Creative Travel Ideas

Recently, I went on a day trip to lovely Sante Fe with a relative.

We took the Rail Runner from Albuquerque to Sante Fe, which was celebrating Spanish Day (or the Hispanic Market), a celebration of Hispanic artistry. The plaza was packed with vendors and the streets were clogged with tourists. The train station was a half-mile walk to the plaza, but my companion was struggling.

He’s a pretty healthy fellow (he had just completed nine holes of golf the day before), but a rickety hip was acting up.

No taxis were in sight, and the street was clogged and difficult to navigate. Just then, an angel named Nova appeared. She was pedaling a pedi-cab, dressed in a frilly white skirt and very large cowboy hat. Since it was Sante Fe, her shaved head and bright tatoos fit right in with the rest of the boho inhabitants.

We jumped in the cab, and she whisked us off to The Shed, a pleasant lunch place just off of the main plaza. A few hours later, we called her and she took us back to the train station.

The experience got me thinking about creative ways to travel when you or your LO can’t handle the walking and stress that tourist-ing requires?

Pedicabs and horse cabs are one solution for touring a city…some other ideas:

Take the bus or water tour. My parents once took an architectural tour of Chicago, conducted via a boat down the waterways. Both enjoyed the experience, which did not require walking for miles in the blazing Midwestern summer heat.

Call ahead about wheelchairs. I volunteer at the Desert Botanical Garden in Tempe, AZ. The garden has smooth, level paths and wheelchairs for hire — perfect for taking handicapped folk around the trails.

Pace yourself. Schedule “mini outings” that are set around breakfast or lunch — such as a brunch at a local museum. Your LO can rest and enjoy the repast, and then get back to the hotel or guestroom for a nap.

Consider Las Vegas for family reunions and gettogethers. The city is ideal for the handicapped folks on vacation. At the airport, a fleet of handicapped accessible vans are available for transport to a hotel on the Strip. All the hotels and sidewalks are designed to handle wheelchair needs. Even if your family members are not into gambling and nightlife, there are plenty of activities for large, extended families with children and seniors.