I just spent the last 19.5 hours taking a bus to Phoenix and picking up a car from my brother. I wrote the following on my blackberry, while on the road and then emailed to the blog. The only editing I did was to add a video and a picture. Everything else was written pretty much real time. This is a slice of disabled traveling by a sociologist who loves to watch people.

Two weeks ago, after all the trials and tribulations of getting the van back up and running, the transmission broke. We found ourselves without a vehicle. When the weather is kind during the non-hell portion on the year, taking public transit in Vegas isn't that bad. Buses run often. RTC claims to have the most modern fleet in the country.
I've been a regular on public transit in New Orleans, Atlanta, Boston and Victoria BC. I've had various reasons for usage from no alternative to lack of parking to just enjoying the train. Las Vegas stacks up well. I was surprised because my experience as a tourist on the strip was not so pleasant.

Tonight I am on a Greyhound bus heading to Phoenix to pick up a car from my brother. The trip there will take 8.5 hrs. The trip back in the car might be 5 hrs. (I drive fast.)

It is an interesting contrast between RTC and Greyhound.
Public transit has a wide variety of commuters. Most have a purpose to their trek. Work and school top the bill.

The people are diverse. All ages, all ethnic groups, all classes except maybe the richest, all abilities.

Greyhound seems poorer. People look more worn. Greyhound is that form of transportation that people take as a last resort. Yeah, I know people sometimes take the bus for vacation. I've even done. Our first trip to Vegas was on this same route. We came away swearing never again. It seemed romantic until we landed at the bus station downtown. Between the fascist searches and the crazy people (including, we heard, a knifing nearby) the whole experience went from romantic dream to nightmare fairly quickly.

Now I know to catch the bus in Henderson. Way less trouble on every level.

The bus out of Vegas is probably filled with people who didn't make it here. Las Vegas can be a bad dream for a lot of people because it has often held more promise than it can deliver.

For me both experiences have an added layer. I need assistive devices to walk and I take up more space than the average adult.

7p. Rushing to catch the Henderson Express. I just barely make it to the stop to get on the bus. The HDX is one of the new "green" buses that run on hybrid fuel & electricity. This is the easiest ride for me. The bus is designed for easy use for scooters & chairs.

7:30p get off at the Lake Mead stop in Henderson. I have to back track Boulder Hwy to the convenience store where the bus comes. I end up on a walking/biking trail that parallels the hwy. Nice riding surface but it is dark. I'm thinking I really need to consider a headlight for my scooter. The trees and bushes that line the trail cast shadows that make the trip a little spooky.

7:40p. Will call ticket goes off without a hitch. Watched some teenage boys play hacky sack and discuss superpowers and science fiction and how cool it would be if science really worked that way. The convenience store is on a hill with a great view of the valley, including the strip and downtown. One of my favorite things about Vegas is the views. Day or night there is always something grand in sight.

8:20p northbound bus stops. Two of the teenagers get on board. The other 3 say good byes and then head down the trail. I can still hear them discussing Area 51 until their voices fade into the dark. Now it is just me and a grandmother heading back to Arkansas after a visit with the grandkids. She smokes a cigarette and talks about how worn her little ones made her. I think she's close to my age but most people would think we're from different cohorts. Smoking ages the face.

My mind wanders while she talks and coughs. The Latino couple who run the store have an Audi and a Mercedes parked in the lot. I know its theirs because they transferred stuff from store to cars earlier. I wonder about the store. Is it that lucrative? Do they own more? Henderson is filled with people living beyond their means. Status symbols.

8:40p. The bus is right on time. The driver was expecting a disabled passenger. I help him take the scooter apart & put in the compartment. Getting on bus is hard. He saved me a seat up front. No leg room but that's okay. I'm happy things go well without too much fuss.
10:10p. Laughlin & Arizona. Actually slept between Searchlight & Laughlin. Broke open trail mix. We stop in Bullhead AZ where bus drama ensues. Small towns often have no place to buy a ticket. Passenger has credit card and cash but not enough cash for ticket. After much ado the driver takes what he has & lets him ride. The smokers are happy. The argument gave them a chance for a second cig. I remember when buses were smoke filled. I usually smoked the entire trip. Today I'm grateful for the relatively clean air. The old man across from me took the opportunity to rub his feet with lotion. I try not to stare but I think he knows I noticed. Jonathan Richman's "You're Crazy for Taking the Bus" starts playing in my head. Would they kick me off if I played it?



I discover plugs on the walls. I feel smart that I brought my charger.
A young woman sits behind me. She tells the woman next to her about travels. She started in Florida. Went to Indiana then headed west. She joined a carnival in Utah & traveled with them all over the west. Then she found out she was pregnant. She's going back home to have the baby. That is a bus story. I love those travel tales.

11:14p Kingman Arizona. Route 66 fame. This is a long stop but I don't want to bother.

Definitely cooler here. Kingman is about 1500 feet higher than Vegas.
Accomplishment of the stop. I figure out how to make the seat upright.
I'm feeling the night. I'm ready to snooze.

Bus is filled with the smell of stale cigarette smoke, french fries and coffee. Kingman stop is next to McDonalds. These people are braver than me. It's 2.5 hrs to next stop. Am I the only one who has to pace intake for fear of output?

Two rows back a woman is telling a stranger that after 6 years she is running away from a man who beats her. Like I said earlier, the greyhound is the transport of last resorts, a place of transition. People are going somewhere physically and metaphorically. I guess that makes it a place of hope as well.

I make a note to myself that $3.33 is the best price for gas in Kingman. 20 cents cheaper than Vegas. I'm reminded of something Carl said earlier this evening, "Let's not complain about gas prices anymore." We are grateful to have a car. Tonight I'm grateful that the drama of late isn't like the drama I'm hearing on the bus. We are surviving and may even be on the verge of thriving.

I watch spy mysteries a lot. I know that Carl wonders, some times out loud, what I see in shows like MI5 and 24. I had an insight about this the other day. It is because that is how my life feels at times. Bombarded by one unexpected thing after another, Carl and I find our way around it, thru it. We survive. Sometimes it's exhausting and it takes its toll but we pull through. I remember one character on MI5 remarked after her husband was killed by bad guys trying to extract information from her that she knew she was going to be okay and that is what scared her. Survival can become a way of life. This is why I don't really panic often. Crisis is business as usual.

Oh yeah. Late night bus rides also inspire deep and heavy thoughts.

12:34a I fell asleep for about 45 mins. Woke up to a chorus of snoring. I was probably the alto. My mouth is dry. I pulled out trail mix. It helps.
Flagstaff is about 9000 ft high. Last time I was there they had snow drifts. My ears are popping as we climb I-40. More to say but can't keep eyes open.

2:05a Flagstaff
I switch seats now that the bus is thinning out. I woke up feeling like my legs were on fire but a little walking made it better.
That's the other problem for me with bus travel. Pain. But that is just something to work thru.

My brain is foggy. I hope I sleep the rest of the way.

5:00a. Phoenix.
I managed to dose most of the last leg of the trip. Going on I17 from Flagstaff to phoenix

6a had breakfast with Steve at Denny's. We shared bus stories. There are always stories. Even overheard our waitress telling another employee about her 30 hour trip.

7a. Ready to hit the road back to Vegas. Stopped at the QuikTrip for my Rooster Booster energy drink. I'm heading back.

9:45a
I'm in Wickenberg trying to get my legs to stop cramping so I can drive. I took a nap, ate a banana and drank some powerade. They still hurt. This is the longest I've had a day time spell. I'm afraid to go on but obviously staying here isn't really helping.

11:30 Wikieup
Sitting in the shade of a Joshua tree reflecting on what just happened in the ladies room of the Wikieup Trading Depot. My legs have been cramping bad. I stopped to give them rest. In washroom a woman asked me if I was having a good day I think because she sensed I was not. I told her about my pain & frustration. She asked if she could pray for me. I thought she meant privately. I said "I never say no when someone wants to send a prayer for me." At this point she lays hands on me & prays that my legs would be healed & that I have a safe journey. Another woman enters the room. A stranger to both me and my angel and she lays hands on me as well. There I am in the middle of the desert with two strangers (Carrie & Myrna) offering a prayer for little old Dharma bum me. I cried. This is one of my better road moments.

Oh and my legs do feel a little bit better. But my spirit was lifted no matter what the physical outcome.

12:34p noting the time because I'm back on I40 going full circle in almost exactly 12 hrs.

1:30p legs are doing much better. Didn't stop in Kingman. Stopped @ the last gas station in AZ before the dam. I'm about an hour from home. Still encountering nice people. Clerk in store was chatty & let me go to washroom without buying something first in spite of signs everywhere. Relieved. Homeward bound.

230p. Home.
Postscript: I thought about bringing my still camera on the trip and decided against. Of course this meant I missed some incredible pix including a herd of llamas in an urban neighborhood in Phoenix, about 25 hot air balloons on the eastern horizon at sunrise and about 15 people flying through the air on parachutes attached to something that looked like go carts.

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

I really hope this is the start of something good. The airlines have been given too much power and have resisted the simplest ideas to make them comfortable for all people. I'm happy to see some understanding that the issue for people of size is part of the greater issue of people having rights when they fly.

I went up to Spring Mountain National Recreational Area yesterday for several reasons. Among them was to just get away from the Vegas heat. Traveling up about 7,000 feet cools things off.


But there wasn't much to do because only one very short accessible trail was available. It was a beautiful overlook in which you could see the desert below and really understand the extent to which the Mojave desert was really an ocean bottom at one point in its history. I enjoyed the overlook and was appreciative of its accessibility.

But the experience got me to thinking about a topic that has come up before. How do we balance accessibility with topography and a desire to leave as little human footprint as possible on natural environments we are seeking to preserve.

It is a tough nut. I've enjoyed several National Parks, Forests and Recreational Areas. That enjoyment has been enhanced because of efforts from groups like the Telecom Pioneers, who have worked with the parks to create accessible facilities and trails in our national park system.


But also I know that the topography limits these efforts. Near Roosevelt Lake in Arizona, the climb up to cliff caves were impossible for me. Anything that would make it accessible would destroy it. They came up with a creative idea however. I was directed to a hill nearby where I could look through a telescopic lens that was trained on petroglyphs. It was not like being there, but it was definitely the next best thing and, well, I really appreciated the creativity and thoughtfulness to have something.

Could Spring Mountains have something more? My first impression was probably. There were some areas where it looked like it might be possible.

Of course, the thought also occurred to me that maybe working it from the other end would be nice. Maybe instead of changing the trails, we should be thinking about some innovative ways to have the wheels to go through some of the trails. They already have motorized visitors. Certainly renting some of these kinds of vehicles would be a lot more feasible than the cost of making accessible trails.

And finally an old solution: Horseback Riding. I'm not sure what's available locally. I did a story about a program in Florida a few years back.

Wow. I'm not sure what else to say regarding the shortsightedness of the Smithsonian Journeys:

Physical and Medical Considerations

Please note that these tours require that participants be in good physical condition: you must be capable, without assistance, of walking a minimum of one mile over uneven terrain and of climbing stairs that may not have handrails. Participants should have sufficient stamina to keep pace with an active group of travelers on long days of touring. If you have any questions about your ability to participate in a tour, please call us at 1-877-338-8687.

Scott Rains over at Rolling Rains Reports gives an excellent analysis of this, so I don't have to do so. It is an important read.

I will add that it is sad that an institution that supposedly celebrates and highlights the best in science, engineering and innovaction can't be bothered to be inclusive in its educational tours.

For the second year in a row, we attended the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Convention in Las Vegas. This year we explored the strip more and didn't go downtown much. I rented a scooter again (I highly recommend these guys, best deal on scooters in Vegas), but avoided buses.

I have to say I was still disappointed even in the newer areas. I have come to regard environments as being passive-aggressive towards persons with disabilities and I find it amazing that 16 years after ADA people still don't get it.

Some examples:

1. The Venetian actually has a sign up at their Guggenheim Hermitage Museum that says it is NOT handicapped accessible. Since the property was built five years after the passage of the ADA, I'm having a hard time understanding how they are getting away with the equivalent of "No Blacks Allowed" hanging on their door.

2. Maneuvering up and down the strip on a scooter met with several complications and dead ends, including problems with elevators up to the overpass walkways that sometimes didn't work and sidewalks to nowhere. I cannot remember which property, but heading south on the strip, I entered one property from the overpass bridge that had a conveyor belt that moved people into the entrance. The scooter would not work on the belt and there were alternative entrances. However, there was no way to open the door remotely at the alternative entrance and I had to wait for the good grace of another person to be able to enter the property.

3. The Wynn was a very accommodating place with staff that went out of their way to be nice to us. But when I tried to use the "handicapped" facility, I found that the door was so heavy that I couldn't hold it open and get the scooter out again. I literally had to block the door open with the scooter in order to keep it open long enough to get out. I think I may have damaged a wall slightly in the fiasco. I don't know how a weaker person would have been able to get out of there.

4. My favorite was the off-strip property called Greek Isles, very near the convention center. They had a nice automated door with an entrance that was flat from the drive way. Upon entering the building, you were in the hotel lobby. The casino was in a recessed area off the lobby that had three steps going down to it. I looked for a ramp and couldn't find one from my point of view. I did see a ramp near another entrance way, so I went back out the door and found that there was about a 6 inch curb that one had to go up in order to get to the door that was near the ramp. There was a walkway from the front door to the side door, but it had big columns that precluded my taking the scooter. There may have another way, but at this point, I was over trying to go there. We ate elsewhere.

There were many other smaller examples of people just not quite getting it right re: design.

Please do not get me wrong. There is plenty to love in Vegas from an accessibility point of view. I rarely had to worry about seating anywhere I went. Most of the places I went were accommodating to the size of the scooter and the size of my body. People are nice there. People on the street were nice there. Taxicab drivers were the only rude people I met for the most part (I think the imported all the cab drivers in from New York and Boston -- honk, honk.)

We're going back next month for fun (two free nights at the Las Vegas Club, so we're heading back downtown). I'll let you know how it goes.

I spoke at Smith College's Fat and the Academy (FATA) last week in Northampton, Mass. Getting from Phoenix Arizona to New England on a budget can be fun. On the way out, I went through Detroit (flying into Hartford). On the way back, I went through Cinncinati and then through Minneapolis. From the moment I left the hotel to the moment I arrived at my condo door, I had been traveling for 18 hours. A new record for me (previous was a 16 hour day going from Victoria, BC to Charlottetown, PEI via Air Canada).

This was exhausting. The good people at Smith were the first to buy me two seats on each flight and this was my first experience at how that plays out. Frankly, neither NWA nor Delta made the experience any easier. It seems that even when you are willing to buy the two seats, the help has to make a comment or two to let you know of their disapproval. I had a couple of encounters along the way. "Who is with you?" was asked a couple of times. One person even said "oh" and gasped briefly upon realizing her mistaken question.

I have to tell you that the attitude suprised me. I have resisted buying a second seat to date because I feel like the problem resides in the design of airplanes and not in me. But I can see the other side of the argument. There are a number of reasons why someone might want more room on a plane (my favorite is the buy who buys a seat for his guitar). I don't mind really paying extra for extra room. So I thought it would be interesting to see what it would be like to finally comply to the wishes of the airlines.

Okay, what I experienced doesn't really surprise me, but it does give me another reason to resist doing it in the future. Basically, I felt "marked" by having the two seats. I had to keep track of two boarding passes, explain the two tickets to a series of people who seemed unfamiliar with the concept (it can't be that unusual an occurence, can't it?) and basically I spent a very long couple of days feeling most humiliated along the way.

In addition, my two standing complaints about the two-seat solution remain:

1. I don't take up two seats. I take up a little more than a seat and 1/4. Paying double because the airlines can't be bothered to design diversity into their cabins seems like a penalty to me. I know that the complaint from thinner people is that they paid for a whole seat and my taking up that 1/4 means they are penalized. And they are right. And if airline seats were only in one size and could only be made in one size, then I would say that the "seat" unit would be all that we have to deal with. But a seat can be any size an engineer designs it to be. If the airlines wanted to accommodate a diverse market base, it would just be a matter of design. We're aren't trying to change the laws of physics here.

2. Sitting across two seats is an extremely painful event in most planes. There is a great big metal joint that hits one's hip and usually another piece of metal that hits one's shoulder blade. The bucket seat means that one is sitting cockeyed with one side raised. It is a chiropractor's nightmare. And luck you, you get to be strapped to this torture chair for hours at a time because the aisles are so thin that getting up and stretching is equally invasive on your neighbors. So basically buying two seats means that you are paying to be tortured. As I wrote last month, I know that this could be changed. Frontier has seats that eliminate all the problems with this scenario.

I have an idea in mind for an adjustable bench seat that allows for a sliding arm so that people could buy all of the bench, 1/2 of the bench or 1/3 of bench. the problem with this idea isn't its implementation. The problem is that airlines sell seats in convoluted ways that would make such configurations (and fair pricing of them) difficult. So not only would the physical environment have to be redesigned, but so would the marketing and billing systems. A major overhaul for the existing airlines.

But an upstart has a great opportunity here to take the big guys out. Southwest Airlines (imagining me hissing as I say their name) is making the big bucks on uniform service. They get the lions share of the market because they are cheap and people who can conform for the price. But there is a limit to this strategy. At some point you run out of people who can fit into the narrow (literally and figuratively) world that Southwest is creating. So other ways to expand the market will have to be addressed.

In the meantime, it would be nice if, when you do what "they" want and buy a second seat that "they" could be nice about it. I know, I know, the stigma is real. But stigma is bad business in the end. And the airlines are pretty much pissing everyone off nowadays, so letting their prejudices get in the way seems a bit, well, dumb.


So any airline executive and/or rich entrepreneur out there -- here is your opportunity. Accommodate diversity and you will find a loyal market!

I try to stay on an industry level when I talk about different travel issues though I do from time to time run into a level of service that is either so good or so bad that it merits mentioning a specific company.

I have flown Frontier Airlines three times now and each time has been the best experience I've had flying.

So, here is a top 5 list of what I enjoyed most about my experiences with Frontier:

5. The short films they show on the free channel, Wild Blue Yonder. It really is like attending a film festival.

4. The fact that I got a "comp" to watch Direct TV on one flight. Flight attendants hand out free cards to several passengers each flight as a way to give you a taste for the $5 per flight service. I love comps even when they have nothing to do with poker.

3. Denver Airport. Frontier is based in Denver and almost every flight goes through Denver. In Denver, the wheelchair service is provided by Frontier employees who refuse to accept tips and who spend time chatting with you instead of rushing you to the gate.

2. Friendly staff at all levels. Speaking of nice employees, I have yet to run into a Frontier employee who wasn't curteous and accommodating. In fact, I spent more time reassuring them that I was okay and didn't need anything than I did worrying about receiving something I needed. This includes the issue of what to do about the seat next to me. I didn't pay directly for any of these flights (they were booked and paid for by people who were flying me out to speak). So I didn't have a choice about booking an extra seat. That meant I was in danger of missing a flight because of seating problems (I can't get the arm down.) Only one leg of one flight was full. To get me on the plane, an employee of the airline who happened to be flying sat next to me and allowed me to put the arm up. She was one of the most enjoyable companions I've flown with and we had a great conversation. In all other cases, if the flight was not full at the time when seats are released (about 20 minutes before flight, the seat next to me was reserved without complaint and without demanding payment). One supervisor at Denver said flat out -- "we will accommodate if we can and a prepaid passenger who needs accommodation takes precident over standbys."

1. Wonderful seats. Finally, and a bit ironically, Frontier is probably the only airline I've been on where paying for the 2nd seat made the most sense. The arms fold up into the seats completely and the seats are even with each other (no buckets). This means that when the arm is up the seats feel more like a bench than separate seats. So if I were to for the second seat, I would comfortably be able to use both seats. One of the major complaints I have about the whole "two seat" issue is that sitting across two seats is frequently uncomfortable and creates a lot of pain -- an arm in the shoulder blade for 2 or 3 hours can really make a flight miserable, especially because fibromyalgia can be triggered.

Are they universally accessible? Not really. There are some things they could do to make it easier for people of all sizes, postures and mobility to have easier access.

But we're talking airlines here and in that world, Frontier is lightyears ahead of the pack.

Okay, the fact that I haven't posted in six months, may lead you to believe that we have not been travelling lately. That is not true. We have discovered the weekend/mid-week getaway and the "day trip." There are ample opportunities to do so from Phoenix:

Head south to Tucson (which we have done on business a couple of times now) or Mexico (which we have not really done yet, but is totally doable);

Head north to the mountains (which we did a lot in the summer to beat the heat);

Head northwest to Laughlin and Vegas (which we have done several times because, thanks to Carl's card skills, we now have a pile of room comps);

Head east to New Mexico (which we have not done in a while, but plan to do some this summer).

That leaves straight west and straight west from here is California. The weekend trip might include San Diego or LA, but the day trip to California is short and beautiful.

We headed out yesterday at noon from Mesa, Arizona on I-10 west and found ourselves in California 2-1/2 hours later. Blythe, California is on the Colorado River and is a larger town that you might imagine (around 21,000 people). It is obviously a winter getaway spot for RVers (the infamous Quartzsite Arizona is only 30 miles away) but it is mostly farm land. It is a very lush, hilly area in the middle of the desert.

The point of our day trip is to ride around in the car mostly. So we took US 95 up the river to the little town of Vidal, which is just inside San Bernandino County. San Bernandino is the largest county by land mass in the 48 continguous states, with over 20,000 square miles. It is mostly desert, including Death Valley. It is bordered on the east by Arizona (the Colorado River) and Nevada and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. We clipped the corner of it, travelling a mere 15 miles total.

We crossed the river on California 62 (which becomes Arizona 95 after crossing the river). We checked out a beautiful property on the Colorado River called the "Blue Water Casino and Hotel." One of the Colorado River Communities Indian Casinos in Parker, AZ -- it was a lot nicer than we expected, considering how off the beaten path it is. We especially like the back of the casino which framed the mountains across the river in a beautiful large window that we got to see around sunset. Very nice touch. The hotel pool was below the casino and had the same view. It looked like it would make for an enjoyable respite.

We played a little poker and then headed for home. We got back before 11p, making it a nice day trip, even with the late start.

I would guess that due to the older winter population of the area, the restaurant and the Blue Water Casino were accessible. I didn't get a good look at the pool in the hotel, but from the point of view I had, it didn't look good. There were stairs only with one center rail. The restroom at Blythe's Public Library was not accessible and while no ramp was needed to enter the building, there were two doors (neither electronic) to negotiate and the parking lot was gravel. My first impression was that there may be more opportunities for accessibility than a lot of smaller towns offer, but the area definitely would present challenges for many travelers with disabilities.

However, we found that just traveling through was worth the trip. The rolling hills, the desert landscape, the sandy mesas and mountains and the green river valley all made for a fun drive. It was a wonderful day, playing hookey. We came home tired, but refreshed.

Supreme Court: Norwegian Cruise Line

Great victory that I missed a couple of months ago.

Check out the rest of the website as well -- great material.

(thanks to Plus Stuff for the heads up on this site)

Check out Wes Boyd's Kayak Place -- he has a great section for larger kayakers:

Kayaking for Big Guys (And Gals)

Happy paddling!

This is from Kell Brigan via e-mail to The Ample Traveler©

While I think of it, this is me passing on a tip to info on a survey the Transportation Security Admin folk are taking.

Airline Travel Survey

Some people with disabilities and medical conditions have complained about airport security measures, especially if they have to go through intensive screening because of mobility impairment, service animals (such as seeing eye dogs), implanted metal devices, medication supplies (such as needles for injecting insulin), and medical equipment.

As a result, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has developed a survey form for travelers with disabilities to provide feedback on their experiences. TSA says it will use the information to develop improvements in airport screening procedures.

You can find an online version of survey at www.tsa.gov. (Click on "Travelers & Consumers" and then "Persons with Disabilities & Medical Conditions".)

If you prefer a hard copy please contact NORD and we will mail the survey form to you. When you complete the paper version, just fold it and mail it postage-free to the TSA. TSA will be conducting the survey through August 23.

I'd like to add that I think this is a growing problem and I'm glad to see someone at least giving lip service to addressing this. I hope they will follow through.

Tish's step father had a nightmare when going through security at the San Francisco airport. I was unable to find the link, but I remember that they took away his walker and he fell down. What a horrible experience. Security wouldn't even let Tish through to get to them. I've heard other such nighmarish stories over the past three years as well.

Please take the time to let them hear our voices. If you've been through airport security since 2002, you can offer feedback. The survey took me about 5 minutes to complete.

I don't have a lot of confidence that this will change much in procedure, but for a 5 minute investment, I think it is worth the effort.

Thanks Kell!

Getting away from it all is not always necessary: sometimes there are little respites to be had without venturing more than an hour from one's place of residence. Today Pattie and I took advantage of awakening early (thanks to our cat, and those of you who own cats will require no explanation beyond that) to visit Tonto National Forest.

The "forest" is quite large, and a section of it borders on Mesa. The flora varies, I learned on a previous and more extensive visit, from saguaro cacti, hills, and desert in the lower areas to Douglas firs in the higher areas (the latter are called the "Canadian Zone"). We got to the forest in half an hour from our home in Mesa and spent half an hour driving through a fraction of the lower areas to Arizona Highway 87, which allowed us a convenient return to our usual stomping grounds afterwards. "Doing the circuit" is always our first choice when getting somewhere and getting back, because it speaks to the kind of "efficiency" we prioritize: rather than getting somewhere and back as soon as possible by taking the same route both ways, we maximize our travel-per-gallon ratio by not confining ourselves to "rerun scenery" on the return trip.

The drive was invigorating because of the scenery, which is especially noteworthy because of its proximity to a major metropolitan area. It isn't quite on the level of having Yellowstone Park in your back yard, but it does keep with the metro Phoenix motif of working "green spaces" into the picture without being perfunctory about it. (The "green spaces" are rarely green in this part of the world, but I expect that the actual colors on display are not the issue. :) )

We have had a "Travel Begins At Home" sort of theme recently. We love the grandiose journeys (ask us about our Yukon trip sometime). We also love to discover what is nearby and take advantage of it as gratefully as if we had had to come a long way for it. There is a unique feeling that comes with realizing that something one wanted was there all along, and we cherish it when it finds us.

Carl and I went to Las Vegas last week for fun and profit. We will be doing a full blown issue of The Ample Traveler© for May/June on what was good and what was not. But I wanted to say I was shocked at the extent to which downtown Vegas was NOT user friendly for disabled travelers. Not only were some of the buildings still inaccessible, but the attitudes of some of the service staff were downright hostile.

The most disappointing place was the Bay City Diner. We stood behind the "velvet rope" waiting for a seat for nearly 10 minutes. Standing was extremely difficult for me and I asked if I could just sit down while they were clearing the table. The hostess got extremely huffy with me and walked off without answering my question. We met her huffiness by walking off ourselves so I could find a seat. (We did have a great, but pricier lunch at the Horseshoe just down Fremont where the staff was absolutely spectacular in service, more on that next month.)

The second most incredibibly disapointing thing was the public bus service. After the Bay City Diner incident, I decided to rent a scooter (which was way too expensive and will be the subject of another rant). I was assured by the CAT (Citizens Area Transit) that ALL their buses were accessible. So at the end of a day where Carl had walked close to 4 miles and we were 2 miles away from our hotel, we decided to board a CAT bus. Well, it took 5 buses before one would let us on. Two tried but it didn't work. One stopped but claimed it couldn't get the lift down and one just flew right by without stopping after we were told that the next bus would stop. The fifth one let us on, but it was crowded and it took ten minutes before we could get the scooter in the right place and strapped in. Being a novice on scooters didn't help but neither did the fact that no one would move back or out of the way. I was humiliated and felt like a little kid by the time the whole incident was over. The only good thing was that the bus driver was extremely polite and patient.

I think that the reason this was so disappointing is that we were expecting Vegas to be a city that understood diversity in travelers. It seems so user friendly on the net. Vegas should understand inclusive travel because everywhere we went we saw people with assistive devices. Variety was definitely the spice of those attending.

Please understand, it wasn't all negative. We will have plenty of positive things to report next issue. It is just that we didn't expect so many negatives.

Of course, before you see Vegas there will be a March/April issue. Thanks for your patience on that -- it will be May before we get the next issue up, but it should be here very soon!

Lots of things happening in sunny (sort of) Phoenix East Valley. Blog entries will be back in a week or two.

In the meantime, check out this "grand" site and a list of comments on airlines compiled a bit ago, but still relevant. Along with some other great travel topics:

What airlines treat big people well?

How can I make traveling on an airplane more comfortable?

Airline tips for large passengers.

What themeparks are comfortable for larger bodies?

The New York Times published an article in their business travel section this week describing the experiences of a woman who is suing Southwest Airlines for race, gender and size discrimination:

Ms. Thompson, who is 5-feet-8-inches and weighs about 280 pounds, was asked to purchase the seat next to her. When she refused to do that - after all, she reasoned, the seat belt buckled just fine and the arm-rest slid down without a problem - she was asked to get off the flight.

"It was the most humiliating thing," said Ms. Thompson, who is 47 and is suing the airline for discrimination based on weight, race and gender. "I fly twice a week and often on Southwest, and I've never had a problem before. But this day some manager was out to get me."

NOTE: you have to register with NYT in order to see the full article. If you don't want to do that, drop us an e-mail and I will send you a copy of the article.

Big Fat Blog is having a discussion about the article, which is not wholly satisfying, but is a step in the right direction.

We talk about airline travel this month at The Ample Traveler©'s regular column, Accommodations.

Latest Issue of The Ample Traveler© is up

Check out the January/February 2005 destination (hey, we made it before the end of February) -- Southeastern Arizona -- Where the Saguaro Rule.

We'd love to hear your comments regarding our issue, so feel free to post them here at Ample Ramblings or drop us an e-mail at info@ampletraveler.com.

Thanks for continuing to support our project. We have raised $93.00 to date. We need at least $500 to move forward with our plans and we are hoping for more so we can move more quickly to becoming an advocate for univeral access in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.

I received an e-mail yesterday from someone I will leave unidentified. This person basically implied that our travel was strictly for personal enjoyment and had no other broader purpose.

My first reaction was anger. We have worked hard this past year to get out on the road and stay on the road because we believe that traveling freely is an important aspect of a free society.

Then I realized that it might be we have not been clear about what we do while we travel.

Our traveling serves several purposes beyond the enjoyment we get from going to new places and meeting new people.

First, in a society that regards some people as worthy of the privilege of travel and others as not, strictly on the basis of how they look or how they are categorized, visibility is important. Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the visibility of people with disabilities has increased dramatically and with it has come acceptance and a sense of naturalness for people to be differently abled. Being on the road and out and about is an important way to say, "hey, we're just as human as you are."

Second, most of us rely upon media for information about the world around us. We let someone else tell us the stories of our world. It was important for us, if we wanted to promote accessibility, to go out and see what is accessible. We need to see for ourselves the state of things.

Third, The Ample Traveler© has taken a positive spin on these issues. We seek out and feature positive examples of universal accessibility because it will encourage businesses to be accessible and because it will encourage people to travel and to patronize accessible businesses.

Finally, most people think that the law is enough. We have ADA. We have civil rights. We have state laws and local ordinances that supposedly guarantee we will not be discriminated against, right? Well, first, we do not have full guarantees under the law. The ADA suffers from the same basic problem that earlier anti-discrimination legislation suffers: It relies upon the same categorizations used to single out a person in order to protect them from discrimination. The beauty of the ADA legislation has been the concept of reasonable accommodation. This simple concept turns a legal procedure into a cultural encounter because the question of reasonability is always open to interpretation. In order to change culture and improve on the process of negotiation, difference must become ordinary. The more we travel and talk to others about accessibility while we travel, the more we contribute to the acceptance of difference.

We promote universal accessibility because we believe that accommodations should be made for human beings no matter what category in which they can be placed. Accommodating travelers is a natural place for this cultural change to begin because the travel, tourism and hospitality business is an industry built upon accommodating others. All businesses built on accommodating diversity will be economically strong in our opinion.

So why travel? Well, we do enjoy ourselves on the road. But we also believe that traveling with a purpose will make room for others along the way. We hope that The Ample Traveler© project can be sustained because we believe that visibility is the key to cultural change and that accommodating difference is an important change in the way business is conducted in our economy.

I am sorry that my e-mailer didn't understand that it is important for people to be visible and it is important for businesses accommodating diversity to be visible. We remain committed to staying on the road for that purpose.

There is room for everyone!

In searching the net for other websites and blogs dealing with travel and disability, I came across a wonderful website called The Gorge maintained by British web designer, Flash Wilson. She specializes in designing accessible websites.

Flash is open about her disability. I love the pragmatic way she describes what she she can and cannot do. Functionality is central to her description, not categorization. That is what we hope to accomplish with The Ample Traveler© and our emphasis on universal design. It is important to accommodate all abilities rather than divide people into groupings.

Flash writes a wonderful description of her trips to a festival and how she managed the event while walking with crutches. It is one of the best descriptions of the ins and outs of working with spatial considerations.

I highly recommend reading Glastonbury Onna Stick!: Experiences of a disabled person at Glastonbury Festival

Here is an example of the great practical advice, she gives:

"The best loo was backstage at Jazz World, because there is a great vibe (and it's near the backstage bar!) but it is used by lots of (able-bodied) people so you need to take extra time and supplies to clean it before use. The sink was hard to find - it's round the back!

The worst loo was publicly accessible near the Leftfield, next to the regular cattle-pen toilets. Suffice to say it was full and could only be used by a contortionist - it was absolutely disgusting and unusable."

BTW, if, like my American butt, you had no idea what the Glastonbury Festival was all about, you can learn more about it here.

Thank you Flash for sharing a wonderful travel experience and for remaining mobile.

Before the blog has been two iterations of an Ample Ramblings forum that had a few postings. We are saving them here for posterity.

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Tell The Ample Traveler(c) where to go

The Ample Traveler(c) wants to know what destinations you would like to learn more about.

So tell us where to go!


On 09/16/04 Carl wrote:

Campgrounds with cheap hookups.


On 09/27/04 Susan_Koppelman wrote:

Come to Tucson!
Susan and Dennis

On 10/01/04 Carl wrote:

Um, OK. ;)

On October 4, we visited Susan and Dennis near Tucson and enjoyed their lovely backyard for two weeks in the shadow of Mount Limmon.


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Where was your best vacation?

The Ample Traveler(c) wants to know...

Where was your best vacation?

Share the juicy details. What made it a great place to be? How much planning did it take to make it great? Were there accessibility issues you had to overcome? Are you going to go back?


On 09/16/04 at Carl wrote:

Not sure if this was my all-time Number One, but I went to the Yukon with this certain special young woman ;) in 2003. I think it will be my most memorable vacation in any case.

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What is your dream vacation?

Close your eyes. Where are going? How are you getting there? What makes it a great place to be?

Come on, cher, share.


On 09/16/04 Carl wrote:

I blew my chance to be the first man on the moon (although being only three years old at the time somewhat excused my failure), but there are other celestial bodies out there.

I dream big.


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Cat on a Hot Tin Motor Home

On 09/16/04 Carl wrote:

It's never too early to start talking about one's housepets.

My adopted "daughter" turned eight years old this month. Her name is Anawim, which means "the forgotten ones." (She was abandoned by her mother and raised by me and my wife.) She traveled with us extensively even before we moved into a motor home full-time, and the move has been only a slight adjustment for her. She is used to the bed being her "home base" and has a history of defending it versus all comers (with legendary trysts with hotel staff resulting), which has allowed her some modicum of continuity in her new environment: she can still retire to the bedroom in the back of the RV and sulk if things aren't working out her way.

She has found some hiding places in the front part of the vehicle as well, which enable her to listen in on our conversations for hours and then make a sudden dash for the back (or to bite us on the ankle in one of her famous and only marginally effective sneak attacks) when she deems it appropriate.

Anawim does not use a litter box. We have walked her on a leash for several years. She has a congenital problem with her hind legs that makes it difficult for her to be as tidy as we would like her to be at key moments. Moving into the motor home did not involve much of a change in her routine in this respect. If anything, the outdoors is closer and easier to get to than it was when we lived in apartments.

On the other hand, her occasional accidents tend to show up in less convenient and more surprising places.

What kinds of pets do travelers take with them when they travel, and what have you heard about the results?


On 09/20/04 nchristensen wrote:

I had a cat that I brought everywhere with me. Invariably, bringing her on planes was a trauma because she would yowl all through the flight. I would get dirty looks and pointed comments. In addition, she would always catch a cold from the flight.

Sigh.



On 09/21/04 Carl wrote:

Different animals handle travel differently, and the same animal will handle it differently from trip to trip. Anawim is pretty sturdy about being relocated for the most part, but she has days where she resists the process all the way. I have the feeling that she tries to be brave but does not always succeed. :)


On 10/04/04 Carl wrote:

Another cute domesticated animal travel story:

We spent last weekend at a campground in New Mexico, and the resident cat was named Grumpy. This name was apparently motivated by the misnomer-as-joke factor, because he was friendly in the extreme. He adopted us the moment we entered the park and almost didn't let us out of his sight for two days. He would follow us around and petition to be petted whenever he saw us. He tried to follow us into our motor home more than once (which we couldn't permit because Anawim obviously has to be a priority). He was very comfortable in the three camp chairs that he believed we had set out just for him (perhaps not that erroneous a belief).

He weighed about fifteen pounds and enjoyed play-fighting with our outstretched arms and hands on several occasions, leaving a number of well-intentioned superficial wounds on us. Grumpy was big enough and agile enough to take care of himself, having killed rattlesnakes singlehandedly (according to reports from the park staff), so the overall effect of his presence was the "gentle giant" impression left (cultivated?) by large but good-natured domestic cats.


It broke our hearts to leave him, but because of his residence there and for other, unrelated reasons, we haven't ruled out the possibility of returning to the campground in question at some point. We hope he will still be there if we do so, because he was a delight.


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Where is The Ample Traveler?

Look for quick posts here regarding where we are as we travel around the country.


Sep 22 to 29 The Badlands South Dakota (09/24/04)

The Badlands were difficult to spot when we came into Interior, SD on Wednesday. It was raining, sometimes as much as 1/2 per hour.

We spent Thursday in the RV watching the waters rise.

About 3pm the clouds parted and the winds began to blow. By night fall, the stars were out and we were hearing coyotes howling at the quarter moon.

This morning we traveled to Rapid City to come up to broadcast depth and to check out the sunshine. The drive over on "Scenic 44" was awesome (in the truest meaning of that term).

It is a beautiful day in western South Dakota.


On 09/24/04 Carl wrote:

I'd like to add that we ate at the A & M Cafe in Interior two nights ago. We ordered, upon recommendation, the Indian tacos, and they were abundant and delicious. TAT fans may be hearing more about our Badlands experiences later, hint hint. :)


On 10/04/04 Carl wrote:

We did New Mexico over the weekend and are currently in Arizona. This may surprise some of our readers, but both states seem to get quite hot in the daytime in October and quite chilly at night, especially in what locals call the "desert" regions.


On 10/04/04 Pattie wrote:

To elaborate on Carl's post. It has been an incredible week of traveling. We left the Badlands last Wednesday morning and made it to Truth or Consequences/Elephant Butte New Mexico in three days. We found a wonderful little campground called Cozy Cove along Elephant Butte Lake. It was so beautiful and so friendly we decided to stay and extra day and enjoy a leisurely pace.

We did do a bit of a car tour, but mostly stayed around the campground where we got to know the staff, wrestled with the resident snake-killer attack cat and played board games in the "Clubhouse" while we did our laundry. It was a fun day.

On Sunday, we discovered the joys of driving in the desert. The RV had "vapor lock" problems. Basically, the gas in the tank gets so hot that it boils, creating air bubbles that keep gas from where it should go. This basically causes the RV engine to stall. We had to stop several times to let the gas cool.

We finished our journey to Tucson, AZ where we are visiting with Susan and Dennis who have graciously allowed us to hook-up in their backyard. After being mostly away from civilization for a little over two weeks, we are enjoying Tucson's cafes and free wireless connections.

We are putting together the next issue of The Ample Traveler and continuing to promote the website. This morning we recorded an interview with Veronica Cook-Euell on her radio show Size Matters. We will keep you updated on when the show will be aired.

Tucson is hot and dry. Surprised? Us neither. But it is spectacularly beautiful. We look forward to exploring the surrounding area and letting you know what's accessible.

On 10/08/04 Carl wrote:

To elaborate on Pattie's post: Tucson is EXCEEDINGLY hot and dry. The humidity right now is 7% (according to the hygrometer in my van which does not have air conditioning), and the temperature is 91 F. And it's October.