Internetting on Vacation

Tourist Season In My Mountain Town

By Contributing Writer, Unfiltered 6-21-06

By Heidi Borg
Guest Writer

When do you really know the tourist season has arrived in the Flathead Valley? Maybe it can be displayed by the multitude of brand new Subarus with tiny barcode stickers in the back window. Or maybe your favorite restaurant is backed wall to wall by 6:30 pm.

But in my small town of Columbia Falls, gateway to Glacier National Park, gauging the start of the summer tourist season just takes a trip to the local library.

The Columbia Falls library has 6 computers wired with high speed internet access. It's also a hot spot if you are lugging your own computer. All one needs to do to borrow a library computer is secure an empty seat, sign his/her name and the time on a clipboard, and voila: The Great American Tourist may search the net for up to 1 hour. And don't mind the other prospective web surfers drooling at your heels with eyes on your computer.

As I entered my local library on a recent Monday afternoon I felt a pang of acerbity as I glanced at a clump of 4 bicycle riders completely outfitted in spandex shorts, clip-in bike shoes, and helmets perched on their heads standing in "my library”. The American Tourist does not need to search far for an internet café in my town; she just needs to know how to ask where the public library is located.

As I was waiting my turn to get the next free computer, the librarian-turned-tourist guide was able to aid a happy visitor in the following ways:

1. by finding a local interest book for happy visitor to read
2. by recommending a great cup of coffee
3. by giving all possible tasty lunch options in town

Most importantly, our tourist guide gave the visitor protocol for obtaining the next open computer.

As I left the library that day I realized I should be so lucky to enjoy the extra minutes I had to wait. I live in a place that most people can only enjoy a week out of the year.

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