Rand McNally Launches New Edition of America's #1 Road Atlas

SKOKIE, Ill., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for summer travel, Rand McNally today launched the 87th edition of America's #1 Road Atlas, with completely updated maps and mileage data.

The new 2011 edition of the Road Atlas also features the "Editor's Picks" from this year's 10th annual Best of the Road® program.  Each year Rand McNally recognizes the best and most unique things to see and do, and places to stay and eat while on the road.  This year's Best of the Road® trips are located in Alaska; New Hampshire; Nevada and California; Mississippi; and Ohio, Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario.

"While there are multiple options for planning and on-the-road navigation, Americans continue to rely upon the Rand McNally Road Atlas each year to give them the big picture and the finer details of each road they travel," said Dave Muscatel,  CEO of Rand McNally.  "We are pleased to provide our 87th edition atlas as the travel season prepares to kick off."

Updates:

Among this year's updates to the Road Atlas are:

• Completely revised state and province maps featuring updated mileages and increased urban area representation;
• Additional city center maps, bringing the total number of city and national park inset maps in the Road Atlas to 384;
• The addition of specialty highway shields to show historic and scenic routes including Route 66, the Lincoln Highway, the Great River Road, the Great Lakes Circle Route, and the Lewis & Clark Trail Highway;
• A new illustrated cover design.

Best of the Road®:

A much-anticipated feature of the Road Atlas is the annual selection of the Best of the Road®.  Each year five annual trips are selected, researched, and visited by Rand McNally's editorial team. In developing the trips, editors consider locations that are lesser-known or off the beaten path, are unique or have special character, capture the region's essence, and appeal to a broad range of people.  For many travel enthusiasts, these 150-200 mile trips satisfy their search for a long weekend of adventure.  

Each trip features five "Editor's Picks," which are unique places to see, stay, visit and eat.  This year's trips are:

• Wild, Warm Alaska:  From Anchorage to Valdez, Alaska
• Following Old Man River:  From Natchez to Tunica, Mississippi
• Around Lake Erie:  From Cleveland, Ohio to Windsor, Ontario
• Earth Tones:  From Reno, Nevada to Yosemite, California
• Seaside to Summit:  Manchester to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

A sampling of this year's "Editor Picks" winners are:

• Mill Bay Coffee and Pastries in Kodiak, Alaska
• The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Mississippi
• Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Oak Harbor, Ohio
• Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp, California
• Bretton Woods Canopy Tour in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

The 2011 Rand McNally Road Atlas is arriving in retail stores this month in advance of the heavy summer travel season.  It is available nationwide and at www.randmcnally.com for a suggested retail price of $13.95.

About Rand McNally – Rand McNally is the most trusted source for maps, directions, and travel content.  Rand McNally's products and services include: Interactive travel service, Tripology; America's #1 Road Atlas; IntelliRoute® truck routing software and GPS devices; and the leading geography-based educational resources for the classroom.  Consumers, businesses, truckers, and educators depend upon Rand McNally to help navigate today's world. www.randmcnally.com

SOURCE Rand McNally