Results tagged “Travel” from Wheels With a View
Some of the things I like most about Washington DC are its monuments, museums, and landmarks. I once heard the Mall described as "a great home court advantage," a space specifically designed to illustrate America's power and to intimidate visiting leaders.
Up until this point I thought the Mall did that job pretty well. But our monuments only have meaning if you have a context for them.
I'm spending the weekend with a good friend who is not American, and although she appreciates the landmarks and monuments because they are striking, she didn't grow up looking at them or learning the history behind them. At first, she didn't readily recognize the White House.
Why would she?
"So I figure we'll get to the airport early," said S. "Maybe we can hop on an earlier flight."
"Sure. Sounds good to me."
"If that doesn't work out, we can just kick back and have a nice dinner at the airport," she continued. "Although I'm not sure that's possible. I was watching this news report about health inspectors finding some pretty nasty food situations at the airport."
So with that, we're off! I've heard tell that pumpkin pie and whipped cream await us upon arrival. Promises like that give me hope that all is not lost on the food front. Considering where we're starting out, it can only go up from here!
Packing is always the most stressful part of travel for me even though I’m very good at it. I always feel like I have a million and one things to do before I leave.
There is dry cleaning to take in, stuff to buy, trash to take out… it’s madness.
I look forward to the moment when I arrive at the airport, and it’s all out of my hands. By that point, all I have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
For now I still need to pack. All I really want to do is watch episodes of The West Wing. Huh. Perhaps that counts as trip prep too? After all, I’m going to DC.
I’ll be flying on American Airlines over Thanksgiving weekend and just got a call from the company’s customer service desk.
“We see that you noted a need for wheelchair assistance on your travel reservation,” the agent said. “Is that for you or your travel companion?”
The agent proceeded to walk me through pre-boarding and gate check procedures for my wheelchair, and then she asked me a series of thoughtful questions.
“What kind of wheelchair do you have? Does it fold? Will you need an isle chair to get to your seat?”
I’m a seasoned traveler, so none of this was new to me, but I did appreciate the call. The holidays bring out inexperienced travelers in droves, and calls like this one likely stem the tide of resulting headaches a bit.
I have to say that I find the American Airlines Web site hard to navigate and not very user friendly, but personal customer service calls go a long way toward setting the tone for happy trails.
My family, friends, and co-workers are my best travel guides. Unfailingly, they come back from trips all over the world with detailed reports about accessibility. It’s pretty amusing sometimes because they are often surprised at how many accommodations they are now aware of.
They notice when accommodations aren’t good.
“You should have seen what they call a ‘curb cut!’ It was absolutely ridiculous…steep… no clearance for your chair… totally unworkable. I took a picture for you.”
They also notice when accommodations are excellent.
“You could do everything at the resort. There was even a paved path along the beach, and a lift at the swimming pool!”
And they start piecing together solutions for me in not-so-accessible environments.
“Rome is not that accessible,” Caryn IMed from Italy yesterday. “But if you took cabs, or hired a driver, and went with someone who had been there before it could happen.”
Y also has her eye on Italy for me.
“Take a look at this!”
I’m aiming for Italy in 2010. So let me know if you have any tips to share. I’m not a tour bus girl. I’d rather have a local experience. And I want to eat! Big surprise, right?
I’ve got wanderlust and would love to see a bit more of the world. But if I go to Spain, Italy, or Greece (to name a few tempting possibilities), I’d much prefer to eat where the locals eat, stay where they stay, etc. That’s a huge challenge because touristy areas are much more likely to be wheelchair accessible, and older cities are bound to be less accessible no matter what.
So I need ideas! Does anyone know of locally based resources for world travelers with disabilities? I’m not sure if such things exist, but picture this: A travel Web site for people with disabilities by people with disabilities that offers helpful hits on how to navigate every major city in the world in a wheelchair. I think it makes sense to focus on cities because--let’s face it--no one in their right mind is going to want to push a wheelchair through the Alps.
Sometimes there are a few references to accessibility in regular travel guides, but I rarely find the answers I need. Is there something better out there? If not, let’s start something.
