if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
      
      var select_html = '<select onChange="handleSelected(this)">' +
                        '<option selected> Select a Location . . . </option>';         
      
      var gmarkers = [];
      var htmls = [];
      var i = 0;
      
var custIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON);
custIcon.iconSize = new GSize(13, 50);
custIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(38, 50);
custIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(7, 50);

var myIcons = [];
myIcons['image'] = new GIcon(custIcon, '../icons/tides/image.png');
       
      function createMarker(point,name,html) {
        var marker = new GMarker(point, { icon: myIcons['image']});        

  
		
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
		
        gmarkers.push(marker);
			
		
        htmls[i] = html;
		
		select_html += '<option> ' + name + '<\/option>';
		
        i++;
		return marker;
      }
      
     function myclick(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(htmls[i]);
      }	
	  
      function handleSelected(opt) {
        var i = opt.selectedIndex - 1; 
        if (i > -1) {
          GEvent.trigger(gmarkers[i],"click");
        }
        else {
          map.closeInfoWindow();
        }
      }	  
	  
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("maps"));
	  map.addMapType(G_PHYSICAL_MAP);
      map.setUIToDefault();
      map.setCenter(new GLatLng(38.05,-121.55), 10, G_PHYSICAL_MAP);
      
      var request = GXmlHttp.create();
      request.open("GET", "../xml/tides/tides.xml", true);
      request.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (request.readyState == 4) {
          var xmlDoc = request.responseXML;
          
          var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
          
          for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
            
            var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
            var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
            var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
            var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
            var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
           
           var marker = createMarker(point,label,html);
            map.addOverlay(marker);
          }
          
        select_html += '</select>';
        document.getElementById("selection").innerHTML = select_html;
        }
      }
      request.send(null);	  
    }

    else {
      alert("Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser");
    }