Ever wanted to see Hawaii, Alaska, London, Paris, or where your best friend lives?  Well, now you can and do it all in one evening? How? With the online maps that are available.

There are some incredible resources available to see some very detailed views of places on earth.  Some of them are:

http://earth.google.com/

http://www.bing.com/maps/

http://www.mapquest.com/

http://maps.yahoo.com/

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

The fun really starts when you look at the linked photos, street views, and satellite shots.  You can really get a decent idea of what things look like and where things are located.

These maps have also proved useful when disasters have struck certain locations to help people identify the damage that has occurred.  Some archaeologists have also found the maps useful to decide where to dig and where past civilizations might have been located.

All in all, it’s a fun and educational way to spend an evening.  Have fun with it and explore the potential ways to use it for good.