THEN: You may have missed some scenery while you were busy trying to refold the map of the last state you crossed through or unfold the map for the state you were entering. You needed a huge paper map for every state, unless you preferred the bulky road atlas you were never sure was up to date. Hungry? Keep an eye out for the billboards — that was how you knew which restaurants or hotels were ahead. Low on gas? Take the next exit and hope for the best — gas station locations sure weren’t on any map. If you wanted an idea of how long each leg of the trip would take, you’d measure the roads on your map using the key, and then try to do the math in your head.

NOW: You just push your blue OnStar button. Yes, that’s for all of the above. If you’re a planner, you can plan your route ahead of time and send destinations to your vehicle so they’re stored and ready to go. If you prefer on-the-spot directions, push your blue OnStar button and tell OnStar where you want to go. You’ll get Turn-by-Turn directions,* plus we can help you with a database of over 14 million points of interest. You may never miss another roadside attraction. When the kids get hungry, you can push the blue OnStar button again and ask the Advisor for dining choices and to download the directions for you.

THEN: You had the license plate game, the alphabet game (picking letters from road signs) or waving at vehicles behind you (if you were one of the rear-facing riders). “I Spy” was a challenge flying down the highway but worked well if there was a traffic jam. You may have even resorted to the repeating refrain of “99 Bottles.” Of course, when those got old there was the always satisfying “irritate-your-siblings” game — which usually took up the bulk of the trip.

NOW: Your vehicle may be equipped with an available built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi^® Hotspot.* With an Unlimited Data Plan,* you’ll never run out of entertainment and fun. Rally the troops to research interesting facts about your destinations, or challenge each other to online trivia games. Share your adventures on your favorite social media sites. When they need downtime, the kids can tune into their favorite shows, movies and games at lightning speed. With the ability to connect up to seven devices, there’s no need to fight about who gets to watch what. And no need to ever listen to another rousing chorus of 99 Bottles. Unless you like that kind of thing.

THEN: You put the hood up (universal signal for car trouble) and stood there forlornly until some kind soul pulled over to see if you needed a lift to the next gas station — which might be miles down the road. You’d hope that kind soul was a good driver and had room for your family. You’d leave your belongings locked in the car alongside the road. Then you’d hope that gas station had a tow truck and a good mechanic to get you back on the road within the next day or so.

NOW: All you need to do is push the blue OnStar button for Roadside Assistance* (requires paid OnStar service). OnStar can send help to your exact location to get you back on the road quickly and safely. Better yet, you can have an OnStar Advisor run an On-Demand Diagnostics check* on your vehicle to make sure all key systems are in good working order. You’ll find out if you’ll need to make a pit stop at the dealership before you hit the road. By the way, if you do happen to see a stranded motorist who doesn’t have OnStar, you can always push your red Emergency button* to be a Good Samaritan and request help* for them.

THEN: There was no keyless entry, no remote access and, if you locked the keys in the car at a rest stop, you were in a bit of a pickle. Who remembers the feeling of returning to your locked car after a good meal or a good stretch, looking in the window and seeing your keys dangling from the ignition switch?

NOW: If you get locked out, it’s no big deal. You can unlock it yourself using your vehicle’s mobile app* on your smartphone. If you are a paid Member, you can also call OnStar directly at 1.888.4ONSTAR and ask a friendly Advisor to send a signal that can unlock your doors any time of the day or night.

OnStar delivers so many services to help you whenever and wherever you travel. When you have OnStar, help is only a button push away, anytime and anywhere you need it. Which takes a lot of stress off of you — and helps make your vacation feel more like a vacation.