Finding people who are natives of the towns in which they live is extremely rare these days. Relocation is a fact of life in the workforce, and many families move nearly as often as the "military brats" we all knew as children. And consultants -- many of them single because of the here-today, gone tomorrow lifestyle they lead -- are constantly on the go. Some of them are so transient, in fact, that attempting to establish a home base is sometimes a futile effort.

No matter how experienced you are at relocation, moving brings trepidation. It leaves most of us unsettled because we're presented with a completely unfamiliar environment. Where are local conveniences located, such as grocery stores, gas stations, schools, and auto repair shops? How close is your new home to your workplace, and which route should you take to get there? Early familiarization is invaluable for relocating people -- particularly families with small children. Receiving an introduction to your new community brings you relief at a time when you need it the most. You're already swamped with the laundry list of pre-moving details to which you must attend.

But for everyone preparing to embark on the new adventure that relocation represents, a site called MapQuest familiarizes movers to their new hometowns in thorough detail. Although MapQuest touts itself as a "travel site," it's an excellent relocation tool and the next best thing to being there. MapQuest includes an interactive atlas; a feature called TripQuest, which provides users with driving directions; and TravelPlan USA, a trip-planning feature offered by Mobil Travel Guide that can help relocating individuals find points of interest in their new communities.

The mapping option gives users two choices: a map search, which enables them to enter a specific address, and then the site produces a detailed map of that pinpointed area with local points of interest identified; or a city map search, which asks the user to enter either a domestic or international city, and then the site produces a detailed map of that region with its elevation listed. Once the map appears, the user may choose from small, medium, or large size; customize the map (adding more points of interest and resizing the map); e-mail the map to another address; or -- for members only -- save or load the map. Maps also are printable. A particularly unique feature of the site is that users may manipulate the map -- they may recenter it, identify any icons starred on the map; or recenter the map and zoom in simultaneously. A compass allows users to click on various directions to move the map.

TripQuest asks users to enter the addresses of both their starting and destination points and to select how they'd like their results presented. Users may select a door-to-door route or city-to-city route, and they may choose an overview map with text, a turn-by-turn map with text (an option available only with the door-to-door option), or text only. Choosing the door-to-door option, I was provided with the approximate mileage and drive time from my home to my workplace. The route MapQuest selected for me was the one I routinely use each morning, and sure enough, the mileage and drive time MapQuest provided were right on target. This is an excellent resource for relocating individuals who have to start work immediately after their move, but who have no clue as to where their new offices are in relation to their homes. MapQuest's door-to-door option is extremely detailed.

MapQuest also has its own Map Store with more than 70,000 map titles. You can conduct a search to find the map of your choice, or you may select from three other options: a simple search, which asks you a few simple questions before proceeding to help you find the right map; a "browse by publisher" option, which allows you to browse MapQuest's inventory by publisher; or the TopoFinder, in which you may graphically browse MapQuest's inventory of scale topographic maps.

Another feature gives you the opportunity to click on a continent, then zoom in on a region, city, or street, manipulating the map as you go along. A menu along the left side of the screen allows you to select various points of interest from different categories: health care, dining, banking, recreation, shopping, education, lodging, and services, and more. Underneath the map, you may click a button which produces weather, lodging and dining ratings, and city information, as well (this option is available only for U.S. cities).

Instead of booking yourself an expensive plane ticket or packing your car and embarking on a long drive to explore your new hometown ahead of time, save yourself the time and money, and check out MapQuest. In minutes, you'll have established a considerable degree of familiarity with your new hometown -- and best of all, you'll save that money for all the exploring you plan to do once you've moved there.

Published: October 13, 1998

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Courtney Ronan only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.