Map Test

Last week, Ckutalik had an interesting blog post about using point maps instead of a traditional hex map as a DM tool for exploratory games.  In essence, the point map catalogs those areas of interest, and details only the distance between them. 

It occurred to me that this sort of map would also work as a DM overlay onto a traditional hex map as well.  If you presume that an area is "safe", that is that it has no real exploring potential, then it can be reduced to just a blank hex.  A blank hex is fairly meaningless, and therefore can be further reduced down to just a travel point to indicate the amount of time needed to get from A to B.  However, the hexes are still maintained, in the event that they are needed for something later (domain level play, say)

Here is a quick map that I drew up using Google Draw, a handy little tool if you have not used it yet.

It uses the conventions mentioned by Ckutailk in the original post, but leaves the "interesting" areas as hexes, ready to be explored.  As an additional bit of usefulness, the node sort of map is how someone from City A might actually think about the geography, that is in terms of marches from point A to point C, rather than in terms of cardinal directions and miles.

Thoughts?