Mapping Classic Adventures, Real and Imagined

Here at BACKPACKER, we appreciate a good map. And while GOOD Magazine’s Wanderlust map is short on the detailed trail beta and GPS data we usually crave, it still allows you to intuitively follow classic historical adventures, from Lewis & Clark, Columbus, and Captain Cook to the decidedly more modern treks of Ken Kesey, Jack Kerouac, and Amelia Earheart.

Best of all though, the Wanderlust map lets you experience a few fantastic voyages that never happened. You can trace the events of Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the path of Herman Melville’s Pequod in “Moby Dick,” and the flight of Phileas Fogg in “Around the World in 80 Days” (Verne again).

In case all that fake gallivanting gets you in the mood for some real adventures near your town, you’re going to need good directions. Check out BACKPACKER.com’s Destinations page for a raft of maps, trail guides, and more, all lovingly compiled by our stellar map team. When they close their eyes at night, they dream in contour lines. It’s amazing.

— Ted Alvarez

GOOD Magazine’s Wanderlust