Time Travel

When I was a kid and my friends wanted to play time travel, most of them wanted to rocket into the future.  Not me. They would turn refrigerator boxes into race cars and rocket ships and I would turn mine into a stagecoach, all set to go to the old west. 

Now that I have become an author of historical non fiction, I have discovered that the best and most readily available methods of time travel, involve my car, my feet and the Internet.  Whenever I am preparing to go on a research trip the first thing I do is to learn as much about my destination as I can before I leave home.  

To illustrate my point I offer the following plan for visiting Virginia City Montana, something I encourage every Montana history enthusiast to do. 

• My first step would be to Google "Virginia City Montana" and see what pops up.  One of the first hits is for the Virginia City Chamber of Commerce.  This site is great starting point.  I review the list of events to see if there is anything special going on when I plan to visit.  I read the history section then I check out the activity section.
• Listed among the activities, I find a link for a walking tour map.  Eureka, just what I was hoping to find.
• I download the file and save it on my computer, that way I can print it out before I leave.
• As I look over the walking tour map I look for the names of people and buildings that might be of particular interest.  Then I google those terms to get as much information as possible.  (To arouse your curiosity, number 51 on the walking tour has a very interesting history, who was Sara Bickford?)
• I check the on line catalog of my hometown library to see what books are available on my subject.

By the time I actually visit Virginia City.  I have a good understanding of what I am seeing. Not just the limited text that is available on historic markers, or on the walking brochure.  I also have some idea of what information I do not have.  By doing my homework I can focus on what I need to find out, instead of  wandering aimlessly.

Even if you are only visiting Virginia City (or any other historic site) for entertainment, doing a little research ahead of time will greatly enhance your visit.