A visual and functional overhaul – plus more goodies for subscribers – was part of the reason I was so quiet this past week. I also fit in some hiking, too, but the big news is the new look and functionality of Florida Hikes! Let me run down some of the special features for you….
1) A new look, with easier-to-read text and a text sizing option in the upper right
2) All menu items are now on the top of the page, leaving more room for content on the articles and hikes pages.
3) Login for subscribers is now at the top right of all pages
4) Featured article gallery with four major articles
5) You can order guidebooks directly from the front page, below my welcome message
6) The subscription info includes a Hike-A-Week sample on the front page right sidebar
7) A new Weather module on the front page lets you type (and retain) your town, so you can pick up your weather forecast whenever you visit
8. Hiking galleries on the front page. Each showcases the five most recent hikes added to a region, with click-through on the photo (or below it) to details. You can collapse or move these modules around, depending on your regional interest
9) Latest video and images from MyFloridaHikes in the right sidebar, along with click-through to MyFloridaHikes and links to great places to get gear
10) Links to specific cities and highways have been moved to the bottom of the page. You can also access them through the top menu: Hikes by City, Hikes by Topic, and Hikes by Place
In addition, subscribers now have access to 630 different GPX and KML files, which I’m slowly organizing and classifying by region. I’ve also added the Hike-A-Week archive for subscribers, by popular request, so if you’re a new subscriber you won’t miss out on what’s already been presented…29 weeks of hiking thus far!
More updates are in the works, but I hope you find this new site easier to navigate and more useful to you. I’m adding in more trail maps little by little – please note that in Internet Explorer, you are not seeing the whole map, and I’m working with the software folks to fix that – and with the help of a friend, will be greatly expanding content for you over the summer months. If you’re not already a subscriber, please dive in! And if you are, or just a fan of the site, I’d appreciate your feedback on what functionality, features, or products I could add in the future to make it more valuable to you. Thanks!
