Sep 18, 200602:41 PMThe Life

Trek from PS to... a bit off the beaten path

All this week, we'll be using a powerful interactive roadmap/satellite photo interface (click the links below for details) to take virtual trips into places like:

Badwater, Death Valley (at 282 feet below sea level, this is the lowest point in North America);

Meteor Crater, Arizona (550 feet deep, "The Best-Preserved Meteorite Crater On Earth");

Area 51, Groom Lake airfield (but we all know Area 51 doesn't really exist); and

Biscoe Islands, Antarctica (for a quick cool-off).

You can click and drag the photos for a better view, or click the "+" and "-" icons to zoom. You might also choose between a regular map, a satellite photo, or a hybrid image. The software will even provide rough driving directions to and from the first three destinations above, if you're traveling from the U.S. or Canada.

Today's featured photo is the Chernobyl Reactor #4 Sarcophagus smokestack (250 feet high), courtesy of Google Maps:



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