Long Beach Blazes Trails With Bar Codes

Thanks to a new technology called QR codes, clients have instant access to information at 29 points of interest around the town.

The City of Long Beach, a popular Washington beach town, is making it easier than ever for visitors to learn about its points of interest.

Thanks to a new technology called QR codes -- a type of barcode that can be scanned by an iPhone, Blackberry, Droid or other type of smart phone -- clients have instant access to information at 29 points of interest around the town.

Small signs with the codes provide details on such visitor draws as the World’s Longest Beach arch, the world’s largest frying pan, the World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame, a gray whale skeleton and a 20-foot tall bronze evergreen known as Clark’s Tree, among others. Many sites are located along the half-mile boardwalk overlooking the ocean, in city parks and along Discovery Trail, an 8.5-mile paved, coastal, interpretive path.

“We’re happy to introduce QR codes as a way to enhance a visitor’s experience of Long Beach,” said Long Beach city councilman Jerry Phillips. “With its flexibility and endless potential, we’re excited about its many future applications to the traveling public.”

Plans call for eventually linking the codes to video clips, audio recordings and slide shows.

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