Amen.
I've been using GE since right after it came out, a colleague had the original beta version, and he has Pro version, which makes it easier to make your own maps. It has become such a useful tool OUTSIDE of fishing, that I will likely use it pretty heavily to teach geology in the future. The out of dated-ness of the photos is a pain for some areas,
Also, check out
http://local.live.com/
See image. thats from local live