Take what you need, need what you take

I have decided to give myself a little challenge for this next trip of mine and see if I can manage to get everything my wife and I need in two carry-on bags. In and of itself this may not sound like a Herculean feat but for me and my wife (both constant overpackers) it will be a challenge.

We will be in California for 5 days and for the most part it will be very casual clothing. However we also plan to go to a nice-ish eating establishment so we can't just be in shorts all the time. I am taking a page from noted one-bag traveler Rick Steves and not bringing anything I cannot buy at my destination, or wash out in the sink and dry. We are also skipping the uneccessary toiletries (like our own shampoo) as they do have that at the hotel (or the Target just a few blocks away).

As a disabled person there are things I have to take that will take up room. I manage these by being creative. Cathaters are basically like packing peanuts to buffer and fit in-between most anything in my bag. I have to take a supply of pills which fit in a quart size zip lock bag (they need to be in their Rx bottles or you will get to meet some very serious people from the NTSB). I also have to take a supply of latex gloves which I also remove from their boxes and stuff into a baggie. I am wearing my heavy clothing and shoes on the plane so that will take up less room. I am also layering so I will shed some of those layers when we get to the room and hanging up the extra clothes.

Hear is a list of what I have packed so far:

4 pair of underwear

2 t-shirts

2 shorts (one Khaki, one that can double as swim trunks)

1 polo shirt (for our nice night)

1 pair of socks

extra pair of jeans or khakis

1 pair of workout pants (yes I am one of those people who work out on vacation)

1 razor & travel shave kit

1 pair of sandals

5 days of catheters

5 days of latex gloves

Pills

1 spare pair of sunglasses (as I have lost them on vacation before)

spare inner tube

tire changing kit

Yes this seems like a long list but I assure you it does all fit nicely into a carry-on bag with some room to spare for souvenirs on the way back. We don't usually pre-pack, but since we're trying to limit ourselves to just two bags, we did a trial run last weekend and it all fit great and was under the weight limit. By the way, before you travel, check your specific airline's regulations about baggage size, weight, and contents. Don't forget the liquid restrictions and be sure to put all such items in a quart-size baggie.

I will let you know when I get back how my little experiment went and if there were things that I needed that I had to hunt down while I am there.

Just a over a week until we are on vacation and I can't wait!

Wordless Wednesday (or I need a Vacation)

Quick post for a quick tip.

Keep all of your travel documents together. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people juggling their carry-on, laptop case, and water bottle trying to get their tickets for the gate attendant. This just irritates the people behind you so here is an easy solution. REI, AAA, Target, and I am sure other fine retailers out there have cool little dossier holders that you can keep all of your travel paperwork together in a nice neat little case. This will alleviate your stress trying to not spill your triple shot non-fat mochaccino with whip. It will also let you not be the guy everyone wants to see seated by the bathrooms in the back of the plane (you know who you are, from my last trip. Like I said easy and quick.

Leave the driving to ART

I have not used the Anaheim Resort Transit system in my previous trips to the Disneyland Resorts because it was not set up as user friendly as it is now. The cost of gas going up must have made the folks of Orange County rethink mass transportation because from what I have been able to see it looks pretty manageable to use. Most all buses use Disneyland or the Anaheim Garden walk as a hub and do loops to and from the shopping center to the parks and back (they also make trips to the stadiums, convention center, and the Block at Orange , another large shopping complex). This allows you some away time when you get that bit of claustrophobia that is common when dealing with large crowds.

I think I will like it because I can hop the bus at Disneyland, ride comfortably to Target or Safeway, pick up some bottled water or snacks for the room (I get the craving for fruit or healthy-ish snacks after a day of park food) that won't make me need to take a mortgage on my house. All the buses are wheelchair accessible and if further assistance is needed they have other accommodations to help by calling them up. Prices seem to be reasonable as they sell passes for 1-5 days (1 day=$4, 3 day=$10, and 5 day=$16) and there are kiosks to purchase them at most of the major stops (Disneyland being one of them).

The ART web page is easy to navigate and has a good map, although you may want to print it out because otherwise you have to view it through a tiny window and don't get the whole map at one time. Our plan is to check this out on the trip and I will let you know any pros or cons to using this instead of, or in addition to, renting a car.

Your New Best Friend

OK, as I have stated many times, it is good to use a professional travel agent for some things. After all like all professionals they know things that you won't. It is their job to assist you in making your trip restful and (in our circumstances) affordable. You wouldn't think of doing home dentistry (or maybe you would in which case I would mock you incessantly).

I am lucky that I have two agents that I have regularly used for years. One for the local jaunts, and destination vacations. The other I use for things that are a little more adventurous. I consider them to both to be friends. So it in this spirit that I give out another tip. Make friends with your agent, get to know them and their families. Let them into your life. This will enhance both of your abilities (yours to trust that they will do their very best in planning, and theirs to know exactly what you may need even when you don't voice it).

My travel agents are great because they can anticipate some of my needs. I really love to visit them and find out what is going on with them outside the offices. I write this because after a tough week of work I went to the mail box to get my mail and my itinerary was in there. I went in to ceremoniously open it with my wife, and after stripping away the white AAA envelope we discovered....It was gift wrapped by the brilliant Mary at AAA Mt. Vernon. It was a nice way to start off the weekend. And AAA Incorporated if you are reading this, you really should give that woman a raise as she is a great representative for your company.

More later...

Free to Be

It's a funny thing, vacation. You save up your money, you plan, you research, and then when you finally get to your destination, almost inevitably there's someone in your group who will say "So this is it?". That's when you need to think about activities you can do in addition to the primary purpose or destination of your vacation.

I've done a lot of trips, and we've done a lot of research. The one thing that I'm proud to say is that when we do a destination trip, such as our upcoming Disneyland vacation, we usually have researched the subject enough to have come up with some alternative ideas, in the event we get restless. You may think that there's nothing else to do in the greater Anaheim area, but that's not the case.

If you decide you've just had enough of the parks (and who doesn't get to that point, sooner or later), you can rent a car and in less than an hour be on a beautiful sandy beach overlooking the ocean. You can head to San Diego for history, or LA for glamour. You can catch some nature by exploring the state parks in the area, and maybe get a little outdoor recreation in too.

Citysearch.com is a great tool in these instances, and it's something that you can access easily at the last minute, even while you're away. If you don't want to bring a laptop or smart phone, check with the concierge at your hotel -- you might get some suggestions that only a local would know. Talk to other vacationers or staff members. What are their favorite places to go when they are in town, or in the area? Where do they like to eat, that is off the beaten path? They may not initially want to share their "secrets" with you, but if you're polite (and persistent) you may find some hidden gems.

In short, be open to being spontaneous. While traveling with a disability requires pre-planning and research, it does not require an itinerary that is set in stone. Be flexible and have fun -- this is your vacation after all, and you've definitely earned it!

Bring me something.....

For my fifth tip I have decided to share what my wife and I discovered on our trip to Seaside, Oregon. As with most tourists we always want to relive our trips. We have bought t-shirts, hats, an occasional bag or bumper sticker and this does let us have something that brings back memories of our travels.

However when we were on our engagement trip in Seaside we ended up in this cool little gallery. They had lots of nifty (and expensive) art pieces. We kept talking about a few pieces and how we would love to hang them in our house. Then as if in a cartoon, a light bulb popped on over our heads and we said in unison "why not just buy that instead of stuff that we will never use". And we did, and hung the piece up in our living room, where every day we would see it and think back on our wonderful trip.

This has led us to buy a cool print or art piece on each trip we have taken (I have even been inspired to take artistic photos for framing around the house). From Hawaii and St Thomas, we have prints of pieces by local artists. From Disney, we have maps and an upscale print, as well as reproductions of original posters for attractions like the Matterhorn. Some of these pieces may be used in our nursery, as we are hoping to infect the little one with the travel bug at an early age.

This will allow us to be able to decorate our house in the paraphernalia that we have accumulated over a lifetime of traveling. I mean really, would you rather be the cool family with the awesome collection of African figurines, or just another guy with a Tijuana t-Shirt?

5 Fave Friday-Top Hotels

These are five of the best hotels that we have stayed at.....so far.

5. Orlando Airport Hilton- You can sum this up with two words...excellent service. Every staff member here just exuded a level of friendliness and competence that you seldom see in a busy property like this.

4. Paris Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, NV- This is a sentimental favorite as I got married here. The grounds were great and we have a ton of gorgeous pictures. If you are in Vegas check it out.

3. Hotel Monaco Portland Oregon- Great location, friendly staff, beautiful room. Located near lots of cool restaurants, clubs, shops and for my wife Powells City of Books.

2. Disney's Grand Californian Hotel Anaheim, CA- True this could be summed up as another Disney attraction. However I have stayed here several times and it is truly a relaxing experience with some elegant touches that will appease everyone in your family.

1. The Inn at the Market Seattle, WA-A recent find. We have only stayed here once but it made a huge impression on us. It is steps from the world famous Pikes Place Market. Minutes away from the waterfront and right were everything is happening (Seattle Art Museum, Benaroya Hall, Washington Convention Center, Pioneer Square). The Staff was helpful, and courteous without being phony. The rooms were clean, maneuverable, and pretty. We plan on making the trek back to this little gem in the near future.


This was a very difficult post because I have had many great experiences in hotels of various levels and price ranges. If you have any hotels that you would like to bring to my attention let me know in the comments section.

What Can Brown Do For You?

(or for that matter, what can FedEx do for you?)

#4 -- My fourth tip for domestic travel is consider shipping some of your medical supplies or other items ahead of time to your hotel. I've done this on a couple of occasions, when luggage space was at a premium or if I was staying somewhere for an extended period of time. It would also be a huge help if I were traveling alone and wanted to cut down on the amount of stuff I had to lug around.

You'll need to check in advance with your hotel. This probably works best in a large hotel with a concierge, or a smaller boutique hotel that prides itself on service. Don't assume that this is a service they will offer or allow, as many hotels may not have ever come across this kind of request. You definitely don't want to count on them accepting and holding your package, only to get to your destination and find out they refused it.

Also be sure to ship with a tracking number (that's where UPS or FedEx has it over the regular mail -- more expensive but worth it). That way you'll not only be able to check progress before you leave home, but also see who signed for it and when it arrived. Very helpful if you check in and no one knows what you're talking about!

This is not only a great way of saving luggage space, but with the new baggage fees in effect, and limits on weight and number of checked bags, it could end up saving you a lot. This is also good advice for anyone traveling with young kids, who tend to require lots of STUFF (ie diapers, formula, etc.). Save money by buying this stuff at home, rather than paying the resort price. That will leave you more money for those awesome oversized sunglasses and that t-shirt that says "I've been to California and all I got was this t-shirt."

More later!

Few Word Wednesday

Four weeks, and I'll be eating a $5 churro with this view in my sights.

Expect the unexpected.

#3. If you have any dependency on any type of mobility device (i.e. wheelchair, walker, crutches, cane, or anything else I might have missed) you should practice the boyscout motto: Always be prepared. Even if it is just having printed out a list of medical supply dealers near your destination that can do repairs.

I have learned this the hard way as on not one but two separate occasions I have had wheelchair issues. My last one was a simple flat tire. Simple if you are at home with your vehicle in the driveway and your spare chair in the garage. Not so simple when you are getting ready to go see the fireworks and have a nice meal. Luckily I was at a great and amenable hotel who made every effort to assist me in-house trying to inflate my deflated tire. When that failed they quickly looked up a repair place and hooked me up with one of the park,s loaners (which was shall we say a love seat on wheels--I only if I had a picture to show you, too funny).

This was the point where I said never again will I be stuck in a horseless chariot as my small, zippy chair gets a chance to see California without me. I now travel with 2 spare inner tubes, a tire-changing kit (available at a local bike shop), compressed air tire inflator (have you tried to fully inflate an inner tube lately? much more difficult than you would think), a few Allen wrenches, a screwdriver, replacement screws (if known what sizes), and a travel sewing kit. It may seem like overkill to have all of that taking up valuable luggage real estate but if you need it you will feel like a super-genius for having it (if only those Wile E. Coyote cartoons were real -- you could just dial Acme and in 5 seconds it would arrive).

Just remember one thing I have learned over the years. If it can happen it will, and usually at the most inopportune moment. With just a little preparation you can combat the gremlins that want to wreck your vacation.

Tip #2 getting from the airport to the hotel. There have not been as many choices for people with mobility issues as there are now. There are car rental agencies that can get you a vehicle with hand controls (with at least 48 hours notice see car rental post). You can hop a taxi which will set you back in the fundage department. Or you can do what I do and make a reservation for an airport shuttle. I have used both Supershuttle and Disney Magic Express and they are both pretty nice, clean, and as safe as you can get on a California freeway. You do have to let them know if you require a wheelchair lift as not all of their buses have them. The shuttle lets you sit back and relax as their driver navigates the chaos that is the SoCal highway system. It is reasonably priced and you might even get a deal booking a package.

I plan to go a bit more indepth in a later post about getting around Anaheim itself using the ART system as I am still checking out all the little intricacies of the system. Until Tomorrow.....

Will that be paper or plastic?

So I am now about thirty days out from my trip to Disneyland. We have received the itinerary it has been mailed to us by the wonderful Mary at AAA Travel (she puts stickers on it so it is very festive when we receive it) and now it is time to do some of the logistic work to make the trip smooth sailing.

With this in mind I have a couple of tips that we have found very useful. #1 is the Disney gift card. This was dropped into my brain by some very hardcore Disney-o-philes a few years ago. If you are on a budget (and who isn't) it will make you stick to it. Disney gift cards make carrying cash, credit cards, or travelers checks unnecessary as they can be used at most places in a the parks as well as around most of the Disney owned hotels. You can get these nifty little cards at any Disney Store, or at the parks or online. I have been told that if you lose them they can be reissued (although you need the directions from the back of the card so make a copy). If you have kids who want some independence in their spending you can get specific amounts and dole them out as the trip goes on (perhaps on a per day basis). This would allow you to make limits on the amounts they have without stifling them. And when its gone, its gone.

What we have done is figure out a per day amount of money for food multilpy it by the amount of days we are there and then split it between two cards. This allows one of us to find a place to set while the other goes and places the order. Also important to know is that most of the Downtown Disney places will not take it as they are all independent from the park itself (except the World of Disney Store they do take it).

I will be giving out a tip or thing of interest every day as part of National Blog Posting Month. Tomorrow maybe transportation :)