Here in our family, we do a lot of out-of-state travelling. We always have a GPS with us, but long before we embark on a trip, I usually try to get an idea of just how far we have to go to reach our destination. I believe that good planning is essential when going anywhere...especially to a different state with several small children. Today, I am going to talk a little bit about why I am crazy about using Google Maps.

Early on, I began to utilize google maps optimization to plan our travels. This was even before we had children. It was good to know if we could make a trip in one day, or would need to break it into two days. It was also helpful to figure out if we would be passing through an area in which we knew someone and could stop and visit for a few hours on our way. When using Google Maps you can search for a particular city or state...I used this recently following the tornadoes that hit Midwest. I know people who live in Indiana and Illinois and I was wondering if the towns that were hit were anywhere near my friends. Thankfully, they were not really close and everyone was fine.

The one thing that I just LOVE about using Google Maps is the Street View option. You can click on a small icon of a person and drop and drag it to a particular street. This is really helpful if you want to see what the place to which you are going looks like. I needed this several months ago when I was taking dinner to a friend who had just had a baby. I had never been to her house, nor was I familiar with the area in which she lived. So, I was able to use the Street View option on Google Maps and was able to find her home easily as I knew what color her house was, how big it was, etc.

So, these are just a few of the reasons why I love to use Google Maps. I find them to be very helpful in planning my trips and visualizing my destination clearly. How about you? Have you ever used Google Maps before and if so, how was your experience? I would love to hear your story!