Anyone else here like to "travel" with Google Earth?

[Kimmie]

I like to visit my home town and visit the places I remember from childhood to see how they have changed, or not. My kids get a kick out of seeing my old stomping grounds.

[MOKAN]

Google Earth and Streetview are awesome! Bing's similar service isn't bad either and sometimes includes areas Google doesn't (or vice versa). Some interesting places to check out are the towns along the US-Mexico border. I once read an article about an interesting way in which drugs were being smuggled into the US. In the border towns of Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora there's parking along both sides of the international fence/wall and drugs were being taken through a short tunnel and into a van with a cutout on the bottom of it. It was interesting to be able to check that area out on Google Streetview!

Here's are a couple of pictures that show what I'm talking about:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...at_Nogales.jpg

http://cdn.calisphere.org/affiliates...es/B/B3530.jpg

[crestliner]

It is really amazing how you can see real places . I checked out cape town south africa and was shocked to see all of the homes protected with high walls and fences...It is really scary.My wife was born in Germany and we checked out the current street picture of the address where she was born......cool stuff

[trailtramp]

More than likely within the next 3-5 years my partner and I will sell our home in New Mexico and move to someplace we'd consider retiring in. So I often use Google Earth to check out topography, distances, etc. Favorite part is to fly like a low airplane along highways to get a real feel for a place.

[signalfire]

I like to go to Google maps, take that little yellow guy and plunk him down in a town and just meander around; there's a lot you can tell about a place from that random view; weather, traffic, how many storefronts are vacant or is business booming, etc.

Since I can't afford to really travel, and I don't like all the bother anyways; the airports, hours on planes, bother figuring out where you're going, hotel costs, (not sleeping cuz you're in a hotel!), ending up sick because you're exposed to so many other people; yeesh. Easier to stay home and visit by proxy.

Worst blonde moment: Looking at the pyramids from up top and being surprised they were square! I guess I expected them to be triangular shaped all around

[hershey48]

I actually never knew you could do this. But I shouldn't be surprised in this day and age. Gonna check it out. Thanks!

[goldengrain]

My husband was reared in England. All the family had moved away from the old neighborhood and he had not been back for a visit. He found his old home and school on google maps. It's a wonderful thing.