Abilities Expo Chicago 2011

Date of Visit: July 8, 2011

Mik had been looking forward to the Abilities Expo in Chicago for months.  He found some cool stuff, but overall was rather disappointed.  It was rather small and really did not have that much different things.  He was especially disappointed that they did not have the Wijits to try.  Several of the vendors commented that this was smaller than the others and of course the Wijit people had been at every other one.  They had something similar and to some extent better, but it was gears that you switch down in the hubs, which is useless to Mik because he cannot even do the bending down to get the range of motion needed to really propel himself.

Mik did have one big find and splurge that he sure wish he had at the beginning of our summer vacation.  It is the Free Wheel.  It is a big wheel that attaches to the footplate and lifts the casters up.  It is pretty easy to take on and off.  Not sure if Mik will be able to learn to do it, but that's okay, as he could not twist due to his spinal fusion to put it on the bracket on the back of the chair anyways.  However, it is something he can easily tell a friend or someone to help him with, although currently he does not have the thing to carry it on his wheelchair because of course the Q7 disappoints again in that it has a special shape.  They are making us the right size thing to go on there and it should get to his house about the time we get home from vacation early August, so at least he will have it all set up for school.

The Free Wheel makes going over bumps and even down big curbs easy.   Mik is excited to try it out for going to school because the sidewalks in our neighborhood are old and ever since he has had his Q7 the front wheels have made it even harder for him to get there and back than with his old chair.  It also helps him go straighter, so he should not be calling me to come help him because he rolled off into the gravel and cannot get back on because even if he does the Free Wheel makes it so he can get back up on his own.  Not to mention it adds stability that should keep him from all his falls he ends up with from the transitions on the ramps at school.

It certainly is not that great indoors, but it will definitely come in handy for Mik, especially since now he could much more easily do the trails that we have borderline considered at the National Parks.  Of course, it still would not have saved him from flipping over sideways on the Circle Trail.  You probably need a high end special sports chair for that!

Mik also got some really nice gloves.  He has tried a lot of different ones over the years and has never stuck with a pair for more than a day, but he has now worn these new ones twice and still loves them, so that is really saying something.  They are fingerless.  What he really likes is they have grip that reminds me of the material those rubber circle jar opener things are made out of.  They do not so much help him roll any better, but he does love that he can now open soda and especially Gatorade bottles much easier.  Plus, he cannot wait to try them for weight lifting and pull ups.

Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
Abilities Expo
Shaumburg Convention Center
Shaumburg, IL

Effigy Mounds National Monument

Date of Visit: July 2, 2011

We ended up slightly disappointed at Effigy Mounds because I had heard they had an accessible trail, but failed to really research it to know what the trail took you to see.  The trail is a nice accessible trail, but it just takes you down to the Yellow River and does not involve seeing the Effigy Mounds.  The trail from the Visitor Center that goes to the mounds starts out with a little section of boardwalk that is accessible, but it only goes to a group of three mounds.

In order to see any of the real Effigy style mounds you have to go on a trail that is dirt and bark.  It looks potentially doable, but it is at least 2 miles to see any of the Effigy mounds and it started with uphill.  Mik certainly was not feeling adventurous enough to try it despite Dad being willing after the Circle Trail incident at Pipestone National Monument a few days earlier.

The Visitor Center is nice and they do show a good movie that lets you be able to get an idea of what the Effigy Mounds look like.  It also has a little museum about the Native American cultures of the region and mound building.  We were also happy they had the 25th Anniversary National Park Passport stamp, which not all the places that have the stampers have.

I still enjoyed the Effigy Mounds National Monument, but Mik was kind of disappointed by the promise of an accessible trail and it ending up not featuring the main thing the National Monument protects.  However, he did like the trail and getting to go on a hike without it being so bumpy or ever having to flip his front wheels up.  Of course, about a week later he got a Free Wheel at the Abilities Expo and now wants to go back to the trail he could not do.



Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
Effigy Mounds National Monument
151 Hwy 76
Harpers Ferry, IA 52146

Misadventure on Circle Trail at Pipestone National Monument

Date of Visit: June 30, 2011

The Circle Trail at the Pipestone National Monument was not exactly a circle, as the Ranger informed us that the bridge by the waterfall was currently closed.  We still decided to do the trail, as it was paved, so thus you would think a totally wheelchair accessible trail and the Ranger gave us the impression it was.  Well, it is not and it is not really a safe Circle Trail for wheelchair users.  The park's website sort of tells you this, but not specifically enough to explain what happened to Mik and gives enough hope that we certainly still would have done the trail and it still would have happened.

Near where you get to the waterfall there is a path that splits off and has steps.  Obviously, we did not even try this path, but Dad went off on it and Mik and I decided to keep going towards the waterfall.  Well, we did not get too far.  A little past the bench near where the path splits there is an extremely tilted part of the path.  It did not look like a problem, but as soon as I was on it Mik's left big wheel left the ground and there was no way I could keep it from flipping over.  At least Mik knew to bail his iPad (case did its job and protected iPad) and put his hands down in front of him and his only injury was a bunch of mosquito bites because there were swarms of them by the waterfall and he would have gotten those anyways probably.

Mik feels there should be a warning sign on the trail right there (not to mention the website's warning should be posted near the trail or at least the ranger should have said something) and he would never go past the bench on the trail in a wheelchair.  Very slight possibility if you stick to half on the sane and go around on the far right you would not tilt too much, but the river is right below you and that sand patch is all that kept Mik from going down, so he does not recommend any sort of testing going through that part of the path with a wheelchair.

The trail is still worth doing before you get to that point, as you can even see the waterfall from a distance right before the dangerous part of the path.  Just be prepared for swarms of mosquitos!!!  It is mainly a nature hike, but there were a few Pipestone quarries along the path.  During our visit, though, they were mostly flooded in all the way.

Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
Pipestone National Monument
36 North Reservation Avenue
Pipestone, MN

Sunset Point Rest Area - I17 252mm

Date of Visit: June 25, 2011

The Sunset Point Rest Area is a great scenic view rest area. It is shared by both directions of traffic. There are a good amount of handicap parking spots including 3 regular and 2 long motorhome style spots next to the main restrooms and another set of spots further down by the South facilities. The South facilities only have two single toilet restrooms and they are specifically for handicap, however they were closed and seem to be long term closed.

The main restroom building has handicap stalls in the Men's and Women's restrooms as well as one Family/Companion restroom. I noticed in the Women's restroom they had the large handicap stall as well as the style slightly larger than regular stall with grab bars on bath sides.

The Sunset Point Rest Area has several picnic areas. However, most is in stepped down areas with only one table being level with sidewalk, but this one table has an opening for a wheelchair roll up to it, although the tables seemed rather high.

There is a sun dial memorial down a ramp as part of the view area.

Overall Sunset Point Rest Area is a great rest stop, especially since there really is not much to stop at along most of the I17. It is a good picnic area and a place to stretch you legs or roll about as a break from the car. It is especially nice that it has a Family/Companion restroom.


Destination Info:
Sunset Point Rest Area
I17 252mm
Arizona

Detour: Navajo National Monument

Our first stamp in our National Park Passports for our 2011 Road Trip ended up being at the Navajo National Monument. Dad saw a sign for it coming up and we decided to detour the 9 miles to it before continuing back on our way to the planned sightseeing of Four Corners Monument.

Mik and I are trying to collect as many 2011 National Park stamps in our 25th Anniversary National Park Passports, so it was a very worthwhile detour. Bonus was they did have a 25th Anniversary stamp along with the regular one.

Disneyland: Fantasmic Dessert Seating

Date of Visit: June 3, 2011

Mik has never wanted to see the Fantasmic show, but he is a foodie, so when I told him we could get reserved seats and a dessert platter to watch the show he decided to give it a try.  It certainly is not cheap at $60 a person, but you do get a chair and even if you do end up in the second or third row there is adequate room to shuffle chairs a little so you can see in between heads in the front row if they happen to be tall.

We got in line about 15 minutes before they started letting you choose seats.  It is kind of annoying that for the first showing you have to then go and wait for them to let in the area, especially with the area so congested and not much room for hanging around the ~15 minutes.


Mik sat in the front row (they took away the chair) and we sat behind him in the second row.  The view was not bad, but there was a pole in the way.  You would think if you are paying $60 for seating they would line the seating up so there was not such an obstructed view.  Not too big a deal, as you could still see pretty much everything.


The dessert tray is great.  Each person gets a box filled with various desserts along with cheese and crackers.  There were some little truffles, a little cheesecake with a Mickey chocolate, a cool cookie with a purple starry chocolate bottom, a brownie, grapes, Babybel cheese, crackers, and probably a few other things.  The lid is cool with the Fantasmic logo, but it does not stay on very well (the CMs are nice and told us this when handing them out to best avoid spills).

You also get drinks as part of the seating.  We all had hot chocolate, but they also had soda and coffee options.


I loved seeing the show and having a seat instead of having to stake out a spot early or standing long before and during the show.  It is also nice that it is not crowded with people smooshed together like the other areas can be.

We all enjoyed the show and even Mik said he would see it again, but only if we did the Dessert seating.  Certainly, not something we are going to splurge on for every Disneyland trip (i.e. not happening the other two trips planned this year), but it was totally worth it and I will definitely try to budget it in again sometime.  Mik just wished they had something like this for World of Color, although maybe before we do this again we will give the Ariel's Grotto package for that, although that still is not really anywhere near the same from what I have read.

We also ended up watching the fireworks from here.  The view is not that great, but you do still at least see Dumbo and Tinkerbell flying.  The trees around the seating blocked seeing much of the actual fireworks, but it was better than trying to get out of the park during the fireworks.

Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
Disneyland
1313 South Harbor Boulevard
Anaheim, CA 92802

Disneyland: Soundsational Parade

Date of Visit: June 3, 2011

Mik is not a fan of parades and I have never successfully gotten him to let us stake out a spot to see one until this last trip.  We had ended up leaving the park on the 2nd during the parade and he was surprised it was not all that loud.  Apparently, the main reason he does not like the parades is the noise.


On the 2nd we noticed the wheelchair viewing area on Main Street (outside shop near where the parade starts) was pretty much empty 20 minutes before the parade, so we got there about 30 minutes before parade time and had no problem getting a spot.  In fact, the area barely ended up filling the first row even with companions standing in front row.  That seems rather surprising, especially when it was the prime spot to be with the parade starting on the Main Street end that time.


I really enjoyed the parade, especially since Mary Poppins and the penguins from that movie were featured as the final part of the parade.  Mik has no real opinion of the parade other than it is surprisingly not that loud, as he ended up falling asleep before the parade and slept through it.

Photos by Kjersti
Text by Kjersti with Mik's wheelchair accessibility input

Destination Info:
Disneyland
1313 South Harbor Boulevard
Anaheim, CA 92802