Sure it’s a great-looking map! But owner Sarah Eckert-Maurer has a bolder vision for her company’s Bird’s Eye View maps:

“Every great experience can start with this map,” she said. “I want our maps to be portals to a whole other dimension in travel and entertainment.”

That is why she brands her Bird’s Eye View maps as “Where to go–What to do.” Sure, she wants to make it easier for both visitors and locals to navigate the growing number of shops, restaurants, galleries, and destinations. But she also wants to help make your trip more of an experience!

How have they done that? Her team has incorporated several improvements to the actual piece. First, they redesigned the layout, lining the edges with larger ads where interested visitors can find out more about how to reach the stores they like.

Unlike other maps that just tell you where to go, Bird’s Eye View feature listings of major annual events. She wants visiting Fredericksburg or any town to be more of a visceral experience.

Sarah insists her goal is to enrich the appreciation of the land that she already loves. Her vision is about making every visit more of an experience. That’s why all of her maps provide current information on events, historic sites, family activities, and recreational options.

Another feature sets her map apart. Even in this online world of digital maps, gps, and mobile phone apps, there is an unexpected satisfaction in holding a Bird’s Eye View map in your hands.

Every map is meant to be used. That’s why she redesigned the layouts to leave more space for users to write in comments and circle destinations, and utilized plain paper that is easier to write on.

According to those featured on the maps, the concept seems to be working.

“I hear reports all the time from stores that so many customers walk in clutching our map,” she said. “This map is a tool to used, not art to be admired. We want people to write on it, to use their high-liters, to circle a favorite destination. But it is art, too!”

Here’s hoping your next trip is a real experience!