Maps are wonderful things, but maps combined with Google Earth are even better. One of the Google Earth team members, known as ‘ink_polaroid’ in the Google Earth Community, a few months ago posted a historical map of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
. The GE file includes colorized tracks of the route taken during the expedition, and placemarks with links to a sample of diary entries from the expedition members from the Discovering Lewis and Clark website.
Make sure you open the Lewis and Clark Expedition Places folders and see some of the other features. He has a map showing the extent of the Louisiana Purchase (which is what initiated the L&C Expedition), and placemarks to other sites during the trip. You can zoom in and see the sites up close, and also turn on the “Roads” layer to make comparisons to their trip. Don’t forget to “Tilt” the view and see the mountainous terrain they travelled when they got out west.
The power of combining the 3D views of GE, the satellite and aerial photography of the terrain, the tracks and placemarks, with the links to the web make this map so much more informative than any paper map.
About Frank Taylor
Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.
thanks for the help Sir