 

Nick

[Laurel]

Nick you do have to put Sun Peaks on your list for sure.  Tell Nancy that Ray and I planted two limelight hydrangeas at the new house tonight.  He was shaking his head when I pulled in from my trip and had two limelights standards stuffed  in the back of the C-Max (having had to rearrange all my luggage and stuff from the trip to fit them in).  I passed a nursery with a big sign and the limelights sitting out front and Tip came to a screeching halt and wouldn't move until I bought shrubs. LOL  Oh my are they ever pretty.

[Bruce Z]

Hey Nick,

 

So much to do in this area as Laurel has said SunPeaks is definitely a highlight, but the Shuswap is not far as is Clearwater and the giant Helmicken Falls. Around Kamloops there are many fishing, hiking, biking areas you could spend years here just exploring. Hope you make it this way and enjoy your trip as much as Laurel has. 

 

Cheers,

 

Bruce

[Laurel]

I have to google giant Helmicken Falls!  Sounds worthy of another road trip--this time I will take hubby and the wee dog. I just looked at all the photos and it is a must see. 

Edited August 11, 2014 by Laurel

[C-MaxSea]

What a lady TIP is - :), she knows her stuff - beautiful Limelights, great pick !  I'd almost forgotten that feature of the C-Max, can be taught to seek out & brake for preferred POI's, from plant nurseries to rodeos to toadstool conventions - so handy!

 

Thanks Bruce, I already did a little Google Earth transporting and found some spectabular images of Shuswap - incredible!  I can imagine exactly that, 'years' worth of exploring - I will be PMing you some day for more great tips on the area, can't wait to hit the road for some camping & hiking there.

 

Nick

 

PS, Laurel, any images of TIP with hydrangeas coming out her ears?

Edited August 11, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[Bruce Z]

Ok so I might have exaggerated the "Giant" Helmicken Falls but is still pretty impressive (I prefer to see it in the winter when it builds the "Snow Cone") plus lots of other things to see in do in Wells Grey Park. My wife and I love to take friends and relatives to Wells Grey and spend a day or two just exploring inside the park. It's about 2 hours from Kamloops to Clearwater and then about another 45 minutes into the park to see the Falls and the many other hiking trails which can be short or long walks. 

 

Cheers,

 

Bruce