Where to vacation next?

There are so many places that I would like to take my family on vacation I just do not know how to narrow them down. My wife is graduating next year with her masters degree and i really want to take her on a special vacation that will also be fun for my son. Here are some of the places we are discussing.

5. San Diego, California Pros: Sun, Beaches, Zoo and aquarium, Legoland, Comic Con (during summer) Con: not really relaxing, can be an expensive place, no place where we can drop the kid off.

4. Yellowstone National Park Pros: beautiful natural surroundings, sty in a lodge, plenty of space for kid to run around, peaceful and relaxing. Cons: can be expensive, we would have to drive to see places, no place where we can drop the kid off.

3. West coast cruise Pros: Be pampered and only have to unpack once, get to see more than one destination, Kids clubs, almost everything is inclusive. Cons: limited number of places to sail to (Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, up the coast (transition cruise)

2.Sanibel Island, Florida Pros: relaxing, warm, kid friendly Cons: long flight, can be expensive, no place where we can drop the kid off.

1. Bahamian or Caribbean cruise: Or maybe both. We decided to book a cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line that departs from New York and visits Nassau, Bahamas fir two days then their own private Bahamanian island, Afterwards it loops over to Port Canaveral for some theme park fun, or beach combing, and back to New York. The itinerary really spoke to us as we are on a mission to take my son to every state in the U.S. before he is 18 years old (at the ripe old age of three he has already been to Washington, California, Hawaii), and this will knock two more off the list.

I am so excited about our next big adventure! I will make sure that I post more information as I find it. As always happy travels!

Return the Conquering Heroes

It has taken me several weeks to figure out exactly what I want to post about this vacation. After all, this is my frst trip to Disneyland with a little kid (all  previous trips were with teens or adults), the first trip as a family. So it seemed to deserve a special post.  I can say per usual that the new and referbished Disney rides are gettting better accessibleized every trip I go. The Little Mermaid ride is prime example of that with it's roll in car with room for the family. The King Arthur Carousel has had a ramp added so that I could ride it along with my wife and son whjich was nice. The fear that my son wouldn't like the rides or be afraid to go on an atraction were totally unecessary, as he is quite the daredevil (whom I will have to keep up with when he is a little older and a little taller). It was a wonderful family vacation with the great Disney magic that I have beome spoiled to expect. The staff at the parks and hotels were top notch. My travel agent let them know that it was my son's first visit so that he had a special pin he could wear which blew his mind. He even got to meet the mouse himself. All in all it was a great vacation until we got sick. Yep we were exposed to a bug before our trip and went full blown sick the day before we were suppose to fly out (which really puts a damper on the close down on your vacation).

I have to say that it was still great to go down there. I rode some rides that I never had any interest in (until my son came along I had never explored the kiddie rides). It's a Small World has a specialized boat for people who want to stay in wheelchairs (which I knew, but it is still nice), I have heard that Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland both have a vehicle that has a wider opening for easier transfers (although we didn't ride it so I cannt tell you how easy the transfers are), in Toontown Mickey and Minnie's house are accessible for wheelchairs (if not a little tight in spots). In DCA the new Little Mermaid  ride has it's own ride vehicle that I can roll up on and ride with two other passengers. The Monster's INC ride has a roll up ride vehicle too and if you plan it just right you can go on it more than once in a row. SWEET!

There is a lot of construction going on with the addition of Carsland, and Buena Vista Street. This leads to some bottle necks and weird detours that do not flow as smoothly as previous trips. All that accounted for it was still a great family vacation with  wonderful Disney magic. We will definately go back....when my son is a little taller.

Oh Mama, The Bahamas

I already know that one of our stops will be Nassau, Bahamas so I decided to check out what kinds of stuff there is to do there, and also what if anything is wheelchair friendly. What I have discovered is that the accessibility in Nassau is improving as more and more travelers with special needs visit the tropical destination.Resorts and tourist hot spots do not want to alienate any of the visiting populace so they strive to make accommodations whenever it is feasible. That being said Nassau is a very old city and not everything will be easy to access if you can get into it. Here are some things that I have confirmed can be visited by a chair or scooter user:

Ardastra Gardens (Zoo and Conservation Center), this multi acre botanical paradise has been almost totally retrofitted to accommodate travelers with special needs. You can stroll through the gardens and view over 300 different types of animals and plants. I am told the dancing Flamingos are not to be missed.

Paradise Island  is where the well known resort Atlantis is situated. They have a limited number of  wheelchair accessible rooms and just about everything is set up so that someone with a mobility impairment can have a good time (just no water slides, and depending who you ask the beach. But there are other beaches)

The shopping districts are what you might expect on a Caribbean island. Some are accessible some are not, but if you are looking to spend some money at their stores I am sure they are willing to accommodate you. From the cruise terminal you can get to the Straw Markets and Bay Street which are pretty good in the accessibility department. I have read that you want to stay in the middle isle and edge because it can get pretty tight in the smaller isles. Also avoid Bay Street during the mid day rush because it can get very cramped if you are in a scooter or wheelchair.

Over all what I have found is that if you are visiting you will not feel short changed or that there was something you didn't get to experience. The people are very welcoming and warm...if you are not an obnoxious tourist (remember be nice to them, they will be nice to you). 

Some questions to ask when booking a cruise.

Cruising is a great vacation if you do the homework, and ask the right questions of your travel agent. Big questions that you want to make sure and ask are as follows:

That they have a disabled accessible cabin available. These cabins are larger and have the grab bars, and shower bench. Plus it offers a clear path  for a wheelchair or walker.

Does the ship dock, or do you have to take a boat to get to the port? It is important because the cruise line will not assist you onto the tender. If you will be upset if you don't get to disembark at each port, then you will need to really get an answer to this.

Are there any accessible excursions? You must realize that most of the ports you will be visiting are in developing nations and are not bound by the ADA. If you are pretty active and can get into a full size van you should be OK, otherwise you might want to go with some people who can You HAVE to have a passport. They will not let you on board if you don't have one (you may be able to get a passport card but you need something to prove your citizenship). If you show up without one they will forfeit your payment and you will be out of luck.

lift you in and fold your walker/wheelchair/or other mobility vehicle.

Is this a REALLY a kid friendly ship? You don't want to take a trip if the kids in your group won't have any fun. Again do your research. 

Bring scope patches even if you don't think you will get sea sick. You just cannot tell how you will respond on a different cruise. It will save you in the end if you have it (better safe than sorry).

Cushion your trip with a day on both ends for jet lag. Several hours of time difference can really affect you and possibly wreck your trip.

If you can take short cruises, do so. It gives you a chance to relax without costing a fortune and you can book longer cruises on the ship and get a discount.

Be prepared to roll around like Jack Sparrow. I was in the eastern Caribbean and could not roll a straight line if I tried. You are on a ship and everything moves. Just get used to it.

There is something about taking a cruise that puts you back in touch with yourself. It is a primitive experience that has you out literally in the middle of nowhere. Today's cruises are luxurious by past standards but are part of a link from our past. Every civilization had at least one person that said "I am hopping in that boat and going to see what I can find". More later.

Cruisin on a sunny afternoon.

I have touched on taking cruises before, so I thought I would go back and revisit this subject in more detail. I love the whole idea of taking a cruise. You get on the ship, unpack once, same room the whole vacation. No worries about food,(most of it is included (except alcohol and possibly soda on some ships). You get taken to the destinations without having to put much effort into it. You can even leave the preparations up to the activities desk. Bad weather ahead they usually steer the ship around it. Brilliant! Plus with so many different cruise companies out there you are most certain to find one that fits your desires. Are you a college student looking for a good party? Carnival Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean are your ships. Are you a senior looking to get a quiet getaway with people your age? Try Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity, Cunard, Viking, or Holland America. Want some adventure, try a South American cruise that visits the Galapagos Islands with ports near the Amazon rain forest, the Andes, or the southernmost tip of the continent and see the penguins, or take a ship that relies on sails to get from place to place. Are you a family with kids? Try Disney, Royal Caribbean, Princess, or even Carnival Cruise Lines all of which have kids clubs of some sort.

Even better than that there are also theme cruises. If you are a foodie, sports fan, wine connoisseur, murder mystery fan, sci-fi or comic book fan, or single looking to meet other singles they probably have a cruise for you. You can gamble, see shows that compare to Broadway’s best, comics, and live music all without getting off the ship. There are great amenities such as movie theaters, pools, dance clubs, basketball court, rock walls, gyms casinos, bars and lounges, and my personal favorite: the spa.

Cruise lines offer a ton of excursions for just about everyone’s tastes. Want to scuba or snorkel, hike, picnic, explore historic towns, walk on glaciers, dog sled, gamble, or shop. They will be able to assist you in doing that. Don’t want to do any of that, stay on the ship and take advantage of the ship being empty and most likely on ship services will be discounted.

You can cruise the tropics (Hawaii or Caribbean), the north (Alaska, New England/Canada, or Norway), Asia (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore) even river cruises (Thames, Rhine, Danube, Ganges, Yangtze), transitional cruises (from Pacific to Atlantic Oceans through the Panama Canal, or across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean), or the great lakes and smaller seas. I know several people who try to take a cruise every 2-3 years just because it is so much fun and they get to see much more than if they were to just go to a destination and stay there (although used a cruise to scout out places they really liked and took a longer vacation there later).

In these economically difficult times if you are able to take a vacation you want to make it a great deal for your dollar. I totally recommend cruises because they are a great get away and you can just relax and enjoy the surroundings. See you at the midnight buffet!

Activities for everyone

I have talked before about the many great things that Kauai has to offer as activities. Hiking, Surfing, Shopping, Beachcombing, Snorkeling, fishing, the list goes on and on. If you have mobility issues they are striving to make things a little better. They are in process of creating a 10 mile long paved path along the eastern side of the island that is right along the coast for bikers, joggers, strollers, and us folks who spend our time on 4 wheels. In fact two miles are already up and running and I hope the next time I am there the rest will be too.

I also want to give props to this island state for creating a monster playground that has ramps, for kids or adults with mobility impairments to access multi levels of the structure. Built in the 90's Kamalani Playground is a giant wood play structure that has slides, caves, bridges, swings, and a place for mom and dad to sit and rest while the kids are playing. It is made of wood and has tons of things to look at and play with.

Now for the adventure lovers take one of the many downhill bike tours through Waimea Canyon. It starts at the top of the picturesque site and takes you all the way to the ocean. All down hill. Or you can take a charter to the Napali coast and walk on virgin sand beaches, on the way you will likely see turtles, dolphins, and maybe a whale or two. Sure you can hike to some of them but I prefer an ocean view on my way to secluded beaches.

All this just makes me want to go back. Maybe someday soon.

Sick day

Well folks, here I sit in my recliner thinking about getting away. No big trips recently but I did do kind of a cool day trip. The Seattle Science Center was hosting the Lucy exibit (I am kind of a geek so I thought this was fun). It was linked with the Hidden Tresures of Ethiopia. There was so much about that Country I didn't know. The reason I bring this up is because I am in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. This means I will also be traveling to that country. I do not have to say that it is not very wheelchair friendly but I will do better at keeping you involved in trips.