# RTA Map Center -- Support >  Cali Road Trip, Please help, still confused about the driving route

## Arielle71

Hi there,
I am new, this is my first post. I need a little step by step instruction...I created a map for a southern California Road Trip. I placed "coordinates" on every stop we need to make, there are at least 70 stops and there may be more. Once I did the coordinates, I wanted it to automatically "connect the dots" to get the route, but I am stuck. I see the part about "Way Points", but I already put in over 70 coordinates...what do I have to do?
Thanks! I will check back tomorrow to see if there is an answer for me.
~Arielle

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## Mark Sedenquist

> I placed "coordinates" on every stop we need to make, there are at least 70 stops and there may be more. Once I did the coordinates, I wanted it to automatically "connect the dots" to get the route, but I am stuck. I see the part about "Way Points", but I already put in over 70 coordinates...what do I have to do?


Arielle, welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum!  I'm a little confused by what you mean by "coordinates"  The RTA Custom Mapping program really doesn't use coordinates -- we do use Custom Places.  Ah... I checked your account and I do see a bunch of Custom Places....

OK, the RTA Custom Maps program does allow you to create routes by connecting the dots, but the maximum number of dots (including beginning and ending locations) is fixed at 8 per route created.

Here's an explanation of how to use eight of these custom places to create custom maps. 

Unfortunately, the way we designed this software, you can't combine several routes into one map.  Each new map is created from new -- although you can always use your Custom Places.  So.... you'd need to choose sections of your trip for the mapping program.  The upside is, that once you've created your own custom route, you can see what attractions we've written about that would be on that route.

I've created road trips totaling hundreds of miles using this trip planning software, but it wasn't really designed for the point to point kind of map you seem to be wanting to create.

I hope this helps a bit.

Mark
Map Support

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## Arielle71

Thank you so much for the quick response. I am gonna try to divide the whole trip, into 8 stop sections...so I can have the route for the whole thing. Next, Mark, I will need to print a big version of this out, and connect it (this is for work). So that there is a route from the first stop to the last. Do you think this will work?

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## Arielle71

I am working on a project, trying to give each custom point a way point, so that I can connect 8 waypoints and make a route. However, it seems when I zoom in and out, or go to a different place and come back to my map, the custom place is sometimes not showing on my map and I have to click it to get it to show again. Therefore, I am afraid I will skip needed stops. How can I get my custom points to stay in view?

Please keep all or your questions about mapping in one thread to facilitate answers.

Mod

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## Arielle71

Hi there, I am about to put way points in over 100 stops on a south cali road trip. What about using the "draw manual route"? I could zoom in close, and just click from custom point to the next custom point, to get the route, right? That might be a lot faster than making waypoints. 
Also, How do I get my custom markers to stay showing? Everytime I go back to my map, it brings up "part" of the custom points, not all of them at once, and if I'm gonna draw from point to point, I have to make sure they are ALL showing.
Any tips?

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## Arielle71

Hi there, I don't see the "Hybrid" view, I have satellite and map, is there some other place I would find that?

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## Mark Sedenquist

> Hi there, I am about to put way points in over 100 stops on a south cali road trip. What about using the "draw manual route"?


 DO NOT USE THE MANUAL ROUTE!  The manual route was developed for off-highway travel -- it only works in straight lines and should not be used for a project like you're describing.



> Also, How do I get my custom markers to stay showing?


 Um, the entire list of Custom Places for your account always display on your page -- where it reads "My Custom Places"  If you want them to appear on a map you'll need to click each one and then save the map.  But again, there's no real good way to show a route going to each one -- unless you spend a ton of time here.

I don't know what the reference hybrid means...

Mark

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