Most of these online mapping programs will
really provide you two services. First, they will calculate a route for you to drive. Type
in your starting point, and your destination, and the website will calculate the best
route. Some will allow you to customize the results - by adding intermittent stops, by
telling the computer to exclude all toll roads and/or freeways. In a moment or two you
will have a suggested route, with highway numbers, total miles, and estimated driving
time. The second type of map is the detailed city map. Usually you will be able to zoom
in to see a smaller portion of the city, with far more detail, right down to neighborhood
streets. Keep in mind that you are online, and each time you zoom in or out; or move north
or south, east or west, the map needs to redraw. If you have ever used a mapping program
on CD-ROM, doing the same online will seem painfully slow! My advice, buy the CD-ROM
and use your time on the Internet more wisely! Heres a list of the sites, take a
look and see if you dont agree.
Free trip. Type in your starting point, your destination, type of highways you like (avoid
toll roads, for example) and types of attractions you would like to see, and this free
route planner will calculate your route, with highway numbers, miles, and estimated time
for the trip.
http://www.freetrip.com/
Maps of United States National Parks and Monuments. The Perry-Castaņeda Library Map
Collection. The University of Texas at Austin. These maps are great!
Click here.
Yahoo Maps. Type in two addresses, get a map and trip plan with mileage.
http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py
Mapquest. Enter from and to addresses, get a map and directions.
http://www.mapquest.com/beta
White Pages.com and
Yellow Pages.com
Excellent resource, you can even do a "reverse" lookup to find who owns a
particular phone number. Or find a particular kind of business in the Yellow Pages, and
find it on the map.
http://www.whitepages.com
http://www.yellowpages.com
Google Earth Enhance your trip by viewing an aerial view of the area.
Images of the entire globe. Zoom in to neighborhood view. Large cities and popular
tourist areas will have amazing detail. Search for addresses or by city name
or park name, or by global co-ordinates. Click on this site, and download the free
software which will then allow you to see the images. Warning, once hooked, you can
spend many hours viewing the globe! Hint: search for places with large, sudden
elevation changes (rim of Grand Canyon, or Half Dome in Yosemite National Park) grab the
map and slowly drag it -- you will think you are at the edge of that cliff.
Shows elevation, too. Note, the images are not live, but simply amazing.
Try searching for:
"Half-dome, Yosemite"
"Grand Canyon National Park"
"Hoover Dam"
"Man-made islands, Dubai"
"Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal"
"Av Mirasol, Algarrobo, Chile" (See the world's largest swimming pool.
Pacific coast, due west of Santiago)
http://earth.google.com/
Google Maps and Google Maps Street Level - Search for an address, plan a route.
Many addresses will show a pop-up -- click on "Street view"
for a street level of the house or business. Grab the image and drag to left or
right to see the buildings next door or across the street. Click on one of the
white arrows to move up or down the street, one house at a time. (I amused myself
for hours, viewing my childhood houses!)
http://maps.google.com/
Weather Underground -- Local weather conditions and weather radar. Valuable
resource. Search by city, airport code, or ZIP. Current weather
conditions, warnings, 5-day forecast, highs and lows. Click "Local radar"
for a larger radar image. Track tropical storms and hurricanes as well.
http://www.wunderground.com/
All above links checked
05/30/2009
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