Hometown Puzzle
For Christmas this year I gave my parents a personalized puzzle featuring a custom map of the area around their lake cabin. "From any starting point, we'll create a 400-piece puzzle of a six-by-four-mile area using U.S. Geological Survey maps. A house-shaped piece in the center represents the address you choose. Shows main roads, contour lines, water features, vegetation, and notable buildings. Arrives in a presentation box with space for a personal message." If you search for a promo code, you can save 20%. (Order by 12/14/2009 for Christmas delivery.)
[We asked our readers what cool tools they are giving to their friends and families this year. Here is one in a series this week of suggested gifts mentioned in the comments that we are highlighting on the front page. Submit your own recommendation in the comments. -- ES]
Available from National Geographic
Favorite (15)
Comments
Leave a comment
A cool tool is anything useful that is superior to comparable items. If you think this tool is inferior suggest a better one. You are welcome to insult a tool, but comments containing insults to individual people will be deleted. Corrections of fact are always welcomed, if stated politely. Recommendations of better tools are dearly wanted and may be elevated to the front page.
Geo Cacher
Pssst.
Code: 08A20
I haven't confirmed that the coupon code works, but it is for 20% off any purchase on the NG store website.
KC Lowlife
I just bought 6 of these for family members. Wish I'd seen the coupon code! Looks like today is the last day to buy in order to guarantee shipped to the house by Christmas.
Sarah
I gave one of these a few years ago, and want to mention that even if the address given is proximate to a large body of water, there's still enough information (contour lines, writing, etc) to make it doable. Yes, the ocean is harder to assemble than a downtown locale, but not impossible.
cooper
I couldn't get the 08A20 code to work :( tried switching the 0 for O in various combos... no go.
John
Thank you Sarah for mentioning the body of water issue - I live in Miami. My sister will enjoy the challenge of doing the contours but just a big swath of blue would have been boring!
Sid
I want one of these, but only if I can check it first—the web interface won't show a map preview, which by Murphy's Law guarantees problems. The address I'd use is on a gravel county road way out in the woods and is likely to come out centered on the wrong place. Allowing more reliable lat/long coordinates instead of just an address would solve that, but I'd still want to verify that the resulting map was pleasing enough to be worth purchasing. Preview is required.
Soap
Amen, Sid.
My "hometown" is now an abandoned ghost town in central ND. None of the on-line mapping resources place it accurately, but I would love to give these puzzles as gifts. Lat/Long option with preview (even if preview only comes at a later date via non-automated email) would be great.
Todd
The Maratac Extreme AAA flashlight is wonderful. Small enough to carry in your pocket at all time, very light weight and produces an incredible amount of light. I have pretty severe night-blindness so this little jewel is always in my pocket. I can't recommend it highly enough.
They also sell a Maratac AA flashlight which is, of course, a little larger but with a longer run time.
You can buy it a http://countycomm.com/.
Love your site, BTW.
Erik
The promo code, 08A20, did not work for me either. Anyone know where to find the proper one?
Tiger
The code mentioned above is expired. However, you can still get 15 percent off using AF10070 through 12-31. Happy Holidays!
Tiger
The online system wouldn't apply the 15% discount AF10070...but customer service did so I placed the order over the phone - 1-800-437-5521. Saves $6!
Christopher Brown
One caveat: the map that I received was from many decades ago. Many new roads were not shown. Colleges, etc. with old names.
Still enjoyed completing & looking at it though.