How did we ever survive?
Some days (or perhaps all days!) life without the Internet seems unthinkable. I can’t remember how to plan a trip without the World Wide Web. I recall perhaps using a travel agent or buying and borrowing a lot of books and making many phone calls. Today I can easily find and finalize details not only around transportation and hotels but also local attractions. And the amount of information can approach overwhelming quantities. Vancouver’s Stanley Park and Washington State’s Mount Rainier National Park both suffered winter storm damage. Tourists seeking the latest Stanley Park news can read about the restoration project and peruse a detailed chronology of events and major donations since the December windstorm. Those interested in Mount Rainier will find that although the park is still closed because of November floods, there is a thorough flood recovery status page with maps pinpointing the damage and recovery work, photos and slideshows, news and newsletters. Plus, there’s a climbing blog. This type of information not only wouldn’t have been easily accessible prior to the Internet — I wonder if it would have existed at all!