Getting directions in Google Maps

[HandyDan]

This may not be news to some of you, but I just discovered a cool part of Google Maps.  Click on "Get Directions" and type in a starting point and a destination for a trip.  Click on the  box "Get Directions".  It will come up with a couple of different routes to get where you are going.  Underneath the light blue box there will be a line that says "Driving Directions to ........."  Beside that line is a little box that says "3D".  Click on it and see what it does.  It is really cool.  It is like flying in an airplane along the route you decided to take.  You get to see the actual road and country you will be driving on as you follow your little map pin down the road to your destination.  I was so fascinated I tried several different trips on it and watched me travel down the road.  I went to Apache Junction to see what the mountains were like and I went to the Alabama Coast where I will be going in a few months.  I went to Oshkosh, WI to visit the airshow and to Stone Mountain, GA to see where I lived as a kid all from the comfort of my recliner.

[LJ-TJ]

Cool  I didn't know that. Well there goes my day 

[OldEdBrady]

I use Google Earth for the same thing.  And, if I know how to get in the vicinity of what I'm looking for, I don't give a start and an end destinations.  I just look at where it is from those places I can get to on my own.  Never failed me yet.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Yep...I just discovered that myself this winter during the boondocking adventure.  I would bring up the maps topographically, so I could see elevations and whatnot...sorta had to with how bad the carburetor was running...lol

Kev

[Oz]

That's just the tip of the fun game.  You can put your cursor on the route line of travel and move it to alternate roads to see distance, length of travel, etc.  You can also opt to omit toll roads and...  even better... if you zoom all the way in at any point, you get the "street view".  That's right, you're actually driving in a car view of the roads.  You can look to the right and left an see all the businesses, street signs, everything!  It's a great way to check out a town or intersections, etc.  You can drive your entire route, from beginnig to end, if you like by simply pointing a circle down the road.  You can even see some funny stuff.  I was checking out parking areas along the Gulf and as I turned to look into one, there was this old lady trying to rollerblade and she was caught in the act of a near fall.  Arms flailing and legs all awry! Tambra knew the whole local area by sight before we ever arrived here in Florida.  I've been using it for about 2 years now whenever I travel or want to see what's around a particular place I'm looking is like. 

[JDxeper]

Glad I didn't see where I was going this weekend or I wouldn't have gone.