• by Larry Dobrow , Featured Columnist, September 1, 2005

Ah, our beautiful state parks: Birds a-warblin', brooks a-babblin', suns a-settin'. Oh, and hard drives a-whirrin'.

Beg your pardon?

California, Michigan, and Texas, among other states, have tapped wireless behemoths like SBC to equip many of their parks with Wi-Fi hookups. Whereas nature aficionados used to have to make do with a compass and waterproof matches, they can now use their laptops to access weather forecasts, emergency alerts, and online poker sites.

Though some might squawk that technology has invaded one of the modern world's few remaining sanctuaries, a California State Parks spokesperson says reaction has been relatively muted. "People like having the option. The ones who don't just leave their computers at home," she says.

Fair enough, but where do we draw the line? Wi-Fi access in church pews? In maternity wards? It's a Wi-Fi world, it seems, and we're all just passing through.