MapWorks by Jillian Ada Burrows lets you easily incorporate Google Maps into your blog posts with a simple shortcode. Using this plugin you can insert any number of maps in a post or page (be weary of too many maps, they can use lots of bandwidth). 

The plugin displays a button at the lower left side that show and hides a panel to get directions. Directions can be hidden by clicking on the button and shown by cliking it again. There is a clear directions button too. Also, the street view is set up to automatically orient all views towards the address ot lattitude and longitude.

You can mark locations by using an address. The name you specify will show up on the tool tip in the map. A zoom level can be optionally specified if you want one different from the default. By using the long form of the shortcode, you can include info for a pop-up info box that shows up when users click on the marker. Just typing '[mapworks]' (without the quotes) will bring up a map centered around Hot Lips Pizza + Soda near Portland State University (where I wrote the core of this plugin in one sitting). If you click on the marker an info box shows up with an example of how to use it.

Typical usages:
Simple usage (shows a marker at the address): [mapworks name="Cape Perpetua" address="Cape Perpetua Waldport, OR"]
Custom info box: [mapworks name="Cape Perpetua" address="Cape Perpetua Waldport, OR"]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adaburrows/4140273024/" title="img_1562 by adaburrows, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/4140273024_608b8539df_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="img_1562" /></a><br />This is the outlook over Cape Perpetua. It is nearby Yachats and Waldport on the Oregon Coast.[/mapworks]
The short and long forms cannot be mixed on the same page, this is a shortcoming of WordPress's shortcode implementation.

Have fun!

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   Copyright 2010 Jillian Ada Burrows

   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   You may obtain a copy of the License at

       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   limitations under the License.
================================================================================
      Jillian Ada Burrows | Email: jill@adaburrows.com | Skype: adaburrows
       Twitter: @jburrows | Facebook: http://facebook.com/jillian.burrows
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