The Road Less Traveled? - A Google Map Tip

I am preparing, as I know some of you are, to drive to Muncie, Indiana next week for the Greening of the Campus VII conference - http://www.bsu.edu/greening/ - "Education Redefined," and a feature of GoogleMaps that I discovered this summer may appeal to you, as it does to me.

The feature is called "Avoid highways." After you get GoogleMaps directions from and to a place, there is a little checkbox in the upper left hand corner which is labeled "Avoid highways."

When you check it, you get a route that completely avoids highways. I used it this summer to go from Ann Arbor to Traverse City, Michigan and back. It was wonderful, no traffic, no stress, bucolic scenery with tiny little towns. And the cost to me was it took 4.5 hours each way, instead of 5.5 hours. I felt it was very worthwhile.

I just checked Ann Arbor, Michigan to Muncie, Indiana.

The regular GoogleMaps route is 231 miles and takes 3 hours 39 minutes.

When I "Avoid highways" I get a route that is going to take me 4 hours and 49 minutes, but is only 205 miles in length.

I am thinking that not only am I driving 26 fewer miles next week, but the miles I do drive are at slower speeds and, therefore, I hope I will be using less gasoline.

Terry Calhoun, MA, JD

Director of Media Relations and Publications Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) terry.calhoun@scup.org | 734.330-2538 | www.scup.org | AIM = "splendid1"

339 E. Liberty Street, Suite 300, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA