Hobby Thread - March 21, 2026 [TRex]

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread. When you follow the long and windy road, you end up with maps as a theme for this Hobby Thread.

[Top photo: Lupine Lane, 20x30 acrylic, Misanthropic Humanitarian]

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What are you hobbying?

As per usual Hobby Thread etiquette, keep this thread limited to hobbying. All (legal) hobbying is welcome. I understand that some people pay attention to military hardware, tactics and strategy as a hobby. Discussion of current events permitted but must be made in the form of hobby commentary. Pants are optional. As always, puns are welcome and encouraged.

Play nice and do not be rude. Do not be a troll and do not feed the trolls.

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Handmade map making:

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Old maps are time machines. 1847 Manhattan.

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This is the most accurate depiction of the South that I've seen. I'm in the orange area.

Is there a better map breakout? pic.twitter.com/quOWEIGGiM
— Blonde of War (JJ) (@BlondeOfWar) March 13, 2026

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Flight maps are cool. Istanbul apparently has the most direct connections of any airport in the world (310).

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Berlin U-Bahn map from 1967

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Visualizing Pickett's charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863:

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Look closely at this street map from Silver Springs Shores in Florida. What do you notice? So many streets with "spring" in the name! Drive, road, place, lane, run, radical, circle, loop, loop circle, pass, trace, terrace, track and more. What a postal nightmare.

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British documentary from 1961 when they actually made things and did stuff.

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Race track map? The Nurburgring in Germany is so big that three villages exist inside. It was built in 1927 and is about 15.7 miles long. If you have any sympathy for cars or motorsport, it should be on your bucket list. Even better if you go for the annual 24 Hour race.

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Map of all 54 Buc-ee's locations:

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Mapping tips for places that don't exist:

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Population around a point

This website estimates the total human population within a distance, from any point in the world. Select a radius and click on the map.

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Musical interlude:

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Helps to have a map to find your way around Yosemite National Park:

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Do you collect antique maps?
10 Things Every Map Collector Should Know

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Using a map and compass:

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Impressive woodworking project to make a globe:

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Did you miss the Hobby Thread last week? We did a calligraphy theme. The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

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Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

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If you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, contribute your own. Send thoughts, suggestions and photos of your hobbying to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Do mighty things but don't run with scissors.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Welcome Hobbiests

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 05:31 PM (Ia/+0)

2 Hobbies!!!

Posted by: Diogenes at March 21, 2026 05:34 PM (2WIwB)

3 I don't make them, but as a military history buff go to them constantly to see what I am reading about.
Big problem is what was two hundreds of years ago may be totally changed in a map of today.

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 05:34 PM (Ia/+0)

4 That painting from MH is lovely. You can feel the dappled sunlight and shade as you stroll along and the peace of the scene.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 05:38 PM (yTvNw)

5 I'll have to watch that '10 Rules for Fantasy Maps' video. I went through a phase where I drew a bunch of fantasy maps. Fell out of the habit when I fell out of drawing. That, and the fantasy worlds that my maps depicted never amounted to a handful of character sketches and 1 or 2 full scenes with backgrounds...

Posted by: Castle Guy at March 21, 2026 05:39 PM (Lhaco)

6 Sadly, I haven't yet seen one of those pirate treasure maps tattooed on a Kim Kardashian ass.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at March 21, 2026 05:40 PM (LkMIg)

7 Maps/cartography is a great topic. Included among those are battlefield maps, which are a great way to visualize in some detail those historic events. I'm also a sucker for well done maps og fantasy realms.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at March 21, 2026 05:40 PM (cWLG3)

8 I'm picturing MisHum cosplaying as Tom Bombadil, traipsing down the path.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes. at March 21, 2026 05:40 PM (kpS4V)

9 Well done Mis Hum

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 05:40 PM (Ia/+0)

10 Does anyone know anything about coin collecting? My brother believes he has several very valuable old pennies. Specifically wheat pennies.
I've no idea about how to research them. And my brother is literally 80% blind and I'm not sure he knows what does or doesn't have.

Posted by: Diogenes at March 21, 2026 05:42 PM (2WIwB)

11 @8 Traipsing is somewhat more dignified than frolicking.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at March 21, 2026 05:43 PM (cWLG3)

12 My hobby is cheeseburgers

Posted by: Eromero at March 21, 2026 05:45 PM (LHPAg)

13 10 Does anyone know anything about coin collecting? My brother believes he has several very valuable old pennies. Specifically wheat pennies.
I've no idea about how to research them. And my brother is literally 80% blind and I'm not sure he knows what does or doesn't have.
Posted by: Diogenes at March 21, 2026 05:42 PM (2WIwB)
---

Take a look at "penny values" at coinvalues.com. You should be able.to ID what you have and get an idea of its value.
https://coinvalues.com/

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at March 21, 2026 05:48 PM (cWLG3)

14 That handmade map-making video was terrific. Thanks for including it. Very inspiring.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes. at March 21, 2026 05:48 PM (kpS4V)

15 I recently learned how to read aeronautical charts. They're pretty neat once you learn how to decipher them.

You can get them all at https://skyvector.com

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at March 21, 2026 05:52 PM (ESVrU)

16 In his book on fantasy writing, Lin Carter suggested consulting a map of a real country to get a sense of how environments naturally transitioned into each other.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes. at March 21, 2026 05:53 PM (kpS4V)

17 Mapmaking was deadly serious business at one time.

Selling a highly accurate map to an enemy nation or competing business venture could get you killed.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at March 21, 2026 05:54 PM (ESVrU)

18 I still employ paper maps where I can, or a printout of the digital one of the area I want. The GPS function on my car is hard to understand. I've tried to use it once. Without knowing the command to have it exit, I was subjected to "You are . . . 1200 . . . yards beyond your destination. You are . . . 1500 . . . yards beyond your destination. . . ."

Plus you can't zoom it *out* to see the surrounding area, which is important. Give me the Road Atlas from Walmart. I still have one from 2016 and it serves me well.

For closeups, such as Interstate exits to my hotel, I will call it up on the computer and try to print out the screen, then stash it in my trip folder.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 21, 2026 05:55 PM (wzUl9)

19 10 Does anyone know anything about coin collecting? My brother believes he has several very valuable old pennies. Specifically wheat pennies.
I've no idea about how to research them. And my brother is literally 80% blind and I'm not sure he knows what does or doesn't have.
Posted by: Diogenes at March 21, 2026 05:42 PM (2WIwB)

I used to collect as a kid. My recollection is there are one, maybe two, truly valuable old pennies. The one I remember was the "1909 S VDB." I think maybe the other one was a "small date" something. Of course, some others may have become valuable since then. I had no valuable ones, but I thought the steel (?) ones made during the war were really cool.

Posted by: Splunge at March 21, 2026 05:56 PM (KEowH)

20 There is a fantastic map that doubles as a statistical representation of Napoleon's invasion and retreat from Russia.

https://is.gd/uVvd2v

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 21, 2026 05:57 PM (n9ltV)

21 For my job, I'm assisting in the design and deployment of courses for a geospatial engineering program.

Most of the courses involve learning "geodesy" -- the science of measuring and representing the geometry, gravity, and spatial orientation of the Earth.

There's A LOT of cool stuff that science can do now to generate incredibly precise maps of the Earth focusing on any detail you can imagine.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at March 21, 2026 05:57 PM (ESVrU)

22 Ok, so map story:

A buddy and I were freshmen at IU. Known each other since Boy Scouts. This is 1993. IU has/had a massive library five floors in the undergrad tower and 14 floors in the research tower. We were still wide eyed and seeing the shit that the university life had aside from alcohol and boobs.

Some tells me one day: hey, someone told me about where we could find some maps in the library. Its way up in the stacks. Me: really? Could be cool.

So we head up to the 13th floor(iirc) of the research collection. Each of these floors is just rows and rows of bookshelves (some study carols around the perimeter.) We head back (i could probably still find it if they have not moved everything) and we find the section. Books and books and books of maps (atlases.) So we start looking and amongst these we found these flat boxes.

Tbc

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at March 21, 2026 05:57 PM (zZu0s)

23 We always get the National Geographic map when hiking a National park. Those have all the nerdy terrain details and have that waterproof coating.

Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 05:58 PM (w5FC4)

24 We always get the National Geographic map when hiking a National park. Those have all the nerdy terrain details and have that waterproof coating.
Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 05:58 PM (w5FC4)
---
When I was a kid I decorated my bedroom with the fold-out map posters from National Geographic magazine. They were really cool.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at March 21, 2026 05:59 PM (ESVrU)

25 That map/ graph CBD linked to shows Napoleon's army was mostly decimated on the way to Moscow more than the retreat.

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:00 PM (Ia/+0)

26 On my bedroom wall, over my desk, is a map of Shakespeare's Britain from the Nat'l Geographic. Years ago I had it framed. I should look into finding more of those.

A local framing shop has framed prints of vintage (meaning, ca. 1840s or 1910) maps.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 21, 2026 06:02 PM (wzUl9)

27 Part 2.

Opened one of them and it was stacks of sheets of paper. Map plates meant to be put together to make a much larger map. Memory says they (the plates) were larger than 11x17, but that would make the most sense from a sizing perspective. We found one we could tell was a world map that had like 16 plates, but another that was far more detailed and was what we thought was a map of western Europe. I wanna say it was like 32 plates. Very fine detail. Hell, it might have been just Germany.

So we are looking at these and we both have the same thought:

Andy: take them to the copier downstairs?

Me: I don't think they have paper this size in those copiers.

Andy: Kinkos or Staples?

Me: we'd have to smuggle them out using those architect tube things...

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at March 21, 2026 06:03 PM (zZu0s)

28 The 1909s and svd (iirc) are worth something. And there's a double printed d as well.

10 Does anyone know anything about coin collecting? My brother believes he has several very valuable old pennies. Specifically wheat pennies.
I've no idea about how to research them. And my brother is literally 80% blind and I'm not sure he knows what does or doesn't have.
Posted by: Diogenes at March 21, 2026 05:42 PM (2WIwB)

Posted by: Are you sure about this sir? at March 21, 2026 06:03 PM (U/7CP)

29 Besides any period map some book I am reading has, my go to is a Google map to see what is the ground like today. If a account new enough, say WWII or newer you can go and see exactly what the forces saw.

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:03 PM (Ia/+0)

30 The fact that there was an S-Bahn and a U-Bahn in Berlin always confused me.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:04 PM (wTn/p)

31 We still have some cool assorted maps from Nat'l Geographic magazine. And some others we collected on trips. I always thought to frame and hang them somewhere, but never have.

Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 06:05 PM (w5FC4)

32 Part 3

So we left after repacking the maps. Visions of wall sized maps on our dorm rooms to plan our heist.

The sad part is we never did it (aforementioned alcohol and boobs) but I still am curious about those maps. They were very cool.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at March 21, 2026 06:06 PM (zZu0s)

33 Drove the Nurburgring several times. Very cool.

Best maps ever were from The Alexandria Drafting Company. Still have one of their mid Atlantic wall maps...

Posted by: man at March 21, 2026 06:06 PM (cGjQu)

34 Flight maps are cool. Istanbul apparently has the most direct connections of any airport in the world (310).

-----------

No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:08 PM (wTn/p)

35 So someona asks Stevie, Who backed up your vocal?" He gets to say, "Clapton.". Then they might ask, "Well, who backed up your guitar pickin'?". Again he gets to say, "Clapton.". For those reasons I admire Winwood making funny faces on stage this time. Great stuff!

Posted by: Hokey Pokey at March 21, 2026 06:08 PM (YlWIZ)

36 I appear to be from the Deep South.

Which I already knew. Heart of Dixie. Smack dab in the middle of MS.

When I moved West in college I had to learn how to say my one syllable name fast like I was chy knee... in one syllable... vs two. Basically I stunned people that I had all of my teeth and was fairly intelligent.

One girl at a party a year later was looking at me and said I was "exotic." I have been called a whole lot of things in my life, but that was the only time for that one. She might have been stoned.

It's too dang hot to talk fast there.

Posted by: ChristyBlinkyTheGreat at March 21, 2026 06:10 PM (WONhk)

37 Always liked maps. They give perspective to reading whether it's the chart of Treasure Island, troop movements during war time, understanding why some areas were settled before others, following the route of Lewis and Clark, or, ultimately, imagine the features of Middle-Earth. As a kid it was eye opening to match areas I knew with how they were shown on a map. A lesson in abstracting information. I have all the Landmark series of history books: Julius Caesar, Herodotus, etc. They are wonderful in part because they use maps constantly. They give an appreciation of distances and geography and how those things effected history that influences us after millenia.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 06:11 PM (yTvNw)

38 >>>My hobby is cheeseburgers

Posted by: Eromero

>I made one last night that was spectacular. The art of the cheeseburger is the stack. What is the optimum top to bottom order of the toppings and condiments? This is very controversial and I still believe the definitive solution is up for debate.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at March 21, 2026 06:15 PM (LkMIg)

39 One girl at a party a year later was looking at me and said I was "exotic." I have been called a whole lot of things in my life, but that was the only time for that one. She might have been stoned.

---------

Heh. How you doin'?

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:16 PM (wTn/p)

40 I love maps. When we drive across country, Mr. Leggy uses his Waze app, which is very handy to reroute us in case of traffic problems. However, the GPS cannot replace a big map which shows the whole route through whatever states we travel through. I keep the Rand McNally atlas next to my seat and check it frequently for rest stops and interesting side trips. One time I bought a new atlas at one of our fuel/bathroom stops. When I took it up to the cashier she asked to look at it. After a moment she said, "How do you use these things?" Reading maps is a lost art, I guess.

Posted by: Mrs. Leggy at March 21, 2026 06:16 PM (dyL4B)

41 Steve Winwood. I am a fan of his music. For someone who gained fame at a young age, he didn't turn out weird.

Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 06:17 PM (w5FC4)

42 GPS can be helpful. Sometimes. But we always have paper road maps in the car. They have gotten us out of some tough spots when we needed alternative routes and we couldn't just call up something on the internet. Besides, atlases, of any kind, are fun to look at.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 06:18 PM (yTvNw)

43 Could this be the place to praise yet scream at modern GPS maps are great yet sometimes fail horribly?

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:18 PM (Ia/+0)

44 Lupine Lane"

Really nice bluebonnets this year...

Posted by: man at March 21, 2026 06:18 PM (cGjQu)

45 43 Could this be the place to praise yet scream at modern GPS maps are great yet sometimes fail horribly?

--------

Umm, yes. I mean NO!

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:20 PM (wTn/p)

46 There are 33,000 people that live within 3km of me.

Posted by: banana Dream at March 21, 2026 06:20 PM (3uBP9)

47 Love the painting, Mis Hum.

Barely Scary Mary...I love Steve Winwood. He sings in the choir at his church in England.

My favorite of all time song/video of his, when I feel like dancing, is Higher Love:

https://tinyurl.com/35upbnkd

Posted by: ChristyBlinkyTheGreat at March 21, 2026 06:21 PM (WONhk)

48 Lupine Lane"

Really nice bluebonnets this year...
Posted by: man

That's a nice painting.

And the name checks out; it doglegs left into the distance.

Posted by: mikeski at March 21, 2026 06:21 PM (VHUov)

49 Something like giving Grok latitude and longitude coordinates for a point on the globe and ask for a typographical map within a 10 mile radius with a given scale. And in a 3d printer-compatible format .

Posted by: mrp at March 21, 2026 06:21 PM (7s6/v)

50 Great post!!!

Agree that paper maps are the best. Everyone should be able to read and navigate with a paper map and compass
IMHO.

Posted by: RS at March 21, 2026 06:22 PM (SuU/K)

51 I love Steve Winwood. He sings in the choir at his church in England.
Posted by: ChristyBlinkyTheGreat

So the rest of the choir can brag "I sang backup for Steve Winwood."

Posted by: mikeski at March 21, 2026 06:22 PM (VHUov)

52 Topographical, not typographical.

Posted by: mrp at March 21, 2026 06:23 PM (7s6/v)

53 I remember when 1/4 mile times defined the performance of American cars. Handling in SCCA or Trans Am series mattered a little bit.

Now it's "WHATS YOUR VEHICLES NURBURGRING TIME" dominates any conversation of a vehicles prowess.

Posted by: JROD at March 21, 2026 06:24 PM (IlL6s)

54 50 Great post!!!

Agree that paper maps are the best. Everyone should be able to read and navigate with a paper map and compass
IMHO.
Posted by: RS at March 21, 2026 06:22 PM (SuU/K)

------------

Go parallel rules or go home

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:24 PM (wTn/p)

55 That 1847 map of Manhattan is fascinating, and will be viewed alot going forward. Both of my father's ancestors arrived during that time, one from Germany and the other Ireland. Both families are still in NYC....

Posted by: The Grateful - Acta Non Verba at March 21, 2026 06:24 PM (IQ6Gq)

56 43 ... "Could this be the place to praise yet scream at modern GPS maps are great yet sometimes fail horribly?"

I'll just say that some of my experiences with GPS are part of the reason I always have paper maps in the car. (Topic related.) Our GPS is several years out of date. Maybe they have improved recently but the one we have can get kinda uppity and insistent if we didn't follow their direction.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 06:24 PM (yTvNw)

57 One of my college buddies mapped the steam tunnels underneath our college.

I think I still have a copy of that around here somewhere.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at March 21, 2026 06:25 PM (ESVrU)

58 Back in my D&D-playing days, before I turned 29, I mapped out my own fantasy world.

It kept the rules-lawyers from Wesley Crushering my interpretation of things in Greyhawk or the Forgotten Realms.

Posted by: mikeski at March 21, 2026 06:25 PM (VHUov)

59 Love the painting MisHum, you are indeed a talented artist. Thanks for sharing....

Posted by: The Grateful - Acta Non Verba at March 21, 2026 06:25 PM (IQ6Gq)

60 The Nurburgring in Germany is so big that three villages exist inside. It was built in 1927 and is about 15.7 miles long.
--------------
Pfft.

The Isle of Man TT race course, known as the Snaefell Mountain Course, is 37.73 miles (60.72 kilometers) long.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at March 21, 2026 06:26 PM (XeU6L)

61 Also, a chart is worthless if you have no dividers.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:26 PM (wTn/p)

62 I worked for the United States Geological Survey, Western Mapping Agency back in the teens. They were about 2/3 of the way through the transition from hand drawn National Park topo maps to digital.

Some amazing technology from the early 1900's.

Some amazing technology from the early 2000's.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at March 21, 2026 06:27 PM (AkEZC)

63 Yeah I'm not sure about that map. I picked a place I used to live way out west Georgia towards the county line in the middle of no where and it says 13,000 in 3km radius. The population of the whole city is about 5,000. There sure aren't 13,000 people in that small area. Deer and squirrels and mosquitos maybe. But not people.

Posted by: banana Dream at March 21, 2026 06:27 PM (3uBP9)

64 I find it quite amazing a box on my dashboard can find me most everyplace in the country, most of the time. Its not downloading in real time either. Now my phone Google does and keeps track exactly where I am.

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:27 PM (Ia/+0)

65 Love the painting MisHum, you are indeed a talented artist. Thanks for sharing....
Posted by: The Grateful
------

The fellow is talented...and has an eye for the things around us.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at March 21, 2026 06:28 PM (XeU6L)

66 Something like giving Grok latitude and longitude coordinates for a point on the globe and ask for a typographical map within a 10 mile radius with a given scale. And in a 3d printer-compatible format .
Posted by: mrp at March 21, 2026 06:21 PM (7s6/v)

How about as typographical map of iran? Sans Sharifs.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at March 21, 2026 06:28 PM (8zz6B)

67 I used my wifi to update my Garmin a few months ago, probably could do it again.

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:29 PM (Ia/+0)

68 Google does and keeps track exactly where I am.
Posted by: Skip
-----

Yup.

Posted by: Bob, at the NSA at March 21, 2026 06:30 PM (XeU6L)

69 When we lived in Dallas, we relied on the Mapsco binders. We each had one in our cars and they saved the day many times.

We also had a wonderful binder of Texas counties in large scale, with all the various grades of roads, for state travel.

I will take a map any day over GPS.

Posted by: sal at March 21, 2026 06:30 PM (f+FmA)

70 60 The Nurburgring in Germany is so big that three villages exist inside. It was built in 1927 and is about 15.7 miles long.
--------------
Pfft.

The Isle of Man TT race course, known as the Snaefell Mountain Course, is 37.73 miles (60.72 kilometers) long.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at March 21, 2026 06:26 PM (XeU6L)

-------

Pfft

The Large Hadron Collider encompasses 13 towns in France and Switzerland.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:30 PM (wTn/p)

71 When I was camping and hiking a lot you could get these sturdy topo trail maps that were some sort of durable laminated paper. Very durable and you could get them wet and folded multiple times and they would be fine. You could find them at camping outdoor stores.

Posted by: banana Dream at March 21, 2026 06:31 PM (3uBP9)

72 Pfft

The Large Hadron Collider encompasses 13 towns in France and Switzerland.
Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:30 PM (wTn/p)
----
And the particles on that "race course" are traveling around 99.9% of the speed of light...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at March 21, 2026 06:32 PM (ESVrU)

73 I will take a map any day over GPS.

Posted by: sal at March 21, 2026 06:30 PM (f+FmA)

Richard Gere is a great fan of Gerbil Positioning Systems.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at March 21, 2026 06:32 PM (8zz6B)

74 There used to be a map store in town.
Cool place.
Long gone now.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at March 21, 2026 06:32 PM (tcsrY)

75 I'll admit to being utterly dependent on GPS navigation, as I have no sense of direction. (Living in ATL pushed me over the edge to get a smartphone, which I had resisted for a long time. You can't be constantly pulling over to check a paper map in metro ATL. I did a little better out West. Things made more sense there.)

In spite of my navigational deficiencies, I definitely enjoy both paper and online maps. I don't do as many road trips as I used to, but I like to use both Google maps and a road atlas for planning.

Beautiful painting, Mis Hum.

Posted by: screaming in digital at March 21, 2026 06:33 PM (MSrAy)

76 I thought of the Hobby thread twice this week. 'Terrifier 2' was almost a course in costume-making. And someone reminded me of a nearby taxidermist. He showed me around his place once and it was really fascinating.

Regarding maps, you reminded me of an Ancient Aliens episode where they discussed maps of Antarctica from the 1500's!!

This was from a site called seekernotes...

"Ancient Antarctica on Medieval Maps

You might be surprised to learn that Antarctica appears on maps created centuries before its official discovery in 1820. The Pinkerton World Map from 1813-1818 shows just a blank space where Antarctica should be, yet much older maps seem to know exactly where it is.

The Walle Wooler world map from 1530 clearly shows Antarctica positioned south of both South America and Africa. The mapmakers called it the “Southern Land,” and interestingly, they depicted it as much larger than it appears today. This size difference makes sense because during the Ice Age, Antarctica was indeed much bigger before ice sheets covered so much of the continent.

The mystery deepens when you consider that these 1500s maps were based on even older source materials."

Posted by: Stateless at March 21, 2026 06:34 PM (Sco7b)

77 There is a nice Christine McVie solo album with both Winwood and Clapton on several cuts.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM (gQ15S)

78 My car has a compass amid the instruments. I'd never had that on a car until the '03 Buick Park Avenue. At the time I thought I'd never have paid money for such a feature, but the car was used and came with the compass readout. (The readout had to be recalibrated every year or so by driving the car in a circle several times.)

Now, after having compasses on the Regal, BMW, and LaCrosse, it would be hard to do without it. It's saved me many a time on trips -- even around town.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM (wzUl9)

79 This was from a site called seekernotes...

"Ancient Antarctica on Medieval Maps

---------

*Here There Be Penguins*

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM (wTn/p)

80 There are a bunch of YT videos about how Tolkien's maps were drawn (technique) and why they are so effective (literary). Drawing a map by hand that really explains things in a story is an art. I have a 36x24 inch map of Middle-Earth on the wall so I can see how he and Christopher drew the features. It's like studying a painting.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM (yTvNw)

81 When I lived in CA I had a spiral bound map of the state. It was great, and organized very well.

But damned if I remember the publisher!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM (n9ltV)

82 They should build a massive particle accelerator across the US and place 12 Buc-ee's at 30deg nodes. They could sell exotic matter jerky and wotnot.

Posted by: banana Dream at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM (3uBP9)

83 Slightly off topic, but it is so good to see you in the gray boxes again Stateless. I am glad things are turning around for you, just remember to take it one day at a time using baby steps. You remain in my prayers.

Posted by: The Grateful - Acta Non Verba at March 21, 2026 06:36 PM (IQ6Gq)

84 But damned if I remember the publisher!
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM (n9ltV)

---------

The Thomas Guide.

A CA classic.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:36 PM (wTn/p)

85 81 When I lived in CA I had a spiral bound map of the state. It was great, and organized very well.

But damned if I remember the publisher!
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at March 21, 2026 06:35 PM
***
Thomas Guide!

Posted by: TRex - directional dino at March 21, 2026 06:36 PM (IQ6Gq)

86 Maps are especially helpful when you have no sense of direction. (Raises my hand.) My usual joke is if I were guiding the Lewis and Clark expedition they would have discovered Rhode Island. Fortunately, Mrs. JTB has an excellent sense of direction. That's why she is the navigator.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 06:38 PM (yTvNw)

87 In the 70's my family took a cross country road trip.. Everywhere we stopped, I got maps. (They were free back then.) I still have them somewhere.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at March 21, 2026 06:38 PM (CHHv1)

88 I noted this in earlier map threads but there's a software for helping you to make your own maps, Campaign Cartographer. You can use it for your RPGs, I think that's their main use, but also for making your own maps for a hobby. World maps, city maps, interstellar maps, underground maps, dungeon maps, etc...

Posted by: banana Dream at March 21, 2026 06:39 PM (3uBP9)

89
But damned if I remember the publisher!
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo
--------

Random Alley?

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at March 21, 2026 06:39 PM (XeU6L)

90 For the most part, our tiny town is very easy to get around in. The North/South streets are numbered from 3 to 23 and the East/West streets are alphabetical, from A to Z.
Up above 3, there are a bunch of Tree names and there are a couple of sections with named streets, but that's about it.

Posted by: sal at March 21, 2026 06:40 PM (f+FmA)

91 76 Regarding maps, you reminded me of an Ancient Aliens episode where they discussed maps of Antarctica from the 1500's!!

The mystery deepens when you consider that these 1500s maps were based on even older source materials."
Posted by: Stateless
***
One of the YT videos that was considered for content was focused on how maps were drawn in olden and ancient times. Fascinating scientific knowledge and problem solving. The video itself wasn't great and didn't make the content cut (yes, we have standards here).

Posted by: TRex - directional dino at March 21, 2026 06:40 PM (IQ6Gq)

92 FUN FACT: Rumor was that the ThomasGuide publishers included intentional errors in their maps -- like mis-spellings of streets or bad road info -- as a way to catch copyright infringers.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at March 21, 2026 06:40 PM (wTn/p)

93 . You can use it for your RPGs,
------

I find this unsettling.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at March 21, 2026 06:41 PM (XeU6L)

94 I'd love a set of detailed topo maps, maybe 1:24000, for everything within about 30 miles of my home. That would cover 99% of my hiking area. I'm not a fan of the "print your own maps at home" services because I don't have a giant printer or big sheets of waterproof paper.

Posted by: PabloD at March 21, 2026 06:42 PM (uqy/m)

95 Chairman LMAO and others RE: coins
Thanxs.

Posted by: Diogenes at March 21, 2026 06:43 PM (2WIwB)

96 When I was into D&D, I would spend all my time making maps, and creating histories of the places I drew. never got around to using my campaign in an actual game. I should have just written a bunch of short stories.

In the end, I found D&D to be tedious.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, Rock 'n' Roll Martian at March 21, 2026 06:44 PM (0aYVJ)

97 For the most part, our tiny town is very easy to get around in. The North/South streets are numbered from 3 to 23 and the East/West streets are alphabetical, from A to Z.
----

Here, there is a single numbered street, 20th Street. It is the only numbered street in the town.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at March 21, 2026 06:45 PM (XeU6L)

98 Mom is out of surgery. Sounds like things went pretty well. Not out of the woods yet, and still recovery to go through. Almost certainly will delay the spinal stimulator she was scheduled to get in a few weeks though. Thank you all for your continuing prayers.

Posted by: tintex at March 21, 2026 06:45 PM (SQDL/)

99 The mystery deepens when you consider that these 1500s maps were based on even older source materials."
Posted by: Stateless
***
One of the YT videos that was considered for content was focused on how maps were drawn in olden and ancient times. Fascinating scientific knowledge and problem solving. The video itself wasn't great and didn't make the content cut (yes, we have standards here).

Posted by: TRex - directional dino at March 21, 2026 06:40 PM (IQ6Gq)

One wonders if perhaps the mysterious Sea People were in fact really sea people, and had originated some place far beyond the Pillars of Hercules, maybe even North America, and had sailed and mapped most of the world's oceans.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at March 21, 2026 06:45 PM (8zz6B)

100 >>>Thomas Guide!

Posted by: TRex - directional dino

>An indispensable resource, especially if your employer required you to travel. I had one that took me from Valencia to San Clemente.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at March 21, 2026 06:46 PM (LkMIg)

101 Posted by: TRex - directional dino at March 21, 2026 06:40 PM (IQ6Gq)

It shows. A lot of work obviously goes into this thread. Well, pretty much all of the threads..... All of you do great work and it's appreciated.

Posted by: The Grateful - Acta Non Verba at March 21, 2026 06:36 PM (IQ6Gq)

Thank you so much. Things are getting better and better and I appreciate the prayers.

Oh, last thing on maps, I sent over to my friends kids, not only graph paper but D&D HEXAGON MAP PAPER. I'm not sure how easy that is to find anymore...

Posted by: Stateless at March 21, 2026 06:46 PM (Sco7b)

102 Maps can connect you to history. Using maps and written sources we discovered that one Quebec ancestor led a force against a Scottish regiment during the French and Indian War. One of the Scots stayed in Quebec afterwards and married the daughter of the French commander.

Another was discovering that from battle maps Confederate troops marched through what is now our backyard on the way to First Battle of Bull Run.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 06:46 PM (yTvNw)

103 Posted by: tintex at March 21, 2026 06:45 PM (SQDL/)

That's good news. Keep us informed. Prayer thread is a great place....

Posted by: Stateless at March 21, 2026 06:47 PM (Sco7b)

104 Maps? You can't get there... from here.

https://youtu.be/vSe1dQBOuu4?si=-99HHF0-cWEHeN94

Posted by: Michael Stipe at March 21, 2026 06:49 PM (PCHuB)

105 I have a couple nautical maps of Lake Huron marked with the route a sailboat took on the Port Huron-Mackinaw Island Race pre-GPS. Too big to frame.

I am easing back into writing without using voice-to-text. I really am not much of a verbal storyteller.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at March 21, 2026 06:49 PM (iv237)

106 Another was discovering that from battle maps Confederate troops marched through what is now our backyard on the way to First Battle of Bull Run.
Posted by: JTB
**********
That is pretty cool....

Posted by: The Grateful - Acta Non Verba at March 21, 2026 06:49 PM (IQ6Gq)

107 I find maps to be an indispensable resource in many of the computer games I play.

Almost necessary for some games.

Back in the day I'd have to do my own mapping using graph paper for games like Bard's Tale or Might and Magic.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at March 21, 2026 06:52 PM (ESVrU)

108 Painting up top is nice, mishum.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at March 21, 2026 06:53 PM (zZu0s)

109 Whenever we go hiking, Cow Demon (who has a near-infallible sense of direction) makes me the keeper of the map for some reason. The hardest part is getting oriented. I want to put the map on the ground and step on it like Joey Tribbiani from Friends did in London.

I'm always very disoriented coming out of a subway or metro station in an unfamiliar city. I've taken to setting the GPS to my destination and just starting out in any direction. If it starts rerouting me, or the time to destination goes up not down, I turn around...

Posted by: screaming in digital at March 21, 2026 06:54 PM (MSrAy)

110 I have on line, a little graph paper drawing a fellow company guy who was in my FiL company in WWII that shows what they did on D-Day making a road off the beach. But not sure it will link

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:54 PM (Ia/+0)

111 Charts > Maps

Posted by: JackStraw at March 21, 2026 06:54 PM (viF8m)

112 My Dad instilled in me a love of maps. And taught me to read them. We always had an atlas in the 1973 Chevy Impala. Dad let me navigate so I wouldn't drive him nuts asking "how much farther, Father?" Thanks, for teaching me useful things, Dad.

Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 06:54 PM (w5FC4)

113
Here, there is a single numbered street, 20th Street. It is the only numbered street in the town.
Posted by: Mike Hammer

How did it get its name?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at March 21, 2026 06:55 PM (Cqx++)

114 One of my clients, a Civil Engineer, did a topo map of our farm property, with 2 foot intervals. He said it was publicly available satellite data. It's very accurate. I have it printed on a 36"x54" sheet.

Posted by: fd at March 21, 2026 06:55 PM (vFG9F)

115 6 Sadly, I haven't yet seen one of those pirate treasure maps tattooed on a Kim Kardashian ass.
Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at March 21, 2026 05:40 PM (LkMIg)

I can help you with that.

Posted by: Grok AI at March 21, 2026 06:55 PM (PCHuB)

116 We had our AZ ranch (80 acres) surveyed when we purchased the property, it backs against state trust land. The surveyor had to find two boundary marker ROCKS. He said the last time this plat was surveyed was in 1895 by the RR.

He also found that the state trust land encroached on our property with their shoddy fence by 15 ft across the entire back. We're not going to make a big deal about it because, we don't want them "discovering" some artifacts or some other tribal BS any where near the property line. We do have some petroglyphs on the ranch.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at March 21, 2026 06:57 PM (abIsI)

117 https://tinyurl.com/5upuuunj
See if this goes to the drawing, it's from Gov records

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:57 PM (Ia/+0)

118 Discovered Hagstrom maps in the mid 1980's. Had several New Jersey counties, which came in handy during my first jobs as a field tech..

Posted by: Joe Kidd at March 21, 2026 06:57 PM (nbLIj)

119 on-X is a great GPS locating map app.(subscription) I use it all the time off road. It is very accurate and topo. Ideal for hunters as it will warn you that you are approaching private property.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at March 21, 2026 07:02 PM (abIsI)

120 Clever. They hid the secret German Nazi relocation camp in the 'Deep South'. No one think of looking for them there.

/huntsville

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at March 21, 2026 07:02 PM (/lPRQ)

121 117 https://tinyurl.com/5upuuunj
See if this goes to the drawing, it's from Gov records
Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 06:57 PM
***
It works. Quite something to see. Thanks much for sharing.

Posted by: TRex - saving private dino at March 21, 2026 07:02 PM (IQ6Gq)

122 We gained a little land when the neighboring property was surveyed. A few square feet, not a big deal. It is always good to know where your property markers are.

Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 07:03 PM (w5FC4)

123 Love the video in the post about hand drawn maps. In just under 7 minutes he gives an idea of the decorative elements, the tools used and even how long the various stages took. Heck, I'd be glad if I could just do the decorative parts.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 07:04 PM (yTvNw)

124 Pallet wood dude is insane, just about everything in his shop was made from pallet wood. All the drawer organizers, the tool cabinet, etc, all pallet wood. Me? I'm a wood snob, if I'm spending that kind of time I'm going mahogany, maple, walnut, ebony, rosewood, etc

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at March 21, 2026 07:04 PM (snZF9)

125 Surprised nobody commented on the bonus mystery click behind MisHum's painting...

Posted by: TRex - over the hills and though the woods dino at March 21, 2026 07:04 PM (IQ6Gq)

126 I am one of those rare females who loves maps and navigating so I this topic was in my wheelhouse.

For serious map lovers, my alma mater (and former employer) The University of Texas has an enormous collection of maps of all kinds available online.

https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at March 21, 2026 07:05 PM (FEVMW)

127 I have often looked a D-Day maps trying to find what that drawing shows. Its on Omaha Beach

Posted by: Skip at March 21, 2026 07:06 PM (Ia/+0)

128 122 We gained a little land when the neighboring property was surveyed.

Nice.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at March 21, 2026 07:06 PM (abIsI)

129 I'm amazed at how detailed and accurate some very old maps are. They seem too advanced for seeing everything from ground level. And no matter how old they are, there must have been older versions around as a basis. That can lead to all sorts of cool speculation.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 07:07 PM (yTvNw)

130 129 I'm amazed at how detailed and accurate some very old maps are. They seem too advanced for seeing everything from ground level. And no matter how old they are, there must have been older versions around as a basis. That can lead to all sorts of cool speculation.
Posted by: JTB

We were detail oriented.

Posted by: Lewis & Clark at March 21, 2026 07:08 PM (abIsI)

131 Being a War Eagle I'm fortunate enough to be well acquainted with the Deep South.
Now I gotta go fix some sweet tea.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at March 21, 2026 07:09 PM (2Ez/1)

132 Geoguessr used to be a nerdy hobby. The online game where you are dumped someplace in Googl3 maps and figure out your location. I got good at distinguishing various utility lines and bollards in Europe. Haven't played that in a few years, though.

Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 07:13 PM (w5FC4)

133 I'm amazed at how detailed and accurate some very old maps are. They seem too advanced for seeing everything from ground level. And no matter how old they are, there must have been older versions around as a basis. That can lead to all sorts of cool speculation.

Posted by: JTB at March 21, 2026 07:07 PM (yTvNw)

yeah, like some of the ancient maps out there that show things they shouldn't have known.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at March 21, 2026 07:14 PM (snZF9)

134 Why has nobody ever found that map to the secret nazi gold?

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at March 21, 2026 07:15 PM (LkMIg)

135 Wooo, maps. Cool.

Well, except this one:

https://tinyurl.com/y6m3tws3

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at March 21, 2026 07:15 PM (MF/Oh)

136 Zeppelin is always a home run.

Posted by: nurse ratched at March 21, 2026 07:15 PM (A5RD0)

137 133. yeah, like some of the ancient maps out there that show things they shouldn't have known.
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at

Aliens. Obviously.

Posted by: Piper at March 21, 2026 07:16 PM (p4NUW)

138 There was an entire booth of fun maps at the arts and crafts festival today- like one of KY with all the distilleries marked. They looked kind of like pirate maps.

Posted by: Piper at March 21, 2026 07:18 PM (p4NUW)

139 Learned to use topographic maps and compass in the scouts.

Learned aeronautical sectional charts in a high school class. I bought two covering most of Florida where I lived at the time. Remember showing them to my dad and him laughing and shaking his head saying I could think of the most ridiculous things to spend money on....LOL!

Posted by: Anonymous Rogue in Kalifornistan (ARiK) at March 21, 2026 07:19 PM (VS/AS)

140 I love maps. With a passion that dare not speak its name.

The last day of third grade, we each got an aerial navigation map of Central Europe. All but the southern extremity of the FRG is depicted. It has a good chunk of the UK and the southern extremity of Sweden. And...a good portion of Eastern Europe. It depicts the aerial pathways to Berlin, and has warnings posted in various spots warning that flying is restricted and aircraft can and will be fired on without warning. "Consult NOTAMS for the latest information".

We all put the map on our walls at home.

It's fragile now but I still have it, folded up.

Posted by: Cow Demon at March 21, 2026 07:19 PM (hJH5n)

141 My husband used to design traffic systems. At one point he knew every street and street light placement in Nassau County Long Island.

I on the other hand start hyperventilating when I try to read a map.

Fortunately we both liked to ski.

Since I have some sf fantasy mss, my son tells me I have to include maps, so I'm very grateful for this thread, TRex.

Any listing of good books on fantasy maps would be appreciated. I have a lot to learn.

Posted by: Wenda at March 21, 2026 07:19 PM (q4/FL)

142 yeah, like some of the ancient maps out there that show things they shouldn't have known.
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at

Aliens. Obviously.
Posted by: Piper at March 21, 2026 07:16 PM (p4NUW)

***

Here there be Monsters!

Posted by: Diogenes at March 21, 2026 07:21 PM (2WIwB)

143 Over The Hills And Far Away. Zeppelin. Good song.

Posted by: Cow Demon at March 21, 2026 07:21 PM (hJH5n)

144 Maps are helpful for me and definitely phone gps guidance.

I am functionally retarded navigation wise. I don't mean that mockingly, I believe there is something seriously wrong with my spatial sense. It is practically not there. I have gotten lost in a closet many times. Walked in, then wasn't sure how to get out. But I have systems like, spinning around until an exit appears. My car system is to drive in increasingly large spirals, like right turns only until something comes up. It is actually very hard to deal with and phone guidance helps a lot.

I used to print maps and had a car full of maps a long time ago.

Posted by: banana Dream at March 21, 2026 07:21 PM (3uBP9)

145 yeah, like some of the ancient maps out there that show things they shouldn't have known.
Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at

Aliens. Obviously.

Posted by: Piper at March 21, 2026 07:16 PM (p4NUW)

Or some smart unknown ancient civilizations. The Peri Reis map for example, drawn in the 1500's and shows a pre ice covered Antarctica.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at March 21, 2026 07:22 PM (snZF9)

146 Before he led an army to beat the greatest empire the world had ever know and they helped found the greatest country the world has ever know, George Washington was a land surveyor.

Posted by: JackStraw at March 21, 2026 07:23 PM (viF8m)

147 Time to say thank you before the next act takes the Ace of Spades stage. Thanks for being here. Should we do this again next week with a different theme? Might as well...

Don't forget to stop by Club ONT later.

Posted by: TRex - not all who wander are lost at March 21, 2026 07:24 PM (IQ6Gq)

148 We put up little trail markers in our woods to help a family member who could get lost in a closet. It's fun to have a little trail system back there

Posted by: BarelyScaryMary at March 21, 2026 07:25 PM (w5FC4)

149 Growing up, I lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. All the north-south streets are alphabetical, and the east-west streets are numerical. It's easy to find your way around if you know your alphabet!

Posted by: jayhawkone at March 21, 2026 07:27 PM (ZmtS8)

150 Voronoi diagram of the world: https://x.com/TerribleMaps/status/2025666094732849503

Posted by: Fritz Geiger at March 21, 2026 07:28 PM (3uc8k)

151 I have a large chart of Ibiza framed and hanging in my bedroom. I got it while on a cruise to Spain and Portugal in 2006. It was a four masted sailing yacht and took just over 100 passengers. Anyway, I asked for a tour of the bridge and asked if they had any old charts they would be getting rid of.

At the end of the trip, I was given two charts, complete with pencil marks in a heavy cardboard cylinder.

Posted by: nurse ratched at March 21, 2026 07:29 PM (A5RD0)

152 Lupine Lane, very nice.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at March 21, 2026 07:30 PM (MF/Oh)

153 @70 I have driven the Nurburgring. In a minivan.
I have never driven the Collider, I don't care what she says.
Too bad there's no more real Bond movies. That would go in.

I was a government map maker once, although I can't do geodesy math. There were a lot of fun cheats for that. My sympathy is, and has always been, with the guys who made up those physical printing plates for 'real' maps. When you suddenly do away with Cesar Chavez Boulevard, just to idly fantasize a case, they have to go all hammer and tongs. In my shop we had chart paper, drawing boards, and for a while, mylar transparencies with rotary erasing machines.

To a developer, the purpose of an address and street name is to sell the lot. He doesn't care about ambulance drivers a bit.

Posted by: Way, Way Downriver at March 21, 2026 07:32 PM (zdLoL)

154 >>At the end of the trip, I was given two charts, complete with pencil marks in a heavy cardboard cylinder.

Imagine getting on a ship in the 1600s and heading out into a largely uncharted ocean that many thought was certain death.

Posted by: JackStraw at March 21, 2026 07:33 PM (viF8m)

155 148 We put up little trail markers in our woods to help a family member who could get lost in a closet. It's fun to have a little trail system back there
Posted by: BarelyScaryMary

Unauthorized trail markers an issue in this area. Some people feel the need to blaze mark trails because they are sure it is the correct route, same with rock cairns. A few hikers have gotten seriously lost by following these markers.
Rock cairns(karens) should only be used for your own backtrack route and should be taken down as you pass them on the way out.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at March 21, 2026 07:33 PM (abIsI)

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