To help you find places easier, we’ve enhanced Search on our Map Toolbar with new categories and a more intuitive user-interface with six new category icons and relevant business categories in the drop-down menu that include:

1. Lodging: Hotels & Motels and Campgrounds
2. Restaurants & Bars: Coffee and Fast Food
3. Travel Services: Airports, Gas Stations, Parking
4. Shopping: Retail Apparel, Grocery Stores, Florists
5. Activities: Tourist Attractions, Museums, Casinos, Parks
6. Local Services: Schools, Pharmacies, Post Offices

We improved our Map Toolbar so it’s quicker to use and has your primary search needs in mind. We removed the rotating carousel of categories, so you can expect to find each icon, such as the Restaurant “fork-and-knife” in the same position each time. We also recognize that you have a wide array of restaurants choices, so we expanded the ability to search for restaurants by a certain restaurant type or cuisine to help you narrow your appetite needs.

Here’s another helpful tip for your next road trip: To find the cheapest gas along your route and a rest area about halfway along through the trip, just enter your starting and ending destinations, click on the Gas Stations and Rest Area icons under Travel Services, and we’ll suggest where to stop along the way.

We’d love to hear your feedback and find out how this feature helps your trip planning needs!

P.S. If you’re a business owner and want to ensure that your business is included in the search results for a specific category, check out our Local Business Center blog post on SEO Tips and the “Categories” feature!

4th of July events can be a pain to plan, but don’t sweat it this year – MapQuest is here to help! By clicking the fireworks icon on the Map Toolbar on MapQuest.com, you can easily view all of your local events including 4th of July parades, festivals, amazing light shows and more. We have gone through the trouble of bringing the events to you, just click and get directed towards exciting Independence Day fun.

Eventful supplied us with over 350 star spangled events for you to choose from; whether you want to head to a local event or plan a road trip, there is something for everyone. Once you have chosen your destination, you can get directions and send them directly to your phone, GPS or car using the ‘Send To’ option.

The 4th of July is a time to spend with family and friends so don’t miss anything by getting lost or stuck in traffic. You can view traffic conditions using the ‘Live Traffic’ option and find the quickest route so you can be front row for the parade and not miss the fireworks display!

We would love to here how you spend your holiday so don’t forget to share with us on Facebook and Twitter.  Hope you have an explosive 4th of July!

In theory, you should always listen to your mother. But no matter what she says (‘I don’t need anything! It’s just a silly Hallmark® holiday!’), she’s expecting you to pull out all the stops on Mother’s Day.

Luckily, the editors at City’s Best have done all the legwork for you this year. Simply click on the “Mom’s Day” icon in our Map Toolbar on MapQuest.com for your city location to see a list of these recommendations.

They’ve combed 25 cities across the country picking out the best brunch spots, special activities and impressive florists to ensure Mom has a lovely day (and that you don’t endure guilt or three weeks of passive aggressive behavior).

Not that she’d ever do that.

Ashley McAdams is a Senior Editor of Local at Huffington Post Media Group.

While Independence Day is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the parades, festivals and firework shows going on around you, sometimes finding the right event and getting there in time to get a good view can dampen your patriotic spirit.

But now with 4^th of July Events locator button in our Map Toolbar on MapQuest.com, you can see a convenient display of the events going on in your area and get directions from your house at the same time!

We’ve compiled a list of over 500 of the best 4^th of July events nationwide, and with our mapping expertise, we can provide the best route to get you to the front of the action as quickly as possible.

Now, when the fireworks start going off, you’ll be able to avoid traffic and get the best seat in the house!

Find out where the best July 4th events are going on around your area at our brand new beta site! Or on our current site.

Hope you have a great 4th!

Don’t worry about tracking down the Easter Bunny this year, because we’re doing it for you! In an effort to make this busy day a bit less hectic this year, we are making it easy for you to find many of the Easter Egg hunts and other Easter events in your area by displaying them right on your map.

In order to try it, go to MapQuest.com, get a map of your area and simply click on the Easter Egg icon in the tool-bar on the right-hand side of your map. The events in your area will then appear on your map (the Easter Egg bubbles). From here, you can click on each to get more details about the event. If you do not see any Easter Eggs on your map, try zooming out.

If you are looking for a restaurant for brunch or even a hotel for the in-laws, the toolbar can help with that too. Just use the up and down arrows to scroll and find the icon that you’re looking for.

Hopefully this tool makes your holiday planning a bit easier this weekend. Happy hunting!