Google Maps work around

I read Larry's message regarding Google Maps and their price hike for API. Other sites are also up in arms, something like a 1400% increase. For us users, you can still get the map. Just copy the LAT/LON or address for the CG and open your individual Google Maps and paste the location.

I had over a $1700 charge for Google maps in the first week when they started charging. Their "estimate" is that I'll be charged over $7000 a month for using their map API. This is why you now see the Google maps in a "development" stage.

I've started adding a link to each campground listing to take you to the Google maps website. Clicking on a small map takes you directly to the Google maps website for that campground's location. The campgrounds in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas have the new map link done. I'm currently working on California. It'll be a month or more before I get all of them updated. Once the campground listings have this map link, I'll be removing the Google "development" maps.

This method works, but I preferred using the API and having the responsive maps directly on my site.

Thanks for your great site!

larryf wrote: I had over a $1700 charge for Google maps in the first week when they started charging. Their "estimate" is that I'll be charged over $7000 a month for using their map API.

I just saw a report on F&F this AM that says that Google is very close to having a trillion dollar net worth. I hope you can find a way to tell them to pound sand and not pay that obscene bill. And thanks for all you do for us military campers; it is much appreciated.

Thanks for your work on this. I know Google pulled the rug out from many free websites like this and my other favorite RV tool, "How Far Can I Travel." You probably don't need suggestions, but geoawesomeness.com/looking-for-google-ma...-are-the-best-picks/ has a number of alternatives. Mapbox, for example, offers 3 free months for switching from Google according to their blog at blog.mapbox.com/developer-maps-platform-5d05e670cf76 . I don't work for any of these companies nor do I know how affordable they'd be for this site. I just wanted to offer up the information in case you hadn't seen it yet.