How to Use Google's Distance Measurement Tool for Fun and Exercise
Walking can be such an enjoyable part of your life as long as you can physically endure it. Finding safe and scenic places to walk may have been a challenge before, but after you read this article, you will be excited with all the routes you can take. We are going to go into Google and find a simple step-by-step process to find walking routes and determine their lengths. Gone will be the dull routine of walking around a track where the view never changes.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- A computer with a graphics card and mouse
- Internet
- A Google Account
- A neighborhood for walking
- Good walking shoes
- A reliable walking buddy
- 20-40 minutes for each walk
- A Doctor's Permission
Instructions
-
-
1
As you will notice in the box labeled, Things You Will Need, you will need a computer tied to the Internet and a Google account set up already. First, select Google's search page. If you're really on top of the game, you will have this page as your home page. That way, all you have to do is hit the house icon on your address bar and you eliminate excess typing. When you get to the search page, look into the upper left of the screen and select "Maps" with your mouse.
-
2
In this step, you have the Maps section before you. See the selection where you can either get directions or go to My Maps. Before you go to My Maps, choose rather the link to "Browse the directory." There you will find all sorts of interesting add-ons to your My Maps site, such as the Distance Measurement Tool. Definitely, select this tool! Once you have selected this tool, take your mouse up to the upper left of the directory screen to "Back to Google Maps" link. The selections for your My Maps section will show there with options to select only that feature or many of the features. For now, select only the Distance Measurement Tool.
-
-
3
Click on the Maps Search bar and choose Fredericksburg, Texas. When the location pops up, select My Maps, then Distance Measurement Tool. Once you do that, you can choose whether you prefer your units of measurement to be Metric or English. You will then be selecting a route to walk and determining if the distance will suit your walking ability. This particular city is the home city of Admiral Nimitz. The Museum of the Pacific is located here as are many shops and other points of interest. That way, both the war buff-husband can be busy while his nostalgic wife visits every antique and gift shop in the city's downtown area.
-
4
If you look at the map of Fredericksburg, Texas and look at the northwest corner, you will see where two U.S. highways connect, 87 and 290. There is a quaint Bavarian style hotel situated there. Let's make that the starting point. The ending point straight down U.S. 87 into town to the National Museum of the Pacific is 1.47842 miles one way. There is approximately 6 miles of walking in the museum alone, not to mention all the shops along the main streets around downtown Fredericksburg, Texas.
-
5
Follow the same steps to map out your own neighborhood if you desire. Once you select a starting point, say your house. Click on it and a green marker is set up. Go down the street and with the mouse, click on the street where it bends or stops at an intersection. Click there. Turn the corner and go to other end of the block. Click there. Each time you click, you should see a red line automatically appear showing you not only what distance you are achieving at each point, but you are setting up your walking route for fun and exercise. Imagine the fun you'll have as you discover new routes in your own city as well as other points of interest in other cities around the world. All thanks to Google. Thanks Google!
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Keep your routes handy so you can refer back to them again and again.
Make several routes so you can walk a new route every day
Keep track of your distance so that you don't overdo it too soon
Take along a buddy and show them how to Google their distance routes
Too much walking will make you skinny
Too many selections from the directory at one time can look too busy. Choose one at a time and play with it.
Printing too many maps will exhaust your ink supply
Resources
- Photo Credit The man in this photo is competing in the Senior Track & Field Games.
More Like This
Comments
-
maryellen1001
Feb 14, 2009
This is an awesome idea!
