Tag: accessibility travel

Simple Tips for Keeping the Holidays Merry and Bright While Living with Muscular Dystrophy

Lights! Family! Holiday action! Yep, it's that time of year again. To keep your holiday season sane and enjoyable while living with muscular dystrophy or a similar condition, here are some best practices gathered from our community. Pace yourself Living with a challenging condition often necessitates greater self-knowledge of how much and how long you … Continue reading Simple Tips for Keeping the Holidays Merry and Bright While Living with Muscular Dystrophy →

Accessible Plays and Stays in Cedar City, Utah

Nestled in the burgeoning college town of Cedar City, Utah, lies two gems of accessible leisure travel: Cedar Breaks National Monument and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Limited mobility is not a problem at either venue, and there's every reason to go. In July 2023, my husband Lou and I, together with our caregiver Josh, took … Continue reading Accessible Plays and Stays in Cedar City, Utah →

Accessible Adventure In and Around Moab, Utah (Scooter Not Required)

Car-hiking at its best! Seriously. If your soul longs to be immersed in mile upon mile of spectacular scenery, head to Moab, Utah (preferably April through October). There's plenty of accessible adventure for people of all mobility levels. Moab, Utah is a lovely and convenient home base to Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Scenic … Continue reading Accessible Adventure In and Around Moab, Utah (Scooter Not Required) →

Accessibility at Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton

Hoodoo Moab offers excellent accessibility lodgings with a touch of luxury - with one glaring exception, which I will get to momentarily. Conveniently located near Moab's many natural attractions, this hotel makes for an enjoyable and relaxing vacay for travelers with accessibility requirements, travelers like us. My husband and I, along with our caregiver, recently … Continue reading Accessibility at Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton →

Bending Focus: Lessons from a Rare Disease

Support Claire Facing adversity is the acid test of our character. At no time in my life has this been more true than when confronted with the impact of a rare disease called facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD or FSH). As muscle groups from the face to the feet atrophy, affecting my ability to walk, lift, … Continue reading Bending Focus: Lessons from a Rare Disease →

How to Successfully Engage with People with Disabilities

Support Claire A woman on a mobility scooter, her husband on a bike, and their caregiver in a transport vehicle roll into a parking lot of the Grand Canyon when a stranger approaches them and says, "I'm disabled, but you're more disabled than I am. Good for you for seeing the park." (No joke.) The … Continue reading How to Successfully Engage with People with Disabilities →

Let’s Talk About Caregiving (and Muscular Dystrophy)

Support Claire The quality of mercy is not strain'd. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes. Shakespeare Whether you are a caregiver or in need of one, navigating the art of caregiving can be tricky. This article … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Caregiving (and Muscular Dystrophy) →

Scootering Sedona’s Red Rock Scenic Byway (Arizona SR 179)

Support Claire This is a spin for the bucket list! With breathtaking vistas of ancient sandstone formations flanked by scented junipers spiring into bright blue Arizona sky – some of the most photographed scenery in the world – this scooter ride is spectacular! Getting There From Phoenix, take the I-17 north, exit 298 onto SR-179 … Continue reading Scootering Sedona’s Red Rock Scenic Byway (Arizona SR 179) →

Our Favorite Spin of 2021

Support Claire McDowell Mountain Road McDowell Mountain Road The longer the pandemic lingers globally, the more my husband Lou and I discover places to spin locally. In doing so in 2021, we came upon a favorite new route: McDowell Mountain Road, a super scenic, eight-mile stretch connecting Fountain Hills to Rio Verde, AZ. Mountainous southwestern … Continue reading Our Favorite Spin of 2021 →

Spinning Scenic Needle Rock Rd – Rio Verde, AZ

Support Claire   Not far from Scottsdale lies a scenic gem of the Tonto National Forest known as Needle Rock Recreation Area. Its sole byway is Needle Rock Road. Pictures don't do justice to the beautiful vistas that unfold along this 3-mile stretch, (though I will certainly post a few).   Four Peaks in the … Continue reading Spinning Scenic Needle Rock Rd – Rio Verde, AZ →

Top Tips When Booking Accessible Travel

Support Claire Traveling differently abled has never been better. ADA legislation coupled with ever growing consumer demand has greatly improved the availability of quality accessible travel in the USA and abroad. That said, as someone who travels as often as possible while managing FSH muscular dystrophy, I find that the following measures best ensure successful … Continue reading Top Tips When Booking Accessible Travel →

Best Scootering in the Sonoran Desert – Apache Wash Trailhead, Phoenix

Support Claire Spoiler alert: This ADA accessible desert adventure will make others pale in comparison. It has for us. Since discovering Apache Wash Trailhead, my husband Lou and I go a couple of times a week. For spectacular spinning, it's simply one of the most beautiful accessible trail systems we've encountered in the Phoenix area … Continue reading Best Scootering in the Sonoran Desert – Apache Wash Trailhead, Phoenix →

Beyond the Casino: Top Accessible Travel in Reno-Sparks, NV

Support Claire If you're looking for excellent accessible travel experiences in the Silver State beyond casinos, Reno-Sparks has some wonderful choices. Here are our top picks for where to sightsee, stay, and spin your wheels in "The Biggest Little City in the World": Where to sightsee National Automobile Museum What I look forward to most … Continue reading Beyond the Casino: Top Accessible Travel in Reno-Sparks, NV →

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe

Support Claire Uplifting and informative, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is an accessible travel must. This collection of works by the "Mother of American modernism" exudes the empowering dynamics of a talented artist who learned the rules, and then unabashedly proceeded to reinvent them on her own terms with great commercial success - yeah, she rocked … Continue reading Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe →

Scottsdale: Hell on Wheels

Support Claire  Note: Although this post specifies my Scottsdale home base, its cautionary message applies nationwide, urging increased driver awareness of mobility device users sharing the road. Dangerously so, it happened again this morning: Scottsdale drivers came close to hitting my mobility scooter while I was transiting a crosswalk. Many of these chronic traffic violators … Continue reading Scottsdale: Hell on Wheels →

Top ADA Spins Along The Loop in Tucson, AZ

Support Claire Blooming brittlebrush, hummingbirds tipping the tops of Palo Verde trees, the occasional equestrian, beautiful ironwork bridges, mountain vistas and accessible paved trails for any kind of mobility device...there are plenty of reasons why spinning The Loop in Tucson is addictive outdoor adventure. With a network of 120 miles of shared-use paths (soon to … Continue reading Top ADA Spins Along The Loop in Tucson, AZ →

Regal Cinemas Bridgeport Improves Accessibility

Support Claire Access advocacy works! Many thanks to everyone who contributed constructive comments regarding the need for ADA automatic front door openers at Regal Cinemas. After my original post (Where are the ADA automatic front door openers at Regal Cinemas?) and other collaborative calls for action, this critical accessibility feature was added in Fall 2018 at … Continue reading Regal Cinemas Bridgeport Improves Accessibility →

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Las Vegas

Support Claire For travelers with or without disabilities, Las Vegas is becoming less about the casinos, and more about “The Experience.” Whether you’re looking for award-winning cuisine, color beyond compare, or a blast of contemporary culture, you’ll find it in “the city that never sleeps." And with great accessibility. I’ve never seen more scooters per capita … Continue reading Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden, Las Vegas →

Accessible Bridges and Boardwalks, Portland, OR

Support Claire After wintering in the desert, it was great to reacclimate to the luscious Pacific Northwest with one of our favorite ADA accessible outings, one we’ve done over a dozen times: rolling a section of the Springwater Corridor into and around downtown Portland’s riverfront. Scenic cityscapes peek through punctuated clearings of natural wetlands, making … Continue reading Accessible Bridges and Boardwalks, Portland, OR →

ADA Accessible Zion National Park

Support Claire Of the twelve southwestern national parks encompassed within The Grand Circle, Zion is the jewel in the crown. Here are some tips to maximize accessible travel for people with disabilities. Get yourself an Access Pass (You can thank me later.) The national parks issue an Access Pass for US citizens with permanent disabilities. You … Continue reading ADA Accessible Zion National Park →