I always hated looking at maps. My dad always unfolded those big greasy (he was a mechanic) maps and spent long periods of time planning out the best route to our location. Now, one can still find faster ways to get to places by performing this long, manual process - but for me, convenience is more important than a few extra minutes in the car. So I use Google Maps. Google Maps is useful for three purposes: (a) finding a location, (b) finding your way from one location to another, and (c) finding a business in your area that accomplishes a specific purpose.

    It accomplishes each of these well and I have used each feature successfully. Yes, occasionally, the directions can be less than excellent and I have gotten lost once in a while, but overall I love the site. Google Maps over convenient and clean views of the maps, with a drag and drop interface that is a joy to work with. It allows you to quickly and easily print maps and directions, as well as to create a multi-stop road trip. One can also overlay the map with satellite photos, helping one to get a feel for the area into which one will be driving.