Modern-Day Lewis And Clark

Where are we all going? And how do we get there?

Asking is just one of the old fashion ways to get directions, and then there are maps.

But, says The Early Show National Correspondent Jon Frankel, maps just show you the roads, they don't necessarily show you the easiest and fastest way to get to a destination.

And, of course, nobody knows how to fold the extremely large maps.

The new way to find your way around is just a click away. Many Internet savvy users are using online mapping.

But, computer shouldn't receive complete credit for guiding thousands.

People such as Jessica Lariviere and Roberta Loscalzo are the modern day Lewis and Clark.

"We're cartographers," says Lariviere.

The mapmakers are armed with a Ford Taurus, Global Positioning Satellite and a laptop computer to navigate the asphalt jungles.

"We want to map the world and all aspects of it," says Lariviere.

"I prefer working downtown areas, because out in the country you don't always know what you're going to get and I'm more or a city person," says Loscalzo.

Jessica and Roberta drive thousands of miles every year for a company called Navigation Technologies.

The data they collect is used by Web sites such as MapQuest, Yahoo and most in-vehicle navigation systems, which interpret and present the information in their own way.

We have up to 45 different categories of points of interest that we collect," says Lariviere. "Restaurants, hotels, gas stations, banks, ATMs."

The women see a lot on their travels in New England, New York and New Jersey. But, they have little time to take in the sights. After a 10 to 12 hour drive, however, they must eat.

"I don't know what we'd do without diners," says Lariviere. "It's kind of like our saving grace on the road."

Driving up and down streets, they do get some strange looks.

"We've all been accused of being FBI agents and UFO seekers and storm trackers," says Lariviere.

But, they keep doing their job — driving and inputting data. The more they type, the more Americans follow their directions.

And, because of their hard work, men have another option besides asking for directions when they get lost on the road. They can — unknowingly — take the women's directions.