Travelogue suggestions?

epettiepetti Registered Users Posts: 55 Big grins
edited September 30, 2008 in The Big Picture
I'm about to head out on a three and a half month trip around the world. I've got my cameras, my supplies, visas, and everything else ready for the trip. Now I'm trying to figure out how to keep everyone back here up-to-date (relatively) with where I am, what I'm doing, etc. For a while I was thinking of just using Smugmug and posting pictures in a single gallery with comments describing the trip, and geotagging them to show where we are at the time. But I think ideally I'd like something a little more complex, and I don't know if any such thing exists out there. Here's what I'm looking for:

- Ability to have a map that shows my route connecting all my stops that I will be making, and mark where I currently am. I think Google Maps can do this to some extent. I know Google Earth can, but how that transfers to on-line I'm not sure.
- Ability to post photos easily. I have an iPhone and smugshot works great, where wireless is available, but I'll also want to dump and upload some pictures (not all) from random internet cafes.
- Ability to write little entries about what we've seen and done. Basically a blog I guess, since it could be associated with multiple pictures, a single picture, or no pictures.

That's it, I think. All three are possible in different places. The top one seems to be the one I'm having the most difficulty finding an adequate site for. A combination of all three seems non-existent but I hold out hope. I saw the older post about adding more social stuff to Smugmug but I haven't seen anything that shows that it's been done yet.

Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?

Thanks.

Ernie

Comments

  • denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,372 moderator
    edited September 29, 2008
    epetti wrote:
    - Ability to have a map that shows my route connecting all my stops that I will be making, and mark where I currently am. I think Google Maps can do this to some extent. I know Google Earth can, but how that transfers to on-line I'm not sure.
    - Ability to post photos easily. I have an iPhone and smugshot works great, where wireless is available, but I'll also want to dump and upload some pictures (not all) from random internet cafes.
    - Ability to write little entries about what we've seen and done. Basically a blog I guess, since it could be associated with multiple pictures, a single picture, or no pictures.

    That's it, I think. All three are possible in different places. The top one seems to be the one I'm having the most difficulty finding an adequate site for. A combination of all three seems non-existent but I hold out hope.
    Ernie -
    I travel by bicycle, and I've been keeping journals of my travels at www.crazyguyonabike.com for a long time. That site is specifically for bicycle touring, but the owner of the site has recently - within the last year or so - created two more sites that can be used for journals for hiking trips, or for what he is referring to as backpack travel. The backpack travel topic is described as "A place for adventures by bus, train, car, boat, plane...". I suspect that might fit your needs.

    The journals are intended to be created like a book as opposed to like a blog. The journals have a table of contents, typically ordered from oldest to newest - unlike a blog which is ordered from newest to oldest. I usually log on to the site to post my journal entries, but you can also post journal entries by email. There is a guestbook associated with each journal, and unless you disable it you will get an email each time someone posts a guestbook entry.

    You can post photos there.
    Google maps are integrated into the site.
    And you can write entries that are as long or as short as you'd like.

    Based on your trip description, I think it fits on http://backpacktravel.topicwise.com. Use of the site is free, and the webmaster and owner of the sites, Neil Gunton, is quite responsive.

    You can wander through the posted journals there, or maybe you'd find it helpful to see some of my journals, both completed and in progress: If I can answer any questions for you about the use of the sites, please let me know. They are very easy to use, and there is help available on the sites.

    --- Denise
  • epettiepetti Registered Users Posts: 55 Big grins
    edited September 30, 2008
    Thanks for the suggestion. After reading a bit more on-line I found two other travel blog sites:

    http://www.travelblog.com
    http://www.travelpod.com

    That second one, TravelPod, seems to have pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. I have to look at it a bit more, but it's a got a great route tool using Google Maps, and then ties your entries into those destinations in a journal form.

    If anyone else knows of any other sites, please let me know.

    Thanks.

    Ernie
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