diff --git a/src/components/AppShell.vue b/src/components/AppShell.vue
index 7496192..004fdab 100644
--- a/src/components/AppShell.vue
+++ b/src/components/AppShell.vue
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { useAudioIntent } from '@/composables/useAudioIntent';
 import { useJourneySections } from '@/composables/useJourneySections';
 import { useKeyboardNavigation } from '@/composables/useKeyboardNavigation';
 import { useMotionPreferences } from '@/composables/useMotionPreferences';
+import { useRouteMemory } from '@/composables/useRouteMemory';
 import { assetUrl } from '@/content/asset-url';
 import { signRouteFor } from '@/journey/sign-routes';
 import type { PortfolioContent, PublicAssetManifest, SectionId, SectionLayout } from '@/content/types';
@@ -60,6 +61,10 @@ const sectionLabel = (id: SectionId): string => {
 
 /** One wayfinding vocabulary: chapter plates reuse the roadside sign markers. */
 const exitFor = (id: SectionId): string => signRouteFor(id).marker;
+const nextExitFor = (id: SectionId): string | undefined => {
+  const next = canonicalSectionIds[canonicalSectionIds.indexOf(id) + 1];
+  return next === undefined ? undefined : exitFor(next);
+};
 const nextLabelFor = (id: SectionId): string | undefined => {
   const index = canonicalSectionIds.indexOf(id);
   const next = canonicalSectionIds[index + 1];
@@ -75,6 +80,18 @@ const journeyBinding = useJourneySections(
   computed(() => motion.policy.value.allowSceneRequest),
 );
 const journey = journeyBinding.snapshot;
+const route = useRouteMemory(canonicalSectionIds, () => journey.value.activeSectionId);
+const resume = computed(() => {
+  const id = route.resumeFrom.value;
+  return id === null ? null : { id, exit: exitFor(id), label: sectionLabel(id) };
+});
+/** Decorative trip log for the destination (CSS generated content). */
+const tripLog = computed(() => {
+  const minutes = route.tripMinutes.value;
+  if (minutes === null) return undefined;
+  const exits = route.visited.value.size;
+  return `${exits} OF ${canonicalSectionIds.length} EXITS  \u00b7  ${minutes} MIN ON THE ROAD`;
+});
 const audioIntent = useAudioIntent({
   canonicalIds: canonicalSectionIds,
   journey: journeyBinding,
@@ -241,6 +258,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => removePageListeners());
     <SiteNavigation
       :items="canonicalNavigation"
       :journey="journey"
+      :visited="route.visited.value"
       :allow-motion="motion.policy.value.allowSceneRequest"
       :on-section-link-click="navigation.onSectionLinkClick"
     />
@@ -249,9 +267,9 @@ onUnmounted(() => removePageListeners());
   <div class="reading-stage">
     <div class="reading-viewport">
       <main id="portfolio-content" class="portfolio-main" tabindex="-1">
-        <HeroJourney :identity="content.identity" :allow-motion="motion.policy.value.allowSceneRequest && pageLifecycle === 'active'" @explore="navigation.onSectionLinkClick" @contact="navigation.onSectionLinkClick" />
+        <HeroJourney :identity="content.identity" :resume="resume" @resume="navigation.onSectionLinkClick" :allow-motion="motion.policy.value.allowSceneRequest && pageLifecycle === 'active'" @explore="navigation.onSectionLinkClick" @contact="navigation.onSectionLinkClick" />
 
-        <PortfolioSection id="profile" :exit="exitFor('profile')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('profile')" :layout="sectionLayouts.profile" :heading="sectionLabel('profile')">
+        <PortfolioSection id="profile" :exit="exitFor('profile')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('profile')" :next-exit="nextExitFor('profile')" :layout="sectionLayouts.profile" :heading="sectionLabel('profile')">
           <p>{{ content.profile.introduction }}</p>
           <dl class="profile-facts">
             <template v-for="fact in content.profile.screeningFacts" :key="fact.label">
@@ -261,15 +279,15 @@ onUnmounted(() => removePageListeners());
           </dl>
         </PortfolioSection>
 
-        <PortfolioSection id="experience" :exit="exitFor('experience')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('experience')" :layout="sectionLayouts.experience" :heading="sectionLabel('experience')">
+        <PortfolioSection id="experience" :exit="exitFor('experience')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('experience')" :next-exit="nextExitFor('experience')" :layout="sectionLayouts.experience" :heading="sectionLabel('experience')">
           <ExperienceTimeline :experience="content.experience" :systems-operations="content.systemsOperations" />
         </PortfolioSection>
 
-        <PortfolioSection id="infrastructure" :exit="exitFor('infrastructure')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('infrastructure')" :layout="sectionLayouts.infrastructure" :heading="sectionLabel('infrastructure')">
+        <PortfolioSection id="infrastructure" :exit="exitFor('infrastructure')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('infrastructure')" :next-exit="nextExitFor('infrastructure')" :layout="sectionLayouts.infrastructure" :heading="sectionLabel('infrastructure')">
           <InfrastructureDiagram :infrastructure="content.infrastructure" />
         </PortfolioSection>
 
-        <PortfolioSection id="selected-builds" :exit="exitFor('selected-builds')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('selected-builds')" :layout="sectionLayouts['selected-builds']" eyebrow="Selected work" :heading="sectionLabel('selected-builds')">
+        <PortfolioSection id="selected-builds" :exit="exitFor('selected-builds')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('selected-builds')" :next-exit="nextExitFor('selected-builds')" :layout="sectionLayouts['selected-builds']" eyebrow="Selected work" :heading="sectionLabel('selected-builds')">
           <template #lead>
             <ProjectCaseStudy
               v-if="content.projects.selected[0]"
@@ -293,7 +311,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => removePageListeners());
           </div>
         </PortfolioSection>
 
-        <PortfolioSection id="additional-work" :exit="exitFor('additional-work')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('additional-work')" :layout="sectionLayouts['additional-work']" :heading="sectionLabel('additional-work')">
+        <PortfolioSection id="additional-work" :exit="exitFor('additional-work')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('additional-work')" :next-exit="nextExitFor('additional-work')" :layout="sectionLayouts['additional-work']" :heading="sectionLabel('additional-work')">
           <div class="compact-projects">
             <ProjectCard
               v-for="(project, index) in content.projects.additional"
@@ -306,11 +324,11 @@ onUnmounted(() => removePageListeners());
           </div>
         </PortfolioSection>
 
-        <PortfolioSection id="toolkit" :exit="exitFor('toolkit')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('toolkit')" :layout="sectionLayouts.toolkit" :heading="sectionLabel('toolkit')">
+        <PortfolioSection id="toolkit" :exit="exitFor('toolkit')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('toolkit')" :next-exit="nextExitFor('toolkit')" :layout="sectionLayouts.toolkit" :heading="sectionLabel('toolkit')">
           <ToolkitGrid :groups="content.toolkit" />
         </PortfolioSection>
 
-        <PortfolioSection id="contact" :exit="exitFor('contact')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('contact')" :layout="sectionLayouts.contact" eyebrow="Destination" :heading="sectionLabel('contact')">
+        <PortfolioSection id="contact" :exit="exitFor('contact')" :next-label="nextLabelFor('contact')" :next-exit="nextExitFor('contact')" :layout="sectionLayouts.contact" eyebrow="Destination" :heading="sectionLabel('contact')" :data-trip="tripLog">
           <footer>
             <ContactDestination :contact="content.contact" />
           </footer>
diff --git a/src/components/HeroJourney.vue b/src/components/HeroJourney.vue
index 1564375..e5ad302 100644
--- a/src/components/HeroJourney.vue
+++ b/src/components/HeroJourney.vue
@@ -5,11 +5,14 @@ import NameParticles from './NameParticles.vue';
 withDefaults(defineProps<{
   identity: Readonly<PortfolioContent['identity']>;
   allowMotion?: boolean;
-}>(), { allowMotion: false });
+  /** Where a returning visitor left the road (client-only, after mount). */
+  resume?: { id: string; exit: string; label: string } | null;
+}>(), { allowMotion: false, resume: null });
 
 const emit = defineEmits<{
   explore: [event: MouseEvent];
   contact: [event: MouseEvent];
+  resume: [event: MouseEvent];
 }>();
 </script>
 
@@ -24,6 +27,17 @@ const emit = defineEmits<{
         <a class="hero-journey__action hero-journey__action--primary" href="#contact" @click="emit('contact', $event)">Contact Me</a>
         <a class="hero-journey__action" href="#selected-builds" @click="emit('explore', $event)">Explore work</a>
       </div>
+      <!-- The visible label is CSS generated content, so the hydrated text stays
+           identical to the server document; the accessible name is the aria-label. -->
+      <a
+        v-if="resume"
+        class="hero-journey__resume"
+        :href="`#${resume.id}`"
+        :data-exit="resume.exit"
+        :data-label="resume.label"
+        :aria-label="`Resume the drive at ${resume.label}, exit ${resume.exit}`"
+        @click="emit('resume', $event)"
+      ></a>
     </div>
     <p class="print-portfolio-label" aria-hidden="true">Portfolio</p>
   </section>
diff --git a/src/components/SiteNavigation.vue b/src/components/SiteNavigation.vue
index 7c9d928..53428da 100644
--- a/src/components/SiteNavigation.vue
+++ b/src/components/SiteNavigation.vue
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { onBeforeUnmount, onMounted, ref, watch } from "vue";
+import { computed, onBeforeUnmount, onMounted, ref, watch } from "vue";
 import type { SectionId } from "@/content/types";
 import type { JourneySnapshot } from "@/journey/types";
 
 const props = defineProps<{
   items: ReadonlyArray<{ id: SectionId; label: string }>;
   journey: JourneySnapshot;
+  /** Exits passed in this browser (client-only memory). */
+  visited?: ReadonlySet<SectionId>;
   allowMotion?: boolean;
   onSectionLinkClick: (event: MouseEvent, requestSign?: boolean) => void;
 }>();
@@ -22,6 +24,35 @@ const navigationLabels: Readonly<Record<SectionId, string>> = {
 };
 
 const disclosure = ref<HTMLDetailsElement | null>(null);
+const list = ref<HTMLUListElement | null>(null);
+
+// The route map: the road fills up to the current exit. It changes only on
+// chapter change, never per scroll sample.
+const activeIndex = computed(() =>
+  Math.max(0, props.items.findIndex((item) => item.id === props.journey.activeSectionId)),
+);
+const exitNumber = (index: number): string => String(index + 1).padStart(2, "0");
+const stateFor = (index: number, id: SectionId): string =>
+  index === activeIndex.value
+    ? "here"
+    : index < activeIndex.value || props.visited?.has(id) === true
+      ? "passed"
+      : "ahead";
+
+/** Alt+ArrowDown / Alt+ArrowUp drive to the next or previous exit. Modified
+ * arrow keys are not character keys, so they cannot fire by accident while
+ * typing or with speech input (WCAG 2.1.4), and editable fields are left alone. */
+const onKeydown = (event: KeyboardEvent): void => {
+  if (!event.altKey || event.ctrlKey || event.metaKey || event.shiftKey) return;
+  if (event.key !== "ArrowDown" && event.key !== "ArrowUp") return;
+  const target = event.target as HTMLElement | null;
+  if (target?.closest('input, textarea, select, [contenteditable=""], [contenteditable="true"]')) return;
+  const step = event.key === "ArrowDown" ? 1 : -1;
+  const next = Math.min(props.items.length - 1, Math.max(0, activeIndex.value + step));
+  if (next === activeIndex.value) return;
+  event.preventDefault();
+  list.value?.querySelectorAll<HTMLAnchorElement>("a")[next]?.click();
+};
 const enhanced = ref(false);
 const docked = ref(false);
 const restScale = ref(1);
@@ -49,6 +80,7 @@ onMounted(() => {
   measureRestWidth();
   enhanced.value = true;
   window.addEventListener('resize', measureRestWidth, { passive: true });
+  window.addEventListener('keydown', onKeydown);
   compactQuery = window.matchMedia("(max-width: 767px)");
   syncDisclosureToViewport(compactQuery);
   compactQuery.addEventListener("change", syncDisclosureToViewport);
@@ -56,6 +88,7 @@ onMounted(() => {
 
 onBeforeUnmount(() => {
   window.removeEventListener('resize', measureRestWidth);
+  window.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeydown);
   compactQuery?.removeEventListener("change", syncDisclosureToViewport);
   compactQuery = null;
 });
@@ -68,11 +101,11 @@ const navigate = (event: MouseEvent): void => {
 </script>
 
 <template>
-  <nav class="site-navigation" aria-label="Portfolio sections" :data-enhanced="enhanced" :data-docked="docked" :data-motion="allowMotion === true" :style="{ '--nav-rest-scale': restScale }">
+  <nav class="site-navigation" aria-label="Portfolio sections" :data-enhanced="enhanced" :data-docked="docked" :data-motion="allowMotion === true" :style="{ '--nav-rest-scale': restScale, '--route-index': activeIndex, '--route-count': items.length }">
     <details ref="disclosure" class="site-navigation__disclosure" open>
-      <summary>Navigate</summary>
-      <ul>
-        <li v-for="item in items" :key="item.id">
+      <summary :data-exit="exitNumber(activeIndex)" :data-label="navigationLabels[items[activeIndex]?.id ?? 'start']">Navigate</summary>
+      <ul ref="list">
+        <li v-for="(item, index) in items" :key="item.id" :data-route="stateFor(index, item.id)">
           <a
             :href="`#${item.id}`"
             :aria-current="
diff --git a/src/composables/useRouteMemory.ts b/src/composables/useRouteMemory.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3466445
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/composables/useRouteMemory.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+import { onMounted, ref, watch, type Ref } from 'vue';
+import type { SectionId } from '@/content/types';
+
+/** Remembers which exits a visitor has passed, and where they left the road,
+ * in this browser only. Nothing is read before mount, so the server render and
+ * the first client render stay identical; storage failures (private windows,
+ * blocked site data) simply leave the memory empty. */
+const STORAGE_KEY = 'nightdrive:route';
+
+interface StoredRoute {
+  visited: SectionId[];
+  last: SectionId | null;
+}
+
+const read = (ids: readonly SectionId[]): StoredRoute => {
+  try {
+    const raw = window.localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY);
+    if (raw === null) return { visited: [], last: null };
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as Partial<StoredRoute>;
+    const known = (id: unknown): id is SectionId => ids.includes(id as SectionId);
+    return {
+      visited: Array.isArray(parsed.visited) ? parsed.visited.filter(known) : [],
+      last: known(parsed.last) ? parsed.last : null,
+    };
+  } catch {
+    return { visited: [], last: null };
+  }
+};
+
+const write = (route: StoredRoute): void => {
+  try {
+    window.localStorage.setItem(STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify(route));
+  } catch {
+    // Memory is a convenience; the journey works without it.
+  }
+};
+
+export interface RouteMemory {
+  /** Exits passed in this or an earlier visit (empty until mounted). */
+  visited: Ref<ReadonlySet<SectionId>>;
+  /** Where the previous visit stopped, offered once as a resume point. */
+  resumeFrom: Ref<SectionId | null>;
+  /** Minutes since this page load, sampled when the destination is reached. */
+  tripMinutes: Ref<number | null>;
+}
+
+export function useRouteMemory(
+  ids: readonly SectionId[],
+  active: () => SectionId,
+): RouteMemory {
+  const visited = ref<ReadonlySet<SectionId>>(new Set());
+  const resumeFrom = ref<SectionId | null>(null);
+  const tripMinutes = ref<number | null>(null);
+
+  onMounted(() => {
+    const startedAt = performance.now();
+    const stored = read(ids);
+    visited.value = new Set(stored.visited);
+    const landedAtTop = window.location.hash === '' && window.scrollY < 8;
+    if (landedAtTop && stored.last !== null && stored.last !== ids[0]) {
+      resumeFrom.value = stored.last;
+    }
+
+    watch(active, (id) => {
+      if (id !== ids[0]) resumeFrom.value = null;
+      if (id === ids[ids.length - 1] && tripMinutes.value === null) {
+        tripMinutes.value = Math.max(1, Math.round((performance.now() - startedAt) / 60_000));
+      }
+      if (!visited.value.has(id)) visited.value = new Set([...visited.value, id]);
+      // Idling at the on-ramp keeps the offered resume point for next time.
+      const last = id === ids[0] && resumeFrom.value !== null ? resumeFrom.value : id;
+      write({ visited: [...visited.value], last });
+    }, { immediate: true });
+  });
+
+  return { visited, resumeFrom, tripMinutes };
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/route-memory.test.ts b/tests/unit/route-memory.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..151268b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/route-memory.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { mount } from "@vue/test-utils";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { defineComponent, h, nextTick, ref } from "vue";
+import type { SectionId } from "@/content/types";
+import { useRouteMemory, type RouteMemory } from "@/composables/useRouteMemory";
+
+const ids = ["start", "profile", "experience", "contact"] as unknown as readonly SectionId[];
+
+const harness = (initial: SectionId) => {
+  const active = ref<SectionId>(initial);
+  let memory: RouteMemory | undefined;
+  const wrapper = mount(defineComponent({
+    setup() {
+      memory = useRouteMemory(ids, () => active.value);
+      return () => h("div");
+    },
+  }));
+  return { active, memory: memory!, wrapper };
+};
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  window.localStorage.clear();
+  window.location.hash = "";
+});
+
+describe("route memory", () => {
+  it("records passed exits and offers the last stop as a resume point", async () => {
+    const first = harness("start" as SectionId);
+    first.active.value = "profile" as SectionId;
+    await nextTick();
+    first.active.value = "experience" as SectionId;
+    await nextTick();
+    expect([...first.memory.visited.value]).toEqual(["start", "profile", "experience"]);
+    first.wrapper.unmount();
+
+    const second = harness("start" as SectionId);
+    await nextTick();
+    expect(second.memory.resumeFrom.value).toBe("experience");
+    expect(second.memory.visited.value.has("profile" as SectionId)).toBe(true);
+    // Idling at the on-ramp keeps the resume point for the next visit.
+    second.wrapper.unmount();
+    expect(harness("start" as SectionId).memory.resumeFrom.value).toBe("experience");
+  });
+
+  it("drops the offer once the visitor drives on and ignores corrupt storage", async () => {
+    window.localStorage.setItem("nightdrive:route", JSON.stringify({ visited: ["profile", "nowhere"], last: "profile" }));
+    const run = harness("start" as SectionId);
+    expect(run.memory.resumeFrom.value).toBe("profile");
+    expect([...run.memory.visited.value]).toEqual(["profile", "start"]);
+    run.active.value = "experience" as SectionId;
+    await nextTick();
+    expect(run.memory.resumeFrom.value).toBeNull();
+
+    window.localStorage.setItem("nightdrive:route", "{not json");
+    expect(harness("start" as SectionId).memory.resumeFrom.value).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("logs the trip once the destination is reached", async () => {
+    const run = harness("start" as SectionId);
+    expect(run.memory.tripMinutes.value).toBeNull();
+    run.active.value = "contact" as SectionId;
+    await nextTick();
+    expect(run.memory.tripMinutes.value).toBe(1);
+  });
+});