Let's begin with places LeeOra and I have used extensively for free wifi. Some of the best wifi hotspots were of course restaurants because they have the advantage of wifi and food, an unbeatable combination. Top on the list for us was McAlister's Deli. They had a great signal and even better sweet tea, which they will refill almost indefinitely. Special recognition to the McAlister's in Athens for their great service and signal.
We spent even more time in Panera Bread in Colorado. Talk about a great signal we once pulled up outside the restaurant and from the parking lot we pulled down a signal strong enough to check our email. The food was great but the sweet tea was no match for McAlister's.
Most of our time has been spent in Barnes and Noble once they opened up their wifi and made it free. The signal was not terribly strong and seemed to shut itself off from time to time if you were on it for a few hours at a time, which of course we were. The great advantage here of course is being able to browse the book as well as having a coffee shop when you don't need to be on the internet. A few of the Barnes and Noble also made it hard to plug in your computer, I think as a way to limit your time in the store. (No, I don't want to buy a book, ma'am. I just like reading all of yours for free while my wife uses your free internet.)
A better bookstore for computers was the Hastings bookstores which tend to be in the smaller towns where Barnes and Nobles don't compete. They had plenty of plug-ins in their coffee shops and still had the great books as well. A special thanks to the Hastings in Amarillo, TX for being such great hosts to us. (To the little college nursing student who was very vocal with all her friends and study buddies, good luck in the future with you boyfriend, your parents, your instructors, your tests. All of which I learned about sitting across the coffee shop from you.)
Most libraries across the nation had wifi but some did not and forget about getting on the Library computers they are almost always taken. (Come on people get your own computers so I can bum these.) We also picked up wifi at McDonald's, though some wanted you to pay for it, outside hotels, though I felt a little like a thief parked outside the back wall, and even a nice cleaners who for some strange reason was radiating the entire parking lot with his wifi signal. (Maybe it helps take out wrinkles.) Downtown Denver has an entire street with free wifi though it was too cold to stand outside and use it, plus there were zero plug-ins anywhere.
We have of course used the Wifi at several churches with varying degrees of success and used our cell phone tethered to our laptop which was slow, slow. s......l......o....w, but appreciated when we couldn't get anything else. Finding wifi hotspots was simple if you already had a connection, you simply went to google and typed "free Wifi hotspots Denver" or whatever town you are in and Voila!, hotspots. Of course if you already had internet access you wouldn't be looking for it. We have downloaded the lists before we went into a new town or used our laptop as a wifi locator while driving slowly through a section of town with restaurants, stores and hotels.
Be advised that "stealing wifi" is illegal, even if it is unsecured so don't drive through neighborhoods with your laptop hanging out the window trying to pick up a signal. Dangerous if you drop the laptop and even more trouble if they call the cops and report "some strange vehicle outside with a guy whose face is glowing." Hard to explain to your supporting churches why some of their support money was used for bail.
Hope this helpful, let me know if you have a few favorite wifi hotspots of your own.
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