Mapping at the speed of light

Posted by Kate Hurowitz, Secret Santa

Just the other day I was perusing the many fantastic customized maps people around the world have created using tools in the My Maps tab when I came across a map that made my face light up. As a child, I loved going on car rides with my family during the holidays, cruising through surrounding neighborhoods and checking out all the beautiful lights and decorations sprinkled throughout the area. That's why when I came across this map pinpointing the locations of holiday light displays put together by The Ledger, a newspaper in Florida, I was filled with glee!

The Ledger's map has markers spread throughout Polk County, just outside of Tampa, describing light displays in the area in detail. They've made their map open for collaboration and are inviting viewers to add placemarks of their own. So if you're in the area and are particularly proud of your holiday decorations, feel free to add them to the map. Just log into your Google account and hit "Edit."

And if you're not in Polk County, I encourage you to make a similar map for your area. Click on My Maps in Google Maps and use the tools in the upper left-hand corner to design a holiday map of your own. I wish this sort of technology had been around when I was a kid -- playing tour guide for my family with a detailed holiday display map might have made the season all the merrier.