MapQuest

In this lesson we will learn how to plan a road trip on the Internet at a site called MapQuest.

At MapQuest we can find:

Maps: Find maps by Address, City, Airport, Area Code, ZIP Code, or Latitude/Longitude.
Driving Directions: Type in the address of where you are. Then type in the address of where you want to go. MapQuest will you give you directions on how to drive there.
Road Trip Planner: Type in your destinations, answer some questions, and MapQuest will plan your road trip for you. It will give you driving directions as well as information on hotels and destination guides .

Practice 1

Finding a Map of Honolulu, Hawaii.

First, I click MapQuest to get to the home page.
Then, from the MAPQUEST TOOLS window I click on MAPS.
I can find maps by Address, City, Airport, Area Code, ZIP Code, or Latitude/Longitude. I click on City.
In the City: window I type Honolulu. In the State: window I type the abbreviation for Hawaii … HI. (You can click on (Find Abbreviation) if you don't know the state abbreviation.) Then, I click on the Get Map button.
I can ZOOM IN or ZOOM OUT on this map of Honolulu. If I am zoomed in, I can also click on AERIAL PHOTO to see the roads and the buildings. Try the BIG MAP button for a bigger map.

Practice 2

Getting Driving Directions from the Washington Hilton Hotel to the White House

First, I click MapQuest to get to the home page.
Then, from the MAPQUEST TOOLS window I click on DRIVING DIRECTIONS.
In the From: windows I type in the address of the Washington Hilton Hotel.
- Address … 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW
- City … Washington
- State/Province … DC
- ZIP Code … 20009
In the To: windows I type in the address of the White House.
- Address … 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
- City … Washington
- State/Province … DC
- ZIP Code … 20500
Then I click the GET DIRECTIONS button.
Now I can see step-by-step directions and a map of how to get from the Hilton Hotel to the White House. I can see how far it is from the Hilton to the White House and how much time it will take to drive.
Try clicking the Turn-by-Turn Maps with Text at the bottom of the page and then click the R-display Directions with: button for a different style of directions.

Exercise 1 Follow the instructions and answer the questions.

Planning a Road Trip from San Francisco to Seattle.

Click MapQuest to get to the home page.
In the MAPQUEST TOOLS window click on ROAD TRIP PLANNER.
In the start box, type in your name and trip. For example … Keiko's Trip. Then click the ONE-WAY button.
In the create your route window, type San Francisco in the City: window and select California in the State: window. Then click the NEXT button.
In the Add a Destination window type Portland in the City: window and select Oregon in the State: window. Then click the ADD button.
In the Add Another Destination? window type Seattle in the City: window and select Washington in the State: window. Then click the ADD button.
In the Your Route: window click Done. Congratulations, you have completed your route.
In the YOUR TRIP PLAN box click the your route button.
1. How many miles is it from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington? (Hint! Check out Segment #2.)
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2. How long will it take to drive from Portland to Seattle?
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3. What are the names of three cities between Portland and Seattle? (Hint! Check out the map.)
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4. How long will it take to drive from San Francisco to Portland?
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5. Are there more rest areas in Segment #1 or Segment #2 of the trip?
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6. What is the name of the Medical Center that Seattle University is near?
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7. Does Interstate (Highway) 5 go through downtown Portland and downtown Seattle?
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8. Do you think you will be able to see the Pacific Ocean on this trip?
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Go back to YOUR TRIP PLAN box and click the hotels button. Use this page to find a hotel where you would like to stay in Portland. Add the page to your trip plan by clicking the ADD THIS PAGE TO YOUR TRIP PLAN button.
1. What is the name of the hotel that you chose?
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2. Write two or three sentences about the hotel that you chose.
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Go back to YOUR TRIP PLAN box and click the destination guides button. Use this page to find tourist attractions that you would like to see in Portland. Add the page to your trip plan by clicking the ADD THIS PAGE TO YOUR TRIP PLAN or ADD LOCATION AS A STOP ON YOUR ROUTE button.
1. What attraction or attractions did you choose? Why?
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  _________________________________________
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Go back to the destination guides page and click the food & beverages section. Use this page to find a restaurant that you would like to eat at in Portland. Add the page to your trip plan by clicking the ADD THIS PAGE TO YOUR TRIP PLAN or ADD LOCATION AS A STOP ON YOUR ROUTE button.
1. What restaurant did you choose? Why?
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  _________________________________________
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You can click on the your trip plan in the left column if you want to view and print up your trip plan.

Exercise 2

Make your own original trip plan.

Use MapQuest to make your own original road trip. Choose your own starting point and destinations. Choose hotels, attractions, and restaurants. Finally, print up your plan and discuss it with your classmates.

Driving

If you drive in a foreign country make sure that you:

have a proper license.
understand the different traffic rules.
know what the traffic signs mean.
don't litter. (Some countries have steep fines for littering.)
buckle up. (Use your seat belt.)
have car insurance. (It is a good idea to get the extra insurance when you rent a car.)

Asking Directions

If you get lost you may have to ask directions. Here are some questions that you could use.

Where is _________________?
How can I get to _________________?
Which direction is _________________?
Can you tell me how to get to _________________?
How far is it to _________________?
Does this road go to _________________?
How many miles (or kilometers) is it to _________________?

Giving Directions

Someone may ask you directions. Here are some sentences that you could use.

Go straight for 5 miles.
Turn right at the third intersection.
Turn left at the second traffic light.
______________ is just around the corner.
Walk North for three blocks. Turn left and walk two more blocks. You'll see _______________ on the corner.

Vocabulary

abbreviation: a short way to write a word
aerial photo: a photograph taken from an airplane or satellite
area code: the first 3 or 4 numbers that identify each telephone service area in a country
destination: the place where you are going
latitude/longitude: a system used to locate points on the Earth...Tokyo is 35 ° N 139 ° E.
ZIP code: a number that identifies each postal delivery area in the U.S.
Copyright (C) 2001 by Bruce Vorland
Last Update: November 20, 2001