Where am I going & how do I get there?

Have you ever met a travel writer with a BAD sense of direction? That would be ME. Just ask anyone whom I’ve given directions to. I’ll get you lost…good and lost. The kind of lost that has you scratching your head saying, how did she end up 500 miles out of her way? That being said, I always LOVE a good adventure, but Mr. S just doesn’t hold the same sense of adventure as I do. He likes to get to where he’s going, and in RECORD time.

As a result, I have a GPS that’s installed in my car. The problem is that when Mr. S and I go anywhere, we always take HIS CAR. Since mine was factory installed in the dash, and my car is a little hybrid Civic, and Mr. S is 6’2″  and doesn’t fit into the Civic, this has been a problem. A big problem. The kind that precipitates arguments when we’re driving the 1700 miles from South Florida to New England.

Since he has an SUV, we got the Magellan 9055-LM GPS for his car. This is a BIG daddy of a GPS. It’s perfect for a truck, van and yes…an SUV.  Did I mention that I AM THE ONE who has to set all of our gadgets up? Oh yes…are you ready?

I hope that I can do this...

Easy peasy

Just plug it in & it's ready to use

Look – no help and it’s still up there.

No more getting LOST!

Not only was the Magellan 9055-LM easy to install, but it’s a BREEZE to use. We used it minutes after installing it (B went on a job interview in a city that he’s never been to before with no problems). It’s SO MUCH BETTER than the GPS that was installed in my car, that now I want this one.

The features are incredible ~

The 7″ touch screen has a huge display that is 50% larger than a standard 4.3″ screen. It’s EASY to see while keeping your eyes on the road. It offers more information – like points of interest and of course routing.

Free Lifetime Map Updates included. Receive updated maps for the life of the GPS receiver. You can update these up to four times a year, so you never have to worry about being out of date.

You can safely enjoy hands-free calling and a noise-cancellation microphone with the advanced Bluetooth technology. There are so many states that don’t allow cell phone usage in the car that in this day & age, this is a MUST.

The OneTouch favorites menu lets you bookmark your favorite destinations and searches. Find your favorites anywhere you travel. With a single touch, find your favorite café or restaurant when traveling within any city. Oh yes, I can find Starbucks WHEREVER I am!

Free Lifetime Traffic provides real-time traffic information. Avoid traffic jams, detours and construction zones.  In season down here in South Florida, it’s great to know which of the roads are backed up. Plus, it comes FREE with the Magellan, no subscription fees.

Highway Lane Assist shows realistic highway signs to guide you and ensure that you’ll choose the correct lane when approaching an upcoming interchange or exit.

I you’re a AAA member you can access the AAA TourBook® guides for US and Canada. This Magellan-exclusive feature gives you ratings and descriptions on AAA-approved places to stay, play, dine, and more.

Easily keep your eyes on the road as you drive because spoken street name guidance announces the street name and direction of each turn, no having to LOOK at the screen.

QuickSpell quickly narrows your address and city searches, as you type, making destination entry easy.

Find cities and streets without worrying about misspelling them. Ahem, I don’t need this one (LOL –  spellcheck overload here).

The preloaded maps and points of interest are not only for the United States, but alsoCanada and Puerto Rico.

There’s also A/V input so you can watch movies or listen to music during your downtime.

With over 6 million of points of interest you can find the nearest gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, coffee shops, and much more. Even search for gas stations, restaurants, or lodging, near upcoming highway exits.

If you’re a AAA member and you need HELP, you can get support fast with the AAA Member Roadside Assistance² phone number and your exact location displayed on the GPS navigator screen. That’s a LIFESAVER (because I’ve never gotten stuck someplace that I know well).

Multi-destination routing lets you plan your trip with multiple stops in the order you want or automatically optimize for the most efficient route, helping save time and money.

Funny, but when I was driving and listening to the direction, I thought it wasn’t working correctly. It turns out that it’s QUICKER than the GPS installed in my other car, so I was getting the instructions farther in advance. I guess that’s going to take some getting used to (HAL has me trained to swerve at the last minute).

Yeah, I like the new GPS…problem is I haven’t named it yet (my other one is named HAL – a little 2001 A Space Odyssey reference).

If you’re looking for a GPS, or like me just get LOST a lot, you should definitely check out the Magellan 9055-LM. I give this one a full FLUTE of Champagne (just not before driving).

I received product to facilitate this review. All opinions are strictly my own.