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?