Google Earth

I don't know if anyone has posted this before, but I was playing with Google Earth and if you want to get a basic look at a course without having to go there then I would highly recommend this program (and it's FREE!).

http://earth.google.com/

It uses thousands of satellite images to create a composite map, complete with road labels and various other brick a brack. You can trace out distances and if you buy the "Premium" package you can save specific routes. I just traced out the bike and run portions of my first tri and I find it very helpful to see where I'm going to be without having to travel there and find street signs.

The program can also map elevations in "3d" so you can get a feel for elevation changes and start to build a strategy for your nutrition, gear shifting or anything else that elevation can be used for. My course seems fairly flat, but yours could be different.

A few caveats:
- The satellite images are a few years old, so new construction might be missed. My bike course was missing a road or two and my home neighborhood was smaller than what I know it to be (Come on, you're gonna find your house too!)
- This program probably needs a high speed connection as it is updating resolution as you move the map. This can get annoying and in some cases if you are too fast for the software you could find yourself in the Himalayas
- The 3D feature is very rudimentary. It won't be really obvious unless you are looking at Mt. St. Helens or the afformentioned Himalayas.

So for anyone out there looking to check on their race course or if you are just into maps (no kidding, they mention that in the FAQ) then you should definitely check out Google Earth.