How did people plan vacations before the Internet?

This is the time of the year when I make plans for vacation.

I admit I like it. I like the detective work. I like looking at the map. I like the finding out information about a new place. I like discussing the options with my wife and kids. I like the problem solving.
I just don't know how people -- especially people with disabilities that needed to seek out accessibility information -- ever did it without the Internet.
That planning I talked about in my opening mostly consists of working on the Web. Figuring our destinations? Done on the Web.Setting a route? Done on the Web. Combing through the myriad accommodations and attractions possibilities? The web. Scoping out public transportation? Yep, the Web.
These days it's pretty easy to find out about most anyplace instantly. Google it!
Then if you decide you want to go there for sure, you can start looking for details.
That's when the Web really comes in handy for figuring our accessibility.
Sometimes attractions or hotels or what have you make it easy for you. Increasingly, they go  right ahead and tell you about their accessibility. If that's not the case, you can usually fire off an email message to a contact. I'd say more often than not I get a response.
But even when they may not be so obvious, Web sites are often helpful, especially if they have good photos. I have spent many hours squinting at photos of say a beach access on a website to figure out whether there are any stairs or if there's an opening in the dune where a beach wheelchair could get through.
Those satellite photos from Google can be handy too in such situations.
Obviously there was a way to make vacation plans before the Internet. But aren't we glad we've got it now?

Photo by Missy Red Boots via morgueFile.com