For those who know me and have seen me in person, you might be surprised by the fact that I like to run - when I get the time, that is. Well, I also like to know how far I'm going when I run so that I can, say, decide to go out on a 3 mile run. For all the mapping websites out there (Mapquest, Google Maps, Yahoo Maps Classic), none of them had a way to draw a line on the map and get a mileage for that line. The best I could do was get directions and the mileage based on driving directions. Of course that's fine and dandy if you want to run on a highway. But, what if I want to run along some back roads? With every new Mapping RIA that comes out, how I wish for a simple measuring tape tool. (Okay, I'll confess as a User-Experience guy, I know that this doesn't exactly fall within the 80% usage rule here).

Enter Yahoo Maps ... you know, the Flex version. With the API I knew it'd be possible to create the tool myself, and I've thought about it off and on, but, I'm not THAT desparate to find new running routes. But, then recently I discovered something about Yahoo Maps. Right click and you get a "Drive to here..." menu option. Combine that with multi-point directions and, while it's still driving, I can define my route, and not have Yahoo tell me the quickest way to drive there. Starting from my home, I can right click a a few blocks down the road, and then again, and again, following the route I want to run, and get a total mileage count for my planned run (or bike, or walk, or whatever).

Okay, it's not perfect, since it's going to account for one-way roads, and will only go places a car can drive, but until some enterprising developer out there creates the measuring tape tool for Yahoo Maps (or any other Mapping RIA... ESRI maybe?), it's the best I can do.

Another possible use of the multi-right-click-trip-planner (I think I'll have to trademark that term): Anyone inspired by the recent Pixar release Cars who would like to plan a trip... not necessarily the fastest way there, but the scenic route, can get those directions and a time estimate of how long it will take, without being told by the application "No you really want to take the Highway... it's the fastest way".

If anyone does build a real measuring tape tool, let us all know.