Even today with all the websites and all the maps available online, finding the right place to stay and figuring out where exactly they are can still be difficult.  Mixed in with all the good information are hundreds of “travel” sites simply mass produced  by faceless companies simply designed to capture unsuspecting visitors. They create the sites as “fly traps”  in order to sell a product, set spam or malware, or simply to grow traffic numbers and sell dubious advertising.  These websites usually have domain names like “wi-lodging-in-wisc-hotels.com” or some other strange link.  When you click on one you’re apt to find addresses to real businesses mixed with businesses that don’t exist, don’t exist in the town you’re looking at, or that went out of business years ago. They often have Google maps with icon locations that if zoomed in, have nothing but grass below them.  Of course the whole process is automated and who knows where the information has come from.

I was reminded of these sorts of spam-travel sites this morning when I came across a listing for a local motel I’d never heard of before.  In a city of 11,000 with about 10 hotels, a new one would be something I’d know about!  I clicked on the link and saw and address that looked like a fire number, what we call a rural address around here.  “Hmmmm,  maybe it’s a B&B.”, I thought.  I checked the Google map included on the page.  I zoomed in and switched it to satellite view.  “Nope. It was a cornfield.  In fact I knew that road, and the spot.  There’s nothing out there but farmland.  I suddenly had a flash image of dad, mom and two kids driving down a dirt road into the desert and the wife turning to her husband and saying, “Honey, is this the right road?”

For what it’s worth, these days even local chamber of commerce websites are taking advantage of hit or miss automated mapping. When I set about creating our “Big Map” I was so frustrated by the automated positioning of some properties and links I finally decided we needed to take a complete hands on approach. We built our own map and put the icons right on the rooftops, by hand.  I certainly understand the automation.  It’s easier and it’s right about 75% of the time. That’s great as long as you and your family are not some place you’ve never been before and navigating based on a printed Google map.  At 11pm while on an unfamiliar road with 2 cranky kids, 75% is just not good enough.

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