Wordpress - acheiving a google map of posts with some custom stuff
I need to create a google map in Wordpress that displays the location of posts.  I am currently using WP-geo, which is very easy to use, but I think I need to ditch it to achieve what I need to achieve.

Posts need markers that are images uploaded individually, that fall back to a default image when a marker has not been uploaded.  On hovering over a marker, some data from the post needs to be fetched and displayed (some custom field data, an exerpt, maybe an image).

I'm contemplating just rolling my own solution using the maps javascript API, but I guess I'd need to make my own plugin for this (for serving up the data to be fetched by JS, and adding the ability to upload custom markers).  I've created widgets in WP and found it very easy, is making a plugin much of a learning curve?

Alternatively, I'd love to hear about a way to do this using an existing plugin.

Thanks!
Wordpress - acheiving a google map of posts with some custom stuff
===

I need to create a google map in Wordpress that displays the location of posts.  I am currently using WP-geo, which is very easy to use, but I think I need to ditch it to achieve what I need to achieve.

Posts need markers that are images uploaded individually, that fall back to a default image when a marker has not been uploaded.  On hovering over a marker, some data from the post needs to be fetched and displayed (some custom field data, an exerpt, maybe an image).

I'm contemplating just rolling my own solution using the maps javascript API, but I guess I'd need to make my own plugin for this (for serving up the data to be fetched by JS, and adding the ability to upload custom markers).  I've created widgets in WP and found it very easy, is making a plugin much of a learning curve?

Alternatively, I'd love to hear about a way to do this using an existing plugin.

Thanks!