Google Maps rocks

As the title says, Google Maps rocks! I still rely on traditional paper maps when I’m driving, but for getting directions and studying routes, I look to Google Maps. It’s pretty awesome in terms of features. No surprise that it still remains at the top of my list, despite Yahoo Maps catching up on the AJAX-y side. I love how Google Maps has a hybrid version where you can see what the area actually looks like as opposed to the clean straight lines in regular maps.

I just discovered this new feature - you can change the route that Google Maps gives you! Just drag the blue line around and the directions are automatically adjusted. I loved it because it’s exactly what I need - I was trying to compare all the possible routes to south of the bay. It turns out that taking either the 880 or 101 is about the same distance. A good thing to know.

Now, to memorize directions. I’m kind of anal when it comes to driving to places I’ve never been to on my own. I don’t like the idea of getting lost (though I’ve mellowed out on that aspect a lot since I got lost that first time), so I print out tons of zoomed-in shots for reference. I still need a traditional paper map, which I don’t have owing to poor planning on my part. Argh. I’ll try to stop by the AAA office tomorrow morning. Hopefully the vending machine will have it…