The best part of traveling is absolutely the part where we get to explore new things in a new place, right? It’s not even up for debate! Whether its new food, new people, new sites, or just a new city, exploring is where it’s at. This week, I have a travel hack to share with you. It just might change the game for you, and it’s already in your pocket!
There are plenty of ways to keep track of all the things we want to do when we’re visiting somewhere new. We build itineraries, lists, pin boards, and you can only imagine how chaotic my Facebook and Instagram “saved” section is. While these methods absolutely serve as a muse for inspiration, they aren’t always the best at helping you remember those places in real time. You know what’s so helpful? Your maps app.
That’s right! It’s so easy and you already have it on your phone. Next time you search “restaurants near me”, simply add your runner-up to a handy dandy list. Next time you’re in the area, you can pull up your location at a glance and see just what places you’ve always wanted to try. Not only is it convenient, but it also really helps with decision fatigue. Ask me how I know.
Google Maps
I’m an Android user, so its safe to say Google is my go-to choice. Here’s a look at how to make your own lists and add a new location:
Step 1: Find something you want to visit, like The Peculiarium
Step 2: Click the little pennant/flag to the right of the name of the place
Step 3: The following screen will pop up. If this is the first time you’ve done this (or you need a new category) select “+ New List”. If you already have a list, just check the box to save it in that list.
Step 4: Fill in the name of your list with whatever you’d like. You can also add a description and choose if your list is private or shared.
Step 5: Choose an icon! You can choose any emoji!
Step 6: Hit “Create” and you’ll now be able to see your emoji on the map, indicating that something you’ve saved is in the area.
See the little sparkle in the middle of the map? That’s because I added The Peculiarium to “Cool Things to Do” which uses the sparkle emoji!
I think my favorite part is adding my own custom emojis, so if I’m in an area I can see at a glance everything there is to do – spookies, food, roadside attractions – and that helps me plan my time! Unfortunately, at least as of right now, Google Maps does not have an option to alert you when you’re near a saved location. The work arounds I found all also left a lot to be desired.
Mapstr
If you really are vying for an option that alerts you, thankfully, there are some! Mapstr was built just for this purpose. Find things, explore, network, rinse and repeat. It’s like social media for maps (which sounds really lame, but I promise I’m underselling it). The premise is the same. Simply find what it is you want to save, create a tag for it, set up alerts for when you’re nearby and boom! Now you’ll never miss that restaurant you really wanted to try. This is how that looks on Mapstr:
Step 1: Making sure you’re on the “Map” part of the app, select the large plus sign.
Step 2: In the search window that pops up, type in what you’re looking for. Here, I searched Alexa the Troll. Tap the location you’re looking for.
Step 3: On the “New Place” screen, you’ll see your lists are sorted as tags. Pre-made ones are available along with any ones you’ve made previously, as well as an option to “Create a new tag”, which will allow you to choose a name for your new tag and select the color. See the black “Oddities” tag I created below. For Alexa, I created orange “Roadside Attractions”
Step 4: Select as many tags as you want. You can also make a comment. And a really cool feature? At the bottom of this screen you can toggle “To Try” to “Done” when you’ve tried out the place you were looking at.
Step 5: Hit “Save” and you’ll now see a colored # pin on your map
With Mapstr, it doesn’t look like you have many options to control the looks of your tags, but you can select more than one. It looks like they are color-coded and that’s about it, but it does make it nice and easy to see on the map, itself. Another really handy feature of Mapstr? You can map your own locations, so maybe you find a gem of a hidden spot and it really isn’t listed, you can simply create your own private pin!
Next time you pull out your phone to look for a new restaurant to try, make sure to use this hack so you don’t forget for next time!
Leave a Reply