RVing and Camping

Accessible National Parks: Camping Info for People with Disabilities

ewilliams — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:49:00 GMT

According to the National Park Service, last year more than 276 million people visited sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS). Many of those visitors are – or potentially could be – people with disabilities.

In order to make sure that as many national parks are accessible to those with disabilities as possible, the NPS has developed a website to help visitors with disabilities and special needs find accessible trails, programs, activities, and other features at national park units nationwide. If you use a wheelchair or have some sort of a mobility impairment, this is the place to start.

Accessibility Information for National Parks
The National Parks: Accessible to Everyone website provides a substantial amount of information to help make that happen, including state by states listings and descriptions of:
•   accessibility accommodations for specific parks
•   accessible programs and exhibits for specific parks
•   parks with features accessible to the visually impaired or blind
•   parks with features accessible to the hearing impaired
•   parks with accessible camping
•   parks with accessible picnic areas

Finding Out More
Mary A. Bomar, Director of the National Park Service, points out that although they “still have a ways to go before we can say we are accessible to all,” that remains the long-term goal for the NPS and the accessibility project. Because the project is a work in progress, however, visitors shouldn’t assume that just because a favorite park isn’t covered in the National Parks: Accessible to Everyone website, it doesn’t include accessible features. Director Bomar suggests that if you’re considering a travel within a national park that’s not currently included, you may want to call the park or visit its website, which can be reached via www.nps.gov, and check their accessibility information.

Accessible RVing and Camping

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:35:00 GMT

There are definitely advantages to turning to RVs for the traveler with disabilities of this great nation. Once the process of fully adapting your RV for your specific needs has been accomplished, you need never have to worry about wheelchair-accessible beds and bathrooms on your overnight trips again. Imagine never having to leave home without your own state-of-the-art wheelchair or scooter and wind up seeing the sites of a strange town in a decidedly untrustworthy rental.

Customizing an RV for those with a disability has never been easier. Tailoring these wonderful vehicles for the specific needs of those with a disability range from installing a lift where steps make traveling either a difficult or impossible to installing oxygen systems. The great thing is that modifying an RV for someone with a disability, in most cases, can be accomplished by the most competent of RV manufacturers or stores. If you will be needing a full-scale motorized bed, but believe this is too much to expect, simply ask around. Your town may not have any equipped to perform this special service, but there are plenty of other who can. Once you've got all these modifications complete, it is time to choose a destination.

Choosing a Destination
Fortunately, nearly every RV camp is already prepared for the needs of someone with a disability, but that doesn't mean you can expect to just pull in and automatically have all your needs met. The fact is, your RV vehicle is the least of your concerns, since you can make sure, provided you have enough resources, that your rig is fully equipped to meet any concern. The real problem comes when you park the recreational vehicle. Here are a few issues to look into before you settle on a destination:

Is there proper medical care available nearby in case of an emergency?
Is there is pharmacy nearby that will fill your prescriptions with no hassle?
Can you easily refill supplies you may need such as oxygen tanks or a wheelchair battery?
Are the RV sites level and flat?
Are the RV sites overloaded with gravel or anything else that makes wheelchair transport uncomfortable or even impossible?

The Midwest
Where are the great places to take your RV modified for your disability in America? You might want to consider America's heartland. In addition to natural beauty that is prime for camping, if you so desire, middle America also offers any number of fascinating tourist destinations. The first place to begin might very well be the birthplace of RVs. Forest City, Iowa, offers up a kind of mecca that every RV enthusiast should take in at least once: a tour of the Winnebago factory. Can you think of a better place to get all your unanswered questions about how to make your experience as an RV-er with a disability complete? Afterwards, you may want to visit Winterset, Iowa, and take in those covered bridges made famous in the book and movie The Bridges of Madison County.

Once you finish the Winnebago tour, why not set up shop in the only town in America named after what might well have been your boyfriend hero? Metropolis, Illinois, bills itself as Superman's Hometown and a bronze statue over 15-feet tall will greet you as you drive through the city. Metropolis also features a newspaper called The Daily Planet and an old-fashioned phone booth that has Superman on the other line when you pick up the receiver.

Next on your RV tour should be Indiana where you can visit not only James Dean's hometown of Fairmount, but, at the other end of the fame spectrum, the John Dillinger Museum in Hammond. In fact, the heartland of America produced a seemingly endless number of both the famous and the infamous that makes a visit in your recreational vehicle worthwhile. Did you know that the town of Omaha, Nebraska, produced Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift? Must have been something in the water.

The one thing you do have to be careful about before deciding to visit middle America in your RV is the weather. The best time to make travel plans in this region of the country is from late spring to very early fall.

See Gary Davis' Profile on Disaboom

See Gary Davis' Profile on Associated Content

Visit the Scenic and Accessible Family Destination, Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:35:00 GMT

High on the Markagunt Plateau, along the eastern border of Utah’s Zion National Park, rests what may be one of the most scenic family resorts in the western United States: Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. I had the opportunity to discover this special place when I was invited to be part of an accessibility research group on a four-day outing.

Accessible Destination
The trip was a project of the University of Utah Department of Parks and Recreation to gather research on the topic of accessibility and inclusion in travel destinations. There were about 18 people on the trip, including about 12 of us with disabilities, ranging from spinal cord injuries to cerebral palsy. Most were in wheelchairs, but some, like me, had limited walking capabilities. The rest of the group consisted of University of Utah researchers.

Adaptable Activities
We spent four days experiencing the many activities available to us, from archery to horseback riding, to ATV tours, and more. Additionally, we spent several hours in discussion groups, exploring the concept of inclusion in recreation. I won’t go into detail about the research now but will report on that in another article. For this article, I want to focus on the destination itself: its beauty, amenities, and accessibility.

First of all, even though it has been a while since our visit, the magnificence of the landscape is still vivid in my mind. Spectacular, inspiring, breathtaking—you pick the adjective. From rose-colored dawn to blazing sunset, the senses are bombarded with one memorable vista after another.

History of Zion National Park
Zion National Park is Utah’s oldest, having been designated by President Taft in 1919. Protected within its 229 square miles is a spectacular cliff-and-canyon landscape and wilderness full of the unexpected, including the world’s largest arch, Kolob Arch, which has a span that measures 310 feet.

The Resort
Zion Ponderosa Ranch is a full-service family resort located on a high plateau overlooking the eastern boundary. The resort consists of a main lodge with several restaurants, a small convenience store, and a gift shop. A variety of lodging options are available, from rustic “Cowboy Cabins” to luxurious (and large) vacation homes.

It also has a new, two-tiered, gravity-edge swimming pool; basketball and tennis courts; a recreation barn with an indoor-outdoor climbing wall; beach volleyball; ATV tours—the activity list is endless. There’s also an archery range, rifle range, zip line, and more. And all of these were accessible to those with disabilities who wanted to participate.

One of the highlights of the experience was a guided ATV tour that we took, including several in our group who were paraplegic. The tour was safe, fun, and breathtaking. We were guided to a spectacular overlook, where we could see across hundreds of miles of Zion’s landscape. Extraordinary!

Our guide, a young woman who was studying Recreational Therapy at the University of Utah, was knowledgeable, patient, and very capable. Maybe the fact that we were there to assess their readiness to accommodate people with disabilities was a factor, but I don’t think so. The entire staff, from front desk to housekeeping, was cordial, friendly, and professional. The recreation supervisors and assistants were well trained, capable, and fun to be with. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience.

Location, Location, Location
Zion Ponderosa Ranch is located in the southwestern portion of Utah, about four hours south of Salt Lake City and three hours north of Las Vegas. The resort is 75 minutes from Bryce Canyon National Park and two hours north of the Grand Canyon, providing an amazing variety of additional scenic opportunities.

For more information about this all-inclusive and accessible family vacation destination, visit www.zionponderosa.com.

Eleven Tips for a Perfectly Accessible Road Trip

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:32:00 GMT

In many ways, road trips are an excellent choice for wheelers and slow walkers. You can pack as much equipment as your car will hold, and you never have to worry about the airlines losing or damaging your luggage. If you want to take a break, get some fresh air, stretch your legs, or even use the restroom, all you have to do is find the next exit. Additionally, if you’re traveling with an attendant, you won’t have to fork over more of your hard-earned cash for an extra airplane ticket — as long as there’s room in the car, you’re good to go.

Of course advance planning is the key to a successful road trip; with that in mind, here are a few tips to help your next one go off like clockwork.

Make sure you have emergency road service before you leave home; however, remember that very few towing companies have wheelchair-accessible tow trucks. To avoid being stranded on the highway, check out specialty services such as ADA Nationwide Roadside Assistance, (americandriversalliance.com) which also provides lift-equipped transportation to the garage.
Don’t leave home without your cell phone and charger.
Take along plenty of bottled water, as you never know when you will encounter a delay.
Keep your prescription medications in the car, rather than the trunk. The trunk heats up faster than the passenger compartment, and this excessive heat may cause some medications to spoil.
For the best accessible restrooms, look for newer fast food restaurants. Most fast food restaurants are consistent in their restroom design; so when you find a restroom that has the access features you need, stick with that fast food chain.
Most Flying J truck stops (www.flyingj.com) have accessible shower rooms, complete with a roll-in shower, a roll-under sink, and a toilet with grab bars. There is a charge for using the shower room; however, it’s a good emergency alternative if you can’t access the shower at your hotel. They also have nice accessible restrooms that are free.
Get your America the Beautiful Access Pass. Not only does it give you free admission to all national parks, but it will also save you 50 percent on camping fees. It’s free and available at all national park entrances. Proof of disability is required.
To fight off boredom on long drives, get some books-on-tape to play along the way. They’re free at you local library.
There’s no need to unload and load heavy suitcases at every roadside hotel. Just roll up an entire set of clothes for each day when you pack; then simply remove one set at each stop.
Look for Microtel (www.microtelinn.com) properties along the way, as they are constructed from the ground up with access in mind. They are conveniently located along interstate highways, and they also offer very reasonable rates.
Finally, don’t forget to take your parking placard with you, as it’s valid throughout the U.S., except in New York City.

Candy Harrington is the editor of Emerging Horizons and the author of 101 Accessible Vacations; Travel Ideas for Wheelers and Slow Walkers. She blogs regularly about accessible travel issues at www.BarrierFreeTravels.com.

National Parks Are to Be Cherished by Everyone

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:04:00 GMT

I recently lost a college fraternity brother prematurely. He died at the age of 59.

It was a sad time for all who knew and loved him. But in the midst of our grief, we had one small consolation: he died doing what he loved. He was on a motorcycle trip to Yellowstone National Park, and just after viewing majestic Yellowstone Falls, he climbed on his motorcycle and died of a massive heart attack. His last gaze was upon one of our country’s most inspiring and awesome sites.

It made me realize once again how important it is to get out and experience America’s vast and varied landscape at every opportunity. I suppose George Caitlin, an artist in the early 1800s, had the same thought when he conceptualized the idea of a national park.

On a trip to the Dakotas in 1832, he worried about the impact of America's westward expansion on Indian civilization, wildlife, and wilderness. They might be preserved, he wrote, "by some great protecting policy of government ... in a magnificent park ... a nation's park, containing man and beast, in all the wild and freshness of their nature's beauty!"

The idea had gained some acceptance years later, when in 1864 Congress donated Yosemite Valley to California for preservation as a state park. Finally in 1872 Congress established Yellowstone National Park, signifying that public lands were to be set aside and protected by the government “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” That includes those of us with disabilities.

Today there are 391 areas in the National Park System, including parks, monuments, seashores, rivers and trails, and more. Every state has one, from Alaska’s Denali to Hawaii’s Haleakala. Virtually all have accessible visitors’ centers and restroom facilities, and there are 120 with accessible campgrounds.

Does this mean that visitors with disabilities have the same opportunity to experience and appreciate the national parks as everyone else? The answer is yes—in most cases. To that end, the National Park Service has created a Web site for people with disabilities and special needs to find accessible trails, programs, activities, and other features at national park units nationwide.

Visit the “National Parks: Accessible to Everyone” Web site at http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/access/index.htm to learn about what opportunities are available in parks for visitors with disabilities and special needs.

According to the National Park Service, the Web site will remain a work in progress and will continue to add information as it becomes available. To obtain information about areas not included on the Web site, please call them or visit their Web sites, which can be reached via www.nps.gov. Many of the parks include sections on their Web sites that are about accessibility and can be found in the sites’ indexes.

Isolation is one of the most challenging issues of living with a disability. Being isolated from Mother Nature is probably the most serious. We all have a connection to nature, and without it we are lost. National Parks were created so we can all own a piece of Mother Nature’s finest handiwork. Don’t let a disability keep you from taking advantage of that ownership.

Read More
For more information on traveling with a disability by RV, see Accessible RVing and Camping.

See Get Up and Get Out: Accessible Outdoors for some helpful hints on enjoying Mother Nature.

Utah has a nice collection of National Parks. To read about them, see Visit Utah’s Five National Parks in one RV Trip.

Visit Utah’s Five National Parks in one RV Trip

Bob Wassom — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:37:00 GMT

In these days of $4 per gallon gasoline, is the Great American Road Trip dead? Not if you pick your roads well. For example, suppose you want to visit some national parks in your accessible RV. If you choose Utah, you can visit five national parks in one trip. Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon are all situated in Utah’s famed red rock country, and each offers unique scenic wonders unlike any on Earth. Perhaps best of all, they’re all reachable via well marked highways with short distances between them.

Designated in 1919, Zion National Park is Utah's oldest national park, and also the southernmost park in the state. Zion canyon features soaring towers and monoliths that suggest a quiet grandeur. Zion is also known for its incredible slot canyons, including The Virgin River Narrows, which attract canyoneers from around the world. With nearly three million visitors per year, Zion is Utah's most heavily used park.

A bit north and east of Zion, Capitol Reef National Park is characterized by sandstone formations, cliffs and canyons, and a 100-mile long bulge in the earth's crust called the Waterpocket Fold. Erosion has carved the rock into marvelous shapes. This is an inviting wilderness of rock with descriptive names such as Capitol Dome, Hickman Bridge, Grand Wash, and Cathedral Valley.

Arches National Park, located about five miles north of Moab, contains the world's largest concentration of natural stone arches. This red arid desert is punctuated with oddly eroded sandstone fins, pinnacles, spires, balanced rocks, and arches. The 73,000-acre region has over 2,000 of these "miracles of nature." A 40-mile round-trip paved road in Arches National Park leads visitors to the major sights and hiking trails, including Balanced Rock, Skyline Arch, Double Arch in the Windows Section, Fiery Furnace, and the park's most famous geologic feature: Delicate Arch. Note that while some of the arches are visible from the road, some require moderate hikes on unpaved trails.

About 35 miles west of Moab is Canyonlands National Park, where you can view thousands of feet down to the Green and Colorado Rivers, or thousands of feet up to red rock pinnacles, cliffs, and spires. As Utah's largest national park, Canyonlands has been naturally sliced into three distinctive districts: The Island in the Sky, The Needles, and The Maze.

Bryce Canyon isn’t really a canyon, but the eastern slope of the Paunsaguant Plateau. Millions of years of wind, water, and geologic mayhem have shaped and etched the pink cliffs of Bryce, forming a huge amphitheater, where thousands of delicately carved spires rise in brilliant color. Visitors may take a 37-mile round-trip drive to Bryce Canyon's most famous viewpoints—dizzying in scope—including Sunrise, Sunset, Rainbow, Yovimpa, and Inspiration Points.

Because all are National Parks, accessibility has been addressed to some extent. To find out specifics, visit http://www.nps.gov/state/ut/, click on the name of each individual park, click on “Plan Your Trip” on the left side of the page, then click on “Things to Know Before you Come.”

To find out more about traveling to Utah’s national parks, visit:
www.Utah.com and www.utah.travel.

Photo Courtesy Utah Office of Tourism

A camping trailer accessible to everyone.

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:05:00 GMT

Is it the whisper of wind through aspen leaves? Or the early morning dew glistening with the sunrise. Maybe it's the absence of manmade clutter. Whatever it is, the elixir known as The Great Outdoors is a powerful force. For Todd Inman of Salt Lake City, Utah it was life. An avid archer, hunter, fisherman and golfer, Todd's recreation room was a big one, compliments of Mother Nature.

But on February 12, 1999 a dump truck lost its brakes, slammed into Todd's pick-up and left him paralyzed from the neck down. In Todd's mind, his outdoor days were over. Nine years later, Todd has been fortunate to recover enough to get out of a wheelchair, walk with crutches and pursue his outdoor passions again. These days, you're likely to find him heading out in his truck and camping trailer laden with archery equipment, golf clubs, fishing gear, ATV's...anything to enhance his outdoor fun.

For Todd that wasn't enough. He felt he needed to give something back, to do something so others with injuries like his, including those in wheelchairs, wouldn't have to sit home and "wave to people out the front door" as they headed out to play in The Great Outdoors.

So Todd came up with the idea of designing an affordable camping trailer that could accommodate someone in a wheelchair.

An owner of a trailer himself, Todd enlisted the help of Terry's RV Center in Salt Lake City. He purchased a 23 foot Sandstorm Trailer manufactured by Forest River, and collaborated with TRAILS (Therapeutic Recreation and Independent LifeStyles), a program for people with spinal cord injuries associated with the University of Utah Hospital; and assist, a community design center that specializes in accessible design, in redesigning the floor plan of the trailer to be completely accessible. The retrofitting of the trailer was done by Terry's RV Center. The recently completed trailer features an automatic ramp, which is actually the rear wall of the trailer that lowers to allow wheelchair accessibility. The design team also removed walls, lowered countertops and controls, and widened doorways. The end result is a prototype of a completely accessible recreational trailer that anyone can purchase.

"If I can get one person to get up and get out, then it will all be worthwhile," says Todd. "The real beauty of the project is that now anyone can call and order this completely accessible trailer without having to buy a trailer and have it retrofitted. The floor plan and prototype already exists."

The fully equipped trailer offers amenities like air conditioning, microwave oven, TV, water heater, generator and more, so that anyone can enjoy camping with all the comforts. And according to Todd, this is meant to be an affordable trailer, selling for under $30,000. It's also lightweight, so it can be towed with a half ton pickup or van.

If you'd like to know more about this accessible trailer, or order one for yourself, you can contact Gary DeJong at Terry's RV Center in Salt Lake City at 801-573-8444, or via email at Gary@terrysrvcenter.com. Or you can visit http://www.terrysrvcenter.com/. Or contact Tanja Kari at TRAILS, tanja.kari@hsc.utah.edu (801) 581-8910. To see the floor plan before it was modified, go to http://www.forestriverinc.com/ click on "Recreational Vehicles", click on"Toyhaulers", select "Southwest" and click on "Sandstorm". The floor plan is model T23FBSPL. Nationwide, any Forest River dealer can provide the accessible version.

Resources:

TRAILS - Therapeutic Recreation and Independent Lifestyles, University of Utah

http://healthcare.utah.edu/rehab/community/trails.html

assist - A community design center. http://www.assistutah.org/

Terry's RV Center - http://www.terrysrvcenter.com/

Get Up and Get Out: Accessible Outdoors

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:17:00 GMT

I remember gazing at that far away mountain peak from my hospital room, thinking…”What if I can’t ever get there again?” The thought was almost too much to bear. I had grown up playing in the mountains, and now at the age of 21, with a cervical fracture, paralyzed from the shoulders down, I figured that that part of my life was over.

Fortunately, I was able to regain enough lower body function so I can walk somewhat, which made it easier for me to get back into the mountains and go camping. For someone in a wheelchair, however, it's not quite that simple. But the good news: there are accessible campgrounds and accessible recreational vehicles to be found.

More and more people are choosing to hit the road in an RV, preferring to take their accessible accommodations with them, instead of enduring the hassles of air travel and finding hotels with accessible rooms.

"Instead of having to go into a hotel and ask whether they have a handicapped room, then go and see if my wife can use it, we've got a place that's familiar, that my wife has access to," says Mike Drew, president of the Handicapped Travel Club, who has been living full time in a 36-foot RV for five years with his wife, Carlyn, who is disabled from a stroke. "That's the way most of the handicapped people feel - they're comfortable in their rig."

Gayle Martinelli, a certified recreational specialist from Michigan, says the people with disabilities she knows have chosen not to let their disability rule their lives, but to live their lives. "What could be more exciting than traveling and being independent and being able to do all these things - this is a crucial means of therapy," says Martinelli.

She points to statistical studies indicating that camping in particular can help people with disabilities increase their self-confidence, accept their disability, improve their stress management and their physical and mental health, strengthen family roles and improve their quality of life.

"Campgrounds should have accessible campsites, bathrooms, offices and hookups," says Martinelli. "Look for hard-surface cement or asphalt sites, not gravel and especially not sand. And be sure to ask if the hookups are easy to access. They're often off to the side, up a hill, or surrounded by vegetation that creates a problem."

RVs come with all sorts of modifications for those with disabilities, and many manufacturers will customize a vehicle or make changes during the production process to cut down on the expense of making alterations later. Ability-equipped RVs have become a big business in recent years, according to Roger Lumming at Winnebago. "We probably have increased our business over the last year by 57 percent," he says. "One of the biggest benefits that able-bodied people wouldn't realize," says Martinelli, "is that people with disabilities can take their accessibility with them in a modified RV."

Whether you like camping in a tent, or prefer the comfort of a luxurious RV, you can still get out and enjoy the outdoors. For more information about accessible camping and RVing, visit the Handicapped Travel Club at www.handicappedtravelclub.com

If you're interested in purchasing an accessible RV, check out http://www.winnebagoind.com/products/commercial/ability/.

Or if you'd prefer to rent, there are a few dealers across the country who rent them. Visit www.access-able.com for links to several rental dealers.

Join the Club: Adaptive RVs

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:54:00 GMT

If you’re looking for a way to connect with other adaptive RV enthusiasts, consider checking out the Handicapped Travel Club. Started in 1973 by five couples who wouldn’t let their disabilities stop them from enjoying the freedom and adventure of camper travel, HTC has gone on to become a very active across-the-country group of some 250 members who share tips, stories, and “information on making recreational vehicles accessible for the disabled.”

HTC has both an “on-the-ground” presence via member get-togethers and a strong online presence (www.handicappedtravelclub.com). At the website, you’ll find information about upcoming and past events; a resources section with links; information about accessible parks and campgrounds; several articles related to accessibility travel and recreation issues; information about adaptive RVs and campers; and listings for used accessible RVs and equipment for sale.

Although the club has local get-togethers among members, its big annual event is the national rally, which is held each year in a different region of the country. The 2008 rally will be held September 24-28 at the Guadalupe River RV Resort in Kerrville, Texas (check the website for specific costs and logistics, as well as sign-up information).

Clearly more a labor of love than a money-making proposition, HTC has kept its costs low – for a modest $12 per year, you get both an annual membership and the club newsletter. So if you’d love to travel via RV but weren’t sure how to get started, this may be a great way to connect with a community that can help you get your motor running.