New Map Smell

My Delmarva maps arrived from Adventure Cycling Association today. The waterproof paper on which the ACA maps are printed has a distinctive odor that I call the "New Map Smell."

At this point the chemical smell of these maps trigger the "Proust Effect" for me. I vividly recall receiving the big stack of TransAmerica Trail maps in early 2006 as I prepared for my first-ever bicycle tour later that spring, and associate the odor of the maps with the excitement I felt as I pored over them.

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Mike AylingSo you are not going to be able to blame electronic devices for navigation errors?
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1 month ago

Lucy MartinHa! I recently ordered some (non-ACA) maps for route planning which a) caused my husband to remark “Why are you getting mail from the Michigan DOT?” and b) made the cat ecstatic as hid beneath them and attacked me.
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1 month ago

Jeff LeeTo Mike AylingI might use a portion of these paper maps for one section of this tour.

For the rest of it, I'll make a route more or less on the fly, day to day, using RideWithGps.

I bought these paper maps partly for the nostalgia factor.
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1 month ago

Jeff LeeTo Lucy MartinI'm told that our cat investigated my new maps while I was out for a walk this evening. She was displeased by the new map smell, apparently.
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1 month ago