All travelers have worries. Will rain dampen that beach getaway? Will a late-departing plane make it on time to the connecting flight? And just what did the agent mean when he said that steal-of-a-deal hotel property is in a “transitional neighborhood?”
Disabled travelers think about those things as well, but to those who use a wheelchair for mobility, there’s a whole extra set of concerns:
– Is the basement supper club reached by stairs only, or is there an elevator to make it accessible?
– Is that little hole-in-the-wall diner where the locals eat equipped with a ramp?
– Is there a barrier-free way of getting to that peaceful oasis in the heart of the big city?
From scenic San Francisco to bustling New York City, the answer is yes. For people who use wheelchairs or other devices for mobility, here are our choices for seven wheelchair-accessible wonders of the world.
San Francisco
Tonga Restaurant and Hurricane Bar
Those little paper umbrellas in the cocktails come in handy at the Tonga, where thunder rumbles and rain falls indoors. It doesn’t rain on the diners, just over the lagoon in the middle of the floor by the bandstand.
Located in San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel (950 Mason St.), this cathedral of kitsch is decorated to look like a Polynesian paradise. Eat before you go, and just sit back with a Boar Boar Horror in hand and soak in the lounge ambience.
Elevators provide access, although the walk up Nob Hill would intimidate all but the most seasoned mountain climbers. Spend a few bucks on a cab and save the wear and tear on your wheelchair and your nerves.
Los Angeles
Forest Lawn
For a peek at the rich and famous in laid-back surroundings, try Forest Lawn cemetery (6300 Forest Lawn Dr.).
Many of the graves sit on a fairly steep hillside, making for a terrific view but challenging for wheelchair users. You’ll have an easier time walking among the wall crypts located on level ground. Markers point the way to wheelchair-accessible ramps around the maze of engraved crypts.
Look for the graves of singer Andy Gibb, ’70s TV star Freddie Prinze and Woody Woodpecker creator Walter Lantz.
Showman Liberace is buried with his mother, Frances, and brother, George, in a huge crypt decorated with an engraving of his trademark autograph over a piano. Actress Bette Davis is at rest in a tomb that bears the inscription “She did it the hard way.”
Las Vegas
Red Rock Canyon
Drive about a half hour west of Las Vegas on Nevada Highway 159 and you’ll feel about a million miles away from the glitz and neon. You may even befriend a wild burro or two.
Red Rock Canyon is the perfect spot to experience the grandeur and spectacular scenery of the desert. The barrier-free visitor center has informational displays inside and paved trails in back. There’s even a lowered wheelchair-accessible telescopic viewer for up-close glimpses of the gorgeous rock formations.
Chicago
Wrigley Field
Baseball purists love Chicago’s Wrigley Field (Addison and Clark Streets) for its old time feel, quaint architecture and steady diet of day games that allows the nation’s pastime to be played in the sunlight.
But Wrigley is also special because of the way the staff accommodates people with disabilities.
This intimate ballyard was constructed long before universal design, but Wrigley has been retrofitted with two lifts that carry wheelchair users up a flight of steps to a seating area right behind home plate.
Ushers assist wheelchair and motorized cart users down a steep ramp that leads to the lifts.
Once a lift has traversed the stairs, ushers help maneuver wheelchair users into place on a terraced section where the seats have been removed.
Able-bodied guests are provided with folding chairs.
New Orleans
Mother’s
Although the French Quarter is the focal point of New Orleans, sometimes the sensory overload that goes with it can be a bit much. For a relaxing break and a simple but delicious meal, head to Mother’s in the Central Business District (401 Poydras St.).
This haven of home-style cooking churns out dozens of hot breakfasts every minute, serving them up cafeteria style. Go for the wonderful ham, done up three ways. Add in some biscuits, eggs and coffee and you won’t need to eat until dinner.
Access is provided via a ramp. Lots of folks appreciate the hearty cuisine, so expect to negotiate around groups of happy diners inside.
Miami Beach
Picnic from Joe’s Stone Crab
Miami’s South Beach, with its upscale shopping, fancy bistros and Art Deco hotels, has become America’s Riviera. But big bucks and fashion model good looks aren’t necessary to have a great time.
The gentle ocean breezes, warm Florida sun and accessible paved walkway between Ocean Drive and the beach are open to anyone. What better way to enjoy it than a picnic plus people-watching?
Joe’s Stone Crab (227 Biscayne St.), a South Beach institution, packs up delightful meals of whatever seafood tickles your fancy. The house specialty is sweet, meaty stone crab claws with mustard sauce.
From late May to October, when Joe’s is closed because stone crabs are out of season, try Pizza Rustica (863 Washington Ave.) for some gourmet Roman-style pizza to go.
Whichever cuisine you choose, it’s best enjoyed from a bench near the walkway at dusk, a perfect vantage point for viewing the beautiful people strolling past the row of sleek, streamlined Deco hotels. As the sun fades, the buildings are bathed in shades of hot pink, sapphire blue, lemon yellow and lime green neon.
New York City
Metropolitan Museum of Art rooftop garden
Imagine sitting quietly among beautiful sculptures, looking out over a gorgeous sanctuary of greenery. It’s unlikely you’ll picture yourself in the ever-exciting, sometimes maddening vortex of Manhattan.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (5th Avenue at 82nd Street), along the edge of Central Park, contains world-class artworks, but not many know of its decidedly understated treasure — a rooftop garden, accessible via elevator. Visitors can enjoy a cappuccino or glass of wine and reflect on the artworks around them, or gaze out over the trees in Central Park and the skyline beyond.
– INFORMATION
Travelers With Disabilities Awareness Week, Nov. 29-Dec. 5, is sponsored by the Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped (SATH).
The Awareness Week seeks to promote the economic strength of the nearly 50 million Americans with disabilities who travel. SATH has actively represented travelers with disabilities since 1975 with the goal of promoting awareness, respect and accessibility for disabled and mature travelers and employment for the disabled in the tourism industry.
SATH works vigorously for the creation of a barrier-free environment throughout all segments of the travel and tourism industry. The organization’s efforts contributed to the access section of the Americans With Disabilities Act passed by Congress in 1990.
For more information, call 212-447-7284.
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Steve Wright and Heidi Johnson-Wright are authors of “Ideas for Easy Traveling: Timely Tips for Those with Limited Mobility” (Accent Press; $3.95). Wright is a veteran reporter for the Columbus Dispatch; as a result of rheumatoid arthritis, Johnson-Wright uses crutches and a wheelchair for mobility.
