Special Needs Patrol

San Juan Puerto Rico is a wonderful destination for a Caribbean style vacation, with some of the creature comforts many of us enjoy.  San Juan is the Capital of Puerto Rico, which is officially a territory of the United States.  This is great news, as it means that US citizens do not need to have passports to travel, and US dollar bills are the current currency.  Add this to the fact that San Juan is a 2 hour nonstop flight from many east coast cities, and that English is spoken, and you have a terrific location for a vacation.

New Orleans has come back from the Hurricane Katrina, and is once again one of the popular tourist spots in the US.  The spirit, the music, drinks, partying, and of course the Mardi Gras is in full swing again.  

Years ago a friend and I went to Las Vegas for a travel conference.  Being “Las Vegas Virgins” we wanted to experience EVERYTHING, but had a limited time.  We decided to take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon to celebrate my friends 40^th birthday.

Ft. Lauderdale Beach is a narrow, long area of sand on the Atlantic side of Florida.  It’s an area that is easy to travel to with an international airport 20 minutes from the beach.  The hotels are across the street from the main beach area, which gives easier access, and a less touristy feel.  Sidewalks are everywhere, and I noticed quite a few signs for “service animal relief centers”.  The pace in Ft. Lauderdale seems more laid back, and chilled than many other beach locations.  There is a water taxi, lots of local tours on the water, tons of dining and shopping options (think Los Olas) and more.

Legoland has entered the amusement park market in Florida.  The newest, and largest Legoland is located 45 minutes from Tampa and Orlando.  The park, and adjacent water park has been open for a few years, but Summer 15 will start with a blast with the opening of the Legoland Hotel.  The hotel will be highly themed and have room for a family of 5.

In the middle of a neighborhood in Louisville Kentucky is a Historic Home… Locust Grove.  The home was built in the 1790’s, and is on a beautiful piece of property.  General George Rodgers Clark came to this home, which was his sister’s, when his health was failing him.  He had a bedroom on the first floor of the house.  It is said that General Clark spent many hours sitting on the back porch looking at the Ohio River.

My mom had Parkinson ’s disease for 30 years.  She did not want “Parky” to stop her from enjoying her grandchildren, traveling, or being part of important family events.  Mom had just found independence as she had successfully launched all 4 of her kids, so she was ready to travel and see the world.  My family was ready to explore the world a little more as well.  My girls, aged 12 and 6 invited mom to join us on a Royal Caribbean Cruise to the Bahamas on the Freedom Of The Seas.  After getting approval from her Dr.’s and doing some medication adjustments, she was ready to go.

On a recent family trip to Disney World my family decided to visit EPCOT.  It happened to be during the FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL so we packed our bags and our rented electric scooter and joined a bus full of happy people.

Are you tired of cool, cold, and totally freezing days of winter?  If you are anything like me you could use a little bit of Florida Sunshine.  Mid Spring (after Easter week) is a great time of year to visit Walt Disney World due to lower crowds, nice temperatures, and one of my favorite events…

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival 2015

A few weeks ago I decided to go to a conference in Princeton NJ.  I was going to drive in order to save money.  This felt at first like a great adventure until I checked map quest directions.  It turns out Princeton NJ is 10 hour drive from home.  This would have been okay except that I was driving alone, and am blind in my right eye.

We recently traveled to Nashville Tennessee to explore the city, the sights, and the music.  As it was Christmas time I purposefully avoided the Gaylord Opryland hotel.  They have tons of holiday decorations, and are extremely crowded.  Instead I west to downtown Nashville.  

Is an African Safari on your bucket list?  Many people are interested in exploring traveling, and experiencing the authentic beauty of this area of the world.  Photo safaris and traveling to game reserves are exciting ways to find true natural beauty.  South Africa and surrounding countries have seen a large growth in tourism, and have made great strides in welcoming many people from around the world.

On a recent trip to the New York City area I had the pleasure of catching a train at Grand Central Station.  This is a historic building that continues to be used by many commuters, and visited by plenty of tourists.  The building has lots of ramps and elevators, making all trains and platforms accessible for the wheel chair bound individuals.  The trains are also very accessible, and provide much more room than the buses or subways.  

If you drive through the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville North Carolina you may begin to see signs for the Biltmore Estates.  This is one of the largest privately owned homes in the United States, as is famous for both its residence and the location.  Many movies, TV shows and commercials have been filmed inside the home and around the entire estate.

A surprising awaits people who venture a block or so from the beach in Ft. Lauderdale Florida.  A large Caribbean style home was built around 1900 and is filled with lots of animals, and treasures from around the world.

The holidays tend to be a bit busy.  My wish is for everyone to slow down, and enjoy the special moments a bit more.  This can mean enjoying a church service, lighting up the house, having a snowball fight, or building a ginger bread village.  Often the experiences are what create the memories more than all the materialistic things.  Also you may want to share an old tradition or create a new tradition.  In our house the holidays would not be complete without a few batches of Swedish Nuts to share. Although my youngest is now 18, she is going to join me in baking the nuts.

Have you ever visited a new city, and not been sure what you want to see? It can be very overwhelming. On a recent trip to New York City my daughter and I decided to take the hop on hop off bus. Keep in mind that I have sight limitations, and my daughter (who is 19) is very ADHD. This was her first time in the Big Apple, so we choose to take the night time tour.

So you have decided to go on a long awaited romantic vacation to an all-inclusive resort somewhere south on a gorgeous beach.  Part of an additional service is to upgrade to a Butler Room.

Have you ever dreamed about going on the LOVE BOAT for a trip of a life time?  Many people have really become more interested in the cruising options ever sense Captain Stuving and his crew of helpful staff entered our televisions in the 1970s. 

In early November I attended the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.  This event occurs a number of times between early November and December.  

We wanted to take the family on one final vacation, but weren’t sure where to go.  We decided to go on the Oasis of the Seas, one of the largest cruise ships in the world.  I was excited, but cautious about dining options.  As a Diabetic type 2 insulin dependent individual I was determined to keep my blood sugar in check while still having a great time, and enjoying everything.  A little pre cruise awareness was helpful, so I asked for a refrigerator in the room, a sharps container and activity options.  I also looked into the food choices carefully, both from healthy food availability, and cost.  

My family recently went on a terrific cruise aboard Oasis of the Seas.  One morning we docked in Jamaica, not Montego Bay, or Ocho Rios, but Falmouth Jamaica.  The port was fine, but most activities were at least 1 hour away.  I was aware of some security issues outside of the port area as well.  We did not want to spend time in the bus, and my husband was not able to walk long distances, therefore we slept in and just disembarked.  We noticed a lot of vendors selling their wares, which was interesting, but a little chaotic, so we moved on.

Have you ever felt exhausted, and intimidated by being in a crowd?  Many people with mobility, medical or emotional challenges are very overwhelmed by being in tight, or compact places.  If you add in a walker, scooter, cane, or wheel chair the anxiety goes even higher.  People who have ADHD, early Dementia, and other “invisible” conditions are also effected.  This is sometimes part of traveling, whether it’s in an airplane, bus, or amusement park.

Last weekend my husband Doug and I went to NYC.  It was his first visit.  I was in a training in Stamford, so we took some time to see the sights in New York City.  The city can be, and is often very exhausting, so on Sunday morning (Doug’s last day) we were looking for a more laid back experience.