mapping out trips with google my maps

an excellent tool for planning any trip, near or far. my family used one for a trip we took together, so that everyone could add things we wanted to do and we could see where exactly everything was in relation to each other and the places we'd be stopping/staying. each person can use a different pin color, or you can change the color/icon of each pin to easily distinguish a restaurant from a museum from a bookshop.

i've also used it to plan a stationery store crawl in nyc, and my own vacations. it's nice to know in advance the layout of a trip!