A Sad Day

Saturday I drove out to Santa Monica to check out the California Map and Travel Center, only to discover that the place had closed permanently. This was one of my favorite stores in L.A.; they carried a fantastic selection of maps, from specialized rock-hounding maps of the desert to imported local maps from around the world, this place had it all. I loved coming here and browsing, and I always ended up buying something even if I didn't need it. Internet maps are getting better each year (my current favorites are Windows Live Local for the detail and ease of use and Yahoo! Maps Beta for the ability to link multiple destinations), but nothing compares to a well-made printed map for really understanding the lay of the land.