The other day I was meeting a friend for dinner in Denver and we searched for City’s Best ‘Burgers’ through Navigator’s CityGuide search screen. We landed at a joint called “The Cherry Cricket”. My kind of place – a bar menu with humongous burgers. When I was on my way to the airport the next day, Navigator popped up an alert that steered me around a jam on I-70 – which was key since I was running late yet again…

Anyone who’s been in an electronics store lately has seen that standalone GPS units can cost hundreds of dollars, and putting one in the dash of your car costs a boatload. Why buy another gadget when your BlackBerry® or other GPS smartphone can get you the same results? Personally, I’d rather carry one do-it-all device in my pocket. With MapQuest Navigator I can get my monthly service for less than the cost of my jamocha double half-whip every morning.

So here’s the kicker – we want folks to check out Navigator 5.0, and we wanted to give a great incentive to try it out – we made it cheap! Right now, MapQuest Navigator 5.0 is only $4.99 per month- which is about half of the ten bucks a month your carrier might charge you for similar services. Anyone that signs up before the end of the year can get the great price, and there’s no obligation for a long contract – it’s a month to month service.

Check out more details here, and let us know what you think. We’re very interested in what you think.

Cheers- and happy travelin’ over Turkey Day!

Almost all mobile phones sold in the last few years can give you access to the mobile web, so it’s not like you have to have the latest gadget! Just go to www.mapquest.com on your phone’s mobile web browser and you’ll be able to find places, get maps and directions – ‘right-sized’ for your mobile phone. Millions of people are already using MapQuest for Mobile Web every month, and we’re helping them get where they need to go, while they’re on the go.

Here are the basics. In “Find a Place” you can search 16 million Points of Interest and find restaurants, hotels, parks, and more; just by putting in a name, zip, intersection or city. On most carriers you’ll also enjoy our Click to Call feature; where you can simply click the phone number within the searched location and immediately call the business. Use Map a Location to get maps of the US and Canada that you can pan and zoom. And, in “Get Directions” you’ll find reliable turn by turn directions just like online – only right on your phone. You can also choose advanced route options to avoid highways or toll roads.

And now we’re introducing additional valuable features to our mobile-web service.

Gas Prices
OK, we’re all shocked at the price of gas these days, but perhaps MapQuest can help ease your pain a bit. Now you can find the lowest priced gas on MapQuest for Mobile Web. Simply click on the ‘Find Gas Prices’, and you can find local stations by price, distance or the station name. So, whether you’re running on “E”, or just looking to save a buck, MapQuest Gas Prices can help you out.

Multi-point directions
Making more than one stop along your way?We’ve upgraded our ‘Get Directions’ link, to make multiple stops on a trip or while running errands. You can now add up to six locations to your route and get turn-by-turn directions from point A to B to C, etc, displayed right on your phone’s screen.

Walking Directions
Taking on the city on foot? MapQuest for Mobile Web now has a Walking Directions option that displays the most direct route for pedestrians. Our walking routes ignore one-way streets and provide you with the shortest distance available.

So there you have it, enhanced features to make your on the go experience even better. Type in www.mapquest.com into your mobile browser and you’re on your way.

Note: Check with your carrier about mobile web access – sometimes it’s included with your service, but they may charge a small additional fee for web browsing or it may count toward your minutes.