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.
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Opened in 1911, Casa Del Desierto was considered the crown jewel of the infamous Harvey House chain. This Barstow icon provided elegant meals and comfortable overnight accommodations for passengers of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway; and also housed an elegant ballroom for dances and other social events. Today this stately structure not only offers visitors a glimpse into the past, but it also houses the Western America Railroad Museum.
The museum’s collection is comprehensive — some claim it borders on eclectic — while a cadre of enthusiastic volunteers eagerly await the opportunity to share their collective railroad knowledge with visitors. Exhibits include everything from railroad tools and machines, to vintage schedules, uniforms, dinnerware and signs. And then there’s the model railroad. Access is excellent at the museum too, with accessible parking in the adjacent lot and plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair throughout the galleries.
There’s also a nice collection of rolling stock out in the yard, with level access around the cars. Highlights include an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe caboose and diesel engine, a 1968 Cline wheel truck, and a Union Pacific caboose. There’s also a large Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe horse car, that was used to transport race horses and their owners across the country. And although the cars themselves do not offer wheelchair access, most of them are better admired from afar.
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The Great Northern Railroad played an essential role in the development of the infrastructure of Glacier National Park (emerginghorizons.com/glacier-national-park/). After the park was established, the railroad quickly promoted “America’s Alps” and built Swiss chalet style accommodations to house the well-heeled park visitors. Of course these chalets had plenty of western touches on the interior to remind folks that this was truly an American experience. Gladly many of those properties have survived over the years and still welcome guests today.
Historic West Glacier Train Station located across from the Belton Chalet
Belton Chalet (glacierparkcollection.com) is one of those properties. Built in 1910 — the same year that Glacier National Park was established — this property is conveniently located across the street from the historic West Glacier Train Station. Now a National Landmark, Belton Chalet makes a great stop for rail buffs, and a comfortable overnight stay for everyone. And although the historic building exudes a definite charm of yesteryear, it’s also equipped with modern day access features. As a result, wheelchair-users and slow walkers can now take a step back in time and spend the night in this historic national park chalet.
Belton Chalet
The property is located in West Glacier, off of Highway 2, behind the Belton Tap Room. Just look for the train station across the street. There’s accessible parking with ramp access up to the front door, and plenty of room to roll around on the deck. Inside, the lobby is dominated by a large stone fireplace, with good pathway access over to the front desk. There’s also a large accessible family restroom located near the front desk.
Room 21, which is an accessible queen, is located just off the lobby. It features wide doorways, and wood floors for easy rolling. It’s furnished with a 25-inch high queen-sized bed with wheelchair access on the left side (as you face it), a desk, two chairs, a chest of drawers and a bedside table. Add in the wooden windows, vintage coat hooks, and the transom over the bathroom door for that early 1900s charm. And there’s a real door key — no plastic key cards for this property. As an added bonus, there are no TVs or other electronic distractions in this vintage room. Additionally, Room 21 is especially suited for slow walkers, as it’s just a short distance from the parking area to the room.
Room 21 at Belton Chalet
The oversized bathroom includes a full five-foot turning radius, and is equipped with a large transfer-type shower with grab bars, a hand-held showerhead and a fold-down shower bench. There is about a three inch lip on the shower pan, but there’s plenty of room to transfer to the shower bench from the bathroom. Other access features include toilet grab bars on the back and right walls (as seated), and a roll-under sink.
Bathroom in room 21 at Belton Chalet
The Extras
This property is a must-see for anyone who is interested in railroad history as the hallways are lined with vintage posters and calendars of the Empire Builder. And there’s level access to the deck, where you can see — and hear — the trains pass through. As an added bonus the accessible room is located on the quieter back side of the property; however ear plugs are provided should the passing trains present a problem.
Next door, there’s also level access to the Belton Tap Room from the accessible parking spot. Even if you don’t have dinner there, you’ll want to make sure and listen for the evening Empire Builder train, as the staff lines the restaurant balconies to welcome arriving guests. It’s a page out of railroad history. The train usually rolls in between 9:30 and 10:00 in the evening, but delays are always possible. And if you do decide to have a bite to eat a the Tap Room, reservations are highly recommended.
Add in the little extras like chocolate chip cookies at check-in and coffee and pastries in the morning, and Belton Chalet makes great home base for any Glacier National Park visit. Give it a try on your next visit.
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Train travel has many advantages. You can leave the driving to someone else and sit back and enjoy the scenery. When nature calls you can just roll down the aisle to an accessible restroom. And if you get hungry there are many tasty onboard choices. Additionally, unlike auto travel, you can also enjoy an adult beverage during your journey. And the good news is, not only does Amtrak offer wheelchair-accessible seating, but they also give disabled passengers a 10% discount off their fares. Ready to ride the rails? Then here’s how to book a wheelchair-accessible seat on Amtrak.
Check That Box!
Making a reservation for a wheelchair-accessible seat is pretty straightforward; however there is one critical component to the process. Go to www.Amtrak.com and enter your departure station, your destination and your travel dates. On the next line, select the number of travelers, and then check the box that says “passenger with disability or assistance needed”. It’s easy to miss, but it’s an essential step in order to get an accessible seat.
After you check that box, a disability assistance questionnaire will appear. The first window asks about your disability, while the second window asks if you need an Amtrak wheelchair, or if you travel with a wheelchair or a cane. The third window determines your accessible seating preference, as it asks if you want to travel in your manual wheelchair, stow your collapsible wheelchair on board, or if you use a power wheelchair or scooter. The next window asks about service animals, and the final window has a few questions about station assistance. And if you need assistance with something not listed, you can always give them a call at (800) USA-RAIL to have it added to your profile
After that you can select your train from the displayed choices and complete your reservation. If you are on a reservable train, you will automatically be assigned the accessible seating choice you selected. If you are traveling on a non-reservable train, then it will alert personnel to your accessible seating needs. If, on the other hand, you didn’t check the “disability box”, neither of these things will happen; and you won’t get an accessible seat.
If Things Go Wrong
Of course, sometimes people miss the check box and end up not being able to select a wheelchair-accessible seat on Amtrak. That was the case with one recent passenger on the Acela train out of New Jersey. He missed the check box and was assigned a standard seat. Since he needed an accessible seat he tried the online chat option to resolve the issue. The only solution they offered was to cancel his original reservation and rebook him in an accessible seat. Unfortunately, since the fare had gone up since he initially booked his ticket, he would of been charged nearly double his original fare just to get an accessible seat. It’s not Amtrak’s policy to charge disabled passengers more for an accessible seat, but the chat option just didn’t resolve things.
So the passenger reached out to everyone he could and eventually he worked his way up the ladder. Ultimately he was rebooked in an accessible seat at no additional charge, but it did take a lot of legwork on his part.
In the end, it’s important to remember that when you book a wheelchair-accessible seat on Amtrak it will be the same price as a standard seat. If you find that isn’t the case, or if you have been charged extra for an accessible seat in the past, then it’s time to contact Amtrak. According to an Amtrak spokesperson, they will make it right. They are adamant about not only going the extra mile to provide disabled passengers with accessible seating and assistance; but they also do it for the same price that non-disabled passengers pay. If you find that’s not the case, then give them a call at (800) USA-RAIL or use the online contact form at www.amtrak.com/contact-us/email.html to rectify the matter.
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I use a manual wheelchair and I’d like to train my dog to be a service animal so I can travel with him. There are so many places that offer training, certification and registration online, and I really have no idea of where to go. Can you recommend some certified trainers or schools, and also direct me to the official place to register my dog as a service animal?
Service Animal Training Resources
Service dogs help people in wheelchairs do a number of things. They can pick up things, open and close automatic doors, carry items, turn on lights and even retrieve a wheelchair that’s out of reach. That said, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), no official training, certification or registration is required for a dog to be considered a service animal. The only requirement is that the animal must perform a task or tasks to assist a person with a disability.
You can certainly self-train your dog to perform tasks to assist you — at home and when you travel. A good way to find an experienced trainer to work with you is to contact your local Center for Independent Living (CIL) and ask them for referrals to trainers that have worked with their clients. CILs are located throughout the US and they offer excellent disability-related resources. Here’s a directory to find one near you. ilru.org/projects/cil-net/cil-center-and-association-directory
There are also a number of reputable organizations that train service dogs and then pair them with folks who need them. These organizations usually begin with puppies and the training takes almost two years. After graduation each dog is paired with a person with a disability, and the team then undergoes additional training at the organization’s facility. Financial aid is usually available, and some service dog organizations operate as non-profits and provide the animals to qualified applicants at no charge. The wait for these animals can be several years; however since you want to train your own dog, these organizations aren’t a viable option for you.
Red Flags!
Finally, there are a number of websites that offer service dog certification, registration and equipment. In most cases you should steer clear of these sites, which are more commonly known as card mills. For a fee they will give you a card that says your dog is a service animal, add them to their registry and even send them a vest or a harness. Although there’s nothing technically illegal about this, it’s an unnecessary expense because in most cases you don’t need any official certification, registration or even a card for your dog to be classified as a service animal. Some of these websites also offer to certify dogs as emotional support animals, which are not recognized under the ADA or the Air Carrier Access Act (which governs accessible air travel).
It should also be noted that under the ADA, service animals are not required to wear tags, vests or harnesses that identify them as service animals. All that’s needed is the verbal assurance that the animal preforms tasks for an individual with a disability. Finally, be especially skeptical of any site that claims they are the “official service animal registry”, because according to the ADA there is no such thing.
I’m sure you’ll do a good job training your dog, and in the end you’ll have a great helper.
90942 Kelso Cima Road
I use a manual wheelchair and I’d like to train my dog to be a service animal so I can travel with him. There are so many places that offer training, certification and registration online, and I really have no idea of where to go. Can you recommend some certified trainers or schools, and also direct me to the official place to register my dog as a service animal?