This past month my family of 6 took off for the Alaskan wilderness....OK, maybe a cruise ship buffet doesn't necessarily qualify as wilderness but let's face it, there are some similarities. My family has some mobility challenges as one of my teens is a full time wheelchair user and on this cruise, my mother in law used a rented scooter. As always, before any cruise I did a lot of research prior finding out about wheelchair access on Alaskan cruise ships and how we could make this the most successful trip for everyone possible. Here is what I learned in hopes it helps someone else have as fabulous a trip as we did. If you would like a more general information make sure and read Celebrity Solstice Alaskan Cruise Review. CELEBRITY SOLSTICE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY ON ALASKAN CRUISE: Landing in SeaTac is very easy. You can reserve a wheelchair accessible taxi that will fit 4 people (including chair user seated in chair) and 4-5 pieces of luggage through Yellow Cab or simply go to the taxi stand upon arrival and they will get you one. The ride to our hotel was roughly $50. Highly recommend the Hampton Inn in Seattle for an accessible solution for pre and post cruise stay. They ...
Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain | A Desert Gem
I was born in raised in Phoenix and in the 30 years I spent there had never come across a desert gem like the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain and that is saying something because Arizona has many beautiful resorts to choose from. Set just outside Marana, AZ (just slightly north of Tucson) this luxurious resort preserves the peace and beauty of the desert in the way you would expect from the Ritz-Carlton brand. Our drive from downtown Phoenix was an easy 1 1/2 hour drive down the I-10, including stop time in Casa Grande for a rare In-N-Out Burger treat these days (side note: Denver, really, you need to get with the In-N-Out program). You could fly into Sky Harbor in Phoenix or Tucson for a stay here. We flew into Phoenix and spent one night at the Hotel Palomar downtown before driving down the next morning. We arrived at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain just in time to see the Native American Flautist serenading the sunset perched upon the mountain. This would happen each night of our stay. Anytime I hear a flute playing now I fondly remember that 30 minutes each night to slow down and reflect on the day. The fire pit or pool area gives you the perfect vantage point to both see the ...
Top Roadtrip Apps for Moms
This month we have spent every week on the road. Like, literally, have been on a major trip every week of August. My Samsung Note 3 and I have never been so close. We've spent a lot of long hours together watching the pavement pass. So how did my phone save me from certain death by boredom while on these fabulously scenic roads? Read on for some roadtrip apps for moms that will make your phone your next BFF. Top Roadtrip Apps for Moms Instagram. I mean what's more fun than sharing boring pictures of the road, right? Well, maybe sharing all those quirky little road stops would be. Probably Definitely more fun is seeing what all your friends are up. Instagram is the ADHD's busy moms Facebook. Your kids are on Instagram taking a million pictures of themselves making duck faces. Go look. Nothing is more fun that looking at ten million selfies of your adorable kids. Make sure to like all their pictures. They really appreciate that. Especially the teens. Candy Crush. It's addicting. It's annoying. It's a puzzle game with a social twist that let's you endlessly beg your friends on Facebook for extra lives and new levels. The good news is that unless you are willing ...
Jet-setter Update
After just returning from Texas, I am setting off for a weekend in Detroit. While both trips have very different goals-Texas was for Carter's health and Detroit is for work, they have one thing in common-I am pulling my hair out trying to stay organized in the air, on the road and inside my suitcase. Which is good news for you. I have picked up a few more tips and tricks that may help make your upcoming holiday travel a little bit easier. While I am not really jet-setting, I do feel like I am hitting the road hard lately and from how sick I keep getting, it is hitting back. My Phone Holy Moly y'all (my new Texas word) I did it. I cut the iCord. Verizon sent me the new LG G2 and I fell in love. Of course the love may have been helped by my new loathe of iOS 7. I'm sorry, but ever since Steve Jobs has passed Apple just cannot stay competitive in my mind. Where they were once an innovator, nowadays it seems like all they are doing is playing catch up to the Android market. The G2 uses Snapdragon technology (don't worry, its just a fancy word for fast) to make everything load so much faster and multitask between all my social networking. Google Talk makes Siri sound like my ...
The New Disability Plan at Disney Parks
People keep asking me what I think of the new changes to the guest assistance card at the Disney Parks. I first reported about it when the new disability access pass was just a rumor for Traveling Mom and watched as the uproar among the special needs community commenced. It's been ugly. People are upset about these new changes. I just don't happen to be one of them. I guess people consider me a leader in the spina bifida world or disability travel world and maybe that is why I keep getting asked why I am not up in arms over it. Mostly it is because I was one of the people who asked for change. Remember our trip last Spring when Disney World hosted us for a week? And all I saw was abuse after abuse of the wheelchair system? Yeah. That. That is why I am not upset. Look. Disney has to do something. I don't know that I think this new plan has it right. But I don't know that any plan will have it exactly right at this point. This is what they have told us the new plan will look like: Frequently Asked Questions About the Changes to Disney’s Guest Assistance Pass How will the new Disney program work? The Disability Access Service Card will offer Guests a return time for an ...