Garmin Basecamp can be used with Google Earth to assist in route plotting. There is a link within the menus of Basecamp, as there is in Mapsource, which opens your route and waypoints in Google Earth. In countries that permit Google Street View you can use this to check road conditions, how scenic the route really is, where a specific store, hotel or restaurant is located, parking, suitable meeting, or rest, points etc. The possibilities are pretty wide ranging. Additionally you can see the topographical lay of the land and even do a fly-though on a proposed route. You can waste hours doing this but at the same time getting a real feel for where you’ll be riding or driving.