Poet Ponders the Digital

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley July 20, 2006 Searching for Visalia Anytime I prepare to visit a new city I turn on my computer, open a Web browser, and head for Google. Entering the city name into the search field usually gives me a great idea of places to see, things to do, and what the local residents consider important. I used to sit in Borders to skim Rand maps and Frommer’s guides, but Google changed everything. In the last three months, I have “Googled” cities in seven states. I often begin with a search for the best Mexican food, a requirement no matter where I travel. Then, I search for places to stay. Ideally, I like to stay within walking distance of whatever I’m doing. It’s amazing what Google has helped me discover, but Google can only find information already on the Web. I began to wonder what would happen if I “Googled” Visalia in exactly the same way I do other cities. I went to Google, entered “Visalia” into the search field, and clicked “Google Search.” I anti...