Live Maps

I sprang for a WordPress plugin that lets me place live maps or satellite imagery in the website. There are three choices:

  • OpenMaps - excellent free street maps
  • GoogleMaps - not quite as good street maps from Google that may not be free
  • GoogleEarth - satellite imagery from Google that may not be free

I say may not be free because Google's terms are complicated and depend on the amount of traffic you get. I'm guessing it will be free, but I can't be sure yet. So far Google has not cost me anything.

The plugin is: WP Google Maps - https://wpgmaps.com

I looked at a bunch of plugins, and this turned out to be the best. In fact, it was one of the few that actually worked, and the only one that offered an alternative to Google. You can make one map with the free version, unlimited maps with the paid version, which starts at $40 for 3 websites. Ironically, this was the first mapping solution I tried, and the rest was a waste of time.

The first live map I made on this site was Old Bridge - South River, above.


Lake Mercer is actually a big gravel pit that was dug out for highway fill. In 1975, someone got the bright idea of damming it off, and it turned into one of the nicest lakes in the state. The lake fills from a creek to the east, and the water is very clean. Mercer county turned the whole area into a beautiful park, great for all sorts of other activities as well.

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