As a travel writer since 1977, Candy Harrington has been writing about accessible travel exclusively since 1996. She’s the founding editor of Emerging Horizons, and the author of the popular Barrier-Free Travel national park series. With thousands of bylines to her credit, Candy hits the road often, in search of new accessible travel finds. Candy and her travel photographer husband Charles Pannell reside in NE Washington, where they tend to their chicken flock and enjoy a rural lifestyle.
Population 443
If your travels take you through Central Georgia, make sure and stop in Warm Springs — a sleepy little town made famous by President Roosevelt. The president originally sought out the healing waters of the town as a cure for his polio, but he later formed a strong connection to the community, and subsequently established a program to bring affordable electricity to the area. Today visitors can tour Roosevelt’s Little White House (gastateparks.org/LittleWhiteHouse), which includes some personal possessions, a few pieces from the original house, and even a set of hand controls designed by the president. The site also features a museum that includes information on family members, events that occurred during Roosevelt’s presidency, and gifts sent to him by an adoring public. And as you might guess — considering Roosevelt’s disability — most of the site is wheelchair-accessible.
Population 1,233
Located 90 miles north of Atlanta in the heart of the Blue Ridge foothills, this Northern Georgia town is a bit off the main tourist track, and that’s reason enough to stop there. It’s the perfect place to get away from the city, and take a relaxing ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway (www.brscenic.com). The train features lift access to an open-air car . The lift that can accommodate a total weight of 1.000 pounds, and there’s also an accessible restroom on the train. The train follows the Toccoa River and travels at a very leisurely pace, so the 26—mile journey takes about an hour. It pulls into McCaysville around noon, and departs for Blue Ridge two hours later. Passengers have plenty of time to explore the town, and even walk up the street to the twin border town of Copperhill, Tennessee. All in all, it’s a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon.
Population 4,070
Located in Southern Colorado, about 50 miles north of the New Mexico border, Monte Vista is named for its spectacular mountain view. And although it’s a popular road trip stopover town, the big draw is is actually located on Highway 15 just south of town — the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/refuge/monte_vista/). During the spring and fall thousands of Sandhill Cranes and migrating waterfowl descend on the surrounding wetlands, while song birds, shore birds and water birds nest there in the summer. Although most of the refuge can be seen in a car on the 2.5-mile auto loop, there’s also a short accessible trail near the entrance. This wide level pathway winds alongside the marsh and continues for 100 yards, and ends at an accessible overlook. It’s a nice spot to get some fresh air, and if you’d like to dine al fresco, there’s also a picnic table located near the trailhead.
Population 4 Located near the East Entrance of the famed national park, Death Valley Junction has just four (and sometimes fewer) full time residents. That said, during the borax mining boom in the early 1900s there were 300 people living there. In 1960 New York City ballet dancer Marta Becket had a flat tire there and fell in love with the desert. She later transformed the former dorm and recreation hall into the Amargosa Hotel and the Amargosa Opera House (www.amargosaoperahouse.org/).She painted murals throughout the hotel, and even painted an audience on the walls of the opera house. Today the murals still grace the walls of the hotel, and tours of the opera house are available. Both venues have level access so it’s a nice stop for wheelchair-users and slow walkers.
Population 8,517
You just can’t pass up the opportunity to stand on the corner in this Northeastern Arizona town. And since it’s just a few hours from the Grand Canyon, and only 50 miles from the Petrified Forest, it’s the perfect addition to a national park road trip. Standin’ on the Corner Park (standinonthecorner.org) which is located on the corner of 2nd Street (Route 66) and Kinsley, brings the lyrics of the 1972 Eagles hit — Take it Easy — to life. It features a mural by John Pugh, which depicts the famous lyrics, behind a bronze sculpture of a musician with a guitar (known locally as “Easy”), just standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. It’s a prime selfie spot for sure. Save some time to browse through the La Posada — a restored Harvey House — which is just down the street, before you hop back on the highway. Both attractions feature barrier-free access for wheelchair-users and slow walkers.
Population 16,850
Located about 30 miles off of Interstate 10, Gulf Shores is worth the short detour for Gulf State Park (www.alapark.com/gulf-state-park) alone. This 6,100-acre state park occupies a prime piece of beach real estate, and offers three two-bedroom wheelchair-accessible cabins on the shore of Lake Shelby. The cabins each includes a full kitchen, a spacious great room, a screen porch, and two bathrooms with a roll-in shower. And the cabins are just a short drive from Gulf Oak Ridge Trail — a 3-mile paved level trail that winds through the woods. Accessible restrooms are located along the trail, and there are plenty of spots to stop and take a break. And don’t forget to visit the Fishing and Education Pier, while you’re in the park. There’s accessible parking close to the pier and barrier-free access to the 1,500 foot-long pier, which features a nice water view, with wayside wildlife exhibits along its length.
This popular diner is located about two miles off Interstate 10 on the way to Gila Bend Petroglyphs. Its popularity is due to the decor and unusual curb appeal, rather than the menu offerings. There’s accessible parking in front with level access to the restaurant. Inside you find a few aliens, along with some colorful space murals, silver upholstered booths and a ceiling that looks like a hangar. It’s a good stop for kids, and breakfast is served all day. That said the best photo op is of the flying saucer that sits atop of the adjacent hotel lobby. It’s best after the sun goes down as it’s illuminated with neon lights. Good for a quick stop and a photo or two.
Located on a grassy knoll on Dawson Drive near Main Street in Webb City, this 32-foot high Giant Hands in Prayer sculpture is hard to miss. Constructed by local artist J.E. “Jack” Dawson in 1974, this massive concrete and steel piece weighs in at an impressive 220,000 pounds. Dawson crafted this work of art in his backyard, and then hauled it on a flatbed truck to where it sits today. According to the artist, the sculpture is a response to events in the 1960s, which was “a bad time for our country”.
There’s a small slab of asphalt with three standard parking spaces, just past the Giant Hands in Prayer. From there a short paved path leads over to a memorial wall, which was added to the site. This panel depicts how the hands were created. You can get a good view of this icon from that viewpoint, but if you want to get closer you have to climb up the grassy 40-foot high mound (not accessible). There’s also a small picnic shelter near the parking area which has an accessible picnic table, so this iconic site makes a good lunch stop on a Route 66 Missouri road trip.
Built in 1924 Kelso Depot was more than just a train depot, as it also included employee sleeping quarters as well as a full-service restaurant. The Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad constructed the facility in order to compete with the popular Harvey Houses operated by the Santa Fe Railroad. Kelso Depot was upscale for the time, and it even had a billiard room and a library. The depot ceased functioning in 1962, although the restaurant remained open until 1985. Today it houses the visitor center for the Mojave National Preserve.
Kelso Depot is pretty easy to find — just take Kelebaker Road from Baker, and continue on through the desert for 34 miles until you reach the historic site. Accessible parking is located in front of the depot, with level access over to the visitor center and the nearby accessible restrooms. Inside there’s barrier-free access throughout the facility, which includes interpretive exhibits about the Mojave National Preserve. Additionally the baggage room, ticket office and two dormitory rooms are furnished as they would have been in the 1920s. Even if the visitor center is closed, you can still get a gander at the lunch counter, vintage desks and old equipment through the large front windows. It’s definitely worth a stop while exploring the Mojave National Preserve.
My husband uses a power wheelchair, and we really like road trips. We have an accessible van, and it’s nice that we can pack all our essential equipment with us, and have accessible transportation to get around and see the sights. That said, lately we have had a few problems finding accessible hotels that really meet our needs. I know everyone is different, and it’s nothing against the hotels, but some of the access features we would like to see are purely personal preference.
So I thought that perhaps renting a wheelchair-accessible RV would be a good solution for us. We could tow our vehicle and have an accessible place to spend the night. Sadly I’ve not been able to find a wheelchair-accessible RV for rent at the major dealers, so I think we will probably end up buying a rig. Still it would be nice to be able to “try before we buy”. Do you have any resources or tips for buying or renting a wheelchair-accessible RV in the US? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Try Before You Buy
Wheelchair-accessible RVs are indeed a great choice for a road trip, for all of the reasons you mentioned. And yes, the “try before you buy” concept is a great idea; however I will say that wheelchair-accessible rental RVs are in short supply. Additionally, chances are they might not be the exact model you will eventually purchase. Still it will give you an idea if you like the RV lifestyle.
Unfortunately none of the mainstream RV rental websites really have what I would call accessible RVs. Granted you can search for “ADA-RVs” or “wheelchair” on some of them, but the results returned are far from what the average person would consider wheelchair-accessible. If you do go this route, I suggest you ask a lot of questions and request copious photos, as what I have seen would not accommodate a power wheelchair.
One good resource for wheelchair-accessible RV rentals is the Handicapped Travel Club. This group has been around for a long time, and the members have accessible RVs and meet annually for rallies. They also have a newsletter, and they share resources about accessible RV travel. Additionally, some of their members rent out their accessible rigs when they are not in use, so it might be a good place to find one to try before you buy. Their website (handicappedtravelclub.com) has lots of accessible RV travel tips, the current newsletter and a link to some accessible used RVs for sale. And their Facebook group (www.facebook.com/groups/handicappedtravelclub) is a good place to connect with other members.
Buying An Accessible RV
Once you decide you like the RV life, then it’s time to think about purchasing a rig. The good news is that many more companies now offer accessible models. Here are some to choose from.
The accessible Maxvan Pathway (maxvan.com/pathway) is a wide body Class B RV. It has a rear entry ramp, a compact toilet and shower area, a fold-out bed, tie-downs and an awning.
Newmar offers several Class A wheelchair-accessible RVs. (www.newmarcorp.com/wheelchair-accessible/). These spacious units all feature lift access and roll-in showers. And some even come equipped with adjustable height beds and dining tables.
Population 443
